GCSW Focused Learning Opportunities (FLOs)

Focused Learning Opportunities (FLOs) are opportunities for students to develop an in-depth and holistic focus in a specific area of social work practice. FLOs are organized around areas of expertise of current GCSW faculty, enabling students to pair learning in a variety of environments (classroom, practicum, community engagement, trainings, etc.) with meaningful mentorship from GCSW faculty members.

Current MSW Students: To designate interest in FLOs for Spring 2023, please click here to complete and submit the FLO Interest Form by our deadline of October 21, 2022. 

Current FLOs

Because faculty mentorship is critical to GCSW’s Focused Learning Opportunities, current FLOs reflect areas of expertise of current faculty. FLOs may be subject to change as the GCSW faculty grows and shifts over time. Below is a list of GCSW's current FLOs. We anticipate adding new FLOs in the future.

• Political Social Work
• Abolitionist Social Work
• Trauma Education Program
• Global Leaders of Behavioral Health Education

Political Social Work:

Faculty Mentor: Suzanne Pritzker
Political Social Work FLO Requirements
Building off of the GCSW’s historical tradition as a national leader in political social work, the Political Social Work FLO prepares students to engage in systems-level change in organizational, community, and political arenas in order to advance social, racial, economic, and political justice. Students across all levels of practice build advanced knowledge and skills in navigating power, interacting with political actors, and influencing policy-making. 

Abolitionist Social Work:

Faculty Mentor: Alan Dettlaff
Abolitionist Social Work Requirements
Building on social work's commitment to challenging injustice and oppression, the Abolitionist Social Work FLO examines social work's commitment to challenging the systems that perpetuate and maintain injustice and oppression, including policing, prisons, and child welfare. Social work has a long history of cooperation and collaboration with these systems, yet a growing movement within the profession seeks to reimagine social work as a profession that actively seeks to dismantle the carceral state as a means of achieving justice and liberation. This FLO will explore the basic tenets of abolition theory and praxis, the connection between social work values and abolitionist values, and social work’s role in building a society that addresses social problems without the need for punishment and incarceration.

Trauma Education Program:

Faculty Mentor: Donna Amtsberg
TEP FLO Requirements
The structure of the TEP incorporates curriculum and field agencies that work with traumatized individuals of all ages within the mental health service delivery system. Trauma Fellows will complete trauma-informed clinical curriculum and work with field sites that offer opportunities to work with a variety of individuals who experience difficulty in daily living due to past trauma.

Global Leaders of Behavioral Health Education (GLOBE):

Faculty Mentor: McClain Sampson
GLOBE FLO Requirements
GLOBE is an interprofessional team training program that enrolls MSW and Counseling Psychology students. GLOBE strives to increase the number of culturally competent social workers who deliver behavioral health services to underserved populations. GLOBE Fellows are required to do field at placements that deliver mental health and other services and attend 4 workshops a year. The grant provides students with a $10,000 dollar stipend during the student’s final year.

Summary of FLOs

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