It is with great pride that I welcome you to the 2026 Impact Review for Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work (LUC/SSW). Since its founding in 1914, LUC/SSW has educated some of the most dedicated clinicians, leaders, and scholars in the profession. I have experienced this as both a student, graduating with my MSW from Loyola in 1989, and now as Dean for the past two years, where it is my honor to continue our tradition of providing transformative social work education each day within the classroom and across the many diverse communities in which we practice from Chicago and far beyond.

In this past year, our school celebrated the opening of our new Behavioral Health Simulation Lab at the Water Tower campus, which is part of Loyola’s Center for Simulation Education – now training students across professions including social work, nursing, and medicine on our three campuses. This space allows for scenario-based training with standardized clients, expanding how role-plays were used in the past. This state-of-the-art teaching and learning lab will be a resource for both clinical preparation and research, supporting Loyola’s mission to promote excellence, equity, and innovation in behavioral health practice. The creation of the Sim Lab would not have been possible without a major infusion of Congressional funding directed to the project by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (IL) through the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). In an environment where federal and state funding for social work research and workforce development feels increasingly scarce, we have been honored to launch this exciting new resource.

In addition to opening the Simulation Lab, this year was a whirlwind of research, scholarship, and teaching excellence. Our faculty published and presented, mentored students, and were honored nationally and internationally for their work – always keeping our Jesuit values at the forefront – and working to ensure that our research and scholarship have real impact.

Again, I am delighted to share our 2026 Impact Review with you and welcome you to join with us in our efforts to pursue bold questions, deepen collaborations across disciplines and communities, and ensure that our scholarship helps create a world rooted in dignity, equity, and compassion.

Sincerely,

Patricia A. Findley, DrPH, MSW, LCSW
Dean and Professor

A New Dimension of Social Work Education

On the fourth floor of Maguire Hall at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus, a new kind of classroom is transforming how future social workers hone their craft. The School of Social Work’s Behavioral Health Simulation Lab offers students the opportunity to develop and practice clinical, advocacy, and administrative skills in realistic, but low-risk settings before they encounter clients in the community.

The state-of-the-art lab is part of Loyola’s Center for Simulation Education and rep- resents a significant investment in social work education and workforce development. Featuring eleven simulation rooms designed to mirror environments social workers routinely encounter – including private offices, a family room, and rooms to replicate group spaces – the facility creates opportunities for immersive, hands-on learning that extends beyond the traditional classroom.

For social work students, the lab bridges the gap between theory and practice, advancing the concept of role-play, a longstanding method used in social work education. Through faculty-designed simulation scenarios, students interact with “standardized participants” who are trained to portray clients facing a range of behavioral health and other social challenges. These scenarios allow students to practice skills such as rapport building, assessment of client systems ranging in size from individuals to communities, assessment of suicide risk, and ethical decision-making. Rather than waiting for learning opportunities to emerge in internships, faculty can intentionally create experiences that help students build critical skills and offer immediate feedback on their performance.

“[The simulation] was a great way to bring what we’re learning in class to life,” said MSW student Lori Lopez. “It felt like we were working with a real client the entire time. We honestly forgot he was an actor.”

“With simulation, you’re trying to create an experience that is as close to real life as possible,” said Simulation Lab Director and Clinical Professor Christie Mason, PhD “It obviously makes a lot of sense to develop and practice skills in safe situations that are low risk but mimic real life as closely as possible so that when students are eventually in those situations, they’re able to handle them more competently.”

The technology installed throughout the facility allows faculty to monitor simulations in real time while maintaining an immersive experience for the student. Given the value of reflection and feedback before and after the simulations, sessions can be recorded and reviewed, giving students the opportunity to evaluate their communication skills, clinical reasoning, and professional decision-making with faculty mentors. In fact, much of the learning in the simulation process comes from the reflection, or “debrief” sessions.

The lab’s impact extends beyond teaching. Faculty members also see the facility as an important research resource. With funding from the LUC Office of Research Services, School of Social Work Assistant Professor LaTasha Smith, Ph.D. is conducting a multi-phase research project that aims to strengthen the capacity of mental health trainees, supervisors, and licensed clinicians to recognize and address internalized racism in their clinical work with Black women. As part of this work, Dr. Smith will work with a simulation design specialist, clinicians, and community consultants to develop three 90-minute training modules utilizing culturally responsive scenarios that authentically represent Black women’s lived experiences.

“One of the things I find most valuable about the Sim Lab is the opportunity to examine the space between what clinicians understand conceptually and how that understanding gets translated into practice,” Dr. Smith said. “This is particularly important when working with complex and sensitive clinical issues because clinicians can encounter challenging moments, try out responses, and reflect on their practice without placing an actual client at risk. In that sense, simulation can both reduce the potential for harm and better prepare clinicians for real-world practice.”

For Dean Patricia Findley, the lab represents more than a technological advancement. It reflects the School of Social Work’s commitment to preparing future practitioners who can meet growing behavioral health needs with skill, compassion, and confidence.

“Our simulation lab provides realistic experiences that allow students to engage with diverse populations and navigate complex practice situations in a safe learning environment,” Dean Findley explained. “Simulation has become a transformative tool in social work education, and Loyola’s School of Social Work is among the select programs nationwide to offer this innovative training experience.”

As the School of Social Work continues to expand the use of simulation-based education, the Behavioral Health Simulation Lab stands as a powerful example of how innovation can enhance both teaching and research, leading to better care for clients.

Welcome from the Associate Dean for Research

Welcome to the LUC/SSW Office of Research Development 2026 Impact Review! We are proud to highlight the important and meaningful research and scholarship that is produced by our faculty and doctoral students.

This year, we welcomed a new Director of Faculty Grants and Scholarship, Sarah Weisz. Sarah helped spearhead a collaborative school-wide effort to refresh the way we group and categorize our school’s research and scholarly interests, landing on four key clusters that summarize our work: Advocacy and Social Justice, Health and Mental Health, Policy and Systems, and Social Work Practice Methods and Theories. Within each of these areas, our faculty drill down into more specific areas of interest, such as Race, Gender, and Sexuality; Social and Health Systems; and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, among others. Over the next few pages, you will see some highlights that tell a story of a school with wide-ranging interests and clear impact upon the field of social work.

Over the past couple of years, social work educators and researchers have faced innumerable challenges. Federal funding for social science research has dwindled, and competition for the remaining sources of funding at the corporate and foundation levels has become more intense. In this environment, our faculty have remained steadfast and committed to high-quality and rigorous research while never swaying from our Jesuit values of equity, social justice, and working for and with those most in need.

We want to recognize the incredible support that SSW’s research enterprise has received from Loyola’s internal grant programs this year. These programs have stepped up to ensure that our research and scholarly endeavors are supported and nurtured. In particular, the LUC Office of Research Services (ORS) Research Support Grant program and the LUC Center for Health Outcomes and Informatics Research (CHOIR) Health Equity grant program have both been pivotal sources of support for our ongoing work.

We hope you enjoy exploring the exciting work led by SSW faculty and doctoral students and we look forward to another amazing year supporting them in such efforts.

Best always,

Michael Dentato, Ph.D., MSW
Associate Dean for Research and Professor

Sarah Weisz, MA
Director of Faculty Grants and Scholarship