Health and Human Services News

Learning how to be advocates

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Two clinical instructors for the School of Social Work, Salina Bollinger and Kelly Dudley, accompanied 38 students to attend Social Work Advocacy Day in Jefferson City on March 1.   

Advocacy Day has not been celebrated since before the pandemic, which made this event extra special.  

Earning the MSSIP grant 

It wasn’t an easy feat getting everyone to the event.  

Bollinger, Dudley and Wendy Jackson worked hard to apply for the MCHHS Student Success Innovation Projects (MSSIP) grant to receive well-earned funding. 

Funding was used to reimburse traveling expenses and provide a free meal for students. 

A truly immersive experience 

Bollinger and Dudley hoped that students could learn more in a hands-on environment. 

The day began bright and early, with a few students and faculty attending the education committee meeting of the House of Representatives at 8 a.m. 

Students then had the opportunity to go on tours and speak to elected legislators. 

Lunch was hosted by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Several elected officials were brought in who also studied social work.  

“It was helpful for students to connect with people who studied the exact same thing,” Dudley said. 

Among the officials was Crystal Quade, #BearGrad from Missouri State’s BSW program and representative for Greene County in the Missouri House of Representatives. 

The day wrapped up as students and faculty listened to Senate session and then the House of Representatives session. 

“Apparently, students didn’t realize how much their voices actually matter,” Bollinger said. “Going to Advocacy Day showed students that it does matter when feedback is given to legislators.” 

Jolie Keeney, junior in the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program, is a testament to this powerful event. 

“Not only did I learn how to set up a meeting with a representative, but I also had the joy of exploring the capitol with my fellow social work peers,” Keeney said.  

“Anyone can watch committee hearings on television, experiencing it in real-time is so much better! I know that I can make a difference. This experience renewed my desire to become a social worker in the realm of policy reform.” 

An impressive turnout 

Of the 38 students, there were 32 undergraduate students and six graduate students. 

“We had no idea how many students would show up because the event hadn’t happened in several years,” Dudley said. “It was thrilling to see how many students decided to come.” 

Bollinger and Dudley will be back next year to accompany students to Advocacy Day. 

“We might recruit a few extra faculty members to help and hopefully we’ll be able to get the MSSIP grant again too,” Bollinger said. “Regardless, the opportunity will be there for students.” 

Explore the School of Social Work

Faculty fan-favorites

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As a special treat for Women’s History Month, we’re sitting down with three strong women in MCHHS. 

Sarah Bowman, clinical instructor for public health and sports medicine, in addition to Kelly Dudley and Salina Bollinger, both clinical instructors in the School of Social Work, are three fun members of our impressive MCHHS faculty.  

Let’s get to know all three of them! 

What’s been the wildest thing to happen in your classroom?  

Bowman: I teach online, so the crazy things that happen are editable! Students are video recorded when they take exams. I received an alert once because a student was in and out of the frame during her exam. Turns out, she was letting her dog in and out.  

Dudley: Watching students feel safe enough in my classroom to be vulnerable and take risks – that might be the wildest thing to happen in my classroom. I’m always inspired by the courage and passion they demonstrate. 

Bollinger: I attempted to use balloons for a group activity once. It was quite noisy and distracting, but we still managed to learn a few things. 

Where are you from?   

Bowman: Fair Grove in Springfield, Missouri. 

Dudley: You might think this is an easy answer, but I moved 12 times before turning 18 years old. I’ve lived in six states and four countries. Springfield is the longest place I’ve ever lived (12 years now) and even though I love it, I still can’t bring myself to say I’m from here. 😉 

Bollinger: Granite City, Illinois, across the river from St. Louis. I often visit family there, but Springfield has been home for 25 years now.    

What’s your favorite part about working here?  

Bowman: I enjoy interacting with my coworkers. I feel a sense of belonging and community at work. Additionally, I love advising students and helping them think about the next step.   

Dudley: Obviously the schedule. Ha! Kidding. Sort of. 

In all honesty, it’s challenging myself and others. Our society is becoming increasingly dichotomized. Having the freedom to challenge myself and my students to think beyond the prominent rhetoric around any given topic is my favorite thing. Learning to hold and – hopefully teaching others to hold – perceived contradictions is thrilling. 

Bollinger: I love spending time with students. They energize me and give me hope for the future. I also work with an incredible crew of people!   

Explore the School of Social Work

Do you have a favorite class to teach?  

Bowman: Health Literacy. I have the most expertise, experience and passion for this subject. 

Dudley: I love teaching Human Behavior in Social Environment to juniors. In that class, we learn why we are the way we are. Sitting front row and watching all the lightbulb moments as students consider different perspectives is too much fun. 

Bollinger: Social Justice is probably my favorite. I love open discussions. We learn about ourselves while learning how to support marginalized individuals, groups and communities. 

Peer into the world of public health and sports medicine

Ready for big opportunities

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When Mary Finzel of West Plains earned her undergraduate degree in psychology, she never considered social work.

In her mind, social work majors were case workers.

But when she decided to pursue a master’s degree, Finzel realized that a master’s in social work could open so many doors.

“I could do so many things. I could be a clinical manager, a program director. I can work in any kind of advocacy for people, social justice advocacy. I could go into industrial facilities, factories and help with human resources,” she said.

Finding support in an online program

As an untraditional student returning to school, Finzel was attracted to the fact Missouri State offers a Master of Social Work that can be earned 100% online.

She had trepidations because she’d never completed a degree online, but felt she had the discipline to do it.

“Then I realized I really liked it because it was very convenient for work and personal life. I didn’t have a set schedule that I had to go by, other than when my assignments were due,” she said.

“I don’t like being restrained to one position, I want to be able to do multiple positions and wear multiple hats, and so that’s what really pulled me to the degree in social work.”

The mother of two chose Missouri State because of its accreditation, history and stellar reputation.

The professors were supportive and provided a lot of feedback.

“Professors were always available for communication through email, Zoom, phone calls, just whatever I needed. I had some personal family issues going on in the beginning … and I communicated that to my professors and they were more than willing to give me some grace. Since it’s all online, that feedback from the professors is really important because it lets you know what you’re doing well in, what you need to improve on,” she said.

Another strength of the program was the diverse lineup of classes — there’s a broad spectrum of information.

Driven to help others

The 44-year-old graduated in May 2022 with her Master of Social Work.

A Mountain View native, for the past few years she has worked as an Integrated Co-Occurring Disorder specialist. She works in a substance abuse treatment center for adolescents.

Upon graduation, her title changed to diagnostician. She received a promotion and pay raise. The degree had already paid off.

Finzel has always wanted to work in some capacity helping others.

“I had a lot of trauma in my childhood and mental health runs in my family,” she said. “I have two sons with special needs. … I decided I wanted to be available to help people in the way that I needed help whenever I was younger. Because I’m from a small town, there just wasn’t those services available in my area, and so I wanted to be able to have that positive impact on others the way I didn’t have those resources when I was younger.”

Explore social work at Missouri State

Missouri State University stands out

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Missouri State has been ranked one of the nation’s best schools for online degrees and certificates in the healthcare field for 2023.  

Six percent of regionally accredited colleges and universities earned a ranking position.  

The recognized programs are: 

Missouri State has excelled at producing an outstanding online program for each of these areas, landing high spots on EduMed’s already selective list.  

Top features 

EduMed researched and analyzed more than 7,700 accredited schools. The data science team then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying schools for each healthcare discipline.  

Primary data points include:  

  • Academic counseling services 
  • Career placement services 
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 
  • Tuition 
  • Percent of students receiving school-based financial aid 
  • Amount of school-based aid per student 

To be eligible, a school must hold active regional accreditation and have at least one partially online program in the ranking subject. Just 8% of U.S. postsecondary institutions earned a ranking position. 

MCHHS Dean Dr. Mark Smith said that he’s not surprised by the high program placements. 

“We always strive to create the best learning environment for students, whether they’re in person or not,” Smith said. “It’s wonderful to see that our faculty and programs are receiving the recognition they deserve.” 

Explore MSU online degrees