Social workers support individuals from all backgrounds, cultures and walks of life. Learn more about the importance of cultural competence in social work.

With the surgeon general of California pushing an unprecedented plan to implement universal screenings for childhood trauma for children in the state’s Medicaid program, VCU School of Social Work associate professor Dr. Sunny Shin sees a model for the nation. “If all the country’s children could undergo developmentally appropriate screenings for what we in the medical and social work communities call adverse childhood experiences,” he writes, “I suggest, based on my research, millions of tax dollars could be saved every year, premature deaths and diseases could be prevented and schools would be healthier, happier places for students and teachers.”

What’s an MSW vs. an LCSW? Learn what to expect when you earn a Master of Social Work degree and begin practicing as a licensed clinical social worker.

Dr. Sunny Shin, a VCU School of Social Work associate professor, says research indicates some young people are actually switching to cigarettes because they are scared of vaping. “This is a good moment to establish the regulatory structure for these vaping products that should have been in place since the beginning,” says Shin, an expert in substance abuse who studies tobacco use by youth.