Allessia Owens-King
Education
- Howard University, PhD, Social Work , 2014
- University of Michigan, MSW, Interpersonal Practice, 2003
- University of Michigan, BA, Psychology, 2001
Areas of Expertise
- Social work practice with individuals and groups
- Addressing systematic oppression
Bio
Currently, I am an associate professor at Salisbury University School of Social Work. I teach both graduate and undergraduate social work students. I am the founding advisor for the NIA Mentoring Initiative and the coordinator of the Comunidad and Umoja Scholars Program (CUSP).
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Research Interests
Social work education with first-generation college students
The impact of mentoring on college and professional retention
Secondary trauma experienced by social workers -
Teaching Philosophy
It is my position that a college classroom environment must support mutual learning to meet specific course objectives while highlighting connections to personal experience. Storytelling is a pedagogical approach to teaching adult learners that supports this position.
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Selected Publications
Owens-King, Allessia P. and Venable-Edwards, Victoria (2022) NIA & CUSP: Mentoring initiatives to support social work students. The Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching. vol. 6. no. 15. pp. 400-407. The Mentoring Institute at the University of New Mexico.
Web Address
Owens-King, Allessia P. (2019) Secondary traumatic stress and self-care inextricably linked. vol. 29. no. 1. pp. 37-47. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment/Taylor & Francis.
Jewell, Jennifer R. and Owens-King, Allessia (2017) Confronting carceral power through experiential learning in macro social work practice. pp. 403-413. Social Work Education.
Owens, Allessia P. (2012) The Affordable Care Act: Implications for African Americans Living with HIV. vol. 22. no. 3. pp. 319-333. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment.
Lynn, Joanne, Owens, Allessia P. and Bartunek, Jean M. (2011) Clarity and strength of implications for practice in medical journal articles: an exploratory analysis. vol. 20. pp. i52-i57. BMJ Quality & Safety.
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Current Courses
Fall 2024
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Spring 2025- Loading SOWK 410...
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- Awards/Honors
CHHS Faculty Service AwardPresented by College of Health & Human Services, Salisbury University
- Professional Memberships
National Association of Social WorkersThe National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with 132,000 members. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies
Organization website
https://www.socialworkers.org/
Council on Social Work EducationThe Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a nonprofit national association representing more than 2,500 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 1952, this partnership of educational and professional institutions, social welfare agencies, and private citizens is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in this country.
Organization website
http://www.cswe.org/
The Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors
- Licensures and Certifications
Licensed Clinical Social Worker License , State of MichiganLicense # 6801085369
Certificate in Dismantling Oppression, University of Michigan School of Social WorkHybrid certificate program administered by the continuing education office at the University of Michigan School of Social Work
- Grants and Sponsored Research
The NIA Mentoring Initiative, The Fulton Public Humanities Program
The NIA Mentoring Initiative, Office of Institutional Equity
The Atlantic Philanthropies Transitional Fellowship, The Atlantic Philanthropies
- Presentations
A Review of the Comunidad and Umoja Scholars ProgramJuly 2024Success24, Salisbury, MarylandThis presentation examines key elements of the culturally informed effort, Comunidad and Umoja Scholars Program (CUSP). There will be a detailed review of mentor and mentee recruitment, selection, and pairing processes. There will also be a review of the program's workshop series, which allows structured mentor and mentee interaction while promoting competent social work practice with marginalized communities.
COVID-19's Impact on Women’s Wellness: Implications for Social Work Practice.November 2022The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting (APM), Anaheim, CA
Mentoring initiatives to support social work and nursing studentsOctober 202215th Annual Mentoring Conference, Fostering Diverse Communities of Mentorship: Evidence-Based Practices for Reciprocal Growth., Albuquerque, NMStudents of color in predominantly white institutions encounter a wide range of challenging experiences that range from microaggressions and overt racism in the classroom. Given the high likelihood of negative classroom experiences and the current U.S. socio-political climate with marked resistance to diversity and inclusion, our school of social work developed two programs that utilize mentoring to support students of color. The programs are "NIA Mentoring Initiative" (NIA) & Comunidad and Umoja Scholars (CUSP).<br>NIA and CUSP students were asked to complete an online questionnaire that included 65 questions regarding their experiences as a member of the initiatives. The online survey took participants approximately 20-25 minutes to complete. Pre and post-test data were collected from participants between 2019 to 2022. No identifying information was collected. This research project has been reviewed by the Salisbury University Institutional Review Board (IRB), protocol #14A.<br>The proposed presentation will review data collected from a research study regarding the impact of both initiatives. A preliminary examination of feedback uncovered that 83.3 % of CUSP participants believed that the mentoring and meetings met their professional needs. The presentation will review in-depth participants' experiences from both initiatives highlighting areas of success and growth.<br>The presentation outlines the various elements of each initiative, including student recruitment, mentor selection, and pairing, meeting topics, leadership project development, and community collaboration, that can be replicated. Uniquely, NIA had benefits for the mentors, including mentors joining forces to create the Cultural Coalition of Mental Health Practitioners on the Eastern Shore. The creation of COPES and other supplemental benefits gained by mentors will be discussed to highlight the mutual gains possible from initiatives.
- Service Activities and Community Relations
NIA Mentoring Initiative Founding Advisor
Comunidad and Umoja Scholars Program (CUSP) Coordinator