Joy Lauerer is an associate professor in the College of Nursing. She received her bachelor’s degree from The University of Toledo and her Master of Nursing from Wayne State University. Joy completed a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at The University of Alabama.
Joy is currently practicing at One 80 Place, providing family assessments and mental health treatment for homeless families. She has received The Golden Lamp Award an unprecedented four times, chosen by the BSN students as the nurse they would most like to emulate as a professional nurse. Joy also received The Palmetto Gold Award in 2014 for excellence in nursing education.
In 2016, Joy received The APNA Award for Innovation in Education, and in 2017, she was elected for a three-year appointment as the co-chair of the Child Adolescent Council. In 2021, Joy was selected to co-chair a tele-mental health committee for APNA. Joy has presented nationally at APNA for seven consecutive years. In 2023, Joy received the APNA APRN Award for Excellence in Practice.
In addition to her ongoing teaching and multi-site practice, Joy continues to innovate—currently developing an exciting new children’s monthly subscription product that teaches key social-emotional skills.
Joy is currently piloting an innovative mental health prevention intervention at One 80 Place, an urban homeless shelter. One 80 Place received a $5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund to end homelessness. Joy and PMHNP DNP students are working with families in an early parenting intervention. Mothers and children are seen together for a comprehensive family mental health intake. Mothers frequently have significant mental health diagnoses or substance abuse issues. These families also have complex trauma, and some are experiencing second-generation homelessness. The Community Resilience Model (CRM) is utilized for trauma support. Increasingly, homeless families with infants are being seen, and coordination for pediatric well care is provided.