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Tayon R. Swafford, Ph.D., MSW, LSW, MTS

Tayon Swafford, Ph.D., MSW, LSW, MTS Headshot
Assistant Professor of Social Work
Department of Applied Social Sciences
Oldenburg Hall, Room 018

Biography

Tayon R. Swafford is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Marian University, a Licensed Social Worker, and the Mental Health Director at Heart and Soul Clinic in Westfield, Indiana. Tayon is also an adjunct professor at the Indiana Women's Prison through the Prison Education Partnership at Marian University. His research spotlights Black gay fathers’ identity development over their life course. Tayon holds a Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Social Work, and a Graduate Certificate in e-Social Work Practice from Indiana University. Tayon also holds a Master of Theological Studies degree from Vanderbilt University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Albright College.
 
Classes Taught at the Marian Main Campus:
SWK 110: Introduction to Social Work
SWK 200: Human Behavior and the Social Environment
SOC 145: Introduction to Social Justice
SOC 205: Social Science Statistics
SWK 350: Social Work Research and Assessment
SOC 301: Social Science Research
SWK 270: Social Welfare Policy and Programs
HWB 110: Holistic Health: Mind, Body, and Spirit
 
Classes Taught at the Indiana Women's Prison:
SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology
SWK 200: Human Behavior and the Social Environment
 
Research Areas:
Racial, Gender, and Sexual Identity Development over the Life Course
The Integration of Religion and Spirituality with Minoritized and Underrepresented Identities
The Use of Self-Awareness and Community Integration to Overcome the Impact of Identity-Based Trauma
 
Publications:
Bryant, D. & Swafford, T.R. (2025). Race, Space, and Culture: Exploring the Educational Experiences of African American Doctoral Social Work Students. Journal of Social Work Education, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2025.2495242.
Brandon-Friedman, R. A., Tabb, A., Canada, M., Imburgia, T. M., Swafford, T. R., Fortenberry, J. D., & Donahue, K. (2025). Perspectives of gender-diverse youth and caregivers facing gender-affirming medical intervention bans. LGBT Health, 12(2), 108-115. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2024.0079.
Morales, S., Fledderman, T., Brandon-Friedman, R. A., Parlett, T., Tabb, A., Fortenberry, J. D., Swafford, T. R., Imburgia, T. M., Canada, M., Donahue, K. L. (2025). Gender-diverse youths’ experiences when accessing gender-affirming care. Journal of Adolescent Health, 76, S87.
Brandon-Friedman, R. A., Swafford, T. R., & Heinz, M. J. (2025). When “Helping” Hurts: Exploring and Counteracting Narratives of Family Members Opposed to Gender-Affirming Care for Gender-Diverse Youth. LGBTQ+ Family: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 1-21.
Bryant, D. & Swafford, T.R. (2024). Black Face, White Stage: A Subaltern Discourse on Racial Inequality and the narration of Black Bodies in the American Theater. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 11(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2024.2404739.
Swafford, T.R., Timbers, V. and Humble, M. (2024). Research at the Intersection of Christianity and Transgender and Gender Non-Binary Identity: A Systematic Literature Review. Social Work and Christianity, Special Issue: Gender Identity, 51(2). https://doi.org/10.34043/s5xq5g89.
Boys, S.K., Swafford, T.R., & Shackelford, A. (2024). Teaching Social Justice after the Dobbs Decision. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 44(4), 362-375. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2024.2374241.
Swafford, T.R., Brandon-Friedman, R.A., & Imburgia, T.M. (2024). “Out of the Mouths of Babes”: Exploring COVID-19’s Impact on Identity Formation for Gender-Diverse Youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 74(2024), S169.
Brandon-Friedman, R.A., Tabb, A., Canada, M., Imburgia, T.M., Swafford, T.R., Fortenberry, D., & Donahue, K.L. (2024). The Perspectives of Gender-Diverse Youth and Caregivers Coping with Legislation Banning Gender-Affirming Medical Interventions. Journal of Adolescent Health, 74(2024), S14.
Boys, S.K. & Swafford, T.R. (2023). Learning from their Stakeholders: Social Work Students’
Perspectives on a University’s Response to the Pandemic. Advances in Social Work, 23(2), 505-517. https://doi.org/10.18060/26494.
Swafford, T.R., Brandon-Friedman, R.A., & Ungaro, A.M. (2023). Forming identities of their own: Gay men reconciling self-love, hurt, and the impact of the Pentecostal church. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 42(4), 458-476. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2023.2229768.
Brandon-Friedman, R.A. & Swafford, T.R. (2023). Gender differences in sexual well-being and sexual identity development among youth formerly in the foster care system. Youth, 3(1), 184-198. https://doi.org/10.3390/youth3010013.
Kinney, M. K., Cosgrove, D., Swafford, T. R., & Brandon-Friedman, R. A. (2023). “An Institution   can have good intentions and still be atrocious”: Transgender and gender expansive experiences in social work education. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 50(1), 74-105.
Tabb, A., Swafford, T.R., & Brandon-Friedman, R.A. (2023). The Role of caregiver acceptance and sex assigned at birth on depression among gender-diverse youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 72(3), S18. https://doi-org.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.11.019.
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