Letter from the Chair
Welcome to the Flagship Department of Social Work in the state of Mississippi. Continuously accredited and educating bachelor-level social work students (BSW) since 1974 and master-level social work students (MSW) since 2011.
In 2015, enrollment in the Department of Social Work grew to just over 300 BSW and 35 MSW students. The dedicated faculty of the Department are recognized for their teaching and mentorship, service, and scholarship in the areas of clinical social work practice, clinical supervision, substance use and misuse, race relations, community development and social activism, child welfare, public health, Latina health, school social work, suicide prevention, genetics and epigenetics, juvenile delinquency, dating violence, gerontology, crisis / disaster interventions, and religion / spirituality and social work practice.
The faculty and students of the Flagship Department of Social Work in the poorest state in the country enthusiastically engage with state and local agencies and institutions in efforts to enhance social and economic wellbeing of the most vulnerable and underserved populations in the state through initiatives such as the training and outreach efforts of the University of Mississippi Child Welfare Training Academy; and in collaboration with state agencies such as the Mississippi Department of Human Services Division of Family and Children’s Services (MDHS DFCS), the Department of Health, Department of Mental Health, Department of Education, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
University of Mississippi Department of Social Work interns provide over 65,000 hours of service to the state of Mississippi through social work’s signature pedagogy – field education – annually. Our students intern in a multitude of different social service settings including schools, hospitals, mental health facilities, nursing homes, juvenile justice centers, prisons, veteran’s services centers, and with the Division of Family and Children’s Services in all 82 counties across the state. University of Mississippi Department of Social Work students also intern along the Gulf Coast and in the Memphis area.
It is an exciting time for the University of Mississippi Department of Social Work. This year we hired five new tenure-track faculty:
Viktor Burlaka, Ph.D., MSW, Assistant Professor
Ph.D. in SW & Clinical Psychology (2015) – University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Research Interests: Addictive Behaviors & Violence and Mental Health
Jandel Crutchfield, Ph.D., MSW, Assistant Professor
Ph.D. in Social Work (2013) – Louisiana State University
Research Interests: School Social Work
Yi Jin Kim, Ph.D., MSW, Assistant Professor
Ph.D. in Social Work (2014) – University of Texas at Arlington
Research Interests: Substance Abuse, Peer Victimization & Adolescent Suicide
Tess Lefmann, Ph.D., MSW, Assistant Professor
Ph.D. in Social Work (2014) – University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Research Interests: Genetics and Epigenetics & Brain Development 0 – 3 yo
Younghee Lim, Ph.D., LMSW, Associate Professor
Ph.D. in Social Work (2002) – The Ohio State University
Research Interests: Poverty, Income Inequality, and Anti-Poverty Policies & Programs
And, we are in the final stages of preparing the departmental reaffirmation of accreditation self-study for the Council on Social Work Education Commission on Accreditation (CSWE COA).
We welcome you to become part of our mission – to prepare highly competent and ethical generalist BSW and clinical MSW social work professionals for employment and service in Mississippi and the Delta Region. Committed not only to education but also scholarship and service, the Department of Social Work has a tremendous impact on the state and region.
We look forward to the opportunities that await us, and to learning, discovering, and engaging with you.
Dream Big –
Daphne S. Cain, Ph.D., LCSW
Chair, Department of Social Work
University of Mississippi
September 23, 2015