Helen Q. Kivnick
Executive Director, CitySongs
Professor
Office: 89 Peters Hall
Phone: (612) 624-6773
E-mail: hkivnick@umn.edu
Mailing address: 105 Peters Hall
Degrees & Institutions
Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1980
M.A., University of Michigan, 1977
Interest Areas
Psychosocial Development Through the Life Cycle: Special Emphasis on
Promoting Healthy Development in Childhood and Later Life, on
Understanding Healthy Development in the Face of Adversity, on Healthy
Development in an Ecological Context, and on Intergenerational
Relations; Vital Involvement Practice: Strengths-based Long-term Care
Practice for Frail Elders; Life Cycle Therapy; Psychosocial Health,
Culture, and the Arts; Psychosocial Health, Social Justice, and Human
Relations.
Current Research
- "CitySongs." This outreach and practice-based research project integrates music and prevention-based social work. CitySongs uses singing (rehearsal and performance activities) as a way to promote healthy behavior and development among at-risk youth, to enrich inner-city neighborhood development, and to enhance racial and ethnic relations in the Twin Cities. I founded CitySongs in 1991-92.
- "Vital Involvement Practice." This capacity-building approach to developing care plans and practicing long-term care for the frail elderly is grounded in the concept of vital involvement, as described by Erikson, Erikson, & Kivnick (1986). We have piloted the approach in Portland, OR and Hennepin County Coordinated Home Services. We are currently developing a group model to be piloted at one of the Hennepin County senior high rises in the spring of 1999.
- "Elder Role Models in Long-term Care." This study takes a life-cycle approach to learning from elders who are identified as being "good at" being in long-term care. In conjunction with work on an interview guide for use with clients, the study will help us conceptualize "best case" models of elders living vital, productive, satisfying lives while requiring and receiving long-term care.
Recent Publications
Kivnick, H. Q., & Kavka, A. (in press). It takes two: Therapeutic
alliance
with older clients. In M. Duffy (Ed.). Handbook of
counseling and
psychotherapy with older adults. New York: John Wiley and
Sons.
Kivnick, H. Q. (in press). Human behavior and the social environment:
Adulthood and aging. In D. Norton (Ed.). Plurality and
ecology: An
ecological systems framework for a pluralistic
curriculum-Beyond
the dual perspective. Washington, DC: Council on Social
Work
Education.
Kivnick, H. Q. (1998). Through the life cycle: Psychosocial thoughts
on
old age. In G. H. Pollock & S. I. Greenspan (Eds.). The
course of life
(7) 119-134. Madison, CT: International Universities Press.
Kivnick, H. Q., & Murray. S. V. (1997). Vital involvement: An
overlooked
source of identity in frail elders. Journal of Aging and
Identity, 2 (3),
205-223.
Degenholtz, H. Kane, R. A., & Kivnick, H. Q. (1997). Care-related
preferences and values of elderly community-based LTC
consumers:
Can case managers learn what's important to clients? The
Gerontologist, 17 (6), 767-776.
Kivnick, H. Q., & Sinclair, H. M. (1996). Grandparenthood. In J.
Birren
(Ed.), Encyclopedia of Gerontology: Age, Aging, and the
Aged,
Volume I (pp. 611-623). New York: Academic Press.
Kivnick, H. Q. (1996). Remembering and being remembered: The
reciprocity of psychosocial legacy. Generations, 20
(3), 49-53.
Kivnick, H. Q., & Jernstedt, H. L. (1996). Mama still sparkles: An
elder
role model in long-term care. Marriage and Family Review,
24 (1,2),
123-164.
Kane, R. A., Penrod, J. D., &&Kivnick, H. Q. (1994). Case managers
discuss ethics: Dilemmas or an emerging occupation in
long-term
care. Journal of Case Management, 3 (1), 3-12.
Kane, R. A., Penrod, J. D., & Kivnick, H. Q. (1993). Ethics and case
management: Preliminary results of an empirical study. In R.
A. Kane
and A. L. Caplan (Eds.) Ethical conflicts in the
management of home
care: The case manager's dilemma pp. 7-25. New York:
Springer
Publishing Co.
Kivnick, H. Q. (1993) Everyday mental health: A guide to assessing
life
strengths. Generations, 17 (1), 13-20.
Bader, J., & Kivnick, H. Q. (1993). Career age. In R. Kastenbaum
(Ed.),
The encyclopedia of adult development (pp. 55-57).
Phoenix, AZ:
The Oryx Press.
Kivnick, H. Q. (1993). Intimacy and isolation under apartheid: A
psychosocial consideration. In G. H. Pollock & S. I .
Greenspan
(Eds.), The course of life (6) pp. 227-242. Madison,
CT: International
Universities Press.