Heather Walter-McCabe

Heather Walter-McCabe

Associate Professor

Expert in LGBTQ health equity and public health law

hwaltermccabe@wayne.edu

Heather Walter-McCabe

Biography

Associate Professor Heather Walter-McCabe holds a joint appointment at the Wayne State University School of Social Work and School of Law.

Walter-McCabe began her career as a social worker at a high acuity pediatric tertiary care hospital in the Midwest working with families whose children had significant medical needs. After law school, she directed a public health research program examining the impact of firearm violence in Indiana. She later served as the Executive Director of the William H. and Christine H. Hall Center for Law and Health at the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law before joining the faculty at the Indiana University School of Social Work.

Walter-McCabe’s research is done at the intersection of law, social work, and public health. While she has worked in medical social work, much of her research and teaching concentrates in the policy and larger macro arena. Her research translates complex legal issues and social work research findings across multiple professions to make the information accessible for use by practitioners and advocates in improving population health. As a part of this work she was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Public Health Law Teaching Fellow from 2014-2016.

Most recently she is leading research examining law and policy impacting LGBTQ health equity and well-being. She has published in traditional peer-reviewed academic journals and law reviews and has also been sought by media to explain core issues of public health policy. Walter-McCabe serves on the Executive Board of the American Public Health Association and is a contributing editor to the journal Social Work.

Click here to view Curriculum Vitae

Degrees and Certifications

  • J.D. Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Health Law Concentration
  • M.S.W., Indiana University School of Social Work
  • B.A. Indiana University

Teaching Interests

  • Social Policy
  • LGBTQ Health Equity
  • Macro Social Work
  • Health Policy
  • Public Health Law

Recent Publications

Walter-McCade ORCiD profile

Grants

  • Fellow, Centers for Disease Control Program in Public Health Law Visiting Scholar, 2019-2021.
  • Recipient, The Addictions Law and Policy Services, Surveillance, and Community Resilience Project, Indiana University Grand Challenges Grant, 2018-2022, $500,000, Role: Co-PI, 30% FTE.
  • Recipient, HRSA 15-057, Indiana Interprofessional Geriatrics Education and Training Center, 2015-2018, $2,550,000, Role: Core Faculty, 20% FTE.
  • Researcher, Richard M. Fairbank Foundation, School Based Health Clinic Study, 2015-2017, Role: Program Evaluation, 30%FTE.
  • Fellow, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellowship in Public Health Law Teaching, 2014-2016.
  • Marion County Department of Health, All Hazards Emergency Operations Plan, Service Agreement March – May 2011, Role: Advisor for Vulnerable Populations, 20%FTE.
  • Fellow, Institute for Action Research in Community Health, Indiana University School of Nursing, Indianapolis, IN, 2007-2010.

Courses taught by Heather Walter-McCabe

Winter Term 2024 (current)

Fall Term 2023

Winter Term 2023

Fall Term 2022

Winter Term 2022

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