Smith College School for Social Work

Smith College School for Social Work Smith College School for Social Work: Clinical Social Work, Anti-Racism, Education & Research

M.S.W., Ph.D., & Continuing Education programs

For nearly a century, the Smith College School for Social Work has provided graduate social work education to people of all genders around the world. Our program is internationally recognized for its dedication to and specialization in clinical social work, as well as for our commitment to academic excellence. We have a longstanding commitment to anti-racism, which shapes our curriculum, our expec

tations of ourselves and our students, and the culture of our program. A nationwide internship network that provides us with the opportunity to affiliate with the leading clinical training agencies complements our rich curriculum. With a student-faculty ratio of four-to-one, our faculty are highly accessible and deeply interested in our students’ professional development. Almost 5,000 graduates can attest that their degrees from Smith College School for Social Work have been powerful tools in their searches for employment within the social work profession and in their development as social work leaders.

05/29/2026

Smith’s new mascot Senda the Bear is very excited to welcome SSW students!

05/27/2026

Don’t miss it! The first SSW Community Share-Out is an overview of student groups and ways to get connected on campus this summer. Tuesday, June 2, 1-1:45 p.m. Campus Center 102 and Zoom (link in SSW Digest and the calendar invite!). Come learn what’s happening and meet other students.

05/22/2026

Announcing weekly SSW Community Share-Out Meetings on Tuesdays, 1-1:45 p.m. in Campus Center 102 and on Zoom.

Developed in collaboration with the SSW Office of Community Engagement and Student Support, join conversations to bridge gaps in communication, create dialogue with SSW community and learn about topics from curriculum development to the M.S.W. licensing exam to program affordability and others- students, faculty and staff invited! More info on topics in the SSW Digest next week.

We are getting ready to welcome students next week! William Teresa shared a little insight info practicum placement expe...
05/21/2026

We are getting ready to welcome students next week!

William Teresa shared a little insight info practicum placement experiences going into his third summer at Smith SSW.

Full name: William Teresa
Hometown: Santa Monica, California

What’s one piece of advice you’d like to share about practicum placement?
"Speak up! Use your critical Smith lens to challenge your placement to better support the people it serves. You can make a difference, not just directly with clients, but also through advocating for structural change at your placement."

As an SSW student, what have you been most excited about this year?
"Electives! There are so many to choose from. It was really hard to narrow them down. There are some professors I’ve heard great things about that I’m excited to finally work with, and there are some subjects that are right up my alley that I can’t wait to learn more about."

In what ways has your PFA been supportive of you this year?
"My PFA has been great. They’ve given me very thoughtful feedback on my monthly narratives and papers and during site visits. I know they care about my learning and I feel that could continue beyond graduation."

Why is clinical social work important, for you and your community?
"I used to think that macro work was where I could have the most impact, but then I realized that even if we had everything sorted out on the macro level, life would still happen, and we would still need clinical social work for those moments."

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
"I’d love to be really good at at least one musical instrument. I dabbled with a few when I was young, but to be able to play something really well would be beautiful."

1. About to enjoy a much-needed treat to help keep myself going during my first practicum
2. Getting some energy from the sun before my first day of my first practicum at the Edinburg Center in Bedford, Massachusetts
3. Moments after our second annual end-of-summer all-class primal scream. MSW ’26 friends Gil Messer, Rose Lambert-Sluder, Dan Lewis, Clementine Lazar, Liz Ashkenazi, Deidre Murphy, Petra Schweitzer, and Griffin Unger.
4. Saying goodbye to my neighbor’s dog Bixby in Easthampton with a big smile of relief after completing my first Smith summer
5. My first real office! At Sandy Segal Youth Health Center, my second practicum site, in Culver City, California

If you haven't registered for the Deepening Clinical Practice Conference, now's the perfect time! From psychophysiology ...
05/16/2026

If you haven't registered for the Deepening Clinical Practice Conference, now's the perfect time! From psychophysiology to culturally-attuned clinical frameworks; from expanding psychodynamic psychotherapy to relational recovery, to the impact of social contexts, learn from and with top clinicians. 5.5 CEs available.

Early bird registration is open until June 22! https://buff.ly/za5QOZT

Samantha Mishne, M.S.W. ’99 has stayed connected to SSW in many ways- here are some photos proving it! She also has foun...
05/04/2026

Samantha Mishne, M.S.W. ’99 has stayed connected to SSW in many ways- here are some photos proving it!

She also has found again and again that dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is an incredible framework for therapeutic transformation, especially when the context and systemic factors are considered. This is why she is passionate about the approach, which has deeply impacted her career since her time at Smith.

The combination of her clinical education and the systems-focused approach of psychodynamic theory with her DBT training has allowed her to provide effective therapeutic support to many clients who would not otherwise have access.

Read more about her career: https://buff.ly/d8UEMOc

Group shot: M.S.W. Class of 1999 at the SSW Centennial Celebration in 2018.
Last photo: Samantha with Denise Balzer, M.S.W. '91, her first clinical supervisor after graduating from SSW in 1999.

Lorelei Erisis and Liv Morales, assistant directors of admission, were at Psychological and Brain Sciences - UMASS Amher...
05/01/2026

Lorelei Erisis and Liv Morales, assistant directors of admission, were at Psychological and Brain Sciences - UMASS Amherst Career Fair today talking to undergraduate students about clinical social work and SSW. If you have any questions about SSW, the program, or want to talk to a current student, reach out to them at [email protected]!

Last month, M.S.W. students Haley Adams, Maxim Melnichuk, Agnes Umutesi, Petra Schweitzer, Adriana Piantedosi, and Tasha...
04/30/2026

Last month, M.S.W. students Haley Adams, Maxim Melnichuk, Agnes Umutesi, Petra Schweitzer, Adriana Piantedosi, and Tasha Otenti (not pictured) joined hundreds of other social work students from across Massachusetts at the State House. They participated in Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD), sponsored by the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. LEAD is an opportunity to learn about advocacy and legislative processes, and practice lobbying skills in community with other social workers.

Agnes Umutesi, a second-year, said that the biggest impact of the event "was understanding how policy—especially the Social Work Licensure Compact (S.252/H.380)—directly impacts both client access to care and social work practice. I learned that current state-by-state licensing creates barriers... the compact is designed to reduce those barriers by allowing licensed social workers to practice across participating states. This showed me that advocacy is essential, because legislation like this can expand access to services, reduce workforce shortages, and ensure continuity of care for clients who move or travel."

Read more: https://buff.ly/dXjkZo4

04/21/2026

Springtime on campus means magnolias and cherry blossoms, turtles and enormous bull frogs. And that SSW summer will be here before we know it!

SSW is excited to announce that the conference plenary speaker is alum Danna Bodenheimer, A.B. '98, M.S.W. '05, Ph.D. He...
04/21/2026

SSW is excited to announce that the conference plenary speaker is alum Danna Bodenheimer, A.B. '98, M.S.W. '05, Ph.D.

Her talk, "Beyond Diagnosis: Reclaiming the Neurodivergent Self Through Reflection, Care, and Accommodation" explores how attunement shifts when clinicians move away from prioritizing neurotypical norms and instead center nervous systems, communication differences, and relational safety.

The plenary offers an opportunity to deepen clinical presence, adapt the therapeutic frame, and support client autonomy in ways that honor neurodivergent identities. This talk invites clinicians into a more responsive, humane, and flexible approach to therapeutic connection.

Founder of Walnut Psychotherapy Center; educator and leading voice on LGBTQ+ mental health, neurodivergence, and organizational trauma, come hear Danna speak at Smith College on July 31.

Learn more and register:
https://buff.ly/g0dRUoG

Conference keynote speaker announcement! Nnamdi Pole, Ph.D. will present an insider's view of the American Psychological...
04/17/2026

Conference keynote speaker announcement!

Nnamdi Pole, Ph.D. will present an insider's view of the American Psychological Association's clinical practice guidelines for post-traumatic stress disorder treatment in adults from a social work lens.

Professor Pole is a clinical psychologist, trauma and psychophysiology researcher, Smith College Harold and Elsa Israel Professor of Psychology, chair of the Smith College Institutional Review Board, and adjunct professor at Smith College SSW.

Register for the conference July 31 to hear his keynote!

Learn more and register:
https://buff.ly/g0dRUoG

Address

23 West Street
Northampton, MA
01063

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+14135857950

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