Sabrina Sullenberger

Biography

I have been teaching in the Department of Social Work at Belmont since the fall semester of 2013. We have a great department of students, faculty and staff! Prior to coming here, I taught in the Indiana University College of Social Work for ten years. I teach in almost all curriculum areas of social work, but I am especially passionate about teaching courses on community practice, policy, human development, and poverty and child welfare. I have three degrees in Social Work: A Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from the University of Memphis, a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee, and a PhD in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

My practice experience is primarily in the areas of child welfare (family preservation and reunification, residential treatment centers with adolescents), and program development and teacher support to improve inclusion of children with special needs into zoned schools). I also have a great deal of research and community practice experience in the realm of system reform and faith-based social services and social action.

My husband and I have three daughters: Cosette, Ireland and Avila. Among them they keep us busy with a number of activities! We are also very active in our church, serving as small group leaders, teaching a lot of Sunday School and planning retreats.

I love teaching, and I also keep my hand in the practice world with serving on the Davidson County Foster Care Review Board each month, and serving with Open Table Nashville, a grassroots organization working to end cycles of homelessness. For the past few years, I have been working with colleagues at other institutions on a multi-year study exploring attitudes of poverty. I also have research interests in other areas. Some of my publications are below.

Bloomquist, K. R., Wood, L., Sullenberger, S., & Hostetter, C. (2017). Doin’ meth or doin’ math: What clients’ constructions of poverty mean for social work practice. Journal of Community Practice, 25(2), 190-212.

Sullenberger, S.W., Wood, L., Hostetter, C. & Bloomquist, K.R. (2015). “You really have to play the hand you are dealt”: How traditional-aged college seniors understand class mobility. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 25(8). 10.1080/10911359.2015.1052719

Hostetter, C., Sullenberger, S.W. & Wood, L. (2015). “All these people who can do things that I can’t”: Adolescents’ reflections on class, poverty, and the American Dream. Journal of Poverty, 00:1-20

Wood, L., Hostetter, C. & Sullenberger, S.W. (2014). Waiting to be Cinderella’d?: Attitudes on class differences among women. Advances in Social Work, 15(2), 460-479.

Hostetter, C., Sullenberger, S.W. & Wood, L. (2013). The key to learning: Engaging undergraduate students in authentic social work research. Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, 18, 47-62.

Cooksey-Campbell, K., Folaron, G., & Williamson, S. (2013). Supervision during child welfare system reform: Qualitative study of factors influencing case manager implementation of a new practice model. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 7(2), 123-141.

Sullenberger, S.W., Hostetter, C. & Wood, L. (2012). Families pass money and opportunities down: Adolescent constructions of social class. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 22(6), 635-652.

Williamson, S.A., Hostetter, C., Byers, K.V. & Huggins, P. (2010). I found myself at this practicum: Student reflections on field education. Advances in Social Work, 11(2), 235-247.

Williamson, S.A., Chang, V.N., & Decker, C.L. (2009). Enhancing the success of SOTL research: A case study using modified problem-based learning in social work education. Journal of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 9(2), 1-9.

Williamson, S.A. (2009). Every day miracles: Using client narratives to write teaching vignettes for faith communities. Journal of Poetry Therapy, 22(2), 77-88.

Hostetter, C., Williamson, S.A., Byers, K.V., & Huggins, P. (2007). The transformative power of a learning community. Advances in Social Work, 8(2), 252-263.

Williamson, S.A. & Hodges, V.G. (2006). It kind of made me feel important: Client reflections on faith-based social services. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work, 25(2), 43-57.

Williamson, S.A. (2005). She saw something in me: Relationships between faith community volunteers and mothers leaving welfare. Journal of Social Work and Christianity, 32(2), 151-167.

Orthner, D.K., Jones-Sanpei, H., Williamson, S.A. (2004). The resilience and strengths of low income families. Journal of Family Relations, 53, 159-16.

Orthner, D.K., Jones-Sanpei, H., Williamson, S.A. (2003). Family strength and income in households with children. Journal of Family Social Work, 7(2), 5-23.