Karen M. Sowers is Dean of the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee. Her expertise and research interests include juvenile justice, sexuality, social work education, child welfare, best practices in mental health, evidence-based practices, and international social work. Dr. Sowers is the author or co-author of numerous books, book chapters and journal articles. In addition to this text, Dr. Sowers has co-authored another Brooks/Cole text, Juvenile Justice Practice.