Department of Social Work

The Department of Social Work is nationally and internationally recognized school of social work. It offers bachelor and master studies in social work. Master in Social Work programs was the first one in Lithuania (launched in 1992) provides high quality studies for advanced generalist social work practice. Programs are constantly being developed in cooperation with different European universities and continuing collaboration with social work school in USA. Teaching staff’s competencies in social work research, group social work, supervision in social work, family social work and community social work provides the programs exceptional framework. The main objectives of the Department of Social Work is the development of social work as an academic discipline, field of research and practice for seeking human rights and social justice in multicultural society.

The main scientific research areas of the Department are as follows:

• social work with the family,
• social work in child welfare,
  gerontological social work
• disability and human rights,
• human resources management in social work organizations and supervision,
• the status and professional identity of social workers;

• Empowering community based social services.

Assoc. Prof. Dr.  RASA NAUJANIENĖ

e-mail: rasa.naujaniene@vdu.lt

Research interests: child and family welfare research, gerontological social work, development of social service organizations and human resources, social work supervision.

SONDRA SAPIEGIENĖ

e-mail: sondra.sapiegiene@vdu.lt

Tel. +370 37 327 847

Prof. dr. JONAS RUŠKUS

e-mail: jonas.ruskus@vdu.lt

Research interests: disability studies and human rights, social inclusion and the development of educational enabling environments, participatory action research methodology and practice.

Prof. dr. NATALIJA MAŽEIKIENĖ

e-mail: natalija.mazeikiene@vdu.lt

Research interests: gender in social work, feminist and critical social work, theories of social work, international and intercultural social work, application of qualitative research methods (autobiographical research, autoethnography, narrative inquiry, grounded theory) in social work.

Assoc. Prof. dr. JORŪNĖ VYŠNIAUSKYTĖ RIMKIENĖ

e-mail: jorune.vysniauskyte-rimkiene@vdu.lt

Research interests: social work in education and care system, social skills training technologies and research, social work with groups, families and youth, professional training of social workers.

Assoc. Prof. dr. DŽIUGAS DVARIONAS

e-mail:  dziugas.dvarionas@vdu.lt

Research interests: social welfare, social policy, child and family welfare, development of community-based social services, social economy and civil society, social entrepreneurship and community-based social work management.

Lecturer Dr. GEDAS MALINAUSKAS

e-mail: gedas.malinauskas@vdu.lt

Research interests: family members’ experiences in the migration process, reconstruction of experiences using narrative methodology, integration and empowerment of people with disabilities (community-based social services for people with disabilities).

Lecturer Dr. JULIJA EIDUKEVIČIŪTĖ

e-mail: julija.eidukeviciute@vdu.lt

Research interests: social work students’ educational practice, child and family welfare research, child protection, child custody, child’s voice in the child protection system, social work supervision, social worker’s professional identity.

Lecturer Dr. LINA DANUSEVIČIENĖ

e-mail: lina.danuseviciene@vdu.lt

Research interests: integration of social and health services, social gerontology, long-term care, patient centered health care, creativity and design thinking service development, supervision, interprofessional relations in an organizational context.

Lecturer Dr. DOVILĖ JANKŪNAITĖ

e-mail: dovile.jankunaite@vdu.lt

Research interests: social gerontology, gerontological social work, social work in health care, mental health, formal and informal care for people with dementia, ageing and social identity.

Lecturer Dr. ROBERTA MOTIEČIENĖ

e-mail: roberta.motieciene@vdu.lt

Research interests: research on the analysis of psychosocial factors in social institutions; research on the practice of social work with families; research in the field of social services.

Lecturer. LINA BARTUSEVIČIENĖ

 lina.bartuseviciene@vdu.lt

Research interests: research on the need for supervision, options for family crisis support

Research interests: gender studies, feminist philosophy, post-socialist societies, political anthropology, decolonial studies and collaborative research.

Read more about the professor here:

https://www.vdu.lt/en/person/katherine-tyson-mccrea-2/