Our Purpose

The Journal of Opportunity, Liberation, and Transformation (JOLT) is a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal rooted in social work values, ethics, and practice. To ensure continued attention to emerging issues and underrepresented voices, the journal will feature rotating special topics and themed issues focused on pressing social concerns, intersecting identities, dual marginalization, and transformative approaches to practice and policy. JOLT is dedicated to advancing scholarship, practice, and critical dialogue that promote systemic change, social justice, and community transformation. The journal serves as a platform for scholars, practitioners, educators, students, advocates, and community voices committed to addressing inequities and strengthening practice across the helping professions. JOLT values lived experience as an essential form of knowledge and encourages work that bridges research, practice, policy, advocacy, and education. While interdisciplinary in scope, the journal remains grounded in social work principles such as empowerment, cultural humility, ethical practice, trauma-informed approaches, and collective liberation.

The journal welcomes contributions from social work, psychology, sociology, counseling, education, public health, criminal justice, nursing, human services, and related disciplines. JOLT publishes empirical research articles as well as critical conversation pieces that challenge traditional narratives, encourage courageous dialogue, and examine complex social issues impacting individuals, families, and communities. 

The journal is particularly interested in scholarship that explores systemic inequities, community empowerment, mental health, children and families, trauma and resilience, advocacy, policy reform, practice readiness within the helping professions, innovative educational approaches, and the role of lived experience in research and practice. JOLT is particularly committed to highlighting marginalized populations and individuals experiencing dual marginalization. Within the context of this journal, dual marginalization refers to the compounded impact that occurs when individuals who already belong to a marginalized population experience additional forms of marginalization that further intensify systemic inequities, exclusion, or oppression. While intersectionality acknowledges the coexistence of multiple identities and experiences, dual marginalization emphasizes the amplified impact and lived consequences of layered marginalization on individuals and communities. Through interdisciplinary scholarship and critical dialogue, JOLT seeks to advance opportunity, liberation, and transformation across systems, professions, and communities.