Dr. Coleen Cicale is an Assistant Professor and MSW Program Coordinator in the Department of Health and Human Sciences at Southeastern Louisiana University, where she contributes to both undergraduate and graduate social work education. With a Ph.D. in Public Affairs (Social Work Track) from the University of Central Florida, where her dissertation explored “Risk Factors Associated with Arrest for Adolescent-to-Parent Abuse”, she also holds a Master of Social Work in Organizations & Communities from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Social Work with a teaching focus from the University of Central Florida. As a member of Southeastern’s Graduate Faculty, she plays an active role in shaping graduate education Southeastern Louisiana University.
Dr. Cicale teaches in the MSW program, offering courses such as Social Work Research Methods and Design, Social Work Policy, Clinical Assessment and Program Evaluation, and Social Work History and Policy. Her pedagogy emphasizes experiential learning, applied research, and competency-based education designed to prepare students for advanced professional practice. Beyond her teaching, she serves as Project Manager for the federally funded Florida Parishes Behavioral Health Workforce Expansion and Training (BHWET) Program (a $2.1 million initiative), and she has co-authored peer-reviewed articles focusing on diversity pedagogy, LGBTQIA+ populations, and empathy in substance use treatment. In addition, she contributed nationally as Program Director for the Council on Social Work Education’s Policy Practice in Field Education Initiative, fostering policy engagement and advocacy skills among social work students.
Dr. Cicale specializes in policy analysis and research that informs the gap between frontline social work practice and policy development. Her research explores the many social issues experienced by the populations served by social workers, including substance use and family violence, and how social workers can positively impact policy creation, advocacy, evaluation, and implementation. She has published on topics including diversity pedagogy, empathy in substance use treatment, and interprofessional collaboration.
