Professional Summary
Shawnieka E. Pope, MSW, LISW-S, LCSW is an Assistant Professor Educator, Director of the BSW Distance Learning Program, and Director of the Social Work in Schools Graduate Certificate Program. With over two decades of clinical experience, Shawnieka has served in diverse roles across the social work profession. She spent a decade as a school-based therapist and crisis clinician, followed by nearly ten years as a school social worker in both elementary and secondary education settings. She was appointed team lead for a district-wide school crisis response team.
Shawnieka’s expertise spans the lifespan. She served as Director of Social Services for a long-term care facility and was the first social worker appointed to a county probate court, where she launched the court’s first social work internship program. As Guardianship Director, she developed a wellness initiative for individuals under guardianship and created supportive services for court-appointed guardians. She also served as project manager for a local ADAMHS Board, overseeing trauma-informed services for communities impacted by crisis. Shawnieka draws from this experience in her role as a social work educator, preparing the future of social work.
Currently a fourth-year PhD student, Shawnieka’s research centers on suicide among Black girls and the role of joy in mitigating suicidal behavior. Her work has earned several accolades, including MSW I Field Instructor of the Year, the Peter M. Magolda Teaching Excellence Award, and the NASW Ohio 2023 Region 7 and Statewide Social Worker of the Year awards. She presently serves as Co-Director of NASW Ohio Region 7.