Welcome to the Wayne State University School of Social Work. Our urban campus, in the heart of Detroit's Midtown neighborhood, reflects the excitement of the rejuvenation that is all around us. The School of Social Work's home is adjacent to the world-renowned Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Historical Museum and the main location of the Detroit Public Library, not to mention wonderful restaurants! 

We are committed to our students and the communities from which they come be it around the block or across the globe! For over 89 years, we have served as a national leader in social work education and research. Our commitment to social work education and practice can be seen in our BSW, MSW, PhD and Graduate Certificate Programs. At two campuses, online, and at hundreds of practicum education sites across Greater Detroit, more than 800 of our students are being prepared for social work practice that promotes social justice, with a particular focus on urban communities. Our students do more than learn they apply what they learn to evidence-based techniques and interventions for individual, family, group and community practice. Our students also hone their research and advocacy skills to influence social welfare policy in nearly a dozen active student organizations.

Additionally, our School boasts two centers of research excellence, the Center for Social Work Research and the Center for Behavioral Health and Justice. With assistance from our Center for Social Work Research, faculty are pursuing innovative research across a range of areas. These include exciting initiatives in aging, bullying and cyberbullying, children /families, general and behavioral health (including opioid addiction), interpersonal violence, trauma, suicide prevention, and policy and program development. The Center for Behavioral Health and Justice partners with local communities, organizations, and behavioral health and law enforcement agencies across Michigan to optimize diversion of individuals from jail and prison; change the landscape around substance use disorder and decrease overdose deaths; improve public health via harm reduction initiatives; and partner with our Continuing Education Office for the development of crisis response programming. Our researchers are presenting and publishing their findings to national and international audiences, shaping a broad and interdisciplinary response to society's most pressing problems. Wayne State faculty are also training and motivating the next generation of social work researchers through the Social Work Student Research Community, which promotes student-faculty research collaborations on a range of issues.

As society has evolved, we have evolved with it, forming specialty committees to engage in global scholarly research and training opportunities including in Zurich, Switzerland; social entrepreneurship initiatives supporting social workers seeking to establish companies that benefit our community; and the Antiracism, Diversity and Social Justice Committee to support the SSW as a brave space of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through these initiatives and many more, including our expansive workforce development programs, we work to develop social work practitioners, conduct research, and foster community engagement focused on urban communities.

We are Warriors working toward a brighter future for everyone, everywhere, and we welcome your support. I appreciate your interest in our School and invite you to look around our website, learn about what we have to offer, and contact us with any questions or comments you may have.

Sincerely,

Sheryl Kubiak
Dean and Professor