Professor

Office Address: 
343C DeVos Center
School of Social Work
401 Fulton Street West
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Phone Number: 
(616) 331-6552

Email Address: 
[email protected]

Office Hours (no summer office hours):
Thursday: 8 am - 2 pm
(in person or virtual)

Teaching Areas:
SW 150: Intro to Social Work and Social Welfare
SW 610: Social Welfare Policy
SW 690: Social Research I
SW 691: Social Research II

Experience:
Kristen has been teaching in the School of Social Work at GVSU since Fall 2022. In addition to teaching, Kristen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LMSW) with expertise in injury and violence prevention. Kristen specializes in clinical interventions with individuals with major depressive and anxiety disorders, as well as risk assessment and formulation for individuals thinking of suicide. Beyond clinical practice, Kristen works in the public health setting as a Macro Social Worker for the State of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Public Health Administration, as an administrator for violence prevention programs.  Kristen’s scholarship is focused on community health outcomes and program evaluation for suicide prevention and intervention skills training. Her research focuses on systems-level implementation of programming, and changes in knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to firearm safety and suicide risk. Dr. Smith truly loves teaching emerging social workers, on both clinical and macro tracks, and works to ensure students have what they need to be successful in the classroom and the field.

Education: Dr. Smith’s curriculum vitae. 
PhD - Interdisciplinary Health Science - Western Michigan University
MSW - University of Pittsburgh
BA