Curriculum Vitae
Biography
Barbara Kitko obtained her MSW and BSSW from the University of North Dakota. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor and currently serves as the Director of the BSSW Program. She has 28 years of social work practice experience and has been teaching at the University of North Dakota since Fall 2014. Barbara began her career at Region IV Children’s Services Coordination Committee, (Families First) holding numerous positions from case manager, direct services supervisor, and in the role of director. Her work history also includes hospital social work, intensive in-home practice, advocacy at a regional and state level and eighteen years as a school social worker for Grand Forks Public Schools.
Professor Kitko teaches across both the graduate and undergraduate programs. She is the lead instructor for: SWK 424: Generalist Practice with Individuals & Families and SWK 503: Generalist Practice with Individuals. In the last two years, she has been involved in developing two new electives: Clinical Assessment and Trauma-Informed Care. Over the years Barbara has served as a field instructor to a plethora of BSSW and MSW students.
Professional areas of interest include child welfare, children’s mental health, adverse childhood experiences, trauma-informed practice, ethical practice, and professional identity formation.
Barbara is married and has three adult daughters and three grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, being in nature, walking, biking, and traveling.
SWK 318: Mental Health and Social Work
SWK 397: Cooperative Education
SWK 424: Generalist Practice with Individuals & Families
SWK 434: Generalist Practice with Task and Treatment Groups
SWK 482: Generalist Field Education Seminar I
SWK 484: Generalist Field Education Seminar II
SWK 493A: Trauma Informed Care
SWK 493: Clinical Assessments
SWK 503: Advanced Generalist Practice with Individuals
SWK 504: Advanced Generalist Practice with Task and Treatment Groups
SWK 533: Advanced Generalist Practice with Families
SWK 536: Advanced Generalist Practice with Organization
SWK 560: Children’s Mental Health
SWK 560: School Social Work
SWK 560: Diversity, Oppression & Change
SWK 581: Advanced Generalist Field Education Seminar I
SWK 583: Advanced Generalist Field Education Seminar II
SWK 997: Independent Study,
School Social Work
Children and Family Mental Health
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Trauma and Resilience
Ethics in Social Work Practice
Professional Identity Formation
Holistic Social Work
2021 Presenter Interagency Forum – Ethical Responsibilities, Values, Principles and Standards in Practice:
With Nicole Fontaine-Vonesh, MSW, LMSW
2018 - Presenter National Child Welfare Workforce Institute Annual Meeting
2017 - Presenter UND Children & Family Services Conference - Ethics Training - Ethics In Social Work: It's all Gray
With Stephanie Homstad, MSW, LMSW
2017 - Presenter – Teaching with Technology - Using Technology to Enhance Student Engagement
2016 - Presenter Wellness Summit for the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation - Qualities of Healthy Families
2016 - Presenter – Tribal Health Care Workers - Case Management Training, Community Health Representative”
With Dr. Melanie Sage, PhD, LCSW
North Dakota Licensed Master Social Worker
Nominated for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, September 2023
Recognized for an initiative ‘The GRADitude Project’, Vice President for Student Affairs, UND, Grand Forks, USA, Fall 2022
Summer 2022 DEI Inclusive Excellence and Diversity Workshop
A Framework for Understanding Poverty-Train the Trainer certification,
Wrap-Around Certification
Play Therapy training (Summer 2015 - 2018)
Family Therapy Training
Child Welfare Certification
Reality Therapy - Basic Week,
Council Lodge Trainer: The Case Management Model
1988 - Bachelor's of Science in Social Work - University of North Dakota
2002 - Master's of Social Work - University of North Dakota
See Vita