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Noor Paracha Hayat Found Home at Loyola
Noor Paracha Hayat gave the student address at the School of Social Work's commencement ceremony in May 2026, reflecting on her journey that led her to Loyola.
Ren Horst Awarded 2026 President's Medallion
As this year鈥檚 recipient of the President鈥檚 Medallion, Ren is recognized not only for her academic excellence, but for the lived experience, cultural grounding, and unwavering purpose that inform her work in social services.
Loyola professor spotlights mental health on campus
As demand rises for mental health resources on college campuses, Loyola serves students with evidence-based resources. School of Social Work Professor Jonathan Singer, Ph.D. is leading the way.
Introducing Three New Faculty Members
We are pleased to welcome three outstanding scholars and educators as new full-time faculty members: Shannon Dunn, Ph.D., Amzie Moore II, Ph.D., and LaTasha Smith, Ph.D. Each brings a deep commitment to social work education, innovative research agendas, and a passion for teaching and mentorship that aligns with Loyola鈥檚 mission and values.
SSWR Conference 2026 Presentations
More than 40 presentations from School of Social Work faculty, students, and alumni were accepted for presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research Conference 2026. Find out when and where you can see them.
Building Bridges Through Bilingual Social Work
Loyola University Chicago鈥檚 Online Bilingual Master of Social Work (MSW) program is preparing a new generation of compassionate, culturally responsive social workers capable of navigating systemic barriers and providing critical care in both English and Spanish.
Dr. Abha Rai Named Top 2% Scientist
Assistant Professor Abha Rai, Ph.D., MSW was recently named to the prestigious Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientist List for 2025, a global ranking that honors the world's most influential researchers.
CADC Grant Renewed
The School of Social Work is excited to announce a $452,000 grant for the Certificate in Alcohol and Other Drug Counseling (CADC) Workforce Expansion Program. The grant was renewed for the third year by the Illinois Certification Board and the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Substance Use Prevention and recovery.
Serving Those Who Served: A Day in the Life of a VA Social Worker
Join us November 5 for our panel discussion collaboration with Military Veteran Student Services and the Jesse Brown Veterans Association.
Loyola University Chicago鈥檚 School of Social Work celebrated the grand opening of its new Behavioral Health Simulation Lab on Friday, October 17, marking a major milestone in the University鈥檚 commitment to advancing behavioral health education and training.
Maribel Lopez, Ed.D. Recognized with President's Volunteer Service Award
Professor Maribel Lopez was recognized with the prestigious award in May for her impressive volunteer work
Goutham M. Menon, PhD, Appointed Dean of the School of Social Work
Goutham M. Menon, PhD, has been appointed as the dean of the School of Social Work. He will join Loyola on July 1 from the University of Nevada-Reno, where he serves as director of the School of Social Work.
Awards
Benjamin Marton: Empowering youth to be advocates for change
Marton, who is one of this year's President's Medallion recipients, is studying for his master鈥檚 degree in social work, serves as a graduate and research assistant for two professors, is the president of the School of Social Work Student Organization, and works several days a week as an intern at Loyola Community and Family Services.
Active alumni presented with Damen Award
Licensed social worker Daniel Kill is a long-time advocate for mental health
"Social work education is the future of all academic teaching, even if most academicians don鈥檛 know it yet. It mixes training in social theory with mandatory hours of work in the field, putting those theories decidedly into practice -- something that most students clamor for."
SSW Alum and Adjunct Faculty Member Honored as Emerging Leader of the Year
In celebration of Social Work Month, Loyola SSW's very own Sarah Buino has been honored as the Emerging Leader of Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW)-Illinois Chapter for her exceptional work as a clinician and leadership in promoting social justice and social change.
Loyola Faculty, Staff, Students and Alumni Present at the Society for Social Work and Research Annual Meeting
Join us during the SSWR 23rd Annual Conference in San Francisco, CA from January 16 - 20, 2019. Attend to our faculty, students and alumni talks. We have included a copy of the presentations. On January 18, our school will be hosting a reception and we hope to see you there.
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Second Edition of Dr. Michael Dentato's Book Released
The second edition of Social Work Practice with the LGBTQ+ Community: The Intersection of History, Health, Mental Health, and Policy Factors, edited by Dr. Michael P. Dentato was published by Oxford University Press in August 2022. Dentato is an Associate Professor and the Interim Associate Dean for Research in the School of Social Work.
Dentato noted that the second edition not only incorporates key feedback from reviewers of the first edition, published in 2017, but also blends conceptual, theoretical, and empirical content as well as new case examples, vignettes, and key practice questions for readers to consider. Dentato spoke about the 鈥渦nique opportunity to update the text focusing on practice with members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer + (LGBTQ+) community, while working closely with 48 colleagues and co-authors from across the U.S. and Canada including faculty, students, and practitioners.鈥�
He further noted, 鈥淲hile the writing and momentum was truly challenging at times over the past couple of years in the midst of the pandemic, it was so rewarding to motivate one another and finally see the text in print this summer.鈥�
The text examines current trends in the field related to practice and policy while spanning micro, mezzo, and macro frameworks. Newly expanded narrative and research underscores the importance of understanding intersectional and multidimensional identities in practice, as well as the short and long term impact of oppression and resilience.
The 722 page text also provides an overview of concerns related to local, national, and global progress and ongoing challenges related to equality and equity for LGBTQ+ populations. It is broken up into 24 chapters spanning five sections:
Part I: Overview: Building Knowledge for Practice
Part II: Considerations Across the Lifespan
Part III: Affirming LGBTQ+ Practice Approaches
Part IV: Health and Mental Health Factors
Part V: Appendices
Notable additions to the second edition include use of the plus (+) symbol as an extension of the larger LGBTQ acronym creating space and visibility for other diverse sexual orientations and gender identities (e.g., asexual, pansexual, nonbinary, two-spirit). Another important change is fluctuation with use of the terms trans, transgender, gender diverse, and gender expansive while removing usage of gender nonconforming to be more affirming of widely diverse trans identities. New chapters for the second edition focus on practice with Black LGBTQ+ populations as well as LGBTQ+ migrants, immigrants, and refugees. New authors (and switching primary authors to elevate the voice of authors of color or junior scholars) also lend a new direction for the text from openly queer, trans, nonbinary, asexual, and BIPOC voices.
Dentato noted that while the second edition was written in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, content has been added addressing the stress and strain associated with the impact of stay-at-home mandates and social isolation upon the health and mental health of LGBTQ+ populations, especially older adults. There is also information on the expanded role of telehealth and telebehavioral health.
To better align the text with ongoing discussions centering upon anti-racism, anti-colonialism, anti-oppression, and consciousness-raising, notable literature and content has been added focusing on practitioner self-awareness, cultural humility and responsiveness, and the need for activism, allyship, and social action in dismantling oppressive systems 鈥� especially those impacting LGBTQ+ people of color. Lastly, new tables and figures have been added throughout the text for additional visual appeal and to illustrate certain models, theories, and frameworks more clearly.
For more information on Practice with the LGBTQ+ Community: The Intersection of History, Health, Mental Health, and Policy Factors, please contact Dr. Dentato at mdentato@luc.edu or visit .