Research and Training with Plain Anabaptist Communities

Plain Anabaptists (consisting of many groups of Amish and Old Order and Conservative Mennonites) are increasing in numbers across North America. This website contains trainings, resources, and research underway on how social service professionals can work and partner with families in these unique religious cultural groups.

Jeanette Harder, Ph.D., CMSW, began assisting social services to partner with Plain Anabaptist communities in 2014 through Dove’s Nest. Her background as a social worker, researcher, educator, home visitor, Mennonite, and foster and adoptive parent aid her in bringing an informed, strengths-based lens to this work.

Trainings

Dr. Harder provides insightful cultural awareness trainings on how social service professionals can serve and partner with Plain Anabaptist communities. These trainings prepare you to conduct investigations and create safety plans, connect individuals to needed services, and recruit and support foster and adoptive homes in these conservative communities. Based on research and Dr. Harder’s field work, the trainings include stories, practical tips, and voices of Plain Anabaptist parents. This training will equip you with the knowledge and skills to relate effectively with Plain communities to keep children safe.

A 90-minute pre-recorded video training is available for an individual or group. In-person trainings are also available. After the trainings, sign up for individualized consultations with Dr. Harder to apply the work to your setting.

More trainings coming soon on healthcare accessibility, foster care and adoption, and response to abuse situations through collaboration with Plain Anabaptist crisis teams.

Contact Dr. Harder for more information (jharder@unomaha.edu)

More trainings coming soon on healthcare accessibility, foster care and adoption, and response to abuse situations through collaboration with Plain Anabaptist crisis teams.

Publications and other Resources

These publications and resources can inform your work and partnership with Plain Anabaptist communities.

Harder, J., & Fontes, L. (2019). Working with Amish Families on Child Abuse and Neglect: Amish children face special abuse & neglect risks. We can help.

Harder, J. (accepted). Protecting Amish children through understanding and relationship. In C. Altaras & C. Penner (Eds.). Resistance: Addressing violence in a peace church. Elkhart, IN: Institute of Mennonite Studies.

Harder, J. (2021). Understanding and partnering with Amish communities to keep children safe. Child Welfare, 99 (1), 69⎼91.

Harder, J. (2018). Keeping Amish children safe. In C. James-Brown, D. S. Wolfe, J. Collins, R. Adams et al. (Eds.). Child Maltreatment in Insular and Isolated Communities. Washington, DC: CWLA Press.

Hoover, A. & Harder, J. (2019). For the sake of a child: Love, safety, and abuse in our Plain communities. Stoneboro, PA: Ridgeway Publishing. Intended audience: Amish and Old Order Mennonites.

Research Underway

Foster care and adoption

We just completed qualitative data collection hearing the experiences of Plain Anabaptist foster and adoptive families. We are currently analyzing the data in preparation for manuscripts and trainings. The goal of this study is to inform child welfare systems on how to recruit and prepare Plain Anabaptist families for foster care and adoption, and how to partner with them in caring for children. (10-2021)

Plain Anabaptist crisis teams

We are completing data collection for a multi-site case study on the formation and implementation of crisis teams in Plain Anabaptist communities. The purposes of these crisis teams are to provide safety for child victims of abuse and connect to professional social service systems. (10-2021)

Healthcare accessibility

We are launching a pilot project in northeast Missouri to learn the healthcare needs of Plain Anabaptist families and to prepare healthcare systems for provision of care. (10-2021)