Sarah Carnochan

2016 - present | Member, Editorial Board, Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership and Governance; Oversee Learning from the Field series

Ad Hoc Reviewer: British Journal of Social Work, Children & Youth Services Review, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, Public Management Review, Public Performance and Management Review, Social Service Review

2014present | Member, Society for Social Work and Research

2010 – 2016 | Member, Association for Research on Nonprofit and Voluntary Associations

1998 – 2018 | Member, National Association of Social Workers

1990 – 1993 | President, Board of Directors, Housing Committee, San Francisco, CA

1988 – present | Member, State Bar of California (inactive status)

2001-2004 | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Pre-doctoral fellowship at the Alcohol Research Group/Public Health Institute, Berkeley, CA.

1997-1999 | University of California, Berkeley: University Fellowship

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Austin, M. J., & Carnochan, S. (2020). Practice research in the human services: A university-agency partnership model. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Chuang, E., McBeath, B., Carnochan, S., & Austin, M. J. (2019). Relational mechanisms in complex contracting: Factors associated with private managers' satisfaction with and commitment to the contract relationship. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. DOI: 10.1093/jopart/muz021

Carnochan, S., Molinar, L., Brown, J., Botzler, L., Gunderson, K., Henry, C., & Austin, M. J. (2018). Public Child Welfare: A Casebook for Learning and Teaching. San Diego, CA: Cognella.

Carnochan, S., Weissinger, E., Henry, C., Liner-Jigamian, N., & Austin, M. J. (2018). Using qualitative data-mining to identify skillful practice in child welfare case records. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 13(4), 419-440.

Carnochan, S., McBeath, B., Chuang, E., & Austin, M. J. (2018). Perspectives of public and nonprofit managers on communications in human services contracting. Public Performance and Management Review, 42(3), 657-684.

Taylor, S., Battis, C., Carnochan, S., Henry, C., Balk, M., & Austin, M. J. (2018). Exploring trauma-informed practice in public child welfare through qualitative data-mining of case records. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 13(3), 325-344.

Graaf, G., Hengeveld-Bidmon, E., Carnochan, S., Salomone, M., Austin, M. J. (2018). Change communication in public sector cutback management. Public Organization Review, 19(4), 453-472.

McBeath, B., Chuang, E., Carnochan, S., Austin, M. J., & Stuart, M. (2018). Service coordination by public sector managers in a human service contracting environment. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 46(2), 115-127.

Henry, C., Liner-Jigamian, N., Carnochan, S., Taylor, S., & Austin, M. J. (2018). Parental substance use: How child welfare workers make the case for court intervention. Children and Youth Services Review, 93, 69-78.

Stanczyk, A., Carnochan, S., Hengeveld-Bidmon, E., & Austin, M. J. (2018). Family-focused services for TANF participants facing acute barriers to work: Pathways to implementation. Families in Society, 99, (3), 219-231.

Henry, C., Carnochan, S., Weissinger, E., & Austin, M. J. (2017). Using qualitative data mining in child welfare to understand child welfare practice. Child Welfare, 93 (6), 7-26.

McBeath, B., Carnochan, S., Stuart, M., & Austin, M. J. (2017). The managerial and relational dimensions of public-nonprofit human service contracting. Journal of Strategic Contracting and Negotiation, 3(2), 51-77.

Carnochan, S., McBeath, B., & Austin, M. J. (2017). Managerial and frontline perspectives on the process of evidence-informed practice within human service organizations. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 41(4), 346-358.

Perez Jolles, M., McBeath, B., Carnochan, S., & Austin, M. J. (2016). Factors associated with managerial innovation in public human service organizations. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 40(4), 421-434.

Taylor, S., Carnochan, S., Pascual, G., & Austin, M. J. (2016). Engaging employers as partners in subsidized employment programs. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 43, 149.

Natland, S., Weissinger, E., Graaf, G., & Carnochan, S. (2016). Learning practice-based research methods: Capturing the experiences of MSW students. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 36(1), 33-51.

Graaf, G., Hengeveld-Bidmon, E., Carnochan, S., Radu, P., & Austin, M. J. (2016). The impact of the great recession on county human-service organizations: A cross-case analysis. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 40(2), 152-169.

McBeath, B., Perez-Jolles, M., Carnochan, S., & Austin, M. J. (2015). Organizational and individual determinants of evidence use by managers in public human service organizations. Human Service Organizations - Management, Leadership & Governance, 39(4), 267-289.

Radu, P. T., Carnochan, S., & Austin, M. J. (2015). Obstacles to social service collaboration in response to the great recession: The case of the Contra Costa County Safety Net Initiative. Journal of Community Practice, 23(3-4), 323-347.

Carnochan, S. & Austin, M. J. (2015). Redefining the bureaucratic encounter between service providers and service users: Evidence from the Norwegian HUSK projects. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 12(1), 64-79.

Carnochan, S., Taylor, S., Pascual, G., & Austin, M. (2014). Employer perspectives on the role of soft skills in subsidized employment relationships. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 95(3), 187-194.

Carnochan, S. (2014). Low-wage work: A synthesis of major social science concepts. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 24(1), 71-82.

Carnochan, S., Samples, M., Myers, M. & Austin, M. J. (2014). Performance measurement challenges in nonprofit human service organizations. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 43(6), 1014-1032.

Carnochan, S. & Austin, M. J. (2013). Redefining the bureaucratic encounter between service providers and service users: Evidence from the Norwegian HUSK projects. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work (In press).

Carnochan, S. (2013). Low-wage work: A synthesis of major social science concepts. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. (In press).

Carnochan, S., Samples, M., Myers, M. & Austin, M. J. (2013). Performance measurement challenges in nonprofit human service organizations. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. (In press).

Carnochan, S., Samples, M. W., Lawson, J. & Austin, M. J. (2013). The context of child welfare performance measures. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work. 10(3), 147-160.

Carnochan, S., Rizik-Baer, D. & Austin, M. J. (2013). Preventing the recurrence of maltreatment.Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 10(3),161-178.

Carnochan, S., Rizik-Baer, D. & Austin, M. J. (2013). Preventing re-entry to foster care. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work,10(3),196-209.

Carnochan, S., Lee, C. & Austin, M. J. (2013). Achieving timely reunification. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work.10(3),179-195.

Carnochan, S., Lee, C. & Austin, M. J. (2013). Achieving exits to permanency for children in long term care. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 10(3), 220-234.

Carnochan, S., Moore, M. & Austin, M. J. (2013). Achieving timely adoption. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 10(3), 210-219.

Carnochan, S., Moore, M. & Austin, M. J. (2013). Achieving placement stability. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work,10(3), 235-253.

Samples, M. W., Carnochan, S. & Austin, M. J. (2013). Using performance measures to manage child welfare outcomes: Local strategies and decision-making. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 10(3), 254-264.

Austin, M. J., Regan, K., Samples, M. W., Schwarz, S. L., Carnochan, S. (2011). Building managerial and organizational capacity in nonprofit human service organizations through a leadership development program. Administration in Social Work, 35(3), 258-281.

Carnochan, S. & Austin, M. J. (2011). Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth: A pioneering child advocacy organization (1974 – 2008). Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 8 (1-2), 87-105.

Han, M., Carnochan, S. & Austin, M. J. (2007). Factors contributing to perceived difficulty in child welfare and court inter-professional collaboration: An exploratory study of case records. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 1(3), 115-131.

Carnochan, S., Taylor, S., Abramson-Madden, A., Han, M., Rashid, S., Maney, J., Teuwen, S. & Austin, M. J. (2007). Child welfare and the courts: An exploratory study of the relationship between two complex systems. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 1(1), 117-136.

Carnochan, S., Ketch, V., De Marco, A., Taylor, S., Abramson, A. & Austin, M.J. (2005).  Assessing the initial impact of welfare reform: A synthesis of research studies (1998-2002). Social Policy Journal, 4 (1), 3-31.

Hartman, C. & Carnochan, S. (2002). City for sale: The transformation of San Francisco, 2d Edition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Carnochan, S. & Austin, M. J. (2002). Implementing welfare reform and guiding organizational change. Administration in Social Work, 26 (1), 61-77.

Mason, M. A., Fine, M. A. & Carnochan, S. (2001). Family law in the new millennium: For whose families? Journal of Family Issues, 22 (7), 859-881.

Austin, M. J., Martin, M., Carnochan, S., Goldberg, S., Berrick, J. D., Weiss, B. & Kelley, J. (1999). Building a comprehensive agency-university partnership: A case study of the Bay Area Social Services Consortium. Journal of Community Practice, 6 (3), 89-106.

Books and Chapters

Austin, M. J., & Carnochan, S. (2020). Practice research in the human services: A university-agency partnership model. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Carnochan, S., Molinar, L., Brown, J., Botzler, L., Gunderson, K., Henry, C., & Austin, M. J. (2018). Public child welfare: A casebook for learning and teaching. San Diego, CA: Cognella.

Mason, M. A., Fine, M. A., & Carnochan, S. (2004). Family law for changing families in the new millennium. In The handbook of contemporary families: Considering the past, contemplating the future. M. Coleman and L. Ganong, Eds. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Carnochan, S., & Austin, M. J. (2004). Implementing welfare reform and guiding organizational change. In: Changing welfare services: Case studies of local welfare reform programs. M. J. Austin, Ed. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Social Work Practice Press.

Hartman, C., & Carnochan, S. (2002). City for sale: The transformation of San Francisco, 2d Edition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Conference Presentations

Carnochan, S., & Das, A. (2020). Frontline worker perspectives on providing intensive, family-focused welfare-to-work services. Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference.

Das, A., Carnochan, S., Liner-Jigamian, N., Gomez-Vidal, C., & Austin, M. J. (2019). Transforming the bureaucratic encounter: The worker-client relationship in welfare-to-work services. Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference.

Carnochan, S. (2018). University-agency partnerships: Organizational research. Network for Social Work Management, Doctoral Scholars Institute. Invited presentation.

Weissinger, E., Carnochan, S., Taylor, S., Liner-Jigamian, N., Henry, C., & Austin, M. J. (2018). Applying qualitative data-mining techniques to child welfare data. 21st Annual National Human Services Training Evaluation Symposium. Invited presentation.

Taylor, S. Battis, C., Carnochan, S., Henry, C., & Austin, M.J. (2018). Linking immigrant youth in child welfare with mental health services. Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference.

 Carnochan, S. (2018). Managing cross-sectoral contract relationships: Perspectives of nonprofit and public managers in the human services. International Society for Third Sector Research. Accepted, declined attendance.

Taylor, S., Carnochan, S., Stanczyk, A., Battis, C., & Austin, M. J. (2017). Linkages between child welfare and mental health: Promising practices and challenges. 4th International Conference on Practice Research.

Austin, M. J., & Carnochan, S. (2017). Agency-based practice research in the human services. 4th International Conference on Practice Research. Invited presentation.

 Austin, M.J., Carnochan, S., Chuang, E., & McBeath, B. (2017). Managerial factors in the contractual delivery of human services: Evidence from the San Francisco Bay Area. Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference.

Stanczyk, A., Carnochan, S., Hengeveld-Bidmon, E., Austin, M. J. (2017). Family-focused services for TANF participants facing acute barriers to work: Pathways to implementation. Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management Fall Research Conference. Poster.

Carnochan, S., Weissinger, E., Austin, M. J. (2016). Child welfare qualitative data mining project: A partnership between Alameda County Social Services Agency and U.C. Berkeley School of Social Welfare. Continuous Quality Improvement Symposium, UC Davis Extension, Center for Human Services. Invited poster.

Graaf, G., Carnochan, S., & Austin, M. J. (2016). The impact of the Great Recession on county human service organizations: A cross case analysis. Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference. Poster.

Stuart, M., Carnochan, S., & Austin, M. J. (2015). Revisiting public-nonprofit contractual relations using complexity theory: A cross-case analysis. ARNOVA.

Weissinger, E., Carnochan, S., & Henry, C. (2015). Applying qualitative data-mining techniques to child welfare data: A case study in identifying skillful practice. One Child, Many Hands: A Multidisciplinary Conference on Child Welfare.

Carnochan, S., McBeath, B., & Austin, M.J. (2015). Staff experiences of evidence-informed practice processes in public human service organizations. Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference.

McBeath, B., Perez-Jolles, M., Carnochan, S., & Austin, M.J. (2015). Practitioners’ evidence use in public human service organizations. Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference.

Henry, C., Carnochan, S., Clancy, T., & Uldricks, J. (2014). Qualitative data-mining in child welfare: An agency-university partnership to better understand and enhance practice. International Conference on Practice Research.

Bar Nir, D., Carnochan, S. & Austin, M. J. (2012). Inter-organizational relationships (IORs) between nonprofit human service organizations: Towards a theoretical framework and research agenda. International Society for Third Sector Research.

Carnochan, S., Samples, M. W. & Austin, M. J. (2011). Performance management challenges in nonprofit human services organizations. ARNOVA.

Austin, M. J. & Carnochan, S. (2010). Building managerial and organizational capacity in nonprofit human service organizations through a leadership development program. ARNOVA.

Carnochan, S., Gothard, S. & Austin, M. J. (2010). Becoming a manager in nonprofit human service organizations. ARNOVA.

Carnochan, S. & Austin, M. J. (2010). Child welfare and the courts: An exploratory study of the relationship between two complex systems. New York State Child Welfare System Conference: Enhancing Court Practices in Child Welfare Proceedings. Invited presentation.

Carnochan, S. & Austin, M.J. (2001). Step by step: Building the infrastructure for transforming public social service organizations into learning organizations. Berkeley, CA: Bay Area Social Services Consortium.

Carnochan, S. (2001). Child welfare and the courts: An exploratory study of the relationship between two complex systems. Beyond the Bench: Judicial Council of California. Invited presentation.

July, 2020 - Current | Director Bay Area Social Services Consortium University of California, Berkeley.

2009 – June, 2020 | Research Director, Bay Area Social Services Consortium, University of California, Berkeley.

Co P.I. leading studies conducted in collaboration with nonprofit and public agency partners. Oversaw work of graduate student researchers, collaborating faculty, and practice consultants. Wrote and directed writing by research assistants to produce research reports, scholarly papers, teaching cases, and presentation materials. Presented at academic and practitioner conferences. Supported relations with members of public and nonprofit human service agency consortia. Partnered with BASSC director in developing research agenda and strategic and budget planning for BASSC. From 2009 to 2018, also served as Research Director for the Mack Center on Nonprofit & Public Sector Management in the Human Services.

2005 – 2009 | Research Specialist, Institute for Health Policy Studies University of California, San Francisco.

Co-investigator on ethnographic study involving field observation and interviews in multiple substance abuse treatment programs to examine alternative strategies for engaging and retaining homeless individuals in treatment. Primary researcher on qualitative study investigating the barriers to serving individuals with alcohol, drug, and mental health disorders

2001 – 2002 | Research Coordinator, Bay Area Social Services Consortium University of California, Berkeley.

Designed and coordinated mixed methods study in 10 counties examining relationship between social work and legal professionals involved in juvenile dependency proceedings. Developed quantitative/qualitative study in 11 counties examining factors contributing to employment outcomes among CalWORKs recipients. Coordinated with participating agencies, supervised research assistants, managed budget, led data analysis, co-authored reports and papers.

1997 – 2000 | Research Assistant, Bay Area Social Services Consortium University of California, Berkeley.

Conducted qualitative study of welfare reform implementation and organizational change in public social service agencies. Researched and drafted reports for agency directors on policy and practice issues, including welfare reform, low wage workers, management information systems, and learning organization models.

1992, 1999 | Research Associate, Chester Hartman/Poverty & Race Research Action Council, Washington, D.C.

Conducted key informant interviews, archival and internet research, and drafted text for second edition of a book examining urban development and political movements in San Francisco.

1993 – 1994 | Project Director, Berkeley Oakland Support Services, Oakland, CA.

Developed and managed a supportive housing program providing rent subsidies and case management services for 100 families and single adults with mental health and substance abuse disorders. Supervised staff of four case managers and housing coordinator.

1989 – 1991 | Staff Attorney, Tenderloin Housing Clinic, San Francisco, CA.

Represented low-income tenants in affirmative housing litigation. Provided legal counseling and negotiation assistance to tenants. Conducted administrative and legislative advocacy, including public testimony and drafting legislation.

Teaching Experience

2010 - 2015 | Lecturer, Evidence Informed Management Practice, Executive Development Program Bay Area Social Services Consortium, University Extension

Spring, 1999 | Guest Lecturer, Welfare Reform: Assessing Welfare to Work Programs, Social Welfare 116 (formerly 105), Current Topics in Social Welfare School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley

Spring, 1999 | Guest Lecturer, The ADA and Psychiatric Disability, Social Welfare 234B, Law and Social Welfare: Health and Mental Health School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley

Fall, 1999 | Graduate Student Instructor, Public Policy 240A: Decision Analysis, Modeling and Quantitative Methods, Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley

Fall, 1999 | Guest Lecturer, Organizational Change and Culture, Social Welfare 252, Management Practice School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley

1997 – 2004 | Ph.D., School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley.

Dissertation: Declarations of Independence: The Experiences of Welfare Recipients with Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Problems. Committee: Lonnie Snowden, Norton Grubb, Lorraine Midanik, Jane Mauldon.

1995 – 1997 | M.S.W., School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley.

Management, Administration and Planning. Mental Health Concentration.

1985 – 1988 | J.D., Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley.

1977 – 1981 | B.A., Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Slavic Languages and Literature.

Honors: Magna Cum Laude.