College of Health and Human Services

Dheeshana Jayasundara

Professor

Social Work | 559.278.6109 | Office: PHS 142

djayasundara@csufresno.edu

Education

Ph.D., University of Texas at Arlington, 2009. Major: Social Work

MSW, University of Texas at Arlington, 2008. Major: Social Work

MA, University of Missouri at St. Louis, 2003. Major: Criminology and Criminal Justice

BA, University of Delhi, India, 1998. Major: Sociology

Courses Taught

Social Work 135, Human Behavior in the Social Environment

Social Work 171, Qualitative Research

Social Work 212, Human Behavior in the Social Environment

Social Work 213, Cultural Diversity and Oppression

Social Work 222, Advocacy in Social Work Practice

Social Work 247, Seminar in Social Work Practice with Communities

Social Work 261, Qualitative Research

Social Work 292, Seminar in Thesis/Project

Social Work 298/298, Social Work Project/Thesis

Dr. Dheeshana Jayasundara is a Professor of Social Work at California State University, Fresno. She has been involved in the field of domestic violence since 1998 as a researcher and practitioner. She has worked in mainstream agencies and multicultural settings related to violence against women. She has won several awards for her work in the domestic violence area. She has written and completed several successful grants, including a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant and three major federally funded projects. These projects involve vulnerable populations/communities who are suffering from trauma such as Muslim communities, Native communities and rural communities. Specifically, they examine the (a) effects of culturally specific trauma informed service delivery for victims of domestic violence in Muslim communities, with the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation, (b) the impact of trauma in marginalized rural communities on sexual abuse victims in Native communities and, (c) assessing the impact of an oil boom on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking in rural communities of North Dakota and Montana.

• Gender-based and domestic violence
• Reproductive health
• Social development
• International social work (global migration, poverty and war)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Jayasundara, D., Wanasinghe, M., Carr, S., Nedegaard, R. & Guerrero, C. (2020). Combating trafficking in Sri Lanka: A multisystemic national action plan for effective intervention, protection, prosecution, and prevention. Social Development Issues, 42(3) 12-33.

Jayasundara, D., Legerski, E., Danis, F., & Ruddell, R. (2019). Impact of oil development on interpersonal violence: Survivor risk factors and experiences, Social Development Issues, 41(1), 24-48.

Jayasundara, D. Legerski, E., & Danis, F. (2018). Oil development and intimate partner violence in the Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana: Evaluation of the effectiveness of section 8 housing policies, Journal of Interpersonal Violence - Special on Preventing Violence: The Role of Public Policies In Intimate Partner Violence, Teen Dating and Sexual Assault, 33 (21), 3388-3416.

Jayasundara, D., Legerski, E., & Danis, F. (2018). Impact of oil development on sexual assault in the Bakken, Family & Intimate Partner Violence Quarterly, 10 (4), 63-73.

Nedegaard, R., Barkdull, C. Weber, B., & Jayasundara, D. (2017). Teaching social work in a reservation community: Lessons our students taught us. Journal of Teaching in Social Work. DOI: 10.1080/08841233.2017.1414097.

Jayasundara, D., Legerski, E., & Danis, F. (2017). Sexual assault in North Dakota and Montana: Impact of oil development, Sexual Assault Report. 21(1), 1-16.

Jayasundara, D., Nedegaard, R., Flanagan, K., Phillips, A., & Weeks, A. (2017). Leveraging Faith to Help End Domestic Violence: Perspectives from Five Traditions. Social Work and Christianity, 44(4), 39-66.

Jayasundara, D. (2016). Trials and triumphs of using media and technology to build a global social work community. In Alice Butler & Carol S. Cohen (editors), Practicing as a Social Work Educator in International Collaboration. DC: CSWE.

Jayasundara, D., Heitkamp, T., Mayzer, R., Legerski, E., & Evanson, T. (2016). Exploratory Research on the Impact of the Growing Oil Industry in North Dakota and Montana on Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking: A Final Summary Overview, National Institute of Justice.

Jayasundara, D., Heitkamp, T., & Ruddell, R. (2016). Voices from the front line: Human service workers’ perceptions of interpersonal violence in resource-based boom counties. Internet Journal of Criminology. Special Edition on Crime and Oil Booms.

Jayasundara, D., & Nedegaard, R. (2016). Guest Editor Introduction to the Special Issue on Raising Awareness of Global Issues and Solutions. Contemporary Rural Social Work, 8(1), 1-3.

Jayasundara, D., Nedegaard, R., Sharma, B., & Flanagan, K. (2014). Intimate Partner Violence in Muslim Communities. Arts and Social Sciences Journal. S1: 008. DOI: 10.4172/2151-6200.S1-003.

Flanagan, K., Heitkamp, T., Nedegaard, R., & Jayasundara, D. (2014). Black Gold and the Dark Underside of Oil Development on Human Service Delivery. Contemporary Rural Social Work, 6(1), 86-106.

Ruddell, R., Jayasundara, D., Mayzer, R., & Heitkamp, T. (2014). Drilling down: An examination of the boom-crime relationship in resource-based boom counties. Western Criminology Review, 15(1), 3-17.

Black, B., Weisz, A., & Jayasundara, D. (2012). Dating Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention with Middle Schoolers: How does Gender Composition Impact Program Outcomes? Child and Youth Services, 33, 158-173.

Jayasundara, D. (2012). Global reproductive health policies and perspectives. North Dakota Quarterly, Special Issue on Diversity and Its Discontents, 77(1), 78-95.

Panchanadeswaran, S., & Jayasundara, D. (2012). Grounded theory presentation of women’s experiences of marijuana addiction and treatment. Journal of Human Behavior and Social Environment, 22, 971–987.

Jayasundara, D. (2011). Applicability of Amartya Sen’s human development perspectives to the fields of reproductive health and social work. International Social Work, 54(5), 1-14.

Jayasundara, D. (2011). Social Development on Reproductive Health: An Analysis of the Impact of Social Development on Reproductive Health of Women in Developing Countries. Social Development Issues, 33(22), 61-74.

Pillai, V.K., Basham, R., & Jayasundara, D. (2008). A Multivariate Analysis of the Working Poor in Texas: Implications for Policy. Journal of Social Service Research, 35, 11-22.

Pillai, V., Gupta, R. & Jayasundara, D. (2005). Health Care Systems and How They Affect Minorities in Developed Societies: A Comparison. Journal of Health and Development, 1(4), 49-71.