With close to twenty years of experience in social services, Keisha K. Owens is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Kentucky’s College of Social Work. Prior to matriculation at the University of Kentucky, Keisha earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master of Science in Social Work at the University of Louisville. Her work experiences include being a case manager for a private foster care agency, a social services worker for the state of Kentucky’s child protection services, and various clinical social work roles after completing her master’s degree.
Keisha has worked in various clinical capacities for over the past 14 years. These roles include assessment clinician, inpatient mental health therapist for children, adolescents, and adults, in-home mental health therapist for adolescents, and private practice therapist for adolescents and adults. Her current role is mental health therapist for adolescents in a partial hospitalization program at U of L Health Peace Hospital. Most of her clinical experience was obtained through U of L Health, Peace Hospital, formerly Our Lady of Peace Hospital, a free-standing psychiatric hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.
In addition to her role as a mental health therapist, Keisha has served as a clinical supervisor to social workers seeking independent licensure and as a preceptor for individuals seeking to become psychiatric nurse practitioners. Working in this capacity led to an interest in becoming a social work educator with a curriculum development and research goal. Keisha is passionate about social justice, anti-oppressive practice, equity, and cultural humility; these topics are areas of interest for research. Keisha hopes to contribute to the body of social work education literature in the near future.