"I'm so lucky to have found GSSW and the Denver Family Institute," says Houa Utech (MSW '08) an advanced standing graduate who's earning the Certificate in Couples and Family Therapy. "They're both really committed to helping students grow."
Utech already had her Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree when she came to GSSW, so she was able to earn her MSW through the advanced standing program in just one calendar year.
And since she had worked previously with families, she customized her degree by choosing
the Families Track and enrolling in the Certificate in Couples and Family Therapy, offered in cooperation
with the Denver Family Institute (DFI).
Finding a community
"The certificate is what convinced me to come here," she explains. "Finding so many people who share my interests has really created a community for me."
Utech says she may eventually go into private clinical practice. But meanwhile she's also trying her hand at community practice--exploring the use of a family systems approach to impact organizational structures. "I help agencies formulate what they stand for and how to align their activities with their core values," she says of her consulting work. "The benefits trickle down to the clients they serve."
Committed to student success
Utech says she appreciates how well the GSSW and DFI classes mesh, including the fact that some GSSW faculty also teach at DFI.
"It's such a great collaborative program," she says. "Everyone is so helpful and dedicated to ensuring that students succeed. That's not something I hear very often from my friends in MSW programs at other schools."
