Teaching Philosophy
I am very passionate about social work education and have demonstrated a strong commitment to teaching, training and mentoring future social work practitioners and scholars. The goal of my teaching and training is to prepare students for competent, socially-justice oriented practice with individuals, families and communities, particularly our most marginalized, vulnerable and underserved. When teaching in clinical social work, I have three main goals for student learning:
- Teaching students to see complex individuals struggling with mental illness, not simply an embodiment of a list of symptoms.
- Helping students understand the contexts in which people live and the impact those have on how clients see themselves, their illnesses and "help" as well as how others see them.
- Modeling for students how to balance their dedication to social work practice along with taking care of their own health and wellbeing.
Teaching Experience
I have taught a number of in-person, hybrid and online MSW practice courses on topics such as assessment and diagnosis, practice with groups as well as individuals, inclusion and belonging, and social justice. Drawing on my expertise in research and practice in the area of Black/African American mental health, I created a course entitled “Direct practice with African American adults, children, and families," which I taught several times. At the doctoral level, I have taught an introductory course in qualitative methods.
Feedback from students via passionate letters to both the Dean and me directly have noted how my extensive practice knowledge, diverse teaching skills, passion for and dedication to the social work profession, and attention to student learning, professional development, and well-being have contributed to their education, practice, and professional development and growth.
Mentoring
I have mentored and/or advised students within the UGA School of Social Work, in other departments at UGA, and across the nation. Currently, I offer professional mentoring to students pursuing graduate studies as well as new social work and clinical mental health professionals. While at UGA, I:
- Served on dissertation committees in Social Work, Psychology, and Human Development & Family Science.
- Directed a teaching practicum for a doctoral student interested in teaching direct practice classes in mental health.
- Supervised independent research projects on topics such as racial battle fatigue (RBF) among African American social workers, Latino mental health, mental health needs of Black college women, and spirituality and depression in African Americans.
- Served as the faculty field liaison for social work masters students in the final year of their programs.
Recognition and Honors
The effectiveness of my teaching and mentorship has been noted in several ways. In 2019, I was the recipient of a Mentor Recognition Program Award through the Council on the Role and Status of Women in Social Work Education (CORSW) with CSWE. I have also been acknowledged by UGA’s Career Center in 2023-2019, 2017, and 2015 for contributing greatly to student career development and success. In addition to this recognition, I have been nominated for the MSW Teacher of the Year award five times, and finally, have received multiple letters of distinction from former School of Social Work Dean Anna Scheyett for my positive contributions to teaching and learning since she implemented this form of recognition in 2016.