Kali Heyen

Kali Heyen is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Minot State University, teaching at the NDSU program location in Fargo, North Dakota. She is affiliated with the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Criminal Justice at Minot State University.

Education:

• B.S. in Child Development & Family Science from North Dakota State University (2007)
• B.S.W. from Minnesota State University Moorhead (2009)
• M.S.W. from University of North Dakota (2018)

Professor Heyen brings substantial practical experience to her academic role, having spent 12 years working in North Dakota's child welfare system. Her professional background includes work as a case manager and later as a treatment foster care supervisor in the foster care system. She has also served as a parent education instructor for both NDSU Extension and local school districts.

Her primary research and professional interests span a wide range of social work topics, with particular focus on child welfare and childhood trauma. She actively engages with issues related to parenting education, blended family dynamics, and suicide prevention and intervention. Her work extends into broader social contexts including community action, policy and politics, LGBT equality, and criminal justice reform.

As a Licensed Master Social Worker in North Dakota, Professor Heyen integrates her clinical expertise with her academic work to provide students with practical, real-world perspectives on social work practice.