Woman smiling

School of Social Work News

The programs offered by the School of Social Work strive to instill values of social and economic justice, respect and worth of others, cultural diversity, and self-determination. We also foster a strengths-based environment that emphasizes openness, collaboration, and engagement striving towards individual and community resiliency.

Current Social Work News

photo portrait of Frances Young
People |

Frances Young, a UNLV social work alumna and lecturer, turned her own postpartum struggles into a mission to expand mental health support for new parents.

Some early studying during the opening week of the Spring 2026 semester (Josh Hawkins/UNLV).
Campus News |

A look at some of the most eye-grabbing headlines featuring UNLV faculty, staff, and students.

collage of three male alumni including one in army fatigues, one in a suit jacket, and one sitting on desk in office
Research |

UNLV grads are ignoring stereotypes and uncovering the rewards of these vital healthcare and education roles.

Zarinah Washington in the Student Supportive Services Courtyard
People |

Setting up students for success is the goal for this School of Social Work field liaison.

A basketball falling through a hoop.
Campus News |

Students learn why a social worker can be an MVP in a team’s lineup.

A group of students play with legos on a shared large desk.
Campus News |

In this Urban Affairs class, students learn the community-building skills they'll need to overcome work and personal challenges in the future. 

Social Work In The News

The Advocate

Published in the International Journal of Transgender Health, a new paper led by Kati McNamara, an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, analyzed 58 empirical studies on transgender service in the U.S. military.

MinnPost

Pandemic-era housing protections and support are a guide for Minnesota policymakers as Operation Metro Surge slows.

Northwest Public Broadcasting

On a weeknight inside a card shop in Wenatchee, tables are set up not for poker or board games, but for a fantasy card game called Magic: The Gathering. Veterans shuffle decks, trade jokes and ease into the kind of relaxed conversation that can take months to build. For U.S. Army veteran Kevin Coleman, who usually avoids crowds, the weekly gathering has become one of the few places where he can breathe.

Futurity

Living in the same home, especially in recent years, was the strongest predictor of a close father-child bond during adolescence, regardless of whether the parents were married.

Mirage News

Children who grow up with their fathers under the same roof tend to feel close to them, forming strong relationships that last through challenging teenage years, according to a new study.

KNPR News

Homelessness is growing throughout Nevada, but especially in Clark County. Last fall, the county reported that estimated homelessness had increased 36% since 2022. Nationwide, the federal government reported an 18% increase from 2023 to 2024.

Social Work Experts

An expert on remote health policy, eHealth literacy, and health disparities in rural communities.
An expert in mental and behavioral health, youth and veteran homelessness, and social work.
A licensed clinical social worker specializing in trauma treatment.
An expert on athlete mental health and well-being.
A trauma therapist experienced with military, healthcare professional, LGBTQ, and minority populations.
An expert in welfare policies and programs.

Recent Social Work Accomplishments

Kati McNamara (Social Work) and Susie Skarl (Libraries) co-authored an article titled "Transgender service in the U.S. military: A scoping review" in the International Journal of Transgender Health. The review mapped and synthesized research findings from 58 articles on transgender service, including demographics, gender-affirming healthcare…
An-Pyng Sun (Social Work) and Stephanie Diez (PennWest) published “Understanding the Gaming Disorder–Depression Co-Occurrence: A Narrative Literature Review” in the Journal of Affective Disorders Reports. Adolescents, young adults, and their families are increasingly seeking professional help for digital- or video-gaming disorder (GD), which often…
Nicolas Barr (Social Work), Steven Pace (Criminal Justice), and Alexandra Slemaker (Criminal Justice) published an article, “Laten Profiles of Psychosocial Risk and Associations with Suicidality in U.S. Military Veterans.” This article appears in Traumatology. Military veterans are at increased risk for suicide compared to civilians. Suicide…
William Epstein (Social Work Emeritus) has a book, Climate Change, Social Inequality, and Doom, forthcoming from Johns Hopkins University Press in September 2025.
An-Pyng Sun (Social Work), together with Ariann Chelli (Desert Hope Treatment Center in Las Vegas) and Maureen Strohm (HCA Sunrise Health GME Consortium at Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas) wrote an article, "Connecting Hospitalized Patients with Substance Use Disorder to Community Continuing Coordinated Care: The Critical Role of Hospital…
An-Pyng Sun (Social Work), Chih-Hsiang Ho (Mathematical Sciences), Daria J. Kuss (Nottingham Trent University), and Chad L. Cross (Epidemiology and Biostatistics) recently published an article, “The temporal stability of problematic gaming and gaming disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” in the journal Addictive Behaviors Reports…