• The role of religion and spirituality in the psychosocial and sexual health of marginalized populations, specifically ethnic minorities, and LGBT populations
• Culturally responsive mental health practice with marginalized populations
• Culturally responsive teaching and advising models in higher education
• Resiliency and self-care practices of social workers

Research Experience

Lewis, T.O. (2023, March). Panelist. Panel Discussion on Unacknowledged Roots of Narrative Practice. A Diversity and Equity Committee (DEC) Conversation Series, School of Social Work in Collaboration with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers, Halifax, NS.

Lewis, T.O. (2023, February). Moderator. Panel Discussion on Fitting African Centred Perspectives into Social Work Practice. A Diversity and Equity Committee (DEC) Conversation Series, Dalhousie University School of Social Work in Collaboration with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers, Halifax, NS.

Lewis, T.O. (2022, February). Moderator. Fitting African Centered Perspectives into Social Work Practice (2). A Diversity and Equity Committee (DEC) Conversations Series. Dalhousie University School of Social Work. Halifax, NS.

Lewis, T.O. (2021, October). LGBTQ+ Affirmative Pastors in African American Communities: Narratives of Acceptance, Inclusivity, and Empowerment. Online Research Presentation. Community-Based Research Centre.

Bernard K, Lewis T. (2021, September). Workshops and/or Round Tables: Africentric Sensitivity Education Session. Local Nova Scotian Association of Black Social Workers Community Education Sessions with Northwood Health, Halifax, NS.

Yaffa M, Lewis T. (2021, August). Workshops and/or Round Tables: Africentric Sensitivity Education Session. Local NSABSW Community Education Sessions with Northwood Health, Halifax, NS.

Lewis, T.O. (2021, August). Panel Moderator: Addressing QTBIPOC Health Inequities. Online Pre-recorded Panel Discussion. Post date: August 18th. Halifax Pride Festival, Halifax, NS.

Lewis, T.O. (2021, June 29 & July 1). Foundational Concepts for Inclusive Practices Training for Bethany Christian Services. Two Synchronous On-line Sessions.

Lewis, T.O. (2021, March). Understanding the Relationship Between Health, Race, and Ethnicity. Panel Discussion. East Coast International Development Summit 2021: Global Health and Development. St. Mary’s University. Halifax, NS, Canada.

Lewis, T.O. (2020, March). Culturally Responsive Supervision: Beginning the Discussion. Training Presentation for Field Instructors. Dalhousie University School of Social Work. Halifax, NS.

Lewis, T.O. (2019, October). LGBT Affirmative Pastors in African-American Communities: Narratives of Acceptance, Inclusivity, and Empowerment. Oral Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the Religious Research Association. St. Louis, MO.

Lewis, T.O. (2018, November). LGBTQ+ Affirmative Ministries in African-American Communities: Constructing Safe Harbor Congregations. Oral Presentation at the 64th Annual Program Meeting (APM) for the Council on Social Work Education. Orlando, FL.

Lewis, T.O. (2018, October). Affirmative Ministries in African-American Communities: Dismantling Homophobic Theology, Constructing Safe Harbor Congregations. Oral presentation at the Unity Through Diversity: The Power of Unity Conference. Albany, NY.

Lewis, T.O. (2018, May). Addressing the intersections between religion, LGBTQ identities, and psychosexual health in African-American communities. Keynote presentation at the STDs, STIs, & HIV/AIDS Conference, Montreal, QC.

Lewis, T.O. (2017, May). Community-based research with LGBT affirming Black churches about the HIV AIDS crisis. Panel Presentation at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Research Symposium: An Interdisciplinary Symposium on LGBTQ Research in the Social Sciences. Urbana, IL.

Bohrman, C., Chiarelli-Helminiak, T., Lane, T., and Lewis, T.O. (2016, April). The Social Work Educators’ Response to Police Brutality. Panel Presentation at the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) 18th Annual State Conference, West Chester, PA.

Lewis, T.O. (2016, March). LGBT Affirming Black Churches and their Responses to HIV/AIDS. Workshop Presentation for the 48th Annual Conference of the National Association of Black Social Workers, Inc. New Orleans, LA.

Lewis, T.O., Chiarelli-Helminiak, T., Lane, T., and Bohrman, C. (2015, October). The Social Work Response to Police Brutality. Panel Presentation for the 61st Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education. Denver, CO.

Lewis, T.O. and Wooten, N. (2015, October). Getting Hired in Academia: A Primer for Doctoral Students. Oral Presentation for the 61st Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education. Denver, CO.

Lewis, T.O. (2015, January). Addressing Conflicts between Faith and Social Work Values: From Historical Frameworks to Practice Skills. CEU Training for Field Instructors. West Chester University of Pennsylvania. West Chester, PA.

Lewis, T.O (2014, November). The Phenomenon of LGBT Affirming Black Churches and their Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis in Black America. Oral Presentation at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Indianapolis, IN.

Lewis, T.O. (2014, January). LGBT Affirming Black Churches’ Responses to Homophobia, and the HIV/AIDS Crisis. Paper Presentation for the 2014 Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research. San Antonio, TX.

Lewis, T.O. (2013, November). DSM-5: An overview of the changes. Clinical Training CEU Workshop for Hennepin County’s Human Services and Public Health Department. Minneapolis, MN.

Lewis, T.O. (2013, October). LGBT Affirming Black Churches and their Responses to HIV/AIDS. Oral Presentation. Augsburg College Social Work Department CEU Workshop for Field Instructors, Minneapolis, MN.

Lewis, T.O. (2012, November). The Responses of LGBT-Affirming Black Churches to Homophobia and the HIV/AIDS Crisis. Oral Presentation for the 58th Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Washington, D.C.

Lewis, T.O. (2012, November). The Phenomenon of LGBT Affirming Black Churches and their Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis in Black America. Accepted for Paper Presentation at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Phoenix, Arizona. Unable to attend due to conference date conflict.

Lewis, T.O. (2012, July). Mental Health Careers: Walking with Others towards Healing and Hope. Brief Seminar Presentation for Urban Scrubs Camp, sponsored by Augsburg College.

Lewis, T.O. (2012, June). The Phenomenon of LGBT Affirming Black Churches and their Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis in Black America. Oral Presentation for the International Social Work Conference, sponsored by Augsburg College Department of Social Work. Minneapolis, MN.

Lewis, T.O. (2012, March). The Phenomenon of LGBT Affirming Black Churches and their Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis in Black America. Oral Presentation for the Soup, Gender, and Sexuality Seminars, sponsored by the Augsburg College LGBTQIA Services Office. Minneapolis, MN.

Lewis, T.O. (2012, January). The Phenomenon of LGBT Affirming Black Churches and their Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis in Black America. Oral Presentation for the Diversity Dialogues Seminar, sponsored by the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Minneapolis, MN.

Lewis, T.O. (2011, December). The Phenomenon of LGBT Affirming Black Churches and their Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis in Black America. Oral Presentation for MSW / MA Dual degree program, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN.

Lewis, T.O. (2010, October). The stigmatization process of LGBT black folk within historically black churches: a theoretical analysis. Paper presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Baltimore, MD.

Spencer, R., Lewis, T.O., & Basualdo-Delmonico, A. (2009, January). Mentoring across differences: How race and class shape the youth mentoring process. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Social Work and Research. New Orleans, LA.

Spencer, R., Lewis, T.O., Basualdo-Delmonico, A. & Fredericksen, B. (2008, March). Parents’ perspectives on youth mentoring relationships. Poster session presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, Chicago, IL.

Spencer, R., Lewis, T.O., & Basualdo-Delmonico, A. (2007, October). Mentoring in a multicultural society: A complex relationship. In L. Fortuna (Chair), Mentoring, teaching, and treating urban minority youth across the community and individual differences. Paper presented at the 7th annual meeting of the Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture Diversity Challenge Conference, Boston, MA.

Lewis, T.O. (2019). A Good Christian Man. In T. Arguello’s (Ed.). Queer Social Work: Case Studies for LGBTQ+ Affirmative Practice. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

Dessel, A., Levy, D.L., Lewis, T.O., McCarty-Caplan, D., Jacobsen, J. and L. Kaplan (2019). Teaching Note: Challenges in the Classroom around LGBTQ Topics and Christianity in Social Work. Journal of Social Work Education.

Lewis, T.O. (2018). Race, Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (Chapter 7) in Social Work with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Populations by Claire L. Dente (Ed). Routledge, Inc.

Chiarelli-Helminiak, T. and Lewis, T.O. (2017). Sustainable Development Goal 4: When access to education is not enough. Journal of Access, Retention, and Inclusion in Higher Education.

Dessel, A.B., Jacobsen, J., Levy, D.L. , McCarty-Caplan, D., T. Lewis, and L.E. Kaplan (2017). LGBTQ Topics and Christianity in Social Work: Tackling the Tough Questions. Social Work & Christianity.

Lane, T., Chiarelli-Helminiak, C., Bohrman, C. & T. Lewis (2017). The Teachable Moment: Engaging Students in Social Justice Movements. Social Work Education.

Craig, S. L., Alessi, E. J., Fisher-Borne, M., Dentato, M. P., Austin, A., Paceley, M., Wagaman, A., Arguello, T., Lewis, T., Balestrery, J. E., & Van Der Horn, R. (2016). Guidelines for affirmative social work education: Enhancing the climate for LGBQQ students, staff, and faculty in social work education. Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education.

Lewis, T.O. (2015). LGBT-affirming Black Churches’ Responses to the HIV/AIDS Crisis. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 34(2) 140-157. DOI: 10.1080/15426432.2014.960760

Lewis, T.O. (2012). Understanding Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. Active Clients Achieve Positive Goals. [On-line continuing education module, Gannett Education]. http://www.continuingeducation.com/course/sw06/ understanding-solution-focused-brief-therapy-/

Lewis, T.O. (2012). Social Work and Divinity, edited by Daniel Lee and Robert O’ Gorman [Review of the book]. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 31(3), 303-305

Lewis, T.O. (2011). Counseling for Spiritually Empowered Wholeness: A Hope-Centered Approach by Howard Clinebell [Review of the book]. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 30 (2), 178 - 180

Spencer, R., Basualdo-Delmonico, A., & Lewis, T.O. (2011). Working to make it work: The role of parents in the youth mentoring process. Journal of Community Psychology. 39(1), 51-59

Gianino, M., Goldberg, A. & Lewis, T. (2009). Family Outings: Disclosure practices among adopted youth with gay and lesbian parents. Adoption Quarterly, 12(3) 205-228.