Amanda West, Ph.D., LCSW
Director of Field Education, MSW Program
Office:
LWH 3073
Phone:
(773) 442-4760
Email:
a-west@neiu.edu
Office Hours:
TBD
CV:
A West CV_NEIU_ 07.25.2016.pdf
Expertise
Clinical practice with children, adolescents, and families, trauma-informed care, pediatric psychiatric emergencies, child mental health
Field Practicum & Seminar I
Field Practicum & Seminar II
Research Interests
Child trafficking in the United States, pediatric psychiatric emergencies, and qualitative methodologies
Education
(2014) Ph.D., University of Utah, College of Social Work, Salt Lake City, Utah
(1999) M.S.W., University of Denver, Graduate School of Social Work, Denver, Colorado
(1995) B.A., Sociology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado
Selected Publications
West, A. & Loeffler, D. (2015). Victim Resistance: An exploratory study of the experiences of service providers working with victims of child trafficking. Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk, 6(1), article 5.
West, A. (2016). Child Trafficking: A concept analysis. International Journal of Social Science Studies. 4(5), 38-49.
West, A. (In press). Child Trafficking and the child welfare response. Journal of Human Trafficking, 2(2).
Miller, J. & West, A. (In review). Citizen review panels and child welfare decisions. Child Abuse and Neglect: The International Journal.
Selected Exhibitions
West, A. (2016, January). Child trafficking and the bond with the trafficker. 30th Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment, San Diego, CA. Refereed, Accepted 8/2015.
West, A. (2016, January). Pediatric emergency mental health and the experiences of service providers. Society for Social Work and Research, Washington DC, Refereed, Accepted 11/2015.
West, A. (2015, July). Domestic minor human trafficking and service provider perspectives. American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. Boston, MA. Poster Presentation, Refereed, Accepted 11/2014.
West, A. (2015, March). Child trafficking: Victim resistance and implications for direct practice. Social Justice Symposium, College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. Conference Paper, Refereed, Accepted 2/2015.
West, A. (2014, October). Child Trafficking: Victim resistance and implications for direct practice. Council on Social Work Education annual conference. Tampa, FL. Conference Paper, Refereed, Accepted 4/2014.
Background
Dr. Amanda West is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received her MSW in 1999 from the University of Denver, and her PhD in social work from the University of Utah in 2014. After serving children and families in the community mental health arena for over 15 years in both clinical and administrative roles, she developed a passion and sincere interest in the struggles and strengths afforded to this population. As a result, her research has expanded in its focus on children and mental health to include trauma-based phenomena such as child trafficking. Her research focuses on the life experiences of victims and survivors of child trafficking in the United States through qualitative methodologies.
Dr. West’s focus in the classroom fosters a student-centered and cooperative learning environment, in which both student and professor explore the content of goals of the course in a reciprocal exchange of knowledge and experience. Her hope in teaching students is not only to present new knowledge but to encourage critical thinking skills that will enable students to embrace the often complex role of social workers in their professional careers.
Additional Information
State of Illinois Licensure, Licensed Clinical Social Worker