Laura Petry, PhD, MSW

Postdoctoral Scholar at
University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health

About

Dr. Laura Petry is a community-engaged, mixed-methods researcher whose work centers on youth experiencing homelessness. She is particularly interested in the structural and socio-environmental factors associated with precarious housing (or "couch-surfing") and inequities within homeless services systems.She holds a PhD in Social Work from the University of Southern California, where she was a National Institute of Mental Health predoctoral fellow. She also holds an MSW in Management and Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA in English from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Recent Projects

  • Postdoctoral Scholar. California Department of Housing and Community Development. "Evaluation of California's Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Youth Set-Aside Funding." (PI: Coco Auerswald, University of California, Berkeley). 8/2024 – present.

  • Principal Investigator. National Institute of Mental Health. (F31 MH134694). “HIV Risk and Prevention Behavior and the Role of Social Support Networks Among Precariously Housed Youth” (PI: Laura Petry, University of Southern California). 7/2023 – 8/2024.

  • Graduate Student Researcher. Hilton Foundation, Home for Good. "Coordinated Entry System Trial Tool Redesign Research Project.” 1/2020 – 12/2022. (PI: Eric Rice, University of Southern California).

Select Publications

Petry, L., Hill, C., Milburn, N., & Rice, E. (2022). Who is couch-surfing and who is on the streets? Disparities among racial and sexual minority youth in experiences of homelessness. Journal of Adolescent Health, 70(5), 743-750. doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.10.039Petry, L., Hsu, H.T., Hill, C., Morton, M., Vayanos, P., & Rice, E. (2021). Associations between the Vulnerability Index-Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT) and returns to homelessness among single adults experiencing homelessness in the United States. Cityscape, 23(2), 293-324. jstor.org/stable/27039964Rhoades, H., Petry, L., Schrager, S.M., & Goldbach, J.T. (2024). Couch-surfing and mental health outcomes among sexual minority adolescents. Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness, 33(1), 186-197. doi.org/10.1080/10530789.2022.2141869Milburn, N.G., Rice, E., & Petry, L. (2024). Understanding homelessness among young people to improve outcomes. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 20. doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-080921-081903

Research Methods & Theoretical Frameworks

  • Social network analysis

  • Hierarchical linear modeling

  • Latent class analysis

  • Linear and logistic regression

  • Thematic and content analysis

  • Community-based participatory methods and research justice

  • Social support

  • Socio-ecological

  • Social determinants of health

Professional Experience

From direct services and program development to policy implementation and community-based applied research, Dr. Petry has over a decade of experience working with diverse communities and stakeholders to address the needs of vulnerable and marginalized youth.

  • Applied Survey Research
    Senior Research Analyst
    2016 – 2019

  • Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
    Policy & Planning Analyst
    2014 – 2016

  • Bay Area Social Services Consortium
    Program Assistant
    2013 – 2014

  • The Way In Youth Services
    Case Manager
    2012

  • Foundation for Second Chances
    Program Manager
    2009 – 2011