Policy Practice for Social Workers (ePub)

Linda K. Cummins, PhD, has been a social work researcher and educator for more than 25 years, teaching students research methodologies, social policy and social welfare, and ethics and diversity in various online and in-person settings. Currently, Dr. Cummins is a Full Professor in the Department of Advanced Graduate Studies at National University where she also serves as the Academic Program Director for PhD programs, faculty mentor, dissertation chair, and a member of the Institutional Review Board. Dr. Cummins continues to conduct research and is currently researching the moral orientation of licensed professional caregivers and its influence on resolving ethical dilemmas in practice. Since earning her PhD from the Ohio State University, Dr. Cummins, in addition to her work as an educator, has served as chair of many curriculum and technology committees, worked as an online curriculum designer and consultant, presented at national conferences, and co-authored two textbooks, Policy Practice for Social Workers, with Katharine V. Byers and Laura Pedrick, and Social Work Skills for Beginning Direct Practice, with Judith A. Sevel, now in its fourth edition (Pearson 2018). Dr. Cummins resides on her organic farm on the south coast of Oregon.

Katharine V. Byers, PhD, has spent her career advocating, teaching, and leading programs within the social work field. Now retired, Dr. Byers was an Associate Professor and Director of the BSW Program at the Indiana University School of Social Work in Bloomington. She was also a founding member of Influencing Social Policy and chaired the organization, whose objectives include building social workers' capacity and influence on policy in local, state, and federal settings. In collaboration with other social workers, Dr. Byers initiated Indiana's Social Work Lobby Day, now in its 23rd year. Prior to becoming an educator, Dr. Byers had 10 years of practice experience, primarily with children