Carol Britton Laws
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
Associate Clinical Professor / Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Pre-Service Education
Destination Dawgs Inclusive Education at UGA Director
28 River’s Crossing
850 College Station Rd.
Athens, GA 30602
Education
| Degree | Field of Study | Institution | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhD | Social Work | The University of Georgia | 2012 |
| MSW | Social Work - Administration, Policy & Planning | Rutgers University | 2007 |
| BA | Psychology; Art History | Rutgers College | 1994 |
Research
My research focuses on the enhancement of the quality of community-based supports for adults with disabilities through workforce development.
Teaching
I coordinate a Disability Studies Certificate program at the undergraduate and graduate levels and instruct multiple service-learning courses which focus on disability issues across the lifespan.
Prior Professional Positions
| Organization | Title | Years of Service |
|---|---|---|
| The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, The Elizabeth M. Boggs Center | Training and Consultation Specialist | 3 |
Awards
| Award Name | Awarded By | Year Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| UGA Service‐Learning Teaching Excellence Award | The Office of Service-Learning, UGA | 2017 |
| Fellow (FAAIDD) American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities | AAIDD | 2016 |
Service
| Organization | Title | Year(s) | Service Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals | President; co-chair Education, Training and Workforce Development Committee | 2008 - 2016 | |
| American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities | Director-at-Large | 2014 - present | |
| American Association on University Centers on Disability | Steering Committee Member, National Training Directors Council | 2014 - present | |
| Georgia Inclusive Post-secondary Education Consortium | Leader | 2015 - present |
Outreach
I direct Destination Dawgs, UGA's first inclusive post-secondary education program for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I am also the Principal Investigator on the Living Well Georgia project which seeks to enhance quality in Home and Community based services and supports for adults with disabiltiies.
Areas of Expertise
Direct support workforce development
Disability studies
Competency-based training
Inclusive Postsecondary Education
Journal Articles
Contributor to: McLaughlin, C., Sedlezky, L., Belcher, H., Marquand, A., & Hewitt, A. (2015). Workforce: Goals for Research and Innovation. Inclusion, 3(4), 267‐273. doi:10.1352/2326‐6988‐3.4.267
Laws, C. B., Kolomer, S. R., & Gallagher, M. J. (2014). Age of Persons Supported and Factors Predicting Intended Staff Turnover: A Comparative Study. Inclusion, 2(4), 316‐328. doi:10.1352/2326‐6988‐ 2.4.316
Publications
Laws, C. B. (2016). Supporting Informed Decision Making: AN NASDP Train the Trainer Curriculum for Direct Support Professionals. NADSP.
Dr. Carol Briton Laws is a Clinical Associate Professor and Interdisciplinary Training Director for the Institute on Human Development and Disability (UCEDD) at the University of Georgia where she coordinates the Disability Studies Certificate program at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She is an active member of the American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. She has worked in the disability field, in roles that range from direct support professional to state-level program design, for almost 20 years. She lives in Athens Georgia with her wonderful husband Jason.