Morgan Cooley

Morgan Cooley, PhD, LCSW, is an Associate Professor at the Sandler School of Social Work, Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Her academic career includes prior roles as an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2014-2018). She holds a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy (2014) and MSW in Social Work (2009) from Florida State University.

Dr. Cooley’s research focuses on child welfare systems, foster care dynamics, and family mental health. She examines relationships between foster parent well-being, child behavior, and mental health outcomes. Key interests include improving foster family training, LGBT+ family resilience, and end-of-life care.

Her recent publications (2023–2025) emphasize foster parent perspectives, training efficacy, and systemic challenges in child welfare. Articles highlight themes like vicarious trauma in therapeutic providers, justice-centered practice frameworks, and caregiver readiness assessments. These works reflect a commitment to evidence-based interventions and policy improvement.

No formal awards are noted. Her work involves collaborations with child welfare agencies and foster care networks, though specific grants are not detailed here.