The Department of Social Work and Human Services offers an undergraduate degree in Human Services as well as the graduate Master of Social Work. Both are accredited programs (CSHSE and CSWE respectively). Additionally, the department offers the Child Advocacy certification and the Nonprofit Leadership certificate which are open to both majors and non-majors.
In the News
Mountain Mover
Every year KSU celebrates faculty and staff who contribute toward creating a more inclusive and welcoming campus environment with the Presidential Diversity Awards. SaVannah Bronson, a Human Services graduate, was the first student to receive the accolade.
Finding Her Way
Emelyn Ramirez, a recent Master of Social Work graduate, received a national appointment as a Minority Fellow with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This opportunity helped guide Emelyn on her path to one day become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker assisting those with mental illness.
Publications
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Hans Skott-Myhre
Dr. Hans Skott-Myhre recently co-edited (with Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw and Kathleen S.G. Skott-Myhre) a volume on working with young people in the contexts of child and youth care, early childhood education, and psychology. Youth Work, Early Education, and Psychology: Liminal Encounters, argues for the necessity of examining and interrogating how various modes of praxis related to young people are deployed in the 21st century. The analysis presented by the various authors in the volume is premised in an acknowledgment that the socio-political landscape has shifted considerably under the emerging systems of rule that constitute postmodern capitalism. The editors argue that the traditional modes of civil society designed to integrate and shape young people as functioning members of society such as education, the family, modes of psychotherapy, as well as orphanages and other forms of residential care, are in various stages of crisis and reconfiguration. To this end they propose a series of propositions that highlight politicized strategies to working with young people under current conditions of neo-liberal capitalism. The book questions ongoing approaches, and provides alternative perspectives drawing on the pedagogical affordances of liminal approaches founded in theoretical frameworks of immanence.
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Irene McClatchey
Dr. Irene McClatchey's newly published book, Bereavement Camps for Children and Adolescents, is the first book to describe in detail how to create bereavement camps for children and adolescents. It is a comprehensive how-to guide, offering practical advice on planning, curriculum building, and evaluation. Readers will find a step-by-step plan for building a non-profit organization, including board development and fundraising, such as grant writing, soliciting businesses, and holding special events, as well as valuable information on nonprofit management and volunteer recruitment. The appendices include a variety of sample forms, letters, and more.
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Student/Faculty Partnerships
"Efficacy of chronic disease self-management among low-income Black males with behavioral health disorders: Pilot study" Carol Collard, PhD, LMSW, Vanessa Robinson-Dooley, PhD, LCSW, Frances Patrick, MSW, and Kayla Farabaugh
- This study examined the effectiveness of Stanford University’s Chronic Disease self-management program (CDSMP) among men living with co-morbidities of chronic physical health disease and behavioral health disorders.
- Drs. Collard and Robinson-Dooley also presented this research with Frances and Kayla at the Georgia Public Health conference in Atlanta, GA.
- Published in the Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association, Vol. 6, No. 4
"Adding Trauma-Informed Care at a Bereavement Camp to Facilitate Post-traumatic Growth: A Controlled Outcome Study" Dr. Irene Searles McClatchey, Rachel Raven
- This research centers around the use of trauma-informed care at bereavement camps and its impact on post-traumatic growth. This was a controlled outcome study that showed that post-traumatic growth increased among those individuals who participated in a bereavement camp versus those who did not.
- Dr. McClatchey and Rachel also presented on their research at the International Association for Social Work with Groups International Conference in Washington, D.C.
- Published in Advances in Social Work, Vol. 18, No. 1
"Community-University Partnership to Inform and Improve Immigrant Integration" Presentation by Dr. Darlene Rodriguez, Socorro Galindo, and Tiffany Rockwell
- This 90-minute presentation at the NOHS Conference in Des Moines, Iowa this October 18-21, is based on work that they contributed to as part of the 2016-2017 Diversity Fellowship Dr. Rodriguez received to foster the growth and development of the Georgia Immigration Research Network, the Immigrant Integration Toolkit, the Immigrant Community Resources Guide, and the planned pilot for the Civic Engagement Academy for Immigrant populations in Georgia.
