UNC Social Work in Community

05/14/2026

We are pleased to welcome Abigail Holdsclaw to the Office of Community Engagement and Outreach this summer!

Abigail joins us as a practicum student, bringing a strong background in community-engaged research, public health, and systems thinking. As the Lead Community-Based Researcher for the ncIMPACT Initiative, she leads and evaluates projects focused on community wellbeing, providing technical assistance, training, strategic planning support, and data analysis to local leaders and organizations.

Currently, she is pursuing her MPH in Health Behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and is part of the Graduate Certificate in Participatory Research program. Additionally, she serves as the Networking Chair for the Public Health Leadership Student Association, showcasing her commitment to community engagement.

We are excited to have Abigail on the team and look forward to the impact of her work this summer. Welcome, Abigail!

04/30/2026

We are excited to welcome Katie Lucey to the Office of Community Engagement and Outreach at the UNC School of Social Work. Katie joins us as our first-ever OCEO Executive Assistant, and we are confident she will be a fantastic addition to the team.

Katie brings a deep commitment to service and community building, along with a strong background in higher education, having worked at NC State and more recently with Gillings and Lineberger.

In addition to her professional experience, Katie is a hockey mom raising two sons, who sound like remarkable individuals.

We’re so happy to have you here, Katie—welcome to the OCEO!

04/22/2026

If you work with or care for youth (ages 14–21) who are or have been in foster care in North Carolina, please take a moment to share this opportunity—open until tomorrow!

We want to hear from youth who are or were in care!

Are you the resource parent or social worker for a youth currently between the ages of 14-21 who is or has been in foster care in North Carolina? If so, we want to hear from them!

The first annual Youth in Care Needs Assessment is open for one more week!

Youth can take the needs assessment here:
https://unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8dgtXCGf8sMWkcK

This assessment led by NCDHHS, DSS is the first of its kind and designed to receive insight directly from youth who are or were in care in NC and are currently between the ages of 14-21.
This survey is completely anonymous and takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Capturing the lived experiences of youth in care is a top priority to ensure that we continually assess and modify resources to improve outcomes. Thank you for sharing this with the youth in your care!

04/22/2026

We recently celebrated the conclusion of practicum for our two remarkable UNC Social Work students, Rob and Carson. This milestone not only marks the end of their time with us but also highlights the significant impact they have made along the way.

Last week, we held a celebration to honor this moment and the various projects they contributed to throughout the semester. A fun yearbook was created, filled with reflections, encouragement, and lessons learned. Students and our OCEO staff shared heartfelt messages and guidance for Rob and Carson, as well as for future practicum students. We are sharing a few pages from that yearbook to provide a glimpse into their journey.

Throughout their practicum, Rob and Carson engaged in meaningful, community-centered work, bringing fresh ideas, curiosity, and a strong commitment to impact. Their contributions, from supporting behavioral health efforts in Dare County to facilitating conversations, conducting research, and enhancing community engagement, have been both thoughtful and lasting.

Thank you, Rob and Carson, for the energy, care, and brilliance you brought to this experience. We are proud of you and excited to see what lies ahead!

Special thanks to our community partners for collaborating with our students:
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- 's Small Business Center

04/21/2026

Are you ready to learn at the No. 2 public school of social work in the country?

UNC School of Social Work is now offering introductory courses for all undergraduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill. The courses will expose students to social work foundations and career pathways.

Register NOW through Connect Carolina!

04/16/2026

Macro Networking Night is one of our favorite nights of the year! It's always fun and inspiring to connect with our MSW students specializing in Community, Management, and Policy Practice -- as well as our community-engaged colleagues from the Family and Children's Resource Program at the UNC School of Social Work!

Nothing better than spending an evening with students interested in macro social work!

We had a great time participating in the UNC Social Work's "Macro Networking Night" with UNC Social Work in Community. It's a chance for students to learn all about the amazing careers available to those who want to work in fields where they can make meaningful change on a systemic level.

Thank you to all the organizers for having us!

04/02/2026

What does community engagement look like in action? Here’s a sneak peek:

This past Friday, in collaboration with Dare County Health & Human Services and community partners, we spent over three hours gaining insights into the behavioral health landscape and the lived experiences of residents within the system.

Through asset mapping, system journey mapping, and open dialogue, we examined:
- What is functioning effectively across the continuum of care
- Where gaps and breakdowns are present
- How individuals navigate (or struggle to navigate) the system

We look forward to transforming the feedback we received into community-informed, data- and evidence-driven recommendations, as well as identifying meaningful areas for solutions to enhance future behavioral health initiatives in Dare County.

03/19/2026

Such a good day at the iDD Resource Fair this past weekend!

We connected with so many amazing organizations doing impactful work in our community and had the chance to share resources, learn from each other, and build new relationships.

Shoutout to the student volunteers who brought great energy and helped make everything run smoothly. And thanks for hosting such a great event, ! 👏🏽

03/06/2026

Yesterday, the UNC School of Social Work Office of Community Engagement & Outreach (OCEO) was honored to participate in the Legacy Speaker Series, “Retelling Our Story of Aging: Reimagining the Future through Community, Research, and Action.”

Organized by UNC Cares, the event brought together scholars, community leaders, providers, caregivers, and storytellers with lived experience to explore what it will take to help people thrive later in life.

OCEO was grateful for the opportunity to table at the event and connect with so many incredible partners and caregivers doing vital work to support older adults and their families. Events like this remind us that supporting healthy aging requires collaboration, community voice, and collective action.

03/03/2026