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Dr. Hayden Cedric Dawes (He/Him) is an Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research (GSSWSR). Dr. Dawes’s overarching aim is to use research to develop inclusive practices and policies that leverage individual and community power to enhance mental health for oppressed people. Dawes’s scholarship has three threads: 1) developing and evaluating psychosocial interventions that promote mental health and well-being among oppressed populations, particularly queer people of color; 2) digital mental health interventions and using online research methods; 3) examining and increasing cultural humility and anti-oppressive practices among mental health professionals. His work has been published in journals such as Frontiers in Psychology, Frontiers in Psychiatry, and the Journal of Social Work and Social Research.

Dr. Dawes’s current research examines the theoretical underpinnings and clinical utilizations of self-permission, which is the degree to which individuals use self-determined thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to increase their well-being. Hayden is developing a community intervention approach called Radical Permission, which centers the practice of self-permission in online settings where individuals engage in the practice for various mental health benefits (e.g., emotional catharsis, coping with stress, facing societal oppression, setting interpersonal boundaries) while being supported by a community. Hayden has investigated how individuals have used Radical Permission on Twitter/X and discovered multiple self-permission categories. Based on these findings, Dr. Dawes conducted a mixed-methods pilot feasibility study of Radical Permission for a community of queer young adults of color and found promising results which suggest the intervention may help increase self-compassion, community connectedness, and emotional support seeking while reducing overall anxiety and depression symptoms. Dr. Dawes is continuing to develop this line of research with queer people of color and in considering other priority populations.

Dr. Dawes’s research and teaching are informed by ten years of experience as a clinical social worker within multiple sectors, including community mental health and substance abuse, veterans’ health, and private practice. He teaches practice and research courses and regularly provides professional development lectures on mental health equity for LGBTQ+ People of Color and the foundational skills of cultural humility, in addition to advanced clinical practice. He wants students to embrace becoming lifelong learners about themselves and the world. Dr. Dawes characterizes his pedagogical perspective by three principles: (1) valuing the voice of each student while honoring the collective community, (2) the importance of employing experiential experiences, and (3) committing to life-long learning with the development of mastery.

Dr. Dawes is a former Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholar and serves on the executive council of the American Academy of Psychotherapists. As a publicly engaged scholar, Dr. Dawes regularly interacts with the public through social media and regularly connects with media outlets.