2022-2023 Graduate Catalog

School of Social Work

FRANCIS X.R. ORIGANTI, Ph.D., MSW

Associate Professor, Associate Dean of the School of Social Work

E-mail: origantif@sacredheart.edu 

School of Social Work E-mail:  socialwork@sacredheart.edu 

School of Social Work Mission

To prepare social workers—through instruction in integrated social work theory, research, methods, and practice—to identify, dismantle, and resist all forms of social inequality and oppression, particularly issues of racism and its impact on social work practice. We are deeply committed to training social workers to think critically and intervene against cultural, social, political, and economic practices that do not advance human rights, justice, or the dignity and worth of every human being.

Graduate Programs Offered

The School of Social Work offers graduate programs to earn an MSW degree and Ph.D. in Social Work degree. The Master of Social Work program (MSW) is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and is delivered on-ground at the Fairfield campus as well as asynchronously online. The MSW degree prepares graduates for integrated and anti-racist direct clinical or direct community social work practice. Graduates obtain specialized skills in assessment, treatment planning, intervention, practice evaluation and are also prepared for leadership roles in generalist and specialized practice. The Ph.D. program is offered online, with on campus Orientation and week-long Summer residencies. The Ph.D. program prepares candidates for social work research, scholarship and education, as well as community-based leadership and service. The Ph.D. program promotes students as scholars who serve as stewards of the discipline. 

Master of Social Work

Through education in empirically based, state-of-the-art methods rooted in social justice, diversity, and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, the MSW program prepares MSW students in the anti-racist, integrated practice skills and strategies necessary to engage with, assess for and intervene competently in the full range of micro to macro social work practice.

Ph.D. in Social Work

The Ph.D. in Social Work program emphasizes an integrated approach to social work and interdisciplinary curriculum rooted in the principles of social and racial justice. This program is specifically designed for social work professionals currently working in community-based organizations, governmental organizations, and institutions of higher education.  The Ph.D. program and its faculty prioritize creating inclusive environments for students of diverse backgrounds and learning styles. Research, scholarship, pedagogy and mentorship are essential aspects of the Ph.D. program.

Graduate Program Faculty

SASHA AARONSON, MSW, MPA

Clinical Assistant Professor

STEFANIA AGLIANO, LMSW

Clinical Assistant Professor, Field Liaison

JANELLE BRYAN, Ph.D., MSW

Clinical Assistant Professor

PATRICIA CARL-STANNARD, LCSW

Clinical Associate Professor

BRYAN HALL, LCSW

Clinical Assistant Professor, Field Liaison

AMANDA HARMON, LCSW

Clinical Assistant Professor, Field Liaison, MSW Phi Alpha Coordinator

CRYSTAL HAYES, MSW

Clinical Assistant Professor

ELIZABETH JOHNSON-TYSON, LMSW

Clinical Assistant Professor, Director of Student Success Program, BSW Phi Alpha Coordinator

KERRY (KATE) KELLY, MSW

Clinical Assistant Professor, BSW Program Director

SHARLENE KERELEJZA, LMSW

Clinical Assistant Professor, Field Liaison

JILL MANIT, Ph.D., MSW

Clinical Assistant Professor, MSW Program Director

SUZANNE MARMO, Ph.D., LCSW

Assistant Professor

CHANTÉ P. MORENO, MSW

Clinical Assistant Professor, Field Liaison

DUY D. NGUYEN, Ph.D., LCSW

Associate Professor

VICTORIA A. OSBORNE-LEUTE, Ph.D., MSW

Assistant Professor

JASON OSTRANDER, Ph.D., MSW

Assistant Professor

JANICE OWEN, LCSW

Clinical Assistant Professor, Field Liaison

MAURA RHODES, LCSW

Clinical Assistant Professor

KATHERINE A. SALLAKU, LCSW

Clinical Assistant Professor, Director of Field Education

NUBIAN SUN, Ph.D., LCSW

Clinical Assistant Professor

JENNIFER WILSON, Ph.D., LCSW

Clinical Associate Professor, Ph.D. Program Director