Locust Walk – School of Social Policy & Practice

Dec 2

All five of SP2`s degree programs - Master of Social Work, MS in Social Policy, MS in Nonprofit Leadership, PhD in Social Welfare, and Doctorate in Clinical Social Work - are currently accepting applications. Several online information sessions are scheduled this month to provide more information. Register to learn more at the link in bio. ...

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Dec 1

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#PennSP2 alumna Kerry Doyle, DSW ’22, is an associate professor of practicum education at @uscsocialwork. She is a licensed independent clinical social worker interested in trauma sensitive mindfulness interventions in the school setting, compassion fatigue among educators, and trauma responsive interventions.

In this #SP2AlumniSpotlight, Doyle discusses her SP2 experience, her research on mental health and violence in schools, and more.

🔵 Why did you choose Penn and SP2?
The DSW Program at Penn is the perfect balance of practice and research. After 20 years as a clinical social worker, I wanted to study clinical practice from an advanced level as well as enter the area of research. The DSW program allowed me to study clinical social work at a level that complimented my decades of practice. It also reintroduced me to research and taught me how to incorporate it into my practice.

🔵 When did you first know that you wanted to be involved in social justice work? Why?
Social justice work is the foundation of social work practice. I knew that I wanted to be a mental health professional; however, social work’s commitment to social justice provided a lens that appealed to me more than any of the other mental health disciplines.

🔵 What are you looking forward to in your career, and how do you think your SP2 experience has or will impact your professional path?
It is my hope to continue research around mental health and violence in schools. My experience at the Penn DSW program and my mentorship with Dr. Werner-Lin have provided me the skills to become a subject expert in this area. I also remain connected with my cohort of classmates— such amazing social workers and kind individuals. I have such fond memories of the program and I am grateful that it has prepared me for the next phase of my career.

Read the full interview at the link in bio!

[Image Description: Headshot of Kerry Doyle with blue gradient at bottom and text reading "Kerry Doyle, DSW`22, Associate Professor of Practicum Education at USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work"] ...

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Nov 29

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Simulations provided by #PennSP2’s MSW Program offer space for students to grow and gain experience outside the parameters of more traditional settings.

Featuring social workers from a variety of organizations and locations, who serve as “actors” to portray the clients, the MSW simulations provide students with valuable practical experience without risk to client care or the pressures of an agency setting.

The simulations have recently been expanded beyond the program’s second-year clinical courses so that they are now also part of the second-year macro practice courses as well as the first-year curriculum.

“I felt during the simulation just a wonderful discovery of how much I’m growing through my field work. I realized I’ve internalized meaningful skills, like the way that I show up as a listener, as an empathic person, as someone who recognizes the role of identity and culture and history and systems on individuals and relationally,” says LZ Mathews, MSW’23.

Simulations related to substance use, part of the first-year curriculum, have been made possible by a practitioner training grant awarded to MSW Program Director and Associate Professor Malitta Engstrom by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Read more about SP2’s simulation curriculum at the link in bio. ...

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