The next Equity and Inclusion Speaker Series event invites the social work community to take a critical look at how practicum (field) education across the profession can better support students with disabilities. Field placements are designed to be transformative learning experiences, yet accessibility practices vary widely across agencies and institutions. This session will explore how those differences shape students’ experiences and what it means to build more consistent, proactive approaches to inclusion in social work education.

Dr. Kanako Okuda, assistant dean of Practicum (Field) Education and clinical associate professor at BU School of Social Work (BUSSW), will be joined by BUSSW MSW students Mia Parra and Miku Hayashida for a conversation grounded in both research and lived experience. Together, they will discuss how social work programs and community partners can strengthen practicum environments by centering disabled students’ voices and disability justice in the field.

This event is part of the BUSSW Equity & Inclusion Speaker Series presented by the school’s Equity & Inclusion Committee. Please visit bu.edu/ssw/eiss for additional details, past event recordings and more.

The webinar will be conducted using the online Zoom webinar platform. This webinar is open to all members of the BU community including alumni, students, faculty, staff, and the public.


Speakers:

Professor Kanako Okuda, MSW, DSW

Dr. Kanako Okuda (she/her) is a social work educator, scholar, and practitioner. She serves as the assistant dean of Practicum Education and is a clinical associate professor at BUSSW Dr. Okuda is passionate about practicum education and how students create meaning from their learning through service. She views practicum education as a crucial bridge connecting students, social work programs, and the communities they serve, striving to transform students' experiences by employing innovative tools tailored to diverse learning strengths. Her collaborative research with practicum educators focuses on improving students' practicum outcomes.

To address student anxiety, Dr. Okuda developed www.fieldanxiety.com, a widely adopted resource that helps students embrace vulnerability as a tool for growth. In 2020, she was selected as a Field Research Scholar by the Transforming Field Education Landscape (TFEL) Project at the University of Calgary, supported by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Dr. Okuda is also a founding member of the Practicum Education Directors; the "Voting Is Social Work" campaign, which mobilizes voter participation through practicum education.

As a practicing clinical social worker, Dr. Okuda serves hard-to-reach populations via telemental health services. She began her career in child welfare and later worked as a pediatric oncology social worker at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Okuda holds a BSW from Lehman College, an MSW from Columbia University, and a DSW from Rutgers University. Her scholarship includes social justice, practicum education, and health social work.


Mia Parra 

Parra is a BUSSW Master of Social Work student focusing on macro practice. As someone who is legally blind, she brings lived experience into her professional work in disability services, inclusion training, and community-based programming.

Miku Hayashida

Hayashida is a BUSSW Master of Social Work student. As a wheelchair user and as a social worker, she is deeply passionate about being an advocate for marginalized communities, especially disabled people. She values her lived experiences in the U.S. and Japan which gives her a cross-cultural perspective.

Accessibility:

Boston University strives to be accessible, inclusive and diverse in our facilities, programming and academic offerings. Your experience in this event is important to us. If you have a disability or believe you may require accommodation for another reason, please contact the BUSSW Equity & Inclusion Committee at swequity@bu.edu to discuss your needs.

One CE credit will be available to social workers licensed in the U.S. If you wish to receive CE credit, please provide your license number in the registration form.

The webinar will be conducted using the online Zoom webinar platform. Access information and additional instructions on using the Zoom platform will be provided via email upon successful registration. This webinar is open to all members of the BU community including alumni, students, faculty, and staff.