Anita R. Tucker, Associate Professor, Social Work

Anita Tucker

PROFESSOR
Associate Chair
Phone: (603) 862-2965
Office: Social Work, Pettee Hall Rm 119C, Durham, NH 03824

Dr. Anita R. Tucker is a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Social Work at the University of New Hampshire in the College of Health and Human Services. She is the Coordinator of UNH's Dual Masters Degree in Social Work and Recreation Management and Policy which prepares graduate students for careers in adventure and wilderness therapy. In addition, Dr. Tucker is the new Co-Coordinator of the Outdoor Research Collaborative on Health, Wellbeing and Experiential Engagement with Co-Coordinator, Dr. Christine Lynn Norton, a new evoluation of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare (OBH) Center for Research. Dr. Tucker's research focuses primarily on the process and outcomes of outdoor, adventure and experiential practice including increasing access to supportive services and improving outcomes for participants.

Courses Taught

  • SW 797/865: Special Topics
  • SW 865: Adventure Therapy Facilitation
  • SW 962: Data Analysis and Statistics
  • SW 992: Special Projects & Ind Study

Education

  • Ph.D., Social Work, Boston College
  • M.S.W., Social Work, University of Michigan
  • B.A., Political Science & Government, Dartmouth College

Selected Publications

  • Norton, C. L., Tucker, A. R., Rupe, B., & Riley, M. (2023). Positive Youth Development and Adventure Therapy with Underserved Youth: An Evaluation of the Chicago Voyagers Program. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, 15(4). doi:10.18666/jorel-2023-11703

  • Tucker, A. R., DeMille, S., Newman, T. J., Polachi Atanasova, C., Bryan, P., Keefe, M., & Smitherman, L. (2023). How adolescents view the role of the wilderness in wilderness therapy: “I am in the middle of nowhere and that is okay”. Children and Youth Services Review, 153, 107045. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107045

  • Newman, T. J., Jefka, B., Brennan, N., Lee, L., Bostick, K., Tucker, A. R., . . . Alvarez, M. A. G. (n.d.). Intentional Practices of Adventure Therapy Facilitators: Shinning Light into the Black Box. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. doi:10.1007/s10560-023-00933-0

  • Denny, S., Norton, C., & Tucker, A. (2023). Promoting resilience in college students through group-based adventure therapy. Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, 15(1), 1. Retrieved from https://doi.org/%2010.19157/JTSP.issue.15.01.03

  • Myrick, L., Wermer-Colan, A., Norton, C., & Tucker, A. (2021). Understanding trauma-related distress among wilderness therapy field staff. Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Prorgrams, 13(1), 69-101.

  • Alvarez, T. G., Stauffer, G., Lung, D. M., Sacksteder, K., Beale, B., & Tucker, A. R. (2020). Adventure Group Psychotherapy An Experiential Approach to Treatment.

  • Tucker, A. R., Norton, C. L., Stifler, J., Gass, M., & Bostick, K. (2020). Best practices for working with transgender clients in Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare. Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, 7, 53-69. doi:10.19157/JTSP.issue.12.01.04

  • Norton, C. L., Tucker, A., Pelletier, A., VanKanegan, C., Bogs, K., & Foerster, E. (2020). Utilizing Outdoor Adventure Therapy to Increase Hope and Well-Being Among Women at a Homeless Shelter. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, 12(1), 87-101. doi:10.18666/jorel-2020-v12-i1-9928

  • Vankanegan, C., Tucker, A. R., Mcmillion, P., Gass, M., & Spencer, L. (2019). Adventure therapy and its impact on the functioning of youth in a community setting. Social Work With Groups, 42(2), 1-15. doi:10.1080/01609513.2018.1478761

  • DeMille, S., Tucker, A. R., Gass, M. A., Javorski, S., VanKanegan, C., Talbot, B., & Karoff, M. (2018). The effectiveness of outdoor behavioral healthcare with struggling adolescents: A comparison group study a contribution for the special issue: Social innovation in child and youth services. CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW, 88, 241-248. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.03.015

  • Karoff, M., Tucker, A. R., Alvarez, T., & Kovacs, P. (2017). Infusing a Peer-to-Peer Support Program With Adventure Therapy for Adolescent Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder. JOURNAL OF EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION, 40(4), 394-408. doi:10.1177/1053825917727551

  • Chang, T. -H., Tucker, A. R., Norton, C. L., Gass, M. A., & Javorski, S. E. (2017). Cultural issues in adventure programming: applying Hofstede's five dimensions to assessment and practice. JOURNAL OF ADVENTURE EDUCATION AND OUTDOOR LEARNING, 17(4), 307-320. doi:10.1080/14729679.2016.1259116