DSW CANDIDATES

William Taylor

Current Best Practices in the Delivery of Online Social Work Education that Maximize Student Engagement and Success

Mr. William Taylor (he/him/his) has committed his entire educational and professional career to helping professions. Mr. Taylor earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Science in Social Work with a concentration in mental health from the University of Louisville, and he is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree from the University of Kentucky.

After volunteering for several years as an undergraduate at a local state psychiatric hospital, Mr. Taylor’s professional career began in the wilderness of eastern Kentucky, working with at-risk youth in a decentralized camp setting that focused on cooperative living, problem-solving, and learning about nature – while learning about themselves. From there, Mr. Taylor set his sights on helping in an urban psychiatric residential treatment setting, where he gained immeasurable experience and valuable tools in human service and Social Work delivery while being promoted through the ranks from front-line Residential Counselor to Director of Clinical Services. Moving on from 15 years in that dynamic and impactful clinical setting, Mr. Taylor was humbled and excited to have the opportunity to work with the military and Veteran community, where he has proudly served for the last 11 years. In addition to full-time roles over his career, Mr. Taylor has provided outpatient counseling, performed crisis assessments, and has led training on a variety of topics; most notably team building, working effectively with others through challenge and crisis, and solution-focused approaches. He has enjoyed working with a diverse population of people from across the lifespan during his career in partnership, clinical, and leadership roles.

Mr. Taylor is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and other Drug Counselor in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and is Reality Therapy Certified through the William Glasser Institute. He received the Darrell A. VanMeter award from the University of Kentucky as an undergraduate for outstanding community service. Mr. Taylor is a two-time selectee as Leader of the Year with his current organization.

As a DSW Candidate, Mr. Taylor is currently specializing in Social Work Education at the University of Kentucky’s College of Social Work, where he is researching best practices for the swiftly-evolving arena of online Social Work Education delivery.