Lisa J. Borntrager
Email: borntragerlj@vcu.edu
Pronouns: She/her/they
Lisa Borntrager is a third-year Ph.D. student at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social work. Her research primarily focuses on suicidology and mental health. Lisa is interested in advancing our understanding of what suicidality is and how to better meet the needs of individuals who have not been helped through traditional suicide care pathways. Other research interests include program evaluation, health disparities/social justice, policy reform, LGBTQ+, women and trauma/violence.
Lisa received her bachelor’s in psychology in 2016 and her M.S.W. in 2018, both at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida.
After graduating with her M.S.W., Lisa pursued a research position in the Center for Behavioral Health Research and Training in the UCF School of Social Work. Lisa has been a program coordinator across multiple SAMHSA-funded grants focused on suicide prevention. Through this work, Lisa has gained experience and an interest in working with local and state-level mental health systems toward program and policy reform that can advance suicide care within communities.
In addition to research, Lisa has worked clinically as a unit therapist at an inpatient behavioral health hospital, working directly with those at risk of suicide. She also worked with children and families in homes/schools. These experiences have made her passionate about mental health reform and prevention.
Areas of interest
- Suicide Prevention
- Community-Based Participatory Research
- Inequality Poverty and Social Welfare Policy
- International Social Work and Global Issues
- Mental Health and Trauma
- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
- Suicide Prevention
- Violence Against Women and Children
- Program Evaluation
Education and credentials
M.S.W., University of Central Florida
B.S. in Psychology, University of Central Florida
Work
Selected publications
Hussain, F.Z., Borntrager, L.J., Lindsey, M., Karimi-Dehkordi, D., Matha, S., Hughes, T., Karver, M.S., Gryglewicz, K. (2025). Examining racial and ethnic disparities in the effectiveness of Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training among Black, Hispanic, and White community helpers. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.
Vance, M., Gryglewicz, K., Nam, E., Richardson, S., Borntrager, L., & Karver, M.S. (2022). Exploring service use disparities among suicidal black youth in a suicide prevention care coordination intervention. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.
Bender, A., Wilson, R., Borntrager, L., Gryglewicz, K., & Karver, M.S. (2022). Evaluating Dialectical Behavior Therapy training with mental health providers. Journal of Personality Disorders.
Gryglewicz, K., Nam, E., Karver, M.S., Vance, M., & Borntrager, L. (2021). Caring transitions: An examination of mental health, suicide-related outcomes, and service use patterns among at-risk youth discharged from crisis stabilization units. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention.
Professional highlights
Selected presentations
Borntrager, L.J., Matijczak, A., Goffnett, J., Fuller, M. (2026). Interrogating identity-related shame in minority stress and suicidality trajectories for LGB+ adolescents. Paper presentation presented at the Suicide Research Symposium Fifth Annual Conference, Virtual.
Borntrager, L.J., Gryglewicz, K. (2026). Does trauma type matter? The link between type of trauma experienced and adult suicidality. Poster presentation presented at the Suicide Research Symposium Fifth Annual Conference, Virtual.
Borntrager, L., Le, K., Kneusel, J., Gryglewicz, K. (2023). Suicide prevention training implementation in healthcare settings. As part of a symposium/workshop titled Innovative Approaches to the Evaluation of Suicide Prevention across Service Sectors presented at Suicide Research Symposium Second Annual Conference, Virtual.
Hussain, F., Borntrager, L., Gryglewicz, K. (2023). Discussing suicide with family and friends: Do gatekeeper trainings affect perceived social norms? Paper presentation presented at Suicide Research Symposium Second Annual Conference, Virtual.
Orr, V.L., Borntrager, L., & Gryglewicz, K. (2023). Why race matters: An analysis of risk factors, warning signs, and protective factors in those at risk of suicide. Research paper presentation presented at the 2nd annual Suicide Research Symposium Conference, virtual.
Vance, M., Borntrager, L., Gryglewicz, K., Nam, E., & Karver, M.S. (2022). Exploring Barriers and Facilitators to Service Engagement and Utilization Among Black Youth at High-Risk for Suicide. Paper presented at the Society for Social Work and Research 26th Annual Conference, Washington, DC.
Borntrager, L., Carmody, J., Gryglewicz, K. (2022). Suicide Prevention and Care Coordination in Hospital Settings: Implications and Lessons Learned. Oral presentation for The Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition Conference, Tampa, FL.
Borntrager, L., Gryglewicz, K., Karver, M.S., & Kersey, S. (2019). Building a ‘safety net’ of community providers: Utilizing the systems of care framework for developing a community resource asset map for suicide prevention within a healthcare setting. Poster session presented at the IASR/AFSP International Summit on Suicide Research, Miami, FL.
Accomplishments
May 2026: School of Social Work Service and Leadership Award, Virginia Commonwealth University
April 2025: 1st place winner in Social Sciences, Business, and Education (Does trauma type matter when evaluating adult suicide risk level?), The 28th Annual Graduate Research Symposium at Virginia Commonwealth University
2022: University of Central Florida Alumni Association, 30 under 30 award winner
Affiliations and service
Doctoral Student Association President 2026-2027, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Social Work
Radical Alliance for Anti-Racism, Change and Equity (RAACE) Co-Chair 2025-2026, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Social Work
Doctoral Student Association Vice President 2025-2026, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Social Work