School of Social Welfare Dean's Update

Think of a place where there are people who need services, and there’s likely a social work student there.

In practicum placements at nonprofits, hospitals and clinics, behavioral health centers, child welfare offices, residential settings, schools, and other settings, our students contribute to the workforce while gaining real-world social work experience.

The Practicum Student Support Fund provides critical financial support for students in unpaid practicum placements. For the past three years, our community of alumni, practicum instructors, and community partners has contributed to this fund on One Day One KU. We are so grateful for your continued support.

On April 28-29, 244 donors gave $27,892 to support social work students and education at KU. The School received an additional $15,000 in donor-supported funds through participation challenges, bringing the total amount raised to $42,892.

Thank you to all who gave, and a special thanks to the donors behind our nine matching gifts this year. Your contributions make it possible for our students to complete their social work education and go on to help where they are most needed.

We welcome your ideas and feedback at kusswdo@ku.edu. Your collaboration helps us meet our mission to educate, train, and support qualified, compassionate social workers.

Take good care and Rock Chalk,

Michelle Carney, PhD, MSSA
Dean and Professor
KU School of Social Welfare

Researchers in the KU School of Social Welfare have updated training materials that prepare healthcare providers to prevent, identify and treat substance use disorders across Kansas.

SBIRT – Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment – is an evidence-based approach to talking with people about their substance use. A recently completed project, Enhancing SBIRT through Provider Workforce Development in Kansas, prepares Kansas nurses, doctors, social workers and behavioral health clinicians to have honest conversations with patients about risky drinking or drug use.

Removing stigma and having those conversations early and often can help prevent future health complications, said Christina Boyd, project co-director and associate professor of the practice.

“The training is about helping people to understand that we can intervene much earlier in the process and hopefully prevent a lot of heartache down the line,” Boyd said.

Training, videos and resources are available online at SBIRT.care.

Lily Shine spent extensive time driving around Kansas City when she first moved there in 2020. It hurt Shine down to her core to see people without homes lining the streets for entire mile-long blocks, and reminded her of similar experiences when she was younger.  

Shine spent part of her childhood in areas with a high concentration of homelessness, wondering what could be done to help.

Shine, who will graduate with her BSW in May, has made it a life mission to tackle homelessness.

"I firmly believe that we can end homelessness in Kansas City with the right distribution of supports and resources for people who need them," Shine said. "I fully intend to see this issue significantly reduced – if not fully resolved – within my lifetime."

Assistant Professor Claire Willey-Sthapit will receive this year’s KU International Affairs Advisory Board International Research Award.

Willey-Sthapit’s research focuses on translating domestic violence policy and practice between the U.S and international contexts, specifically building from her family ties and professional experiences in Nepal.

"Claire's work urges actors anywhere in the world to consider and respond to gender-based violence in context and to build global connections to find those truths," Michelle Mohr Carney, dean of the School of Social Welfare, wrote in her nomination letter.

Brittany Bates was in eighth grade when a devastating tornado ripped through her hometown of Joplin, Missouri. The shared trauma of the experience led Bates to pursue a career in social work, with a focus on mental health.

In her first-year MSW practicum at a rural mental health clinic, Bates shadows mental health professionals across individual, group, and family therapy and mobile crisis services. Bates hopes to use her master's degree in social work to engage with mental health issues in her community.

"Natural disasters don't happen to everybody, but other types of disasters do," Bates said. "I think it's important to know that everybody has their own story."

Completing a practicum is a vital part of social work education at KU. Students gain real-world experience and receive one-to-one mentoring during their practicum placement.

"Students get the opportunity to take what they’re learning in their coursework and apply it in the profession," said Gary Lasley, associate director of practicum education.

While some practicum placements are paid, many are not. The Practicum Student Support Fund, created with contributions from One Day One KU in 2024, provides financial support to help students cover costs such as gas, vehicle wear and tear, professional clothing, childcare, and professional development training.

"When there is an opportunity for someone to give to the practicum fund to assist students, it makes a huge impact on their ability to get through the program with as little stress as possible," Lasley said.

Watch video interviews with Lasley and two MSW practicum students about the benefits of practicum placements.

Applying Data & GIS to Strengthen Community Health Strategies
Monday, May 4
12-1 p.m.
Online

Everyday Ethics: Embodying Social Work Values in Practice
Tuesday, May 12
12-1:30 p.m.
Online
CEU: 1.5 hours

Conversations for Change: Talking About Substance Use as Part of Integrated Health Care
Friday, June 12
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Pittsburg, KS
CEU: 6 hours

DSW Information Session
Wednesday, June 17
11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Online

Nicole Gilmore, BSW 2015, has been selected as the new executive director of the Family Resource Center (FRC) in Pittsburg, Kansas, with her role beginning in June 2026. The FRC serves children from birth to age 12 by providing a safe, nurturing environment that supports their academic, social, emotional, and physical development.

Whether you just received a promotion, started a new position or project, or moved across the country, the School of Social Welfare wants to stay updated on your life adventures. Update your contact information and share your alumni news.

Marilyn Anne Biggerstaff, MSW 1969, passed away on Feb. 4, 2026. Read obituary.

Rose McClanahan Schmidt, MSW 1977, passed away on March 22, 2026. Read obituary.

Dana Elaine Wray, MSW 1982, passed away on Feb. 19, 2026. Read obituary.

Judith Roberta Vandaveer, MSW 1988, passed away on March 14, 2026. Read obituary.

Jeraldine Barrett, MSW 1998, passed away on March 25, 2026. Read obituary.

In April, the Integrated Health Scholars Program joined the Community Care Network of Kansas in Topeka. The event included a panel where scholars learned about in-field experience and post-graduation interests, a recognition ceremony, and presentations of the Integrated Health Scholars' capstone projects.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and congratulations to our scholars for their achievements!

View more photos

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