The School of Social Work recently hosted the inaugural Beyond Borders: Global Mental Health Research and Services Conference. Coinciding with World Mental Health Day, the conference sought to bring together leaders, researchers, practitioners and people with lived experience from the local Champaign-Urbana community and around the world. Spanning two days, the event included speaker sessions […]
When Susan Gershenfeld, PhD ’16, (featured on the right alongside Emily Malamud, a 2013 Illinois graduate and former I-Promise student, now in her fourth year of residency in Pediatric Neurology at Stanford) set out to write her new book What If…Why Not?, her goal was clear: to reach more first-generation college students with practical, holistic […]
A new study from the School of Social Work’s Children and Family Research Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sheds light on an often-overlooked issue: why some children experience maltreatment even after being placed in foster care. Although the percentage of children who experience abuse or neglect while in foster care is small, the […]
Beth Shelton, a PhD student at the University of Illinois School of Social Work and the first certified perinatal mental health specialist in Memphis, Tennessee, and the Mid-South region, recognized early on the profound impact that a lack of trauma-focused care can have on the mental well-being of families who have experienced the loss of […]
School of Social Work alumna Franshandra Owens, MSW, LCSW (MSW ’18), has been selected as the 2025 NASW-Illinois Chapter Social Worker of the Year. Owens is being recognized for her exceptional leadership, advocacy, and commitment to survivor recovery through her work as a clinician at the SIU School of Medicine’s Survivor Recovery Center. In this […]
This November, the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2) will convene in Doha, Qatar, nearly thirty years after the landmark 1995 Copenhagen Summit. The first summit produced the Copenhagen Declaration, which committed governments to three foundational pillars: poverty eradication, full and productive employment, and social integration. Since then, progress has been slow and uneven […]
A recent report from the Illinois Youth Survey highlights concerning trends in alcohol and cannabis use among teens across the state. Conducted every two years, the survey gathers critical data on youth behaviors to help inform prevention and intervention strategies statewide. According to the latest findings, Illinois teens are drinking nearly twice the national average, […]
The School of Social Work is proud to celebrate alumna Jewelry Pouna Keodara (BSW ’22, MSW ’23), who has been named a 2025–2026 Titus and Linda Peachey Peace Fellow with Legacies of War. As part of the fellowship, Jewelry will travel to Laos to witness firsthand the lasting impact of unexploded ordnance (UXO) on local […]
We are thrilled to announce that Professor Karen Tabb Dina has been selected as the inaugural Mark Brandt Faculty Scholar in the School of Social Work. The Brandt Faculty Scholar was established to honor scholarship and leadership of the highest distinction in research, mentorship, and professional service. Following an open call for nominations among eligible […]
The University of Illinois School of Social Work is proud to honor World Mental Health Day (October 10, 2025) with a series of engaging events that highlight the power of art, movement, and global dialogue to support healing, resilience, and community. Sponsored by School of Social Work Beyond Borders Global Mental Health Conference (IIP Implementation […]