Vincent Starnino
- Ph.D., MSW, LCSW
- Associate Professor
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IU Indianapolis
Contact
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(317) 278-2410
- vstarnin@iu.edu
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902 W. New York St.
902 W. New York St.
About
Vincent R. Starnino, PhD, LCSW, is an Associate Professor at Indiana University School of Social Work. Dr. Starnino’s scholarship focuses on the role of spirituality in the recovery process for people experiencing mental health-related issues, with specific foci on severe mental illness and trauma. He has experience conducting research on innovative and holistic mental health practice approaches and is currently the lead investigator for a study testing the effectiveness of a spiritually-related group intervention for veterans with PTSD (called Search for Meaning). Dr. Starnino conducted previous intervention research on a widely used mental health recovery program (Wellness Recovery Action Planning), as well as research on spiritual assessment and the spiritual developmental process of people with severe mental illness in the context of recovery. He has several publications on these topics.
Education
PhD
Emphasis/Major: Social Work2011 - University of Kansas
Dissertation: Severe mental illness and the recovery process: Understanding the role of spirituality
Master of Social Work (MSW)
Emphasis/Major: Social Work2002 - McGill University
Dissertation: Religion, spirituality, and social work: Taking the next step
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
Emphasis/Major: Social Work1999 - McGill University
Research Interests
Dr. Starnino conducts research and has published on recovery-based interventions for people diagnosed with severe mental illnesses. His specific research interest focuses on understanding how people with mental health issues utilize spirituality as part of the recovery process. Dr. Starnino is currently the principle investigator of a study examining the impact of spiritual injury among military veterans with PTSD and the impact of engaging in a 10-week intervention designed to address trauma related spiritual issues.
Teaching Interests
Dr. Starnino teaches master level courses on mental health assessment, as well as individual and group therapy in the mental health and addictions practice area. He also teaches a doctoral level qualitative research course.
Awards and Honors
2021 - Top Teacher Award
2019 - Jim Hall Mentoring Award (IUSSW)
2017 - Top Teacher Award (IUSSW)
2016 - Top Teacher Award (IUSSW)
Publications
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Starnino, V. R. (2023). Search for Meaning: A spiritually integrated approach for treating veterans with PTSD.
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Starnino, V. R., & , . (2022). The experience of yoga for persons with complex interpersonal trauma: A phenomenological approach. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. Published.
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Schmid, A. A., Sternke, E., Do, A. A., Conner, N. S., Starnino, V. R., & Davis, L. W. (2021). The eight limbs of yoga can be maintained in a veteran friendly yoga program. International Journal of Yoga. Accepted.
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Starnino, V. R., Sullivan, W. P., Angel, C. T., & Davis, L. W. (2020). Like a Blanket over a fire: Group work and spiritual repair in military trauma. Families in Society, 101(1), 95-109. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/1044389419862081
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may not fully explain why some who experience war feel as though their assumptive world and sense of meaning has been shattered. Two concepts mentioned in the literature that address this feature of trauma are moral injury and spiritual injury. This work reports on qualitative findings from postgroup interviews with 18 participants who completed a spiritually integrated eight-session group intervention known as Search for Meaning. The group is designed to deal directly with issues of moral and spiritual wounds. This article discusses three main themes related to (a) the group process, (b) spiritual struggles and repair, and (c) the role of the group leaders. The findings support the call for specialized interventions to supplement mainstream PTSD treatments.
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Starnino, V. R., Angel, C. T., Sullivan, J. E., Lazerick, D., James, L., Cocco, J., & Davis, L. W. (2019). Preliminary report on a spiritually-based PTSD intervention for military veterans. Community Mental Health Journal, 55(7), 1114-1119. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-019-00414-8
Military veterans can experience spiritual/religious struggles such as weakening of beliefs, loss of meaning, increased guilt, difficulty forgiving, and moral challenges as a result of military trauma. While mainstream treatments (e.g., exposure therapy) have been shown to be effective for many, they often fail to address these issues adequately. This paper describes an 8-session spiritually-based group intervention designed to treat trauma-related spiritual wounds among military veterans. A program evaluation conducted with 24 veterans revealed significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, spiritual injury, and negative religious coping from pretest to posttest. The findings support the need for additional PTSD treatment approaches.
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Sullivan, W. P., & Starnino, V. R. (2019). “Staring into the abyss”: Veterans’ accounts of moral injuries and spiritual challenges. Mental Health, Religion, & Culture. Published. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2019.1578952
The concept moral injury is receiving increased attention, especially as it pertains to military trauma. In war, service members may both observe and directly experience horrific events that one can scarcely prepare for. For some, this can result in a shattering of their assumptive world and loss of meaning. For those who are spiritually oriented, a spiritual or existential crisis may ensue. This qualitative study examines military related spiritual and moral wounds experienced by 23 veterans receiving services at a United States Veteran Administration Medical Center. In these first-person accounts, veterans provide insight into a variety of trauma-related struggles including guilt and shame, loss of trust and betrayal, the search for meaning and for the forgiveness of self and others, loneliness and withdrawal, anger, and negative changes in spiritual beliefs and practices. The findings support a call for additional trauma treatment options that address the spiritual and moral components.
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Starnino, V. R., & Sullivan, W. P. (2019). Moral injury, coherence, and spiritual repair. Mental Health, Religion, & Culture. Published. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2019.1589439
In the PTSD literature, moral injury represents dissonance between a person’s beliefs about how they and the world should function, and the trauma event(s) they experienced. Given the association of moral injury with the assumptive world, it is not surprising the concept is closely intertwined with spiritual concerns. This paper reports on a spiritually integrated group intervention designed to help veterans with PTSD in the process of moral and spiritual repair. Qualitative findings are shared from interviews conducted with 18 participants who completed the intervention. Themes are centred around participants’ overall response to their experience in the group; where they are at regarding feelings such as guilt, shame, anger, trust, sense of betrayal, and desire for forgiveness; changes in religious/spiritual beliefs and practices and the experience of moral injury; and if they now find meaning in the trauma. The findings support the need for additional treatment options that address the moral and spiritual aspects of trauma.
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Sullivan, W. P., & Starnino, V. R. (2018). Moral wounds and moral repair: The dilemmas of spiritually and culturally sensitive practice. Families in Society, Published Online https://doi.org/10.1177/1044389418809555. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/1044389418809555
As our understanding of trauma is expanding, greater consideration is being given to factors such as moral injury and spirituality. Moral injury appears to be especially pertinent in the case of war-related trauma, as one may not only be the victim of, or witness to, troubling events but also be the perpetrator of acts that run counter to personal values. For some, moral beliefs and values and key elements of the assumptive world are intertwined with spiritual and religious matters. This article discusses moral injury and repair in the context of spiritually and culturally sensitive practice. Strategies for addressing issues such as moral anguish, loss of meaning, identity disturbance, guilt and shame, forgiveness, and spiritual struggle are discussed.
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Starnino, V. R., & Sullivan, P. (2018). Spirituality and recovery.
The chapter summarizes existing theory related to spirituality and mental health care, and provides strategies for incorporating spirituality as part of recovery-oriented mental health practice
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Sullivan, P., & Starnino, V. R. (2018). The Recovery Model and Citizenship: Taking the next steps.
This chapter presents a historical overview of the recovery movement in mental health care
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Starnino, V. R. (2017). In the eye of the beholder: Recovery and personal narrative . Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Mental Health, 4(2), 221-229. View Publication For In the eye of the beholder: Recovery and personal narrative.
Despite the term recovery being commonplace in mental health circles, there continues to be debate about how it should be conceptualized. Some policy makers, researchers, and professionals link level of recovery with tangible outcomes ranging from symptom reduction to the ability to work and live independently. By contrast, the definitions offered by people with lived experience of mental illness tend to focus heavily on the process of recovery, and given this, recovery is commonly referred to as a journey. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study focused on understanding how those with serious mental illness conceptualize and live out their own recovery. Drawing upon Frank’s classic work, The Wounded Storyteller, participants’ recovery narratives are classified into three categories including recovery as restitution, recovery in the midst of chaos and recovery as quest. This study illustrates how recovery involves a range of multifaceted and complex factors. The authors advocate for a conceptualization of recovery that takes into consideration the unique personal histories of those with the lived experience of serious mental illness. Tentative implications for practice are offered.
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Starnino, V. (2017). Early trauma and serious mental illness: What role does spirituality play?. Mental Health, Religion, & Culture, online, 1094-1117. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2017.1320368
For many who experience serious mental illness, spirituality and religion can be common vehicles that provide a sense of coherence and meaning to life. However, in the presence of early trauma, spiritual and religious beliefs may be enhanced or destroyed, or never develop. This paper explores the relationship between spirituality/religion, early trauma, and serious mental illness. Three case examples from a qualitative phenomenological study are presented to illustrate spiritual and religious struggles that can arise and how a person can work through these over time to use spirituality and religion as positive resources for recovery. Tentative implications for practice are offered.
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Starnino, V. R. (2016). Conceptualizing spirituality and religion for mental health practice: Consumers with serious mental illness share their perspectives. Families in Society, 97(4), 295-304. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.2016.97.36
Studies show that a high percentage of people with serious mental illness (SMI) draw upon spirituality and religion, resulting in a call for practitioners to incorporate these as part of recovery-related services. A challenge is that there are differing definitions of spirituality and religion presented in the literature which could lead to confusion in practice settings. A qualitative study was conducted with 18 participants with SMI. Findings reveal that there are important nuances, and much overlap, related to how people with psychiatric disabilities define and conceptualize spirituality and religion. Three major conceptualizations of spirituality and religion are presented. Insights from this study are relevant to practitioners interested in incorporating spirituality as part of recovery-oriented practice.
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Starnino, V. R. (2016). When trauma, spirituality, and mental illness intersect: A qualitative case study. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 8(3), 375-383.
Studies have identified spirituality to be a helpful resource for dealing with various types of trauma experiences. This coincides with a heightened focus on the role of spirituality within trauma-related theory (e.g., spiritual coping, meaning-making, and posttraumatic growth). Little remains known, however, about the relationship between trauma and spirituality among people with severe psychiatric disorders. Meanwhile, a high percentage of those with psychiatric disabilities are known to have trauma histories, whereas a majority self-identify as spiritual and/or religious. Method: Two cases from a hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study of people with co-occurring psychiatric disabilities and trauma histories are highlighted. Themes related to trauma and spirituality are discussed in-depth. Results: Study participants drew upon a variety of spiritual coping strategies (e.g., prayer, meditation, spiritual readings) to help deal with trauma experiences. Participants additionally experienced spiritual struggles—a detailed account is given of a participant who was able to work through such struggles by shifting to a less self-blaming spiritual worldview (e.g., shifted from believing in a “punishing God” to viewing oneself as part of “oneness with humanity”). The study also examined the meaning-making process and shows how concepts such as global and appraised meaning-making are applicable to people with psychiatric disabilities. Finally, unique challenges related to posttraumatic growth are discussed (e.g., intrusive ruminations and “voices” with spiritual themes). Conclusion: This study offers useful examples of how spirituality and trauma can impact one another, and how people with psychiatric disabilities draw upon spirituality to cope as they strive for recovery.
Presentations
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Starnino, V. R. (2023). Utilizing a trauma informed approach in social work practice.
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Starnino, V. R. (2023). Trauma informed practice for working with youth in behavioral health settings.
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Starnino, V. R. (2023). A holistic approach to trauma informed Care: The Case of a Military Veteran with PTSD . KOA, Jakarta, Indonesia.
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Starnino, V. R. (2023). Self, moral, and spiritual injury in trauma treatment: Presenting a psychospiritual approach for dealing with shattered beliefs, loss of meaning, anger, grief, and struggles with forgiveness. Korea Academy of Mental Health Social Work , Seoul, South Korea.
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Starnino, V. R. (2023). Exploring the role of spirituality in mental health practice.
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Starnino, V. R. (2023). A holistic understanding of trauma, mental health, and recovery: What role does spirituality play?. Korea Academy of Mental Health Social Work, Seoul, South Korea.
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Starnino, V. R., & , . (2022). A model for addressing trauma and spiritual injury.
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Angel, C., Sullivan, J., & Starnino, V. R. (2021). Search for Meaning: Addressing moral and spiritual injury related to trauma.
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Starnino, V. R. (2020). Holding space for trauma: Search for Meaning—a spiritual intervention. Brigham Young University, Durham, NC United States.
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Starnino, V. R. (2020). Search for Meaning: Preliminary findings of a spiritually integrated trauma intervention for veterans. Brigham Young University, Durham, NC United States.
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Starnino, V. R., & Angel, C. (2020). Introducing a spiritually integrated treatment for treating Veterans with PTSD: A description of the program and preliminary findings. Brigham Young University, Durham, NC United States.
See PowerPoint Presentation
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Starnino, V. R. (2019). Addressing the spiritual and moral impact of military trauma in mental health practice.
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Starnino, V. R. (2019). Exploring the psychological, social, and spiritual impact of trauma: Moving from chaos toward sense-making!.
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Starnino, V. R. (2019). Exploring strategies for collaboration between social work and psychiatry in an Indonesian context. Universitas Airlangga (Surabaya, Indonesia), Surabaya, Indonesia.
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Starnino, V. R. (2018). Spiritual wounding among veterans who have experienced combat related trauma. IUSSW, Indianapolis, IN.
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Starnino, V. R. (2018). Early trauma, spirituality, and serious mental illness: Exploring intersecting factors. International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) , Indianapolis , IN United States.
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Starnino, V. R. (2018). Search for Meaning: A spiritual group intervention for veterans with PTSD. Duke University, Center for Spirituality, Theology, & Health, Durham, NC United States.
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Starnino, V. R. (2017). Addressing self/moral injury in PTSD treatment: How to use an interdisciplinary, developmental approach in your clinical practice. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS), Chicago, IL.
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Starnino, V. R. (2017). Moral injury, trauma, and recovery: Common re-entry issues and treatment for veterans and survivors of high demand groups. International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) , Bordeaux, France.
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Starnino, V. R., & cocco, J. (2016). At my core I’m not the same”: Spiritual injury and military trauma. Council on Social Work Education, Atlanta, GA United States.
Findings are presented from a qualitative study exploring the occurrence of spiritual injury among veterans with PTSD (e.g., loss of spiritual beliefs; struggles related to guilt, shame, and forgiveness; and moral injury). Practice recommendations for addressing spiritual injury are discussed, including strategies for collaborating with military chaplains and pastoral counselors.
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Starnino, V. R. (2015). The spiritual impact of military trauma: Introducing a spiritually based program for veterans. Council on Social Work Education, Denver, CO United States.
The presentation provides insights about the spiritual impact of military trauma among veterans with PTSD. Spiritual struggles such as weakening of beliefs, loss of meaning, guilt, and moral challenges will be discussed. Finally, the presenter will share information about an ongoing 8-week spiritually-based intervention for veterans with PTSD.
Contract Fellowship Grants
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Fostering the Integration of Spiritual Competency Training into Mental Health Graduate Education
Program Director (PD)/Principal Investigator (PI): Vincent Starnino -
Search for Meaning: A Spiritually-Integrated Approach for Treating Veterans with PTSD.
Program Director (PD)/Principal Investigator (PI): Vincent Starnino -
Search for Meaning: A Spiritually Integrated Approach for Treating Veterans with PTSD
Program Director (PD)/Principal Investigator (PI): Vincent Starnino -
Clinician Administered PTSD Scale - CAPS
Supporting Personnel: Vincent Starnino
Program Director (PD)/Principal Investigator (PI): Michael Patchner -
Development of a Facilitator Manual for a Spiritually-Related PTSD Intervention for Military Veterans
Program Director (PD)/Principal Investigator (PI): Vincent Starnino -
IUPUI Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research
Program Director (PD)/Principal Investigator (PI): Vincent Starnino -
Faith, Spirituality & Health Research Grant
Spiritual wounding among veterans who have experienced combat-related trauma: How does participation in an 8-week spiritually-related PTSD intervention help?
Program Director (PD)/Principal Investigator (PI): Vincent Starnino
Clinical Services
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Mental Health Therapist
2017 - Kenosis CounselingProvide Therapy services to clients
Institutional Services
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Committee Member
2020 - Ad Hoc Working Group for Revising P&TA small group of faculty were invited by the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs to serve on a campus committee to discuss revisions to promotion and tenure. The main point of the work centered around revising P&T standards to reflect diversity, equity and inclusion. -
Committee Member
2019 - IU Graduate Faculty Council -
Committee Member
2019 - IUPUI Campus Promotion & Tenure Committee -
Committee Member
2019 - IUSSW Promotion & Tenure Committee -
Committee Chair
2016 - IUSSW Mental Health and Addictions Curriculum Subcommitee -
Committee Member
2016 - PhD Curriculum Committee -
Committee Member
2011 - IUSSW MSW Curriculum Committee -
Committee Member
2020 - Ad Hoc Committee to Review P&TA small group of faculty were invited by the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs to serve on a campus committee to discuss potential changes to P&T (discussed COVID impact and plans for DEI) -
Committee Member
2018 - IUSSW Search & Screen Committee (Associate Dean, BSW Director) -
Committee Member
2016 - Self-study committee -
Committee Chair
2017 - IUSSW Search & Screen Committee (Lecturer Position)
Licensure
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Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Indiana behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing BoardClinical social work license
Memberships
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Council on Social Work Education
2008 to Present
Professional Services
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Reviewer, Journal Article
2018 to Present - Mental Health, Religion, & Culture -
Reviewer, Journal Article
2015 to Present - Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy -
Reviewer, Journal Article
2012 to Present - Advances in Social Work