General Information
Biography
Dr. Susan Reay, a proud Nebraskan and first-generation college graduate, serves as the Director of the Grace Abbott School of Social Work. She is also an Associate Professor and John E. Christensen Community Chair of Social Work in Child Welfare. Dr. Reay’s expertise spans ethics, licensure, and research to practice initiatives including innovative workforce development methods. With over 20 years of experience in child welfare, including roles as a child protective services worker, she brings a wealth of direct practice experience to her leadership. A lifelong advocate for youth and families, she is deeply committed to improving service access and continuity of care. On a national level, Dr. Reay contributes to initiatives that expand access to services through regulatory interstate social work agreements, allowing social workers to provide care across state lines.
Awards and Honors
Lifetime Achievement Award, Leadership - 2018
Nebraska Eastern Region Social Worker of the Year, Leadership - 2012
Education
BSW, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1994
MSW, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 1998
EDD, College of Saint Mary, Omaha, NE, Higher Education Leadership, 2020
Scholarship/Research/Creative Activity
Selected Publications
Reay, Susan. 2024. Provision and Long-Term Assessment of a Specialized Clinical Evidence-Based Treatment Curriculum for Master of Social Work Students , Global Implementation Society.
Reay, Susan. 2023. Guiding the way to clinical licensure supervision: Creating a practical framework for the provision of clinical social work supervision, Clinical Social Work Journal, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-023-00879-x.
Reay, Susan, Reay, William, Tevis, Kristine , Patterson, Lisa. 2023. Do degrees matter? Rethinking workforce development for youth with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges, Global Implementation Society, 3, 1, 67-77.
Reay, Susan, Guyette, Sarah. 2023. Nebraska mental health supervision guidebook, Licensing Under Creative Commons, https://pressbooks.nebraska.edu/clinicalsupervisionguidebook/.
Reay, S, D'Souza, Henry, Tevis, K, Fleck, A. 2022. Start where the social worker is: Perceptions of clinical licensure in Nebraska, Research on Social Work Practice, 1-11.