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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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SSW Names Josselyn Agency Partner of the Year
Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work partners with more than 1200 locations across the country to provide student interns with hands-on experience, but this year one organization stood out.
Josselyn recently took home the School of Social Work鈥檚 award for Agency Partner of the Year. SSW recognized Josselyn鈥檚 excellent internship program at both its Waukegan and Northfield locations.
Josselyn's Patrick Dawley, Ciera McNeal, John Cahill, and Erin Shea Brady pose with SSW's Amy Greenberg after being awarded the school's Agency Partner of the Year award on April 14.
'Mental Health for All'
鈥� is 鈥楳ental health for all鈥� and I think it really lives by that statement,鈥� said Josselyn鈥檚 Director of Internships Tom Tharayil. 鈥淔or a lot of people, there鈥檚 not many places to go. Josselyn is committed to providing resources for equitable mental healthcare, no matter who you are.鈥�
Tharayil, who earned his undergraduate degree and MSW from Loyola, has shifted the focus of Josselyn鈥檚 internship program the last several years as the center has grown. Supervision and community-building are key components that make the program work.
鈥淧art of what鈥檚 good about that is interns can be vulnerable with each other, because it鈥檚 intimidating when you first start having clients,鈥� Tharayil said. 鈥淪o, having that support is key, and down the road it pays off.鈥�
A Hands-On Approach
That鈥檚 particularly important for second-year internship placements, like the one SSW alum Kristina Skof completed. She said being assigned actual Josselyn clients was the best way to build confidence, but she couldn鈥檛 have done it without the support of her supervisors and peers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very hands-on,鈥� said Skof. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e given a case load and clients and you are treated like a staff member. You have full support and supervision and everything to help you, but you are going to get a full experience of being a therapist, which was perfect for me. It鈥檚 kind of scary, but once you actually get into it and do it and build that confidence, that鈥檚 when it clicks.鈥�
Skof graduated with her MSW from Loyola in 2022. After graduation, she returned to Josselyn to start her career as a full-time staff therapist, where she works today.
Innovative Financial Support Opportunities
But beyond providing necessary professional support for interns, Josselyn is also focused on ways to provide financial support. They recently introduced a model where current employees working towards their MSW are able to simultaneously complete an internship at Josselyn.
"It鈥檚 a really great opportunity to be able to have additional support to reach my educational and professional goals," said Leilani Barrera, Josselyn Psychiatric Services Case Manager, who is a part of that model. "I鈥檓 grateful for the financial support and to be able to take advantage of this opportunity while pursuing my MSW at Loyola."
Josselyn is also trying to grow the internship program at its Waukegan location by offering scholarships and generous tuition forgiveness opportunities for new employees.
鈥淔or those who are willing to make a four-year commitment, for every year of employment, a pretty significant portion of their loan debt will be repaid by Josselyn,鈥� said Tharayil. 鈥淭his is apart from their salary and all benefits and contributions.鈥�
The pilot program for newly hired clinical therapists at Josselyn鈥檚 Waukegan location offers 25% tuition reimbursement up to $10,000 for each of the first four years of employment.
鈥淔or the right graduate, being able to put four years in, know you鈥檙e getting that clinical experience, you鈥檒l get the hours towards continuing education, you鈥檙e getting supervision towards your LCSW license, and knowing every year of those four years you can knock off some debt鈥� that鈥檚 what I like about Josselyn is that they鈥檙e innovative,鈥� Tharayil said.
The consideration that Josselyn gives to employees鈥� and interns鈥� real-world needs is part of the reason Loyola鈥檚 School of Social Work recognized them as its agency partner of the year. As the discussion around social work internships continues to evolve, Loyola鈥檚 School of Social Work hopes more agencies are as willing to adapt to help its employees and interns as Josselyn.