As a sociologist, I am interested in Mental health AND suicide, Health Technology, AND pain.

I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC) at the VA Portland Health Care System, where I work on research projects focused on Veteran mental health and suicide prevention. I am fortunate to be mentored by Dr. Alan Teo, Dr. Lauren Denneson, and Dr. Travis Lovejoy. Together, we explore how to improve mental health services, support suicide prevention efforts, and better understand the needs of diverse Veteran populations.

I am also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Portland where I teach Sociology 101.

As a researcher, I strive to design and conduct research to improve health and health services. In my work, I prioritize scientific rigor, respect for colleagues and participants, and a critical approach which illuminates structures of power and inequity. My interdisciplinary scholarship has been featured in Health Sociology Review, the Journal of Addiction Medicine, the Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, the International Journal of Qualitative Methods, the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, and others.

My work spans three areas of investigation:

Mental Health & Suicide

Drawing from my training in public health and sociology, my work addresses critical issues in suicide prevention and mental health services. My dissertation deployed a relational perspective to suicide-related help-seeking, examining how young adults seek support for suicidal ideation in the context of their social lives. Other projects have explored the stigma associated with chronic pain and suicidality and the barriers to mental health care access for low-income individuals. By combining qualitative and mixed methods approaches, I aim to uncover the structural and interpersonal dynamics that shape mental health help-seeking and intervention effectiveness.

Health TECHnology

As technology continues to play an increasingly central role in our lives and society, it is imperative that we understand how individuals and organizations use, regard, and deploy technological tools in health, healthcare, and illness. My research in this area has focused on the intersection of technology and health, emphasizing innovative methodologies and applications to improve mental health outcomes. I have explored the integration of social determinants of health into electronic health records, used asynchronous online focus groups to gather nuanced insights from providers who prescribe opioids, and explored the use of crisis text services to understand help-seeking behaviors among young adults.

Substance use & Pain

My research in substance use and pain management investigates innovative care models and policy impacts, particularly within Medicaid populations. I have examined clinician perspectives on implementing non-pharmacologic approaches to pain management. This work directly informed Medicaid policies in Oregon, leading to expanded access to integrative and complementary treatments for back pain while reducing opioid reliance. Additionally, my research on fentanyl’s rising presence in drug supplies has shaped public health strategies aimed at harm reduction.

In my spare time, I can be found rock climbing, reading fiction, trying to keep my ferns alive, working on knees or some other deceptively hard-to-draw body part in an art class, or most wonderfully, hangin’ with my fam.

Alma Thomas

Books that HAVE BEEN a big deal for me

The Body Silent: The Different World of the Disabled (2001) Robert Murphy

Buddhism for Mothers (2003) Sarah Napthali

Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life (2003) Annette Lareau

Medical Apartheid (2006) Harriet A. Washington

The Pastoral Clinic (2010) Angela Garcia

Addiction by Design (2012) Natasha D. Schull

Feminist, Queer, Crip (2013) Allison Kafer

Life Beside Itself (2014) Lisa Stevenson

A Little Life (2015) Hanya Yanagihara

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy (2019) Jenny Odell

Life Under Pressure: The Social Roots of Suicide & What to Do About Them (2024) Anna Mueller and Seth Abrutyn

What I’m currently reading

The Library Book - Susan Orlean

up next

The Face: A Time Code (2015) Ruth Ozeki

Superbloom (2025) Nicholas Carr

Yayoi Kusama

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

“Just because I’m smiling doesn’t mean I’m not in pain”: Navigating the Layered Stigma of Chronic Pain and Suicidality in Social Worlds.

LaForge, K. 2024. “Just because I’m smiling doesn’t mean I’m not in pain”: Navigating the Layered Stigma of Chronic Pain and Suicidality in Social Worlds’. Health Sociology Review.

 

Using Asynchronous Focus Groups to Collect Data from Healthcare Professionals

LaForge, K, Mary Gray, Erin Stack, Catherine J. Livingston, and Christi Hildebran. 2022. “Using Asynchronous Focus Groups to Collect Data from Healthcare Professionals.” International Journal of Qualitative Methods.21:16094069221095658

 

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to the fentanyl-adulterated drug supply among people who use drugs in Oregon.

LaForge, K., Stack, E., Shin, S., Pope, J., Larsen, J. E., Leichtling, G., ... & Korthuis, P. T. 2022. Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to the fentanyl-adulterated drug supply among people who use drugs in Oregon. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 141, 108849.

Mentoring & academic community

my Mentoring philosophy

Scientific research has a long history of mentorship. Mentorship is absolutely essential to a successful scientific career. I have personally benefited tremendously from my mentors and am eager to pass along my learning to mentees.

As of May 2025, I currently have capacity to mentor 1 additional mentee. I am most qualified to provide mentorship to graduate students in Public Health, Health Services, and Sociology. I have content expertise in mental health, mental health services, suicide, pain, and substances (although mentor-menteeship relationships can flourish outside of strict content alignment). If you are interested or curious, please reach out via e-mail.

what does mentorship look like?

I wouldn’t be a sociologist if I didn’t answer this with, “it depends!” Nonetheless, I believe in the following:

Constructive Feedback: At the core of mentorship is feedback on papers, grants, presentations, and more. I believe in offering specific, generous, and strategic feedback.

A Dialectic Approach: I view mentorship as an active, engaged exchange. I avoid monologues and instead prioritize collaborative, back-and-forth dialogue to work toward solutions together.

Bidirectional Communication: Strong mentorship depends on transparent, two-way communication. I solicit feedback from mentees about my mentorship and, likewise, provide feedback about the mentee’s engagement in the relationship.

Tailored Support: Each mentee is different. I tailor my approach to meet mentees where they are in their scientific journey, adapting my advice and support to their individual needs and goals.

Academic communities

For me, a core part of being a social scientist is my commitment and contributions to my scientific communities.

Social Determinants of Health Initiative (SDHI) - Portland State University

As a member of Portland State University's Social Determinants of Health Initiative (SDHI), I contribute to interdisciplinary, community-engaged research and education efforts aimed at advancing health equity. The SDHI brings together individuals from PSU, Oregon Health & Science University, community organizations, governmental agencies, and local health systems to collaboratively address the social factors influencing health outcomes. Find more information through the SDHI newsletters and updates here.

Network of Early Career Researchers in Suicide & Self-Harm

I am a member of the International Network of Early Career Researchers in Suicide and Self-harm (netECR), an international community that fosters collaboration, networking, and support among early career researchers in the field. I lead the Qualitative Special Interest Group (QSIG), a peer group where early career researchers meet monthly to discuss qualitative methods, share insights, and support one another's work. If you want to find out more about becoming part of netECR, please email us at internationalnetecr@gmail.com.

 

Let’s talk!

E-mail me at kate.laforge@ucsf.edu.

Find me on Google Scholar.

Find me on LinkedIn.