Upcoming Admission Deadlines
The next deadline for submitting a Bachelor’s in Social Work (BSW) admission application is October 1, 2022.
The period for submitting a master of social work (MSW) admission application for 2023 is open. Prospective students must apply to the Graduate School and the MSW program. The priority deadline for 2023 enrollment is February 1, 2023. The general deadline is April 1, 2023.
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Annual Review for the Department of Social Work
By: Dr. Matt Moore, Chair
The Department of Social Work experienced a productive academic year. When looking at the Top Flight Metrics from the University Strategic plan, the department achieved the following:
- We engaged students in innovative experiences (e.g., high-impact teaching practices) that prepared them for fulfilling careers (e.g., graduate school, employment, licensure).
- We saw growth in enrollment at both the undergraduate and graduate level, which means we are seeing more students graduating from our programs.
- We launched new initiatives that provided alternative educational opportunities for current and future social workers (e.g., online undergraduate program, lifetime learning initiative).
- We responded to the workforce and labor market needs of the social work profession through volunteerism, practicum placements, and the graduation of BSW and MSW students.
- Our programs worked with over 100 community partners to improve community outcomes and combat injustices through volunteerism, practicum placements, research, service, and direct practice.
- The Department of Social Work saw a steady growth in the number of peer-reviewed publications, funded grants, submitted grants, and conference presentations from previous academic years.
- The Department of Social Work consistently reflects on our place within our college, University, and global communities to determine ways we can enhance our impact. This includes an increased focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belongingness efforts.
Goal One: Undergraduate Excellence and Innovation
The Department of Social Work showed stability in undergraduate enrollment. We currently have 271 declared majors (Argos Report). This number is up 19 from the previous academic year. We also have 70 minors. This speaks to our ongoing commitment to recruit, retain, and support students. Every student in our program had the ability to engage in courses that offered high-impact practices. We offered three immersive learning courses, two courses with service-learning components, and two interactive learning courses. These courses occurred at the 200, 300, and 400 levels. Students had co-curricular opportunities with our Student Social Work Association (SSWA), Black Student Social Work Association (BSSWA), and Phi Alpha. Our students completed over 25,000 hours (about three years) of practicum and volunteer hours. The Department of Social Work completed all necessary steps to launch an online program option of our BSW program in Fall 2022. We made significant changes to bolster enrollment in the gerontology minor. We also taught the initial sections of COH 100: Health Consumerism.
Goal Two: Graduate Education and Lifetime Learning
Our MSW program earned initial accreditation through 2031. This will allow our faculty and staff to offer a high-demand degree and credentials (preparing students for LSW, LCSW (License in Clinical Social Work), and LCAC). We are also prepared to offer MSW courses at the Ball State Indy campus next academic year. Our MSW continues to see a growth in enrolment. We currently have 76 MSW students in year three of our operations. The Department of Social Work launched a new lifetime learning initiative. This initiative provides Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to social work and related practitioners on the Ball State campus, Ball State Indy, and virtually via Zoom. Our students completed over 27,000 practicum hours. The Department of Social Work is actively engaging our Advisory Board in the creation of mentorship opportunities for our graduate students.
Goal Three: Community Engagement and Impact
The Department of Social Work worked with community leaders on a variety of efforts. Sample efforts included: (1) a tiny house project to combat area homelessness (City of Muncie), (2) efforts to increase social service presence in law enforcement (Muncie Police Department) and expanding social service efforts at area agencies (Urban Lights). Faculty members played an integral role in the creation of the Addictions Coalition of Delaware County, Recovery Café, Ball State Center for Substance Use Research and Community Initiatives, etc. Students and faculty members engaged with Muncie Community Schools in liaison roles (Grissom Memorial Elementary) and partnered in practicum and field liaison roles (Northside Middle School, Burris Laboratory School, Longfellow Elementary, Grissom Memorial Elementary, and West View Elementary). Faculty members served on several local community boards. Our faculty-led several initiatives to improve population health and well-being. This was done through efforts in the Healthy Lifestyle Center, community cleanup days, drug take-back days, etc.
Goal Four: Scholarship and Societal Impact
The Department of Social Work maintained $589,473 in external funding this past academic year. Faculty members in the Department of Social Work submitted over $3.1 million in external grant funding this past AY. The Department of Social Work had four faculty members engaged with the Teacher-Scholar Program to support undergraduate research. Faculty members in the Department of Social Work had 12 articles published in peer-reviewed academic journals. There are an additional six articles in press and accepted for publication. Faculty members in the Department of Social Work have 12 additional articles submitted to peer-reviewed publications for review.
Goal Five: Inclusive Excellence
The Department of Social Work placed a strong emphasis on inclusive excellence in our recent hiring practices. We hired several members from Underrepresented Minority groups. This included both full-time and part-time hires. The Department of Social Work received the Excellence in Assessment: Equity in Assessment Award from Ball State University. We provided multiple training opportunities for our faculty and staff members related to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging efforts. This included holding a full-day retreat with the Office of Inclusive Excellence and a half-day inclusive pedagogy retreat. We had multiple faculty members named as finalists for large University awards: Adrienne Newman (Outstanding Advisor), Matt Moore (Outstanding Teaching), Dusty Rademacher (Excellence in Teaching), and Kristin Trainor (Outstanding Graduate Advisor). The Department of Social Work is using our ongoing climate survey efforts and a newly launched Delphi method to identify best-practice recommendations for further enhancing our inclusive excellence efforts.
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Summer Practicum
There are 14 BSW students working in 12 organizations. Two students are serving older adults in Muncie through Lifestream Services, Inc., and Morrison Woods Health Campus. The Youth Opportunity Center is hosting four students. Children and families are being assisted through the efforts of six students placed at the Indiana Department of Child Services in Blackford County, Boner Fitness and Learning in Indianapolis, Oaklawn Elkhart System of Care in Goshen, BY5 in Muncie, Firefly Children and Family Alliance in New Whiteland, and Meridian Health Services in Connersville. Three students are working with individuals who need shelter and services through the YWCA of Central Indiana and the City of Muncie. Substance use and recovery is the focus of one student working with the Addiction Coalition of Delaware County and The Recovery Café.
Our 34 MSW advanced practicum students continue in their placements. Highlights of their placements include Family Service Association in Kokomo, IU Health Psychiatry in Muncie, Hillcroft Services in Muncie, and Signature Healthcare.
We have seven generalist MSW practicum students. Placement highlights include Brooke's Place in Indy, Indianapolis Public Library, Easter Seals/ARC in Fort Wayne, and Ross Community Center in Muncie.
The Department of Social Work sends a big THANK YOU to field instructors willing to mentor students these last few challenging years!
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BSW Graduation
This Spring, the Department of Social Work had 39 BSW graduates. Many of our students have elected to immediately transition to our fully accredited MSW program and others have entered the workforce. Picture on the right includes a group of Spring graduates from our practicum placement ceremony.
Some highlights include students getting hired by Marion County DCS (Department of Child Services), ASPIRE in Noblesville, local ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) clinics, and continued employment with their practicum agencies. Congrats to the Class of 2022 for their persistence across the finish line!
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Legislative Education and Advocacy Day
Twenty BSW and MSW students attended the Legislative Education and Advocacy Day sponsored by the Indiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers on February 21, 2022. This event furthers social workers’ knowledge of the legislative process, grassroots advocacy, and major current statewide and national policy issues.
Students toured the Indiana State House, observed testimony and discussion in House and Senate Committee meetings, and interacted one-on-one with legislators. They stated that it was exciting to view the political process and contribute their perspectives to political officials.
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Ball State University to Host the Annual Sport Social Work Symposium
The Department of Social Work will continue to have an active role in the sport social work landscape in the coming months. On October 5–6, the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports will host their 8th Annual Symposium in our region. The theme of this year’s event is “Health, Wellness, and Safety of the Athletic Community.” This will be the organization’s first in-person symposium in two years and will offer CEUs to attendees.
Dr. Matt Moore is the Immediate Past President of ASWIS and Dr. Jerry Reynolds is the current Vice President of the organization, which has over 300 members throughout the globe. Registration and scheduling information can be found at www.aswis.org.
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Change in BSW Leadership
Dr. Jerry Reynolds will assume the role of BSW Program Director, effective July 1. In addition to this new appointment, Dr. Reynolds will be taking over as the project leader on an existing grant funded by Ball Memorial Health Foundation, which was formerly led by Dr. Tony Mahon. The $250,000 grant is in the final year of increasing nutrition education and physical activity in Muncie Community Schools (MCS). Additionally, the program utilizes resources of the College of Health to provide services and support to teachers within MCS.
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Lifetime Learning Initiative
The Department of Social Work is excited to announce the launch of a new lifetime learning initiative. This initiative will offer routine continuing education opportunities to social work and related practitioners across Indiana and beyond. A special thank you to Professor Dusty Rademacher for spearheading these efforts!
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Cory Matter, CSWA, LCACA, CAPRC-1
Since graduating from the MSW program at Ball State University, I have taken a contracted position as a clinical therapist at Open Door Health Services in Muncie, IN. This organization is a Federally Qualified Health Center, that concentrates on community-based health care and serves populations that are unable to access proper health care services.
Having experience in working with groups through both my practicums and nonprofits that work with substance use disorder populations has provided me with the opportunity to be incredibly involved with the development of a SUD/MAT program at Open Door that includes both individual as well as group sessions. Individual care plans are created around a client-centered approach that provides a co-determined set of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy skills that allow clients to improve their opportunities and expand the quality of their lives.
Cory matters and so do you!
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Emily Powers
Emily Powers is in her final semester of the Ball State MSW program and just accepted a full-time position at the University of Michigan (U of M) as a post-MSW fellow. Emily will be providing individual and group counseling services rooted in multicultural practice to U of M undergraduate and graduate students. This opportunity will allow her to work with her desired population and help her accrue hours toward earning her clinical social work license.
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Full Academic Year Refereed Publication List
Li, J., & Stone, G. (2021). "Partially ordered social utility optimizations." Journal of Nonlinear and Convex Analysis, 22(3), 647–661.
Moore, M. A., Reynolds, J. F., Black, A., Young, S., & Trainor, K. (2022). "Beyond Xs and Os: The role of an athletic trainer in supporting disordered eating in college athletes". Sport Social Work Journal, 1, 64–77.
Moore, M. A., Reynolds, J. F., Durand, J.*, & Trainor, K. (2022). "Mental health literacy of Australian youth sport coaches". Frontiers in Sport and Active Living, online.
Moore, M. A., Blom, L., Califano, K.*, Hussey, K., * Farello, A., * Vasiloff, O., * Gabler, T., * and Sullivan, M. (2021). "Redesigning a youth soccer program: Holistic development to reduce dropout rates". Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 38, 409–421.
Moore, M. A., & Abbe, A.* (2021). "The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics substance use and abuse survey". Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, 14, 95–114.
Newman, T. J., Turgeon, S., Moore, M. A., Bean, C., Lee, L., Knuettel, M., & Rahill, C. O. (2022). "The dual pandemic: COVID-19, systemic racism, and college student-athletic mental health". International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, online.
Park, D., Lee, M., Osborne, K., & Minnick, D. (2021). "Stress and depression in Ohio social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: The buffering role of social connectedness". Health & Social Work, online.
Park, D., Lee, O., Park, J., & Minnick, D. (2021). "Substance use disorders among deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States". Drug & Alcohol Dependence, online.
Renbarger, K., Trainor, K., Place, J. M, & Broadstreet, A. (2022). "Provider characteristics associated with trust when caring for women with perinatal substance use disorders". Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health, 67(1).
Reynolds, J. F. (2022). Virtual spaces and emotional places: "Parent spectator behaviors & sport social work practice implications". Sport Social Work Journal, 1, 96–103.
Reynolds, J. F., Trainor, K., & Moore, M. A. (2022). "The influence of COVID-19 upon perceptions of parent identity and role among youth sport spectators". The Sport Journal, online.
Reynolds, J. (2021). "Youth sport spectator behavior in Louisiana. Lessons for future interventions and social work practice". Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 38, 463–474.
Full Academic Year Refereed Publications in Press
Minnick, D., Place, J., Thaller, J., & Slater, G. Y. (in press). "Creating a community-academic partnership: An innovative approach to increasing local community capacities to address substance misuse". Higher Education, Outreach, and Engagement.
Moore, M. A., Gorczynski, P., & Miller-Aron, C. (in press). "Mental health literacy in sport: The role of the social work profession". Social Work.
Reynolds, J. F., Bates, S., & Moore, M. A. (in press). "Youth sport spectating behaviors amongst parents during the COVID 19 pandemic". Journal of Amateur Sport.
Kiefor, J. M., Moore, M. A., Reynolds, J. F., & Trainor, K. (in press). "Pandemics and athletics: How COVID-19 affected sport injury rehabilitation". Sport Social Work Journal.
Reynolds, J. F., & Moore, M. A. (in press). "COVID 19 and the shifting role of parents as youth sport spectators". In Common Ground: Restart: Sport after the COVID 19 lockdown.
Young, S. M., & Haas, L. (in press). "Exposing undergraduates to international mental health work: An exploratory instructional framework applied to a study tour". The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad.
Spring Semester Announcements
Dr. Dane Minnick and Dr. Jonel Thaller co-organized the Addictions Coalition of Delaware County’s 3rd Annual Substance Use Disorder Symposium at Ball State University.
Dr. Jonel Thaller, Dr. Dane Minnick, and Dr. Jean Marie Place presented at the 2022 Indiana Campus Compact Summit and Research Symposium in French Lick, Indiana. The title of their presentation was "The Process of Developing an Academic-Community Partnership to Address Substance Misuse".
Dr. Dane Minnick and Dr. Jonel Thaller had two external grants funded in the amount of $161,536. These grants are related to trauma-informed recovery and the launch of the Ball State Center for Substance Use Research and Community Initiatives.
Dr. Jerry Reynolds presented at five academic conferences in the spring semester. These included presentations at the Nexus Summit, Ball State University Student Research Symposium, Applied Sport Management Association Conference, and the Midwest Sport and Exercise Psychology Symposium. These presentations were with other members of the College of Health, undergraduate students, and fellow social work faculty members.
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Give Back
Give Back Gifts to the College of Health will elevate the reach and reputation of our programs, support innovative instruction, and bolster external partnerships that prepare students to adapt and excel in demanding roles.
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Department of Social WorkHealth Professions Building
Suite 501
Muncie, IN 47306
Phone: 765-285-1016
Fax: 765-285-1029
socialwork@bsu.edu
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