Skip to content
UNE Faculty Sites
University of New England - Innovation for a Healthier Planet
UNE School of Social Work Blog
  • Home
  • About
  • Students
  • Portland
  • Apply
November 20, 2020June 21, 2021 by socialwork in Alumni, Covid19, Mental Health, Student Projects, Student Testimonials, Therapy, Trauma, What is Social Work?

Alumni Update: Em Strout MSW ’19, Social Work with Autism and Developmental Disorders

Meet Em Strout!

Em Strout graduated with their MSW and Trauma Certificate in 2019. They currently live in Portland, Maine as a Day Treatment Social Worker at Maine Behavioral Health’s Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders.

What does your job entail?

I support students (ages 5-20) in an intensive autism day treatment program. I work with students one on one as well as coordinate care between other providers, help families navigate treatment for their child, and also hold a small caseload of outpatient clients as well.

How are you using what you learned at UNE in your current practice?

UNE’s emphasis on interprofessional education has been an incredibly important skill that I have taken with me from my time at UNE. Learning how to communicate and work within a team of different disciplines was very valuable and has been important to my work.

What did you find most inspiring about your education at UNE?

The most exciting part of my time at UNE was the opportunity to explore and expand my interests. Between research projects and certificates, there are many ways to “try out” new areas of social work that you might not be familiar with yet.

Em enjoying a beautiful Autumn day in Maine

Is there anything you’ve been surprised by in entering the Field of Social Work? 

How supportive the social work community is! Finding group supervisions, online training, and keeping contacts with my grad school cohort has been so helpful.

How has COVID19 Impacted your work?

My agency went fully online for 3 months, but we have been back in person since June. COVID-19 has significantly changed the ways that our program is run and how we work with our students. However, we are grateful that our program is small and that we are able to meet the needs of our students by meeting in person.

If you could share advice to incoming MSW students, what would it be? 

Be open! Everyone you meet will have so much different experience, knowledge, and expertise than you, and it can be an amazing opportunity to learn from one another.

Em, their partner, and pup on Portland Maine’s Eastern Promenade

Autism, CECE, Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders, Clinical Social Work, Covid 19, Developmental Disorders, Humans of UNE, Interprofessional Education, LCSW, Maine Behavioral Health, Maine Social Work, MSW, Social Work, Social Work Education, Social Work Employment, Social Work Jobs, Social Workers, Student life, Student Reflections, Trauma informed Social Work, UNE alumni, UNE Social Work

Recent Posts

  • MSW Faculty Spotlights: Nancy Shore, PhD, MSW, MPH
  • MSW Faculty Spotlights: Craig Owens MSW, LCSW
  • MSW Alumni Spotlight: Graham Botto ’22
  • MSW Alumni Spotlight: John Kidney ’22
  • MSWO Alumni Spotlight: Nicole Petrin ’19

Contact us

Have questions?

About Social Workers

UNE’s Integrated Clinical Practice Specialization  prepares you with the advanced clinical skills necessary to practice in a variety of clinical settings and a comprehensive understanding of human potential for individual and collective growth.  Our unique certificate options in Trauma-informed Social Work Practice, Applied Arts and Social Justice (AASJ), and Training in Aging and Diversity (TRIAD)*) alongside field placements, interprofessional learning opportunities, independent studies, and research grants allow you to integrate your individual passions into your educational programming. The nation needs more social workers as we continue to develop our understanding of mental health and advance the rights of the most vulnerable in our society.  Join us today!

Categories

  • AASJ
  • Aging & Ethics
  • Alumni
  • BSW Program
  • Causes
  • Clinical
  • Community Projects
  • Covid19
  • Curriculum
  • Faculty Research, Projects, and Presentations
  • Faculty Spotlight
  • Interprofessional Education
  • IPEC
  • LGBTQ+
  • Macro
  • Mental Health
  • MSW Online
  • MSWO
  • Multicultural Education
  • Racism
  • Research
  • Social Work Jobs
  • Staff
  • Student life
  • Student Projects
  • Student Testimonials
  • Student Travel
  • Substance Use Disorder
  • Therapy
  • Trauma
  • TRIAD
  • Uncategorized
  • Veteran
  • What is Social Work?
  • WHY UNE?

Attend an info session!

Attend one of our info sessions listed HERE

or contact Meg Webster at mwebster4@une.edu to schedule a Zoom

Share

UNE School of Social Work Blog

Hersey Hall
716 Stevens Ave
Portland, ME 04103

2072214508

  • Facebook-f
  • Instagram