Dean and Professor
Indiana University
Kalea Benner is Dean and Professor with the School of Social Work at Indiana University. Dr. Benner’s practice experience focused on the intersection of child welfare and mental health, working with youth and their families as well as within the school setting. After a decade in social work practice, Dr. Benner returned to complete her doctoral degree in social work at the University of Missouri, receiving her PhD in 2009. Dr. Benner’s research interests include developing social work practitioners who are prepared for the complexities of behavioral health, including SUD prevention, intervention and recovery. Dr. Benner was the Principal Investigator of a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to implement a Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) grant, training over 500 health professionals in the past five years including social workers, medical residents, physicians and numerous other disciplines such as psychologists, nursing, counselors, physician assistants, etc. Additionally, Dr. Benner was the principal investigator of a Health Resources and Services Administration grant as well, related to opioid workforce expansion, and has trained over 60 students in that role. Additionally, Dr. Benner’s research interests include student engagement and influences on academic success. Her work emphasizes interprofessional education and program efficacy, particularly as they relate to student learning, reflecting her value of multidisciplinary perspectives on student preparation for professional practice.
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