BRISTOL, Tenn., May 8, 2023— Professor Jodi Helbert, Ph.D. was recently chosen as Social Work Educator of the Year by the Tennessee Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Additionally, the NASW named King senior and Social Work major Bethany Patrick of Johnson City, Tennessee, as Social Work Student of the Year for 2023. 

The NASW is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world.

“Dr. Helbert’s recognition is a reflection of her scholarship and heart for service,” said Matt Roberts, Ed.D., provost of King. “We’re very proud of her and of Bethany Patrick’s accomplishments in this field, particularly because as a society, we have never seen more need for the kind of care and support social workers can provide. We are seeing a steady rise in demand for our program as well as our graduates, and it is our hope that this investment will steadily create healthier, more compassionate communities.”

Helbert is the founding coordinator for the Bachelor of Social Work program at King. She has also conducted workshops, delivered presentations, provided in-service education, and published writing on many topics, including trauma-informed systems of care, human behavior, the pathophysiology of the brain in Alzheimer’s disease, as well as death and dying.

She is a Board Certified Diplomat (BCD) in trauma-informed clinical social work and a member of numerous organizations, including the American Academy of Christian Counselors (AACC), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the North American Association of Christians in Social Work (NACSW), the International Consortium of Social Developers (ICSD), International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), and Phi Alpha, and the national Social Work Honor Society.

For more information about King University’s social work programs, click here.