DSW student researches impact of stress on legal decision-making
After earning his Master of Social Work (MSW), Johnny Alexander realized a Juris Doctor would help him better understand the policies and frameworks impacting the populations he served as a forensic social worker. “Law helps us understand the structure of justice, while social work helps us understand the people within it. When those perspectives are combined, we are better equipped to create systems that are both accountable and humane,” Alexander said.
Alexander has worked in the U.S. court system for more than 16 years. Now, he acts as a Senior United States Probation Officer. As a federal probation officer, he blends law and social work – writing reports that inform sentencing decisions, monitoring compliance with court-ordered conditions, evaluating risk, and connecting people with resources and treatments that support long-term stability. His work requires trauma-informed, culturally responsive approaches to supervision that balance investigation, behavioral assessments, and an understanding of systemic challenges.
After nearly two decades in high-pressure community corrects and behavioral health environments, Alexander began to wonder just how much stressful workplaces were impacting the professionals within them and the populations they served. Enter Tulane School of Social Work’s research-focused Doctor of Social Work.
Tulane’s focus on applied leadership and practice-informed scholarship aligns well with my professional goal of enhancing the institutions that ensure public safety and community stability.
Johnny Alexander, JD, LCSW
“Tulane’s focus on applied leadership and practice-informed scholarship aligns well with my professional goal of enhancing the institutions that ensure public safety and community stability," Alexander said. “My goal is to contribute to leadership models that strengthen organizations, support the professionals working within them, and ultimately improve outcomes for the communities these systems are intended to serve.”
Alexander’s research focuses on organizational trauma, leadership in justice-related institutions, and trauma-informed supervision models. He is investigating how correctional decision-making is impacted by compassion fatigue, overwork, and policy pressures. His research is informed by his extensive experience in both criminal and specialized courts – such as Drug Court, Mental Health Court, Veterans Treatment Court, and Reentry Court. Designed around holistic rehabilitation, specialized courts bring in expertise from outside the court to provide wraparound services that address the root of the problem.
“Working in these interdisciplinary environments highlights the importance of coordinated responses that address both legal accountability and the behavioral health needs of justice-involved individuals,” Alexander said.
Collaboration from professionals across social work, law, public health, and the public sector, Alexander says, is essential for not just providing accountability but also addressing behavioral and social factors. “One lesson that has stayed consistent throughout my career is that meaningful solutions to complex social problems rarely come from just one discipline.”
“My advice is to remain intellectually curious, stay grounded in professional ethics, and seek opportunities to collaborate across disciplines. Meaningful and lasting change requires strong institutions led by professionals who understand the human realities behind the systems they operate.”
