The UAA School of Social Work is dedicated to advancing social work practice in Alaska
through baccalaureate and master’s education, research, and service. Social work is
a profession committed to ethical and research-informed practice that assists individuals,
families, groups, organizations, and communities, advances social, economic, and environmental
justice, and engages in policy practice. The School of Social Work offers the following
degrees and certificates:
UAA alumna and associate professor Holly Martinson hopes the new Biomed U-RISE program "lights a fire" in Alaska's research community by empowering undergraduate students with lab experience, mentorship and financial assistance. Martinson and co-PI, Professor Tracey Burke, welcomed the first cohort this academic year and will soon open applications for cohort two.
UAA's School of Social Work received a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to address the need for Alaska social workers in a K-12 setting. The School-Based Social Work Education and Network Development program (SSWEND) aims to graduate a cohort of 31 fellows by 2026 who will increase the amount of school-based mental health service providers in high-needs schools.
On June 30, the Alaska Black Caucus held the Covid & Beyond: Black Health & Wellness Town Hall at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Amana Mbise, Ph.D., an assistant professor with the School of Social Work under the College of Health, presented eye-opening findings from the first-ever Black Alaskans Health Status report.
School of Social Work assistant professor Dr. Jessica Ullrich and Dept. of Human Services associate professor Dr. Yvonne Chase were guests on Talk of Alaska on March 8 to talk about breaking the cycle of removing for Black and Indigenous children.
Social Work Assistant Professor Dr. Jessica Ullrich and Human Services Professor Dr. Yvonne Chase were featured in an Alaska Public Media article about a study they co-authored in the International Journal on Child Maltreatment, titled "A Connectedness Framework: Breaking the Cycle of Child Removal for Black and Indigenous Children." The study explores alternative child welfare strategies to limit family separation.
Project BLENDS is a training program designed to prepare graduates to work collaboratively
to support infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children with high intensity social-emotional
needs and their families.
The School-Based Social Work Education and Network Development Program (Project SSWEND)
is an innovative partnership between the University of Alaska Anchorage and the Anchorage
School District (ASD).
AK-IDLC is a program that trains graduate students in the delivery of culturally responsive
behavioral health care using face-to-face and telehealth methods.
OML is an state-wide women veterans project to connect women veterans with resources
in Alaska, to build the Alaska women veteran community, and to acknowledge the achievements
of women veterans.