معرفی
Rebecca Stephens serves as Associate Professor in Social Work and Social Care at the University of Sussex within the School of Education and Social Work and Department of Social Work and Social Care. With nearly 30 years of professional experience spanning Australia and the UK, she specializes in mental health, disability, domestic abuse, and veterinary social work contexts across hospital and community settings.
Her academic credentials include:
- BA Social Work, University of Queensland, Australia (1995)
- MA in Professional Education & Training in Human Services, Kingston University, London (2007)
- Advanced Award in Social Work, Kingston University (2006)
- Practice Teaching Award in Social Work, Kingston University (2003)
- Post Graduate in Veterinary Social Work, University of Tennessee at Knoxville (2024)
Stephens pioneered Veterinary Social Work in the UK, focusing on intentional wellness, the human-animal violence link, pet bereavement, and animal-assisted interventions. Her research drives interdisciplinary partnerships between social work, veterinary medicine, and animal welfare sectors to transform curriculum development and practice standards. She currently conducts PhD research exploring collaborative frameworks between social workers and veterinarians for safeguarding humans and animals.
Analysis of her 15 publications (2020-2025) reveals a strategic evolution from foundational concepts toward practical implementation models, with growing emphasis on supervision frameworks, domestic abuse contexts, and institutional integration of veterinary social work. This trajectory demonstrates her role in establishing evidence-based standards for this emerging discipline globally.
Her accolades include:
- International Association of Veterinary Social Workers Member of the Year (2024)
- Student Led Teaching Award for Outstanding Support for Learning, University of Sussex (2017)
- University Teaching Award for Most Inspiring Tutor, Bucks New University (2016)
- South-West London NHS Excellence Award for Staff Development (2006)
As Course Leader for the Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work (Step Up) and Practice Education courses, plus Admissions Lead for her department, Stephens has received multiple Sussex Spirit Education Award nominations. Her professional collaborations include co-developing the PETS supervision model with Amovita International and delivering training with The Links Group UK on human-animal dynamics in domestic abuse cases.
She directs educational initiatives for the International Association of Veterinary Social Workers while building the National HEI Step Up Course Leaders Network, driving international standardization of veterinary social work education and practice through her leadership in interdisciplinary knowledge exchange.
