CASC SSW Faculty and Staff

Abigail Eiler, MSW '06, is a licensed clinical social worker and educator with 20 years of experience working in tribal and non-tribal communities across the country and in Canada. In 2014, Eiler started as a LEO Lecturer at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and joined the governing faculty in May 2018 as a clinical assistant professor. She was promoted to clinical associate professor in September 2023 and became the Director of Undergraduate Minor Programs in August 2023. She teaches various interpersonal practice courses to MSW and PhD students enrolled in the school’s MSW program, as well as instruction in the school’s Community Action and Social Change Undergraduate Minor. She deeply values teaching about social justice and implementing its principles into her clinical practice. She utilizes an anti-racist framework and makes intentional strides to address privilege, oppression, diversity and social justice (PODS) theories, research, and practice central to her social work pedagogy.

Her clinical and macro experiences are driven by her commitment to child welfare and include family support services, trauma-informed care, and cultural humility. She has worked in many community-based organizations and currently holds a leadership position in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. She has supported over $10,000,000 in research efforts over the past 15 years with emphasis on improving mental health screening and services for youth ages 10–24.

Eiler played an active role in the implementation of the Behavioral Health Collaborative Care program in the Department of Family Medicine’s Ambulatory Care Unit at Michigan Medicine and brings that experience into the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, & Substance Abuse Pathway. Additionally, PEiler is the former Director of Mental Health & High Performance at the University of Michigan Athletic Department where she successfully supported student-athletes and coaches in their journey to record-breaking championship years through innovative and culturally responsive service implementation.

Eiler is the former President of the National Association of Social Workers-Michigan Chapter Board of Directors. She also served as the first Chair of the Big Ten’s Mental Health & Wellness Cabinet.

Couper Tanko, MSW '23, (she/her/hers) is the School of Social Work’s Undergraduate Program Coordinator. As an MSW student, she pursued the Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse pathway. She has spent the past few years in Ann Arbor and completed her undergraduate degree at U-M in LSA’s sociology department. As an undergraduate, she was an America Reads team leader and tutor and Engagement Coordinator at The Friendship Circle of Michigan, where in conjunction with her sociology courses, she discovered her passion for social justice, equity, and the importance of taking care of each individual’s mental health. Originally from Chicago and a proud alumna of Chicago Public Schools, she had a multicultural high school experience, which had a profound effect on opening her eyes to the need for social justice leaders within all communities.