Sarah Verreyken

Sarah Verreyken serves as Lecturer and researcher in the Bachelor's program in Special Education at AP University College Antwerp. With extensive frontline experience as residential group counselor, context counselor, and youth care coach, she combines practical sector knowledge with specialized training in Lean methodology for organizational change and integrative psychotherapy.

Her research program targets critical challenges in modern social services through three flagship projects:

• AI4Care (2024-2026): Investigating generative AI implementations to enhance youth care worker effectiveness
• COZI project (2022-2024): Developing agile frameworks for humanitarian aid organizations to build workforce resilience
• CoCo - Connecting the Context (2018-2022): Creating contextual work models for culturally diverse residential youth care settings

Operating from an integrative and collaborative perspective, her work bridges theoretical research with practical applications in inclusion strategies and organizational transformation within the social sector.

As a lecturer, she mentors Special Education students while conducting research through the Knowledge Center People and Society, focusing on actionable solutions for contemporary care provider challenges.