The University of Tennessee College of Social Work (UTCSW) has hired Dr. Tiffany Washington as a new Associate Professor (Health Specialization) for Fall 2024. Washington comes to the UTCSW from the University of Georgia School of Social Work, where she served as an associate professor with tenure. She will begin at UTCSW August 1, 2024.
Born in Connecticut and raised in rural North Carolina, Washington was a first-generation college student, but her mother followed suit by obtaining her nursing degree at the age of 50. After working as a receptionist at a counseling agency her senior year in college, Washington realized that a graduate degree in social work could be her pathway into a mental health career. This was especially significant to her as someone who grew up in a rural county with limited health, mental health, and educational resources.
Washington’s main area of research is health social work. “I am interested in designing behavioral interventions that social workers can implement in their respective healthcare and community-based settings with disadvantaged older adults, family caregivers, and individuals living with chronic conditions,” she explained. “For example, through a health equity lens, my caregiver respite intervention was designed to reach families affected by dementia in their homes, especially those in rural or under-resourced communities. I also focus on implementation barriers and facilitators that impact the uptake of interventions in those settings.”
Looking ahead in her research, Washington and her colleagues have a cluster of papers from their Healthcare Social Workers’ Scope of Practice dataset ready to be expanded. “We’re prepared to build on our findings in a way that advances social work practice in healthcare settings,” she stated. “Additionally, I plan to scale my caregiver respite intervention to include more sites to reach more people.”
UTCSW Dean Lori Messinger is looking forward to Washington joining the college. “I am very excited to welcome Dr. Tiffany Washington as a new Associate Professor in the College,” Messinger said. “She will be an outstanding resource in the university’s partnership with Cherokee Health Services, as well as with other local health and mental health providers. Known for her cutting-edge research on reducing health disparities and improving outcomes in older kidney disease patients and dementia caregivers, Dr. Washington is set to bring a fresh perspective and unparalleled expertise to our exceptional faculty.”