Abigail H. Eiler

Abigail Eiler, MSW ' 06, is a licensed clinical social worker and educator with more than 15 years of experience working in tribal and non-tribal communities across the country and in Canada. In 2014, Professor 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 teaches various interpersonal practice courses to MSW and PhD students enrolled in the school’s MSW program, as well provides 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, cultural humility, and reducing recidivism in the criminal and juvenile justice system. She has worked in many community-based organizations and currently holds a leadership position in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. She has supported over $8,000,000 in research efforts over the past 10 years with emphasis on improving mental health screening and services for youth ages 10 – 24.

Professor 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.

Eiler is the former President of the National Association of Social Workers - Michigan Chapter Board of Directors. She is the Chair of the Big Ten’s Mental Health & Wellness Cabinet and serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the Washtenaw County Peacemaking Court.

Research Interests/Focus Integrated Health, culturally-responsive care, suicide prevention and intervention, social work and sports, social work ethics and child welfare service delivery.