The Utopian: Dean Barbara Jones Celebrated as National Leader
In a recent article in The Utopian, a Steve Hicks School of Social Work (SHS) publication, Dean Barbara Jones from BU School of Social Work (BUSSW) discusses how her previous roles as SHS associate dean for health affairs and chair of the Department of Health Social Work at Dell Medical School influence her current work at BUSSW.
Excerpt from “National Leaders from Coast to Coast,” originally published by SHS at the University of Texas – Austin:
For Dean Jones, taking the dean role at BUSSW was an unprecedented opportunity to join a top social work school dedicated to social justice, teaching and research excellence. She brought her deep and longstanding commitment to fostering community, culture, and belonging to this new role, specifically in the area of health social work.
‘When we think about social work in health, we often talk about how social work needs to be joining teams, offering our voice,’ said Dean Jones. ‘As social workers on interprofessional teams, we also need to be leading in this space. Social work has so much to contribute to the creation of value-based healthcare that focuses on health equity and access to care for all.’
In her transition to BUSSW, Jones remains committed to creating communities where individuals can ‘feel like they’re in an environment where they’re seen and held and then [they] can do great things from there.’ Her approach to fostering collaboration centers on building a hopeful and future-focused environment — encouraging faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners to actively contribute to shaping the school’s upward trajectory and stellar reputation.”