Master of Social Work

"I work for Lutheran Settlement House, a non-profit, community-based organization in Philadelphia, in the Bilingual Domestic Violence Program. Einstein Medical Center's partnership with Lutheran Settlement House allows me to serve as an on-site resource at the hospital for patients affected by intimate partner violence. Every client interaction is unique, but a common thread throughout my work is a focus on empowerment, safety planning, and connection to intimate partner violence resources. I definitely use my social work training when working directly with clients, but also pull from what I learned in graduate school when advocating in systems on behalf of survivors and when providing training to healthcare professionals."

Sandra Bamford, MSW '16 
Intimate Partner Violence Specialist, Lutheran Settlement House

"As a student I had an internship in a hospice. My first client said to me, 'For the time you're here, you're giving me an opportunity to be me.' As a hospice social worker I'm here to do what the client needs. Sometimes, it's just to be present. Right now I run our LifeChoices program. I get to do marketing and a lot of grassroots social work. Not everyone wants to live in a nursing home, and if you want to live in your house and live your life the way you want to, we give you a way to do that. I found my advocacy roots in hospice, with advocating for what the clients and their families need."

Ryan Fox, MSW '04 
Director of Member and Provider Services, Evangelical Homes of Michigan

"As a social worker, I can do a little bit of everything. I'm not confined to one area of practice. After graduation I was a case manager for adults with disabilities. After that I worked as a social service coordinator for two low-income housing units in Philadelphia. Now I am connecting young adults with disabilities to employment opportunities. There is something about helping people who don't know about the resources that are available to them that's rewarding to me. A lot of times these populations go underserved, unnoticed, overlooked, and I can find resources for them."

Chervelle Weatherley, MSW '12 
Early Reach Coordinator, Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

"My husband and I started our practice in 2006, working mainly with clients who had experienced trauma. In 2013 we went to a conference and saw Bessel van der Kolk, a renowned expert on the impact of trauma. He was praising the use of neurofeedback for trauma work. We decided to get trained in neurofeedback. It works really well with ADHD, anxiety, depression, traumatic brain injuries, and concussions. We're either training the clients to change their brainwaves with EEG biofeedback or increase the blood metabolism in the front of the brain with HEG biofeedback. In my therapy practice I work with adults. We're working with people with a significant trauma history. What I really like about the MSW Program is that there is a social justice piece in it, and we maintain that spirit. We don't turn anyone away because they can't pay. I'm really passionate about what I do."

Holly A. Grimm, MSW '01 
Psychotherapist, Brandywine Valley Counseling and Neurofeedback Center

"When I was in the MSW Program I interned at the Friends Association for Care and Protection of Children. When I graduated, they created a part-time job for me. Later the Housing Authority received funding for a position that was essentially what I was doing already, but for the whole county. Having the prior work experience got me a housing locator position, but it was the master's degree that got me into the position I have now. I really like working with this population of people who are experiencing homelessness, or who were experiencing homelessness. I can't say I've ever been not looking forward to coming to work. This job has been exactly what I was looking for."

Robin Senss, MSW '13 
Director of Support Services and Special Programs, Housing Authority of the County of Chester

"After six years in the United States Army, including two tours in Iraq, I had the opportunity to utilize the Post-9/11 Gi Bill and obtain an MSW degree at WCU. I worked closely wtih WCU's Veterans Center observing how the office functioned and served the needs of the university's veterans. My first field placement and research project on veteran transitions to civilian life laid the groundwork for me to become the first coordinator of Student Veteran Services at Portland State University. I currently provide services to more than 1,400 student veterans. Portland State hired me two weeks prior to graduating from WCU."

Ray Facundo, MSW '13 
Coordinator of Student Veteran Services, Portland State University

"I got hired a week before graduation. From the first day, one of the projects I've been working on has been a grant from the CDC, focusing on holistic health care for the LGBT community. My job is to train the social workers in how to navigate services, like mental health services or counseling, for MSM clients who are at high risk for contracting HIV -- for example, men who are just released from prison. The idea is to curb HIV infections by addressing these social determinants. Shaping how programs are being developed in the city is really amazing. The MSW Program really did prepare me more than I realized. One of the biggest ways the program prepared me was the research classes. Our program evaluation class, I feel like I do that every single day."

Antar Bush, MSW '16 
Director of Education for MSM and HIV Prevention Programming, AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, City of Philadelphia

"After graduating I worked at Beaumont at Bryn Mawr, a continuing care retirement community. I was a social worker there until my first son was born in 2007. Now I teach two classes at Delaware County Community College: Introduction to Social Work and Human Services, and Student Success. A lot of my students have gone on to West Chester to be social work majors. It's so inspiring to see these young minds who want to go into social work. I also drive for Meals on Wheels twice a month. The great thing about having an MSW is that it teaches you to feel really comfortable working with families, working with groups, and working with the population you're interested in. If you want to switch gears, you can. My life is in a very different place now because I have three boys, and I'm able to teach and help other students learn about social work. In a couple of years, if I want to do something different, I can."

Rebecca Guy, MSW '03 
Adjunct Professor, Delaware County Community College