Public child welfare is one of the most misunderstood areas of social work practice, and which also tends to generate the most publicity.

Debra Waters-Roman, teaching professor, and Richard Carranza, MSW '15 and supervising children’s social worker for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, collectively bring 40 years of experience working with LA DCFS to dispel some of the myths around the services provided.

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Use of the arts can be an important tool for improving mental health in social work practice, often acting as a bridge to build trust between client and therapist.

Michal Sela-Amit, associate teaching professor, and Danielle Brown, associate teaching professor, are advancing the use of art and expressive practices to improve health and wellness.

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Tech and AI are everywhere – even in social work.

Jennifer Parga, associate teaching professor, and Jenebah Lewis, associate teaching professor, are creating pathways for ethical uses of technology in social work training and practice, preparing the next generation of professionals.

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People experience and interact with the world around them in many ways, with no one "right" way of thinking, learning and behaving.

Christina Paddock, associate teaching professor of practicum education, and Mona Kay, PhD '01 and founder of Neurodiverse Love, focus on the positive aspects of neurodiverse children and adults, helping them address challenges and empowering them to thrive.

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Community violence and trauma disproportionately impact marginalized youth populations. Studies show that youth who become involved with the juvenile justice system often begin their lives with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) or involvement with Child Protective Services.

Robert Hernandez, associate teaching professor, and USC MSW alumna Angela Montijo who works with Girls Empowerment Network in Austin, Texas, are youth justice advocates who seek to humanize the children trying to find their way out of a challenging system.

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It is often community response, such as mutual aid and collective action, that mitigate the most immediate impacts following a natural disaster.

Michàlle Mor Barak, Dean Endowed Professor of Social Work and Business, and Bistra Dilkina, Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Early Career Chair in Computer Science at USC Viterbi School of Engineering, are collaborating on a study that combines social science with machine learning to measure the positive effects of community resilience at the geographic level.

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A social worker’s ability to inform policy can often bridge the gap between community needs and government action to build a more just society. Sam Mistrano, associate teaching professor, and PhD alumna Melissa Bird who is running for congress in Oregon's 4th district, discuss how social work and public policy are deeply intertwined.

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People living with HIV and AIDS today are the first generation to age with this disease and pioneer a path for what that means. Sara Schwartz, associate teaching professor, and Paul Nash, instructional professor of gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, focus on this population of people aging with HIV/AIDS, and how our systems can best support them.

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School social workers play an increasingly important role in fostering students’ social and emotional well-being for productive learning in the classroom. Kerry Doyle, associate teaching professor, and MSW alumna Maria Ruelas, district social worker for the Lawndale Elementary School District, have experienced many different sides of social work in educational settings, in the training and education of school social workers and on the ground in classrooms.

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Over half of individuals who die by suicide do not have a known mental health condition, and given that 50 – 60% to not tell anyone beforehand, and a core challenge of suicide prevention is identifying those most at risk of falling through the cracks. Carl Castro, professor and director of military and veterans programs, and John Blosnich, associate professor, are creating upstream interventions to illuminate and address this crucial gap in suicide prevention.

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