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UK Social Work Kinship Program certified, meeting critical state need

This article was originally published by UKNow.

The College of Social Work (CoSW) at the University of Kentucky has an established history of supporting kinship caregivers across the Commonwealth.

From conducting research to launching programming, the college is on a mission to connect relatives caring for youth with an array of services designed to meet their unique needs.

Part of those efforts include hiring, training and certifying more paraprofessionals to properly identify and offer support for kinship caregivers.

Now, the college is a step closer to meeting that need.

CoSW’s innovative Kinship Peer Support Program has been approved to certify peer supporters, in accordance with Kentucky law. The training program, which was approved by the Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID), is now recognized as meeting state certification requirements — allowing the college to address critical workforce and behavioral health needs in Kentucky.

“Data suggests that kinship rates throughout the Commonwealth are among the highest in the country. More and more family members are providing safe homes to children of parents struggling with substance use disorder and mental health issues,” Jay Miller, dean of the CoSW, said. “We — as a society — are reliant on kinship care. While systems often spend time focused on foster care, kinship care can be forgotten. Communities must do more to support kin caregivers.”

The Kinship Peer Support program focuses on various aspects of kinship care — from family structure and dynamics to caregiver mentoring and support.

While outside agencies can enroll in the trainings to receive state certification for their staff, the CoSW is also using the program to certify their own peer supporters.

In an effort to provide much needed support for kinship families, in March 2020, the college launched the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center (KKRC).

Through KKRC, and in collaboration with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), the CoSW offers the Kentucky Kinship Information, Navigation and Support Program (KY-KINS). 

Families being served by KY-KINS have access to innovative peer support and mentoring initiatives. Additionally, Kinship Peer Supporters, who are caregivers themselves, undergo the comprehensive training to provide the best support possible.

“Through KY-KINS, we hope to change the experiences many kinship caregivers have. From the time a child arrives, caregivers must quickly learn to navigate legal processes and complex family dynamics, while also finding ways to support their growing family,” Sheila Rentfrow, kinship program coordinator in the CoSW, said. “This is where KY-KINS can assist caregivers by providing resources and support from someone who has successfully navigated their personal kinship journey. In so doing, we hope to change the narrative of kinship care into one of connection, resiliency and hope.”

KY-KINS is based on the premise that by connecting kinship caregivers to a supportive network of trained professionals, the overall well-being of the entire family will improve, and the placement of children in the home will become safer and more stable.

Ultimately, young people need caregivers, and caregivers need support.

“Being able to offer this certified training allows the CoSW to provide a platform for peer support paraprofessionals to expand their knowledge of kinship care beyond their personal kinship experiences,” Rentfrow said. “Not only will this new understanding assist peer supporters in being more impactful in their work with kinship caregivers, it will also provide them with state recognition of their ability, knowledge and hard work.”

You can learn more about the College of Social Work here and the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center here.

UK College of Social Work

How Shelagh Larkin, MSW ‘88 and Ph.D. ‘20, Built A Social Work Career

Returning to school was a dream for Shelagh Larkin, who came back to the University of Kentucky College of Social Work to pursue a Ph.D. 30 years after completing her master’s. Larkin, who currently serves as the director of field education at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Oh, is an experienced social worker and has worked in many areas across the field. Her dedication to her profession has been an inspiration for many, but Larkin credits the field of social work for the wide range of opportunities it offered her to make a difference and thrive professionally.

“The thing that I love about social work is that it is incredibly varied. You can spend your whole career doing different things and you’re actually prepared for that diverse experience. I think that makes social work unique,” Larkin said.  

Larkin was inspired to pursue a master’s degree in social work after speaking with her father, who reminded her the field ran in the family.

“My great aunt was a psychiatric social worker and got her degree at the University of Chicago right before World War II. My father suggested I consider it as an option,” Larkin said. “Once I really investigated the curriculum, I knew that social work was a perfect fit. For me, it was the dual focus of considering policy and larger, system-level change advocacy that appealed.”  

Larkin attended UK College of Social Work, graduating with her MSW in 1988. Her first job was as a mental health specialist at an agency in Cincinnati, where she helped with the suicide prevention hotline, crisis mental health counseling, and community prevention and education. She later transitioned to working with families before taking on her current role at Xavier University.

In 2015, Larkin decided to return to UK College of Social Work to pursue her Ph.D. and conduct research in the mental health space. That research continues today and is primarily focused on child temperament and its relationship with health ratings of children in their first year of life.

After several decades and so many different roles, Larkin is still fascinated by her chosen field and is motivated to support those who pursue it. She said her students continue to inspire her with their thoughtfulness and dedication, and that they all agree social work truly is a calling. Recently, Larkin published her book, A Field Guide for Social Workers: An Integrated Approach, which she wrote to assist students, faculty, and field supervisors in the field process to develop and demonstrate competence

“Even in my dark days, I don’t know what else I could do. My students and I talk a lot about that, how we’re just sort of hardwired to do this,” Larkin said. “I always encourage them to research and actually see firsthand the variety that’s out there of how you could spend your career in social work.”

UK College of Social Work

What Can You Do with a Degree in Social Work?

If you are looking to make an impact, advocate for change, care for others, or even start a business, the diverse skill set you will develop in a social work degree program will help you turn your goals into reality.

Here are ten incredible careers you can pursue with a degree in social work from the University of Kentucky.

1. Therapist

Therapists and mental health counselors have a profound and purposeful impact on the mental health of their clients. By developing treatment plans, facilitating individual and group therapies, and overseeing the overall wellbeing of those in their care, social workers who are therapists and mental health counselors help clients overcome trauma, prepare for life changes, and more.

2. Medical Social Worker

Medical social workers provide direct services to patients and families in healthcare settings. By providing psychoeducation regarding a diagnosis or disorder, conducting assessments of needs, and identifying resources to meet those needs, Medical Social Workers help improve patient outcomes and address barriers to wellness.

3. Substance Abuse Counselor

Substance abuse counselors work in rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, and detention centers among others to help individuals suffering from substance misuse seek recovery. They can also work directly with affected communities to establish early intervention, assistance, and education programs.

4. School Social Worker

School social workers help students, families, and teachers address and overcome emotional, behavioral, social, or academic development issues. They conduct assessments, social histories, mental health evaluations, and more to develop and implement treatment plans, advocate for students’ best interests, and collaborate with school administration to provide trainings and workshops for teachers, staff, and parents.

5. Military Behavioral Health Counselor

Military behavioral health counselors are specially trained mental and behavioral health counselors who work directly with veterans, active-duty service members, and military families. Military behavioral health counselors can help their patients with complex psychological issues such as substance misuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, transitioning home from deployment, and more.

6. Gerontological Social Worker

Gerontological social workers are multidisciplinary professionals who study physical, cognitive, social, emotional, psychological, and societal effects of aging. These social workers may conduct research, work directly with older individuals, or serve as advocates for aging and aged populations.

7. Community Advocate or Organizer

Community advocates work across organizations to develop and implement fair and equitable policies and generate awareness for positive change. This includes conducting needs assessments, generating communications, coordinating media engagement, and organizing key stakeholders to implement societal shifts on a range of issues, from criminal justice to fair housing to health access.

8. Public Policy Analyst

Public policy social work leaders help develop policies based on research, manage the delivery of services to communities in need, and oversee the execution of public programs. They may work in government institutions such the department of community services or veterans’ affairs or NGOs.

9. Business Diversity and Inclusion Manager

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) managers help build fairer, more equitable workplaces. They set and enforce policies that foster a sense of belonging and facilitate employee engagement. By removing barriers to inclusion and fighting discrimination, D&I managers open opportunities for all individuals to reach their full potential and enhance their economic contributions to business.

10. Child Welfare Practitioner

Child welfare practitioners specialize in safeguarding children from harm by conducting safety and well-being investigations as well as facilitating the placement of children into adoptive and foster homes. While permanency is always the goal in child welfare advocacy, these individuals are tasked with assessing the best possible solution for the child and ensuring any transitions are as painless as possible.

Earn a Life-Changing Degree and Pursue a World-Changing Career

Studying social work will not only change your life, but the lives of countless others. Join us for an upcoming info session to discover how you can positively impact the lives of individuals, groups, and communities.

UK College of Social Work

From Economics to Social Work: Christson Adedoyin’s Story

Christson Adedoyin, Ph.D. ’11, is boundless in his passion for the social work profession. Originally a student of economics in his native Nigeria, Adedoyin decided to change careers out of a desire to serve and help others.

“I didn’t want to work with numbers. I didn’t want to work with statistics or just quantitative research and computers. I also wanted to work with people,” Adedoyin said. The decision did not go over well with his family members, who thought economics would be a better and more stable professional path. Dissuaded, Adedoyin briefly agreed to continue along his original path, and began a master’s in information science.

But the desire to change careers gnawed at him. In the second semester of his master’s program, his parents had health issues and Adedoyin was on hand to help them with daily tasks, including taking them to church. On one memorable visit, he met with their pastor who encouraged him to pursue his goal of social work. “Even though everybody has their own struggles, I believe Providence, or some people would say God or the divine, basically steers you in the right direction for you,” Adedoyin said.

Course Correcting

After graduating with a master’s degree in social work and supporting families during his practice in Nigeria, he decided to pursue a doctorate in the U.S. and was accepted to UK College of Social Work.

“Of all the places I reached out to in terms of programs, the University of Kentucky was very, very personal. That was in the year 2000 when the internet was not as it is today. They would call me and send emails, there was that human touch.” Adedoyin said.

Adedoyin’s Ph.D. research focused on health education as a strategy to address health disparities and inequality, specifically on studying the best health education interventions for African Americans as a way of preventing cancer among that population.

“The University of Kentucky College of Social Work prepared me for the work outside after my doctorate,” Adedoyin said. “I felt very prepared and confident because of the professors and the course contents; that experience with research and some program evaluation gave me a very solid footing. I had access to professors and to the dean. I was guided and I was helped.”

Finding Professional Success

Since graduating, Adeyodin has worked in a variety of roles, including UK College of Social Work’s Training Resource Center, which promotes and supports the well-being of families, children, and communities through research and evaluation, training, technical assistance and service and program development. Later, he became a professor at East Carolina University before joining the faculty at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.

“I do a lot of faith-based work with African American, minority, and immigrant populations.” Adedoyin said of his career, noting the joy he finds at the intersection of social work and faith.

As for his decision to pursue the field, Adedoyin said that he has no regrets and encourages others who are thinking about it to give it a try.

“Social work is a massive field—it’s like an ocean. You just have to be disciplined to find your niche.” Adedoyin said. “There are many transferable skills you can bring from social work and apply in nontraditional social work spaces—whether that’s corporate or social entrepreneurship or policy. You are very employable.”

UK College of Social Work

Governor appoints Dean Miller to Juvenile Justice Advisory Board

This article was originally published by UKNow.

Governor Andy Beshear has issued an executive order appointing Justin “Jay” Miller, dean of the College of Social Work (CoSW) at the University of Kentucky, to the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board (JJAB).

Federally mandated through the 1974 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, JJAB ensures youth in the juvenile justice system have access to appropriate and effective programs and services.

Board members advise and propose evidence-based recommendations to the governor, policy makers and the public. The board also ensures state compliance with federal regulations.

Ultimately, JJAB seeks to improve the quality of life and reduce recidivism for youth involved in Kentucky’s justice system.

“It is truly an honor to serve on JJAB,” Miller said. “I look forward to engaging with the board, partners, and young people to support innovative system improvements that enhance youth and family experiences in the Commonwealth.”

Miller is dedicated to a variety of social issues — a passion he brings to his work as an educator and scholar.

More specifically, Miller has been conducting research and spearheading initiatives related to child welfare and system-involved youth for more than a decade. From 2016-17, Miller served on the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice at the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The committee was tasked with reviewing mandates associated with juvenile justice and making systems improvement recommendations to the U.S Congress and president.

Miller’s work has informed a myriad of policies and practices at local, state and federal levels.

He is also a past recipient of the Paul Grannis Award — Kentucky’s highest public child welfare practitioner honor. Miller’s work with young people has been recognized by the Association of School Social Workers, National Association of Social Workers and the U.S. Children’s Bureau, among others.

UK College of Social Work

UK College of Social Work to Host Campus Appreciation Event for University of Kentucky Social Workers

In honor of National Social Work Month, the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) will host an appreciation event for any UK employee who has graduated from a social work program or currently serves the campus in a social work capacity.

The event will take place on Friday, March 31, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the 2nd floor balcony of the Gatton Student Center. Attendees will receive CoSW swag as a small token of acknowledgment and appreciation.

Often unheralded and sometimes misunderstood, social work is a distinct and noble profession. As codified by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people.”

UK College of Social Work

UK Social Work’s Rosenstein Lecture to feature author Melissa Harris-Perry

This article was originally published in UKNow.

On Tuesday, April 18, the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (CoSW) will hold the 21st Annual Irma Sarett Rosenstein Lecture. This year’s event, featuring award-winning author Melissa Harris-Perry, will take place at 8:30 a.m. in the Gatton Student Center (Grand Ballroom AB).

The lecture is named for Lexington social worker Irma Sarett Rosenstein. Until her passing in 2015, she led the fight against social injustice in Central Kentucky. The lecture, intended to celebrate Rosenstein’s remarkable legacy, will feature a national voice on positive social change.

Harris-Perry, the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair and professor at Wake Forest University, will present the distinguished lecture. She is also the founder and president of the Anna Julia Cooper Center — an independent organization with a mission to advance justice for women and girls of color in higher education.

Harris-Perry is the former host of the award-winning show “Melissa Harris-Perry” on MSNBC. In 2016, she was awarded the Hillman Prize for broadcast journalism. Harris-Perry is currently the co-host of the popular podcast “System Check.”

She is also the author of the award-winning “Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought” and “Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America.”

“We are extremely grateful to the Rosenstein family for supporting what is sure to be a thoughtful and illuminating lecture by Dr. Melissa Harris Perry,” Jay Miller, dean of the CoSW, said. “The Irma Rosenstein Lecture Series encapsulates all that is social work, and we look forward to continuing to bring these experiences to our UK community for many years to come.”

The lecture will be part of the 2023 UNITE Research Showcase — an event centered around elevating and promoting the importance of racial equity research at UK, across the Commonwealth and beyond.

The lecture and showcase are free and open to UK faculty, staff, students, affiliates and academic partners. Those interested in attending are required to register online.

More about Rosenstein

Rosenstein was a social worker at UK Chandler Hospital and taught in the CoSW, where she worked closely with the first dean of the college, Ernest Witte. She is well-remembered for bringing an ethos of openness and clarity to the college and community issues.

Rosenstein did not shirk from addressing racism. She was the driving force behind the Kentucky Conference of Christians and Jews — now called the Kentucky Conference for Community and Justice (KCCJ). The organization is dedicated to building community. Rosenstein also hosted one of social work’s most prominent leaders, Whitney Young, at a KCCJ dinner when no public places outside of UK were desegregated.

Thanks to a generous gift from Rosenstein and her family in 2002, the CoSW has been providing research-based and practice-driven lectures by distinguished national speakers each year on UK’s campus.

“We appreciate the foresight of Irma Rosenstein to know the importance of bringing experts to our campus to interact with students, faculty and staff,” Miller said. “She left a lasting gift to the college by providing resources to support a lecture series that now carries her name.” 

UK College of Social Work

UK Social Work DSW Student La’Shardae Scott on Building a Career Advocating for Patients Affected by Sickle Cell Disease

La’Shardae Scott, a student in the UK College of Social Work’s Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) program, changed careers following a life-altering diagnosis of sickle cell disease (SCD) in her children.

“I was studying to be a secondary education teacher when I found out that my children have sickle cell disease. I left my role to care for them and then changed my whole career course,” Scott said.

The child of a social worker, Scott said it hadn’t been her intention to pursue the field for a career until she was confronted with navigating the healthcare system for her children and became aware of the issues facing those who live with sickle cell disease. Seeing the size of the problem, and the need for radical change in the management of care for sickle cell patients, she decided to make it her mission to fix it.

“I know what that felt like, hearing that your child has a diagnosis that could potentially kill them, and they are not going to have the most normal life,” Scott said. “That will make any parent jump into gear to make sure that they’re providing the best care. I knew that I had to go into social work because there’s not a lot of resources for sickle cell patients and I want to change that.”

Understanding the Barriers and Building a Strategy

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a blood disorder that impacts the hemoglobin in a person’s body. Symptoms of SCD include painful episodes or crises, due to the sickle-shaped red blood cells which disrupt blood flow through vessels. Pain can be short in duration or last for days; episodes are unpredictable and may be rare or occur frequently and depending on severity require hospitalization, according to the Mayo Clinic. Complications from this disease include stroke, blindness, and organ damage due to impeded blood flow.

SCD affects millions of people throughout the world, but disproportionally impacts people of Sub-Saharan African descent. It occurs in one out of every 365 Black or African-American births, and one in 13 are born with a sickle cell trait.

“When we speak about statistics and numbers across the board, we know that there is a lot of systematic racism when it comes to the SCD population,” Scott said. “Something we need to take into consideration when caring for individuals who are afflicted with sickle cell is the stigma associated with it and the need for pain management.”

Scott is particularly focused on the transition patients make from childhood to adulthood and taking control of managing their disease. She is heavily invested in education for patients and their families, as well as advocating throughout the broader healthcare system. Scott believes social work and advocacy are essential to effectively helping SCD patients thrive, which is why she decided to further her education at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work.

Taking Advocacy to the Next Level

Scott was researching how to expand her own practice when she began to consider pursuing a DSW degree, which she felt was an ideal way to level up her expertise and integrate her learnings into field work. After attending an online information session, she decided to go for it.

“Within my scope of practice, it was a no-brainer–I just knew it was the right decision,” Scott said of applying to the UK College of Social Work program.

Scott found opportunities to connect with classmates and faculty online through one-on-one meetings and organized groups, which she said have been essential for helping her push through challenges. A group for Black Doctors of Social Work helped Scott connect with other individuals who have similar lived experiences. “I wanted that inclusivity, a safe place where we connect and we share our experiences,” Scott said, adding that the conversations have been helpful for navigating a few hurdles, as she is the first person in her family to pursue a doctorate.

Scott also credits the UK College of Social Work’s DSW student committee with helping her stay connected to her classmates and her program. The committee ensures students are connected and able to get the support they need. As the social justice advocacy chair, Scott organizes virtual meetings once a month for the group to connect on activities, discuss films or books, and swap stories and ideas. The committee is also planning an in-person volunteer event for later this year.

“I’m not in Kentucky, but I feel so in touch with the campus and the faculty. I have two full groups where I feel connected on both ends, one with peers that look like me and then one with all of my peers who are in the same program with me regardless of race,” Scott said.

Building A Place for Patients to Be Heard and Feel Whole

Scott is already applying skills learned in the classroom to the field.  “I don’t even have the DSW yet, and I’m already able to see how it can be integrated with my work. The DSW program inspired me to open up my own center.”

The Scott Center for Observation, Treatment and Transition will be focused on bridging the gap from pediatric to adult care and transitioning in sickle cell patients.  It will act as a liaison between the hospitals and primary care doctors and offer patients and families a safe place to receive the ongoing, inclusive help that they need through resources and education.

“I think as a social worker we have ethical practices and principles that we want to uphold and make sure that we are demonstrating empathy and dignity with our service–helping these clients be empowered,” Scott said.

UK College of Social Work

UK Social Work Researcher Helps Caregivers Navigate Alzheimer’s Challenges

This article was originally published by UKNow.

For one researcher, her passion is helping some of the most vulnerable Kentuckians. Allison Gibson, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the College of Social Work and an affiliate faculty member at the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. Her work focuses on helping people affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, both the diagnosed individual and their caregivers, through supportive programming.

“The population I’m probably most passionate about is people who live alone with Alzheimer’s. I think it’s an area that we, as health care professionals and social service providers, don’t have a good handle on,” said Gibson. “You need to strike the balance of honoring their independence and supporting them living in their own home with ensuring they’re safe with their basic needs covered.”

Gibson has worked on a variety of programming options suited for different populations of patients needing different levels of care from developing educational resources and workbooks, to group-style intervention for people affected by a mild cognitive impairment (the early symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s), to telehealth interventions connecting people in rural Kentucky to occupational therapists.

Gibson’s latest project builds off an interdisciplinary collaboration between social work and music therapy to find ways to improve the well-being of older adults.

She and Alaine E. Reschke-Hernández, Ph.D., an assistant professor in music therapy at the School of Music in the UK College of Fine Arts, have been awarded the prestigious Arthur Flagler Fultz Research Award by the American Music Therapy Association to further this project.

During the pair’s pilot study, funded by the Igniting Research Collaborations program under the Office of the Vice President for Research, music therapy was offered to a group of older adults over eight weeks with the opportunity to connect with a social worker on the team at the end. Gibson and the team would identify areas where people were struggling, like in their health or social engagement, and then help them find continuing support within the community.

“We had one gentleman who was having a hard time seeing over the course of the telehealth intervention. After getting to talk to him, we realized he needed glasses but didn’t have the financial resources, and we were able to find a clinic in his community that could help with those services,” said Gibson.

“That’s an example of how improving the health and well-being of an older adult in short-term minimal ways can have huge implications for that individual,” she said. “With this new iteration of the intervention, we’re really hoping to really test the combination of music therapy and social work services.”

Outside of her clinical and teaching spaces, Gibson is a new mother navigating the challenges of balancing high-intensive research with responsibilities at home.

“Other female scholars and clinicians have been incredibly helpful and supportive in this new chapter,” said Gibson. “My advice to other women in research: You should definitely have other women scholars, other women scientists in your life whom you can lean on for research and everyday life support.”

Gibson credits part of her journey in working with some of the most vulnerable Kentuckians to supportive female mentors.

“During my doctorate education program, a lot of people said not to pursue the ‘people living alone with Alzheimer’s’ population, saying ‘It’s too difficult, there are too many challenges.’ I had a wonderful mentor who told me, ‘We’re going to figure it out. We’re social workers. That’s what we do. That’s part of the job is we navigate the mess.’”

In her time at UK, Gibson has been part of more than 20 funded research projects along with dozens of publications, all while guiding students through field practicums and supporting patients with thoughtful interventions.

“I will say it makes me proud to be a woman doing this type of work. Historically, Alzheimer’s and dementia work has been predominantly male. It’s also been very focused on pharmacological treatment, which, of course, is super important. We need ways to either slow this disease or prevent it,” said Gibson. “But it’s also important that we have options for people who are currently affected by these types of diseases. That’s where I really feel like I’m offering something new and something that’s important.”

UK College of Social Work

UK Social Work Faculty Co-Authors Study on Experiences of Black Faculty and Staff in Higher Education

Analysis co-authored by University of Kentucky College of Social Work Assistant Professor Laneshia Conner, Ph.D., shows clear takeaways for supporting Black faculty and staff in higher education and highlights the impact of their underrepresentation in leadership positions. This study was published in the Journal of Social Work Education and was featured in the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Compass Newsletter.

A growing focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education was a driving factor behind the researchers’ interest in identifying the experiences of Black faculty and staff. As the study notes, “just 7% of higher-education administrative positions, such as department heads and deans were held by Black individuals, according to a report from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (Seltzer 2017.)” Recent reports highlighted in the publication have also illuminated the specific challenges Black faculty encounter which can impact their mental and physical health, as well as professional advancement.

The study delved into the experiences of Black faculty and staff in social work departments supervised by a Black administrator (current and previous) and looked at the range of their experiences, including various research supports and risk factors. More than 50 participants were surveyed, with clear takeaways for the advantage in well-being experienced by these individuals who had the opportunity to work with Black administrators. Connection, shared experiences, and understanding challenges were common reports. Many participants indicated they felt encouraged, and that their administrators were culturally competent.

“Social work is a profession that values diversity and inclusion, and we believe it is important to understand the experience of Black faculty and staff in this field in that context,” Conner said. “As a result of this study, our team better understands the experiences of Black faculty, for example the support they have received from these administrators, and how that could inform building a better and more inclusive professional environment. Social connectedness is intrinsically important as people value inclusion. As such, it is important to examine social connectedness among this group, and how connection profiles affect their experiences professionally.”

Co-authors on the study include Yarneccia Dyson, Ph.D., department head and associate professor, North Carolina State University, V. Nikki Jones, DSW, and assistant professor, Spalding University, and Vanessa Drew, Ed.D. and assistant professor, Elon University.