Social Work Department

Social Work - MSW

The MSW program faculty is dedicated to the development of highly competent clinical social workers and leaders in behavioral health. The program strives to improve the behavioral health and wellness of all populations and contribute culturally sensitive social work professionals to the behavioral health workforce in the state of California.

Department Chair
Dr. Rose Wong

Field Education Director
Hanna Bales, MSW, LCSW

Department Manager
Tyler Takata, MPH

Master of Social Work

The mission of the program is to prepare competent and ethical advanced clinical social work practitioners and leaders for roles in behavioral health services with an emphasis on culturally informed care, application of evidence-informed interventions, and care for underserved and vulnerable populations. The program is committed to the core values of social work and promotes the purpose of the profession to eliminate poverty, enhance quality of life for all persons, prevent conditions that limit human rights, and advocate for social, racial, economic, and environmental justice for diverse individuals and communities with consideration of the context of their environment locally and globally. The program strives to meet the evolving behavioral health needs of people residing in urban and rural regions of California through the ongoing renewal of curriculum and pedagogies to include new technologies and emerging ideas, knowledge, and practices.
Students can complete their courses through a distance learning format with several Friday through Sunday on-campus immersion residencies each year and in-person field education experiences.