SAVE THE DATE: Voices from the Field - International Social Work

This program spotlights social workers from different concentration areas. It will be a one-hour virtual workshop for students not limited to those majoring in social work, alumni, and community partners. Speakers will discuss how they selected social work as their profession, their career journey, where they currently work, the roles and responsibilities they hold/have held, and advice they have for future and current social workers. 

The IU School of Social Work (IUSSW) engages in education, research, and services to meet global demands and the challenging contexts of our time. IUSSW’s global partners extend to five continents (Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and Central America) across the globe. IUSSW is engaged through study abroad, teaching, research, and service.

Panelists: 

Amy Shackelford

Originally from the United States, Amy worked in diverse social work settings over the course of her career. After completing her BSW program at IUPUI in 2010, she worked as a community organizer for the Sustainable Library Citizens Coalition and later as the Executive Director of Central Indiana Jobs with Justice, a coalition working to build class solidarity. She later received a Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health degrees and relocated to Cape Town, South Africa, to work at the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town for the next three years.  While in South Africa, she assisted in developing community-led programming for women with refugee and migration backgrounds. Following this experience, she returned to the US and served as the Program Director at the Immigrant Welcome Center in Indianapolis and as an adjunct professor at IUPUI, where she taught Executive Leadership and Social Policy to Master of Social Work students. Currently, she is at Jyväskylä University in Finland as an early-stage researcher in the ASTRA Project, a European Union Horizon 2020-funded institute comprised of eight European universities and fifteen international social work scholars. Her research project uses a multi-national, multiple-case study method to investigate the ecosocial features of organizations in Finland and Slovenia as part of the ecosocial transition of societies. Her project investigates concepts such as power, coalition building, decolonizing social work practice, and ecological justice. Amy sees herself as a bridge between social work discourse in Europe and North America and seeks to cultivate spaces of equity and liberation internationally. Connect with Amy via LinkedIN.

Crystal Wade

With a unique mixture of educational and professional experience, Crystal Wade offers distinct perspectives to her philosophy of social work practice. Born in the United States, Crystal received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Ball State University and entered into the for-profit healthcare space as a translator for Spanish-speaking patients. Later, Crystal moved to the not-for-profit healthcare field and worked in various positions, culminating in a leadership role in regional operations for primary care for Community Health Network. Crystal then returned to school to pursue her MSW from IUPUI with a concentration in mental health and addictions. As a part of her Master’s studies, Crystal undertook a practicum in Cape Town, South Africa, working at Groote Schuur Public Hospital in the mental health unit. After graduation, Crystal worked as a therapist with children and families in the Indiana Department of Child Services before returning to international practice. Later, she moved to Athens, Greece, where she supported the set-up of the mental health and psychosocial support program as a part of BRF, an international refugee support organization in the urban context. Currently practicing in Mexico, Crystal works with Mexican children and young adults who are currently in or were formally in the national child protection system (DIF) due to childhood abuse or neglect. Crystal uses her combination of work experience and education to bring transdisciplinary practice knowledge to each team she works with.