Ferol Mennen joined the USC faculty in 1988 after teaching at Southern University at New Orleans and practicing in mental health for 12 years. Specializing in children's mental health issues, she has worked in a residential treatment center, the outpatient adolescent unit of a psychiatric hospital, as an outpatient coordinator for inner-city community mental health crime, and in private practice. She continues to practice clinical social work privately on a sliding-scale and limited basis in Montrose.

Her primary research focuses on child abuse and neglect, mental health services to those children, and post-traumatic stress disorders in children, particularly in reaction to various forms of abuse. In addition, her interests include children's mental health issues; the provision of services to hard to reach, disadvantaged populations; social work education; and depression. She is co-principal investigator for "The Impact of Neglect on Adolescent Development." The majority of her publications focus on the effects of abuse in children and the treatment of women sexually abused in childhood.

Dr. Mennen teaches first year and mental health practice in the masters program, as well as adult learning theory in the doctoral program.