Social Work (SWR)

454 David M. French Hall
(810) 762-3390
Fax: (810) 237-6541

Chair: Kathleen Woehrle
Principal Secretary: Ella Moore
Associate Professors Kathleen L. Woehrle; Assistant Professor Denise Dedman; Clinical Assistant Professor Jacqueline Harvey; Professors Emeriti Everett J. Blakely, Thomas L. Coffey, Charles A. Jones

Social work is a professional art, based on an eclectic, scientific body of theory, incorporating practice, knowledge, and skill, and fused to specific ethics with inherent social value assumptions. The profession is oriented toward helping in the resolution of diverse individual and social problems, the provision for meeting broad human and community needs, and the enhancement of personal or social functioning. The primary goal of the social work program is to prepare students for beginning professional social work practice.

Department Mission

The mission of the social work program is to prepare students for the generalist practice of social work as lifelong learners and leaders who advance social justice, engage in responsible citizenship, and value human diversity. Through interactive educational experiences in the classroom and community, students internalize the professional values and purposes of social work, understand the knowledge base of micro- and macro-level practice theories, and demonstrate beginning-level interventive techniques.

Program Assessment

The Department participates in the University-wide effort to assess its academic programs. Information on assessment plans, including goals, methods and outcomes is available at http://www.umflint.edu/assessment.

The Social Work Program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (C.S.W.E.), 1725 Duke Street, Suite 500, Alexandria, VA 22314-3457, (703) 683-8080.

Programs in Social Work

Two concentration programs are offered, both leading to the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree: the Program in Social Work and the Honors Program in Social Work . Three minors with certificates are also available. The minor in Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention is offered face-to-face and online, with all required courses available online over two consecutive years. The minor in Crisis Intervention and Disaster Response is offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. An Gerontology/Certifcate in Aging program is offered in collaboration with Health Care.