Heather Allan

Heather Allan, MSW, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, affiliated with the Pediatrics-Child Abuse and Neglect/Kempe Department. Her work focuses on child welfare, family group decision-making, and equity in prevention programs.

• Academic Rank: Assistant Professor
• University: University of Colorado
• School: School of Medicine
• Department: Pediatrics-Child Abuse and Neglect/Kempe

Her research interests include child maltreatment prevention, cultural responsiveness in parenting interventions, and the application of decision-making ecology to child welfare systems. She explores systemic disparities, community-based interventions, and the role of lived expertise in improving outcomes for vulnerable families.

Allan’s recent publications span empirical studies on family group conferencing, equity assessments in parenting programs, and ecological factors influencing child welfare decisions. Her work appears in journals like Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review and Child Abuse & Neglect, with presentations at international conferences on child welfare reform.

She collaborates extensively with the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, contributing to policy evaluations and program development. Her outreach emphasizes public health perspectives and community partnerships to address family needs.