Social Work Alums Honored by NASW Illinois Chapter
The School of Social Work is pleased to congratulate four alumni from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who have been honored by the NASW Illinois Chapter! The awards are given yearly in recognition of contributions to the social work profession as well as to the lives of the people that social workers strive to serve. Below is the list of recipients and the awards received.
Joseph Croegaert is being honored with 2012 Social Worker of the Year Award for the NASW Illinois Chapter West Central District. Joseph (MSW, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; LCSW) has worked thirty-seven years in the social work field. He has worked for the last seven years as a counselor with Chapin & Russell Associates, a private counseling practice in Peoria. Joe has also worked with the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health for the last ten years, most recently as an Evidence-Based Supported Employment Trainer and Coordinator and Contract Manager, assisting community mental health centers in central Illinois. Prior to this, Joe worked for twenty-two years in the child welfare field, in the private sector.
Sandra Mills is being awarded the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award for the NASW Illinois Chapter West Central District. Sandra (EdD, Northern Illinois University; MSW, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; LCSW) joined Sangamon State University (now University of Illinois at Springfield [UIS]) as a visiting professor in 1994 and achieved tenure in 2001. She taught both graduate and undergraduate levels in the Child, Family, and Community Services Program. Sandy retired as director of social work field education and associate professor of social work at UIS, where she taught courses in policy, advocacy, and community organizing.
Sandra Kopels is being honored as 2012 Social Worker of the Year by the East Central District. Sandra (JD, MSW, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) is professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and also a licensed attorney. Prior to joining the UIUC faculty, she was director of the Legal Advocacy Service of the State of Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission. Presently, Sandra serves as managing editor of School Social Work Journal and is a reviewer for numerous social work journals.
Kathryn Conley Wehrmann receives the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award from the East Central District. Kathryn (PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; LSW), is associate professor at the Illinois State University School of Social Work where she teaches research and evaluation and serves as a field liaison for MSW students. Her professional experience includes a background in public child welfare. She has worked extensively with Romanian officials on child welfare reform efforts and has also been awarded Fulbright Senior Scholarships for research and teaching in Romania. She is a past president of The Crisis Nursery of Champaign and currently serves on the board of The Baby Fold in Normal, IL.
