M. Killian Kinney, PhD, MSW

M. Killian Kinney (they/them), Ph.D., MSW
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
More information at www.KillianKinney.com

Areas of Research & Specialization
I am passionate about conducting research that raises awareness and improves the lives of individuals and their communities. My research is guided by the ethos by, with, and for the community and explores LGBTQ health equity and wellbeing with a specialization in participatory action research with trans and nonbinary populations.

Recent research projects include:

• Legal epidemiological study of LGBTQ-related federal, state, and local legislation across all 50 states and DC
• Mixed methods study of self-identified LGBTQ-affirming providers
• PhotoVoice study of nonbinary community belonging
• Pilot study of long-term testosterone impacts among transmasculine folx.

Education
Ph.D. in Social Work, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN (2022)
MSW, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN (2015)
BA, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (2003)
AA, Sinclair Community College, Dayton, OH (2001)

Why I Study Social Work
My motivation to be a positive impact on my communities led me to social work. Before entering social work, I was involved in mutual aid (such as volunteering at food not bombs and nonprofits) and activism. Earning my Masters of Social Work strengthened my ability to engage in this work and pursue additional roles in changing systems through community organizing and advocacy. After graduating, I contributed to the development and programming of Indiana’s first adolescent gender health program. I applied the therapeutic skills I learned to facilitate groups for trans and nonbinary individuals. The confidence I gained in policy analysis and community organizing has bolstered my advocacy for inclusive and affirming organizational policy and engagement in public speaking against harmful legislation. Importantly, I met colleagues in social work classes and practice that has become life-long collaborators. For me, social work has led to opportunities and personal tenacity to fight for and contribute to a better world.

What I Would Tell a Student Considering Social Work
Come and speak to us! Reach out to me and other social work faculty to discuss your interests and see if social work might be a good fit for you. I think you might be surprised by the range of social work practice opportunities. The variety of social work practice provides flexibility and adaptability to the skills you will learn to address challenges across communities and contexts. I would add that social work is a profession grounded in values – social justice, equity, dignity – and, therefore, changes how one sees the world. It can be transformational, both personally and professionally.

Professional Affiliations
Clinical Research Coordinator, Indiana University School of Medicine (2021-present)
Co-Chair, CSWE Council on Sexuality Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (CSOGIE) (2020-present)
Member, The LGBTQ-Caucus (2016 – present)

Published Works

Dissertation
Kinney, M. K. (2021). Learning to thrive in a binary world: Understanding the gendered experiences of nonbinary individuals and ways to bolster wellbeing (Publication No. 28647919) [Doctoral dissertation Indiana University]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Peer-Reviewed Publications
Kattari, L., Kattari, S., Kinney, M. K., Walls, N. E. (in press). Matchmaking methodology for humanizing transgender and gender diverse health and wellness research. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action. https://preprint.press.jhu.edu/pchp/preprints/matchmaking-methodology-humanizing-transgender-and-gender-diverse-health-research

Muzzey, F. K., Kinney, M. K., McCauley, H. L., & Mass, M. K. (2021). Support networks of transmasculine and nonbinary young adults during chosen name transition. Psychology and Sexuality. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2021.1902379

Gartner, R. E., Sterzing, P. R., Fisher, C. M., Woodford, M. R., Kinney, M. K., & Victor B. G. (2020). A scoping review of measures assessing gender microaggressions against women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 44(3), 283-306. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684320920834

Kattari, S. K., Bakko, M., Hecht, H., & Kinney, M. K. (2020). Intersecting experiences of healthcare denials among transgender and nonbinary patients. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 58(4), 506-513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.11.014

Brandon-Friedman, R. A., & Kinney, M. K. (2019). It gets better, but for whom? Exploring the messaging within “It Gets Better” videos using visual sociology. Journal of LGBT Youth, 18(4), 421-437. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2019.1691107

Kattari, S., Atteberry-Ash, B., Kinney, M. K., Walls, N. E., & Kattari, L. (2019). One size does not fit all: Differential transgender health experiences by gender identity and sexual orientation. Social Work and Health Care, 58(9), 899-917. https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2019.1677279

Wilkerson, D., Wolfe-Taylor, S., & Kinney, M. K. (2019). Adopting e-Social Work Practice: Pedagogies for Student Decision-Making to Address Technology Uncertainty. Journal of Social Work Education, 57(2), 383-397. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1661920

Atteberry-Ash, B., Speer , S. R., Kattari, S. K., & Kinney, M. K. (2019). Does it get better? LGBTQ social work students and experiences with harmful discourse. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 31(2), 223-241. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720.2019.1568337

Walls, N. E., Kattari, S. K., Speer, S. R., & Kinney, M. K. (2019). Transfeminine spectrum parenting: Evidence from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. Social Work Research, 43(3), 133-144. https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svz005

Law Review Articles
Walter-McCabe, H. A., & Kinney, M. K. (2020). An argument for explicit public health rationale in LGBTQ antidiscrimination law as a tool for stigma reduction. Saint Louis University Journal of Health Law & Policy, 13(2), 147-174. https://scholarship.law.slu.edu/jhlp/vol13/iss2/3/

McCabe, H. A., & Kinney, M. K. (2019). LGBTQ+ individuals, health inequalities, and policy implications. Creighton Law Review, 52 (4), 427-450. https://dspace2.creighton.edu/xmlui/handle/10504/124722

McCabe, H. A., Kinney, M. K., Quiring, S. Q., & Jerolimov, D. (2017). Expanding the base: A case for increased interprofessional collaboration in public health law and policy. Indiana Health Law Review, 14(1), 97-111. https://doi.org/10.18060/3911.0030

Edited Book
Kattari, S. K., Kinney, M. K., Kattari, L., & Walls, N. E. (Eds.) (2020). Social work and health care practice with transgender and nonbinary individuals and communities: Voices for equity, inclusion, and resilience. Taylor and Francis.

Book Chapters
Kinney, M. K., & Muzzey, F. (2021). The chosen name process: Developing gender identity and bolstering support networks. In G. Mallon & J. Shelton (Eds.), Social work practice with transgender and gender expansive youth (3rd edition). Routledge. PRE-SALE

Shelton, J., Kinney, M. K., & Ritosa, A. (2021). Working with nonbinary youth. In G. Mallon & J. Shelton (Eds.), Social work practice with transgender and gender expansive youth (3rd edition). Routledge. PRE-SALE

Walter-McCabe, H., & Kinney, M. K. (2021). Public health, LGBTQ populations, and the law. In M. M. Ransom & L. Magaña Valladares (Eds.), Public health law: Concepts and case studies, (pp.225-236). Springer Publishing Co.

Kinney, M. K. (2021). Gender diversity. In H. Armstrong (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality: Understanding Biology, Psychology, and Culture (2nd ed.) (pp. 266-269). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CILO.

Kinney, M. K. (2021). Gender identity. In H. Armstrong (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality: Understanding Biology, Psychology, and Culture (2nd ed.) (pp. 272-274). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CILO.

Kinney, M. K. (2021). Gender identity development. In H. Armstrong (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality: Understanding Biology, Psychology, and Culture (2nd ed.) (pp. 274-276). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CILO.

Kinney, M. K. (2021). Nonbinary gender identities. In H. Armstrong (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality: Understanding Biology, Psychology, and Culture (2nd ed.) (pp. 443-447). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CILO.

Kattari, S. K., Kinney, M. K., Kattari, L., & Walls, E. (2020). Introduction: Intersectionality, empowerment, & resilience. In S. K. Kattari, M. K. Kinney, L. Kattari, & N. E. Walls (Eds.), Social work and health care practice with transgender and nonbinary individuals and communities: Voices for equity, inclusion, and resilience (pp. 1-10). Taylor and Francis.

Kinney, M. K., Meininger, E., & Wiener, S. (2020). TNB Youth and Access to Medical Care. In S. K. Kattari, M. K. Kinney, L. Kattari, & N. E. Walls (Eds.), Social work and health care practice with transgender and nonbinary individuals and communities: Voices for equity, inclusion, and resilience (pp. 29-41). Taylor and Francis.

Kinney, M. K., Muzzey, F. K. (2020). Supporting TNB youth in their coming out process. In S. K. Kattari, M. K. Kinney, L. Kattari, & N. E. Walls (Eds.), Social work and health care practice with transgender and nonbinary individuals and communities: Voices for equity, inclusion, and resilience (pp. 164-178). Taylor and Francis.

Kinney, M. K. & Brandon-Friedman, R. A. (2020). Exploring gender identity with a photo diary. In J. S. Whitman & C. J. Boyd (Eds.), Homework assignments and handouts for LGBTQ+ clients: A mental health and counseling handbook (2nd ed.) (pp. 340-347). Routledge Press.

Brandon-Friedman, R. A. & Kinney, M. K. (2020). Assisting youth with disclosing their sexual orientation and/or gender identity using an ecomap. In J. S. Whitman & C. J. Boyd (Eds.), Homework assignments and handouts for LGBTQ+ clients: A mental health and counseling handbook (2nd ed.) (pp. 30-39). Routledge Press. 

*If you would like to read any of my publications and are unable to access it, please contact me for a copy.

Presentations
I present my work at social work conferences, namely the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Annual Planning Meeting and the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR), and gender and sexuality conferences. Posters from conference presentations can be found on my website. Additionally, I offer organizational training and consultation on LGBTQ-inclusive and affirming practice.

Honor & Awards
2022 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Indiana University School of Social Work Alumni Association (08/2022)

Postdoctoral fellowship at Wayne State University School of Social Work (06/2021-07/2022)

Honorable mention for the 2022 SSWR book award (01/2022)

Excellence in Teaching from the Indiana University School of Social Work (04/2018)

Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) Fellowship at Indiana University Adolescent Medicine (08/2017 – 08/2018)

Dr. Charles R. Bantz Award for Excellence (awarded to the student with the highest ranking among all Elite 50 graduate student applicants) from the IUPUI Graduate Professional Student Government (04/2016)

Elite 50 from the IUPUI Graduate Professional Student Government (04/2015)
William M. Plater Civic Engagement Medallion from the Indiana University Purdue
University Center for Service and Learning (04/2015)