Sheila Yousuf-Abramson

Sheila Yousuf-Abramson is a licensed clinical social worker with clinical experience across various settings including child welfare, maternal health, disabilities, mental health and bereavement. Her most recent role prior to coming to Dominican included providing anticipatory and bereavement support for children, adolescents and families with loved ones in hospice, providing grief and loss support in schools, and serving as a bereavement camp director for children and youth aged 8-18 years of age. While in the role, Sheila also served as a practicum instructor, training and mentoring future social workers. Sheila started her career at Dominican in the School of Social Work Practicum Office (formerly Field Office) serving as Assistant Director and then Director of Practicum. She moved from the practicum office to a teaching role as an Instructor in 2021 and is now an Assistant Professor, teaching predominantly practice courses and leading the Health and Well Being track. Sheila brings her experiences as a licensed clinical social worker to inform her teaching; which is both relationship and student-centered. As an educator, Sheila believes it is important to build relationships that promote an understanding of and interest in who students are as individuals, what called them to social work and their commitment and motivation to become effective social work practitioners. Sheila strives to build community in the classroom where she and her students can support and learn from one another, engage in deep and respectful dialogue and debate and acknowledge the diversity and unique life experiences we all bring to the classroom. In 2023, Sheila obtained her PhD from the Jane Addams College of Social Work. Her dissertation brought together her previous clinical work and interests, centering grief and loss experiences of young adults in the child welfare system. Sheila continues to explore the unique and complex experiences of grief and loss including death and losses beyond death and engages her students to think more deeply and critically around grief and loss experiences and how we can better support ourselves and others.