School of Social Work

Luke Shaefer, professor, and director of the University of Michigan Poverty Center talks with the Detroit Free Press about poverty in rural Michigan. "Coming up with money to pay utilities is a matter of having money. Having money means a job — and not just any job, but a decent paying one," said Shaefer.

Charles Williams II, MSW ‘20 and senior pastor of Detroit's Historic King Solomon Missionary Baptist Church, discusses with the New York Times how the black baptist church shaped Congressman Elijah E. Cummings' career.

Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Howard V. Brabson Collegiate Professor Joseph Himle and Marion Elizabeth Blue Professor of Children and Families Todd Herrenkohl were named fellows of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. They will be inducted into the academy during a ceremony at the Society for Social Work and Research’s annual conference in January.  Fellow status is among the highest professional accolades bestowed to social work scholars; Michigan Social Work now has 11 academy members.

Professor William Elliott III weighs in on the student debt debate with Morning Consult. The ballooning U.S. student debt is more than two times what Americans owed a decade ago, and borrowers are delaying life milestones like home buying. “It’s not just about getting a degree; it’s also about what position you’re in when you get that degree,” said Elliott.

October 24–27, 2019
Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel
Denver, CO

• Map & Directions
• Event Details & Program
• U-M School of Social Work Presenters
• Michigan Graduate Programs in Social Work Joint Reception

Associate Professor Terri Friedline was appointed by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Kathleen L. Kraninger to the Academic Research Council. Friedline’s important research on fair banking and financial practices will impact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the nation.

“The Bureau is able to protect consumers in the financial marketplace better when it receives input from a wide range of experts and stakeholders,” said Kraninger. “I am confident these groups will be able to hit the ground running in their efforts to provide meaningful feedback on Bureau policy and

Professor Emerita Edie Kieffer’s latest research “Diagnosis and Care of Chronic Health Conditions Among Medicaid Expansion Enrollees: A Mixed-Methods Observational Study, was included in a front page Washington Post story. The study finds people with chronic conditions are significantly more likely to report improved physical and mental health since enrolling in the Healthy Michigan Plan, the state’s expanded Medicaid program. Ann-Marie Rosland, now an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, is the first author of the study. Originally published in

Associate Professor Emerita Diane Kaplan Vinokur’s new book “Shared Space and the New Nonprofit Workplace” has won the 2019 Terry McAdam Book Award from The Alliance for Nonprofit Management.  “Particularly at this moment when many nonprofits face significant fiscal challenges, we found it to be a hopeful and practical template for collaboration and strengthening the nonprofit sector,” noted the award committee. 

Preventing all forms of sexual and gender-based misconduct is a top priority for the University of Michigan. Associate Professor and U-M Ombudsman Robert Ortega, "We all have an important role in creating a culture and climate of respect at U-M, and there is help available." Watch the video to learn more.