Social workers play a critical role in diverse settings—from working with youth in the criminal justice system to providing support in domestic violence shelters and advocating for immigrant women and children in legal services organizations. This session, with Dr. Carolina Grest, Assistant Professor within Temple's School of Social Work, will provide real-world insights into the dynamic and impactful roles available in social work, highlight various career trajectories, and offer guidance on how an MSW can help you align your passions with meaningful work. Whether you're drawn to direct practice, policy, advocacy, or community organizing, this session will help you envision the many professional opportunities that come with an MSW education.
Dr. Carolina Villamil Grest has a decade of practice experience as a clinical social worker across diverse settings, including criminal justice with youth, domestic violence shelters, and legal services organizations supporting immigrant women and children. Her research focuses on reducing social and structural health inequities and understanding the conditions that contribute to wellbeing among underserved U.S. communities, particularly Latino/a/x/Hispanic populations. Guided by an interdisciplinary approach, she employs quantitative, qualitative, and community-engaged methods to develop, implement, and evaluate prevention and intervention strategies.