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Portland, maine

UNE’s Shelley Cohen Konrad publishes new book on social work, health education and practice

Photo of Shelley Cohen Konrad in white against a background of red leaves.
A UNE professor explores the association between the arts and social work practice in a book she co-authored.

Shelley Cohen Konrad, Ph.D., LCSW, FNAP, director for the Center to Advance Interprofessional Education and Practice at the University of New England and a professor in the School of Social Work, recently published a book with Michal Sela-Amit Ph.D., M.S.W., an associate teaching professor at the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, that explores the versatility of using the arts in social work, health education, and practice through a collection of writings. 

The book, “Social Work and the Arts: Expanding Horizons,” is split into four sections that explore the various ways the arts are used in social work education, examine art-based research, compile narratives by social workers who are artists in their own right, and reflect upon the future of the social work profession and its relationship to the arts. 

Cohen Konrad and Sela-Amit met at a three-year series of arts and social work roundtables sponsored by USC’s social work school and, together, were inspired to dig deeper into the association between the arts and social work practices, where creative expression and cultural interventions are used to enhance therapeutic approaches, foster community engagement, and address social issues. They brought together national and international authors who inspire and inform those interested in infusing the arts in social work and health education.  

A book launch for “Social Work and the Arts: Expanding Horizons” is set for March 9 at 5 p.m. at the UNE Art Gallery on the Portland Campus for the Health Sciences. The UNE Art Gallery in Portland is located at 716 Stevens Ave. and is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment. 

The book is available for pre-order through Amazon and Oxford University Press, where users can enjoy a 30% discount with code ASFLYQ6.   

book cover by shelley cohen konrad

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.