Graduates of Colorado State University’s Distance Master of Social Work program receive first-hand knowledge of how social work research informs professional practice, even during a global pandemic. Students conduct projects in collaboration with a field agency or community organization, or complete projects in alignment with a specific School of Social Work faculty researcher.
“This fall semester looked different than usual for the MSW Boulder distance students who were conducting their capstone projects,” said Assistant Professor Neomi Vin Raviv. “To overcome significant obstacles to collecting research data, students worked together in groups with their faculty advisor to identify best alternative options to make their research experiences meaningful.”
“While staying connected through videoconference from different states, including Colorado, Alaska, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Georgia, our students persevered through their final semester and successfully completed their research for the capstone projects,” Vin Raviv said, “and I’m extremely proud of their hard work through all of it.”
Fall 2020 Distance Master of Social Work graduate projects
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Health-Related Quality of Life among the U.S. Veteran Population: Analysis of the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Student researchers: Sarah McKeen and Jenni Swogger
Effectiveness of a Virtual Seeking Safety Model in Individuals with PTSD and/or SUD Diagnoses
Student researchers: Stephanie Beard, Carrie Bloethner, and Deanna Perkins
Sexual Orientation, Healthcare Access and Health-Related Quality of Life: Analysis of the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Student researchers: Megan Funkhouser, Sarah Gumson, and Max Goldsmith
Online-Based Mindfulness Interventions: Exploring Facilitator’s Perceptions during COVID-19
Student researchers: Leah Fox, Maria Lopez, and Kesha Royal-Gute
Academic needs, Self-Care and, Social Support of Graduate Social Work Students during Coronavirus Pandemic
Student researchers: Brandy Davis, Karl Nadon, Amanda Novak, Todd Scott, and Jeff Wagnaar
Characteristics of successful programs targeting the health and wellbeing of adults LQBTQ+ population: Systematic Review
Student researchers: Casey Ballinger and Sierra Black
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Alcohol Consumption among the U.S. Veteran Population: Analysis of the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Student researchers: Collin Ensz and Emily Score
The Institute for Attachment and Child Development Program: A Therapeutic Approach for Children Diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder
Student researchers: Michelle Cox, Logan Ellett, Annie Holmes, Zachary Lieske, and Courtney Woolsey
About the School of Social Work
Since the first baccalaureate social work major was first offered in 1968, Colorado State University’s School of Social Work has made a continuous effort to develop and maintain a program that is responsive to the standards of the social work profession, to the needs of human services agencies and clients in the state, and to the land-grant mission and goals of CSU. Our mission is to provide exemplary education, applied research, and transformative outreach to advance social, environmental, and economic justice; promote equity and equality; alleviate oppression; and enhance human health and well-being across local and global community systems.
The School of Social Work is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
