Jax State Social Work

Jax State is growing, and it is an exciting time to be part of the university. Our Social Work programs serve students who bring a lot with them into the classroom. Many are first-generation college students. Many have strong ties to rural and nonurban communities. They know these places, they care about the people in them, and they are serious about becoming social workers who show up well for their clients and communities.

That matters to us.

We are hiring an **Assistant/Associate Professor of Social Work in Micro-Mezzo Practice**, and we are looking for someone who enjoys helping students make the jump from learning about practice to actually thinking like a practitioner.

Our students want to know what to do when the case is complicated, the resources are limited, the family system is messy, the group goes sideways, or the textbook answer does not quite fit the person sitting in front of them. They need faculty who can help them build skill, judgment, confidence, and curiosity.

Our programs emphasize generalist practice with rural and nonurban communities, and there is a lot of meaningful work happening across the university and within Social Work around behavioral health, workforce development, community engagement, and preparing students for the realities of practice.

If you are a practitioner-scholar who still remembers the clients, families, groups, supervisors, and experiences that shaped the way you practice, we would love for you to take a look at Jax State. Come teach with us.

🔗 https://careers.jsu.edu/jobs/assistant-associate-professor-social-work-micro-mezzo-practice-jacksonville-al-main-campus-alabama-united-states

What does it mean to prepare social workers for communities where resources may be limited, relationships matter deeply, and practitioners are often called to work across multiple levels of practice?

At Jax State, that question matters.

Our Social Work programs serve many first-generation students and students with strong connections to rural communities. They bring lived knowledge, ambition, and a clear desire to become practitioners who serve their communities and clients well.

We are seeking an **Assistant/Associate Professor of Social Work in Macro Practice and Research** who can help deepen that preparation. We are especially excited about welcoming a scholar-educator who sees macro practice and research not as subjects that sit apart from direct practice, but as essential tools for understanding organizations, evaluating programs, strengthening communities, examining inequity, influencing policy, and expanding what is possible for clients and practitioners alike.

This is an opportunity to teach students whose education can have a direct impact on communities throughout our region while developing a meaningful program of scholarship and contributing to the continued growth of social work education at Jax State.

If that intersection of **teaching, research, rural practice, and community impact** speaks to your work, we hope you’ll take a closer look.

🔗 https://careers.jsu.edu/jobs/assistant-associate-professor-social-work-macro-practice-and-research-jacksonville-al-main-campus-alabama-united-states

******Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Taylor Ellis******

As the MSW Program Coordinator, Dr. Ellis believes that caring deeply about social work also means being willing to critique it. As a program evaluator, much of his work involves asking whether the services provided to children, families, individuals, and communities are actually doing what they are intended to do.

A quote from James Baldwin has helped shape that perspective: “I love America more than any other country in the world, and therefore I reserve the right to criticize her perpetually.” Dr. Ellis carries that same idea into both the classroom and professional practice. Organizations can easily settle into familiar routines, and new professionals often enter systems where certain policies and practices have been in place for years without anyone stopping to ask why.

Sometimes there is a sound, ethical reason to keep doing things the way they have always been done. Other times, “that’s how we’ve always done it” is a sign that it may be time to look more closely.

Dr. Ellis encourages students to remain curious enough to ask those questions. Loving the profession doesn’t mean accepting every practice without examination. Sometimes it means asking whether we can do better and being willing to change when the answer is yes.

Attention recent graduates. Here is a professional development/Internship opportunity. Please direct all questions to the contact listed on the flyer.

2026 Official Arrival Dates 🐔

Whether you are arriving early with the Marching Southerners or joining us for general move-in, your official arrival date is locked.

Your Action Plan:

1️⃣ Find your specific group or building date on the schedule.

2️⃣ Log into the Housing Portal to secure your exact check-in time block. (Registration strictly closes this Saturday, August 1!)

3️⃣ Pack smart and prepare your JCard for the drive-thru.

Take ownership of your arrival. We will see you soon, Gamecocks!

Scammers are calling Calhoun County residents and claiming to be Calhoun County sheriff's deputies. We've been made aware that some Jacksonville residents have fallen prey to this tactic, and we want you to be safe. Remember, police officers will not call you demanding money. Don't make any payments over the phone with suspicious or unusual contacts, especially if you haven't already received official notice via mail about outstanding charges.

When in doubt, hang up and call the agency directly or visit their offices in person to confirm.

Complex cases deserve more than a quick label...

A diagnosis can guide treatment and open the door to services, but it can also follow a person for years. That is why social work practitioners must be willing to pause, look beyond the most obvious symptoms, and ask whether the available evidence truly supports the diagnosis.

Join us on September 25 for: SURVIVAL IS NOT A DIAGNOSIS:
Trauma-Responsive Differential Diagnosis with Adolescents and Adults

Using adolescent and adult case examples, this advanced DSM-5-TR workshop will help social workers engage with complex presentations without rushing to the most familiar conclusion.

Participants will practice how to:

• Distinguish clinical evidence from assumption
• Explore trauma, psychiatric, medical, substance-related, and environmental explanations
• Recognize when bias or a previous diagnosis may be shaping the assessment
• Identify what additional information is needed
• Make thoughtful and defensible diagnostic decisions

Complex cases rarely come with simple answers. This workshop will help practitioners slow down, look beyond the obvious, and make more thoughtful diagnostic decisions with greater clarity and confidence.

Friday, September 25, 2026
9:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. (Live Virtual)
3 Social Work CE Hours in DSM/Clinical
Presenters: Dr. Maywald & Mrs. Francesca Guida-Hall

This training is approved by the Council on Social Work Education to provide three social work continuing education hours in DSM/clinical content. Continuing education credit is not available for other professions.

Register here: https://secure.touchnet.net/C20901_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=430

Two Programs. One Standard of Excellence. Accredited Through 2034.

Jacksonville State University is proud to announce that the Council on Social Work Education’s Board of Accreditation has reaffirmed the accredited status of both our Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work programs for eight years, extending through June 2034. The decision followed a formal review of each program’s reaffirmation materials and reflects our continued responsibility to implement, demonstrate, and maintain compliance with CSWE’s Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards.

For prospective students, this reaffirmation means something important: when you choose Jax State Social Work, you are choosing programs committed to quality, accountability, continuous improvement, and preparation for professional practice.

Our students are preparing to enter communities as advocates, clinicians, leaders, problem-solvers, and agents of change. Through rigorous coursework, hands-on internship education, faculty mentorship, professional development, and strong community partnerships, students build the knowledge, judgment, confidence, and practical skills needed to respond to real people, real systems, and real challenges.

This milestone reflects the collective work of our students, alumni, faculty, staff, field instructors, community partners, and supporters. It also signals where we are headed: forward.

The need for skilled, compassionate, and courageous social workers continues to grow. If you are ready to turn your commitment to helping others into a meaningful profession, there is a place for you at Jax State.

Your purpose has a place here. Your preparation starts here. Your future in social work starts now. Learn more about our BSW and MSW programs and join the next generation of Gamecock social workers.

Webpage: https://www.jsu.edu/socialwork/index.html