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VCU's Nicole O-Pries advocates for trauma-informed care. Read the blog to learn about her approach and background.

COVID-19 has changed all the rules about how food gets from farm to table, and increasingly farmers will be selling more beef directly to consumers, says Dr. Basil Gooden, a visiting scholar at the VCU School of Social Work, specializing in sustainable food access. ”If you can sell directly to the people who will cook and consume your product, that is ideal. You develop a relationship with that end consumer,” says Gooden, a former Virginia Secretary of Agriculture, who owns 80 head of cattle on his family farm.

Misdiagnosis and mistreatment of trauma-related symptoms are common. Explore trauma-informed practice in social work.

The Pixar movie Onward features an openly gay character, Officer Specter. But Dr. Maurice Gattis, VCU School of Social Work associate professor, says the significance is diminished by a bit role with only a few seconds of screen time. “The superficial nature of the relationship may be a letdown for the … LGBTQ+ community. …”

As the COVID-19 pandemic has grown, so has the need for social workers, who serve communities, families and individuals. Getting the advanced graduate degree opens more doors, according to VCU School of Social Work’s dean, Dr. Beth Angell. “An MSW degree provides the skills needed to help people adjust to a variety of life challenges and the tools to practice independently with an LCSW license,” she says.

LGBTQIA+ social work addresses the marginalization experienced by the LGBTQIA+ community. Learn to support this group.

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.