Erin Vines

Education

Research

My research examines the relational and contextual processes that shape behavioral health and wellbeing of youth and families, particularly those who have experienced adversity. Much of my research has focused on youth impacted by parental incarceration. Another focus of my research is understanding how to meaningfully involve young people in research and decision-making on issues that affect their lives. In my research, I use a variety of methods, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, and youth participatory approaches.

Teaching

I teach HDFS 3000: Introduction to Behavioral Health (Spring 2027) and HDFS 3700S: Adolescent Development Service Learning (Fall 2027). My approach to teaching is rooted in fostering a sense of belonging, connecting course material to students' lives, encouraging critical thinking, and supporting student success. I strive to create an inclusive and engaging classroom community that emphasizes active learning. My hope is for all my students to feel valued, empowered, and supported as they grow academically and personally.

Outreach

As UGA's Behavioral Health Extension Specialist, I work with communities across Georgia to promote wellbeing, prevent behavioral health challenges, and connect people with resources and support. I am particularly interested in addressing behavioral health needs in rural communities, where access to services can be limited. My current outreach work includes reducing stigma surrounding opioid use disorder and recovery; supporting the wellbeing of farmers, farmworkers, and farm families; and delivering and supporting community-based mental health education and training, including Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory (COMET), and Question-Persuade-Refer (QPR).

Journal Articles

Abraczinskas, M* ^{(co-first author)},. & Vines, E.* ^{(co-first author)}, Adams, B. L., Kotsis, E., Skerrette, Z., Orr, A., Hyles, K., & Louis, A. S. (2026). Learning from lived experience: Similarities and differences in qualitative analysis by researchers with and without experiences of parental incarceration. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 25, 16094069261474774. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069261474774

Abraczinskas, M., Kennedy, H., Chambers, A. N., Vines, E., & Ozer, E. J. (2026). Using a systematic review of youth and environmental youth participatory action research outcomes to create a modified implementation capacity framework. American Journal of Community Psychology, 78(1-2), 32-56. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.70095

Abraczinskas, M., Kennedy, H., Vines, E., & Chávez, N. R. (2026). Feasibility of a pilot virtual national young adult wellbeing network: Using art to heal. Journal of Adolescent Research, 41(1), 40-76. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584231214541

Ateyah, W.A., Abraczinskas, M., Badio, K., Lockett, G., Zhou, A., Patel, R., Vines, E. Gibaldi, H., Abreu, R., Graber, J., & Lynne, S. (2026) “The university always screams diversity, equity, and inclusion and to me, they don’t put effort to show that:” Navigating mental health as a Black, Indigenous, and Student of Color at a predominantly white institution. Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion. https://doi.org/10.1177/26320770261484177

Vines, E., Abraczinskas, M., Kennedy, H., & Chavez, N. (2025). Reclaiming narratives: Using blackout poetry as a tool in YPAR for emotional processing and disrupting adultism. Journal of Participatory Research Methods, 6(3). https:/​/​doi.org/​10.35844/​001c.137269

Abraczinskas, M., Kennedy, H., Vines, E., Winer, E., Johnson, E., Sullivan, P., & Rubén Chávez, N. (2025). “We are the flowers that go underwater and still blossom”: Defining and facilitating wellbeing during YPAR. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10852352.2025.2572845

Kelly, S., Muthoka, H., Vines, E., Wormington, S., & D’Mello, S. (2024) Fine-grained, nomination coding the support domain: Promising teacher discourse measures. Journal of Experimental Education, 93(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2024.2312521

Abraczinskas, M., Adams, N., Vines, E., Latson, Z., & Wimbish, M. (2022). Making the implicit explicit: Illustration of YPAR implementation and lessons learned in partnership with young adults who have experienced family member incarceration. Journal of Participatory Research Methods, 3(3, Youth-themed Special Issue). https://doi.org/10.35844/001c.38762

Abraczinskas, M., Kornbluh, M., Golden, A. R., Glende, J., Velez, V., Vines, E., & Ozer, E. J. (2022). Preventing bullying and improving school climate through integrating youth participatory action research into school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports: An illustration using a multiple case study approach. Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion, 3(2), 166-194. https://doi.org/10.1177/26320770221092148