Profile

    In 2005, Dr. Jen Clements joined the Shippensburg Social Work Department after many years of practice as a clinical social worker in Baltimore, Maryland.  Currently, she is licensed as a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Pennsylvania.  Outside of that, she recently became a Level 1 Certified Trauma Specialist (CTS).  Previously, she was also certified as an Art Therapist.  While she is not certified currently, it is still a large part of her work; both clinical work and research. 

    Dr. Clements has over 10 years of practice experience working with children and families. Many of those years were spent in the child welfare system in Maryland.   As a previous child welfare worker, she has become very interested in burnout and stress.  Dr. Clements was able take a different look at it recently with interviews of long-term (10+ years of practice) child welfare workers, trying to figure out how people stayed rather than why they left.  These qualitative interviews were very interesting.  The major themes that came up were use of supervision and a STRONG belief in families.  She is working on the publication currently.

    Her new research surrounds developing an art therapy protocol that can be used with children at risk or diagnosed with various attachment disorders.  Dr. Clements is working on testing this method with some children at a Residential Treatment facility currently and during the Spring/Summer 2013 she will be working with children in orphanages in Albania, India and Rwanda.

    Dr. Clements also has a great passion for social group work. She has been serving on the Board of the International Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups (AASWG, Inc.) since 2007. She has facilitated numer­ous mutual aid groups with children through older adults on topics such as anger manage­ment, grief and loss, parenting and dealing with trauma. 

    Dr. Clements is also a passionate advocate for the LGBT community. She is currently the Chair of the GLBT Concerns Committee at Shippensburg, faculty co-advisor to SALE (Students Advocating for LGBTQI Equality) and coordinator for the Silent Witness Program. More recently, she has started volunteering with a local branch of Common Roads which is a youth center for GLBTQIA individuals.  For more information about any of these events, please go to www.ship.edu/lgbtq/lgbtq-home/ and find out more or email Dr. Clements to get involved.

    “When I started at University of Maryland I was not a social work major.  I had never heard of social work before and was in a major that I hoped would get me a job and was not thinking about a career.  I took a volunteer job at a domestic violence shelter and the director had a BSW degree.  I loved what she did for a job and loved working with the families at the shelter.  I went in to the social work department at UMBC and had a heart to heart with the Dean.  I changed my major that day and have never regretted it!!” 

Courses

• SWK 250: Assessing Individuals in the Social Environment
• SWK 265: Understanding Diversity for Social Work Practice
• SWK 270: Social Work Practice with Individuals
• SWK 275: Social Work Practice with Groups
• SWK 327: Social Work Practice with Families
• SWK 352: Special Fields of Social Work: Child Welfare
• SWK 359: Special Fields of Social Work: Violence in Interpersonal Relationships
• SWK 388: Preparation for Practicum
• SWK 389: Seminar in Social Work Methods
• SWK 391: Field Work in Social Work
• SWK 521: Foundation Macro Social Work Practice
• SWK 531: Foundation Field Practicum II
• SWK 601: Integrative Seminar
• SWK 609: Introduction to Art Therapy
• SWK 620: Advanced Micro/Mezzo Social Work Practice
• SWK 630: Advanced Field Practicum I
• SWK 631: Advanced Field Practicum II
• SWK 640: Selected Topics: Grief and Loss
• GRN 301: Gerontology Internship I
• 393: Honors Seminar: Societal and Ethical Implications of Genetics

Publications

Clements, J.A. (2013). ACTivities for group work with adolescents by Ciardiello, S. and Family ties: A family-based intervention to complement prepare, ART, and TIES youth groups by Calame, R. & Parker, K. - Invited Book Review. Social Work with groups, 36 (1-3).

Grobman, L.M. & Clements, J. (2013). Riding the mutual aid bus and other adventures in group work: A "days in the lives of social workers collection. Harrisburg, Pa: White Hat Communications.

Clements, J.A. & Benbow, S. R. (2012). More than just ice breakers:  Teaching social work students to effectively use activity in the group. In Bergart, Simon & Doel (Eds.) Group Work: Honoring our Roots, Nurturing our Growth. Forest Hill, London: Whiting and Birch Publishers.

Clements, J.A. & Minnick, D.J. (2012). "But I'm Too Stressed to Learn About Groups!:" Using Stress-Management Groups to Teach Group Work Skills. Social Work with Groups, 35(4), 330-344.

Clements, J.A. (2011). Developing Practice Competencies: A Foundation for Generalist Practice: Feature Review. Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, 16 (2).

Bourassa, D.B. & Clements, J.A. (2010). Supporting ourselves: Groupwork interventions for compassion fatigue. Groupwork, 20(2), 7-23.

Clements, J.A. (2009). Encyclopedia of Social Work with Groups: Book Review. Social Work with Groups, 32 (4).

Bergsten,  S. & Clements, J.A. (2008). A Context for Genetics: The Value of Interdisciplinary Courses. The Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science.

Stone, L.J. & Clements, J.A. (2009). The Effects of Nursing Home Placement on the Perceived Levels of Caregiver of Burden. Journal of Gerontological Social Work.

Clements, J.A. (2008). Social Work Students' Perceived Knowledge of and Preparation for Group Work Practice. Social Work with Groups, 31 (3-4).

Rosenburg, J., Bell, W. & Clements, J.A. (2007). Social Work with Child Welfare. In J. Rosenburg (Ed.), Working in Social Work: The Real World Guide to Practice Settings. New York, NY: Routledge Press.

Clements, J.A. (2007). Tapping into the Creative Side: Art Therapy with Older Adults. In L.M. Grobman & D. Bergel Bourassa (Eds.), Days in the Lives of Gerontological Social Workers. Harrisburg, PA: White Hat Communications.

Clements, J.A. (2007, September). But, I'm too old to draw. Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups. http://theaaswgblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/but-im-too-old-to-draw.html

Clements, J.A. & Clements, P.A. (2007). Making Friends with the Imposter. The New Social Worker, 14(4).

Clements, J.A. & Rosenwald, M.A. (2006-2007). Foster Parents' Perspectives on Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth in the Child Welfare System. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 19(1).

Cassel, N., Vastardis, A., Pilsitz, L., Lebo, H., Griffie, M., Mattern, D., et al. (2006, Spring). Macro Practice: Learning through Planning a Community Event. ACOSA Update.

Deal, K.H. & Clements, J. (2006). Supervising Students Developmentally: Evaluating a Seminar for New Field Instructors. Journal of Social Work Education, 42.

Professional Interest

• Art Therapy
• Social Group Work
• LGBT Issues
• Child Welfare Practice
• Understanding Attachment
• Bereavement, Grief, and Loss
• Advocacy and Social Activism