Assistant Professor

Andrew Repp, MSW, PhD

Andrew I. Repp, Ph.D., MSW is a professor of Social Work in the College of Health and Human Services. With a PhD from University of Illinois-Chicago, Repp has research interests in veteran-specific macro social work practice. Dr. Repp teaches core courses in the MSW program. His specialty is in macro practice social work with military, veterans, and their families.

Contact Us

Contact Andrew Repp for information on Social Work

North Davenport Education Center 10

563-333-3917

ReppAndrew@sau.edu

Education and Training

PhD, MSW, University of Illinois-Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Work
BSW, Aurora University, Aurora, Ill., School of Social Work
AA, McHenry County College, Crystal Lake, Ill.

Areas of Professional Interest

Structural barriers to veterans' federal, state, and local benefits access and utilization
Social welfare history and policy
Critical social work pedagogy

Recent Publications

Repp, A. I., Watson, A.C., Burns, J., & Jones, L. (2019). The West Side Community Outreach Pilot Project: A mental health outreach initiative in urban communities of color. Social Work in Mental Health, 17(6), 662-681. doi:10.1080/15332985.2019.1625477
Repp, A. I., & Geiger, J. M. (2018). Invisible parents: Foster home licensing transparency on state-level websites. Child Welfare, 96(4), 1-21.
Repp, A. I. (2015). Book review [Review of the book Poverty in America: A Handbook, by J. Iceland]. Journal of Community Practice, 23(3-4), 529-531. doi:10.1080/10705422.2015.1096185

Courses Taught

Diversity and Social Policy

This course provides students with knowledge and theory on groups, communities, society and the global community in the context of social policy. Students will explore identity development and theories of diversity and how these influence behavior of individuals, reactions of outgroup members, and alleviate misconceptions and stereotypes about vulnerable populations. Students will learn where they are individually in their development and the impact of identity development on behavior and group cohesion. Students will learn to identify oppressive practices in organizational policies and practices and be provided techniques to reduce or eliminate these policies and practices to decrease the negative impact on marginalized groups. The course also features application of an analytical framework to critically study and analyze current public policy issues and legislation that affects various fields of practice in the social services delivery system. Focuses on the role of the social worker as policy practitioner of social policy development, implementation and analysis. In addition to public policy analysis, students will be introduced to the role of the social worker as policy practitioner for social policy development. Topical contemporary issues on the social welfare policy agenda will be examined in this course for the harmony (or disharmony) with the values of the social work profession and their impact on population groups who are socially, politically and economically vulnerable.

Generalist Practice II

Consistent with empowerment-based practice, this course includes extensive content on creating empowering alliances through the effective work with groups. Students will survey the uses of groups in social work, critically analyze theories of group functioning, apply frameworks for observing and analyzing group phenomena, and examine member diversity as a resource for group effectiveness. Through in-class and community-based experiences, students will develop skills to interact with groups purposefully and ethically both as members and leaders. Specifically, they will practice skills to facilitate effective meetings, to encourage teaming, to foster group creativity, and to manage conflict and controversy. This course also emphasizes social justice by exploring change strategies that target organizations, communities, service delivery systems, social and economic policies, and political structures. Through readings and class discussions, students will work to create a vision of a just society and articulate what larger system changes would be necessary to actuate this vision. Students will survey community development strategies, policy development, social activism, and legislative advocacy as essential social work methods to effect these changes.

Military Social Work

This elective provides context for social work practice with military service members, veterans and their families. It explores contemporary policy and practice issues with a particular sensitivity to the influence of military service on historically marginalized populations. It considers the myriad ways in which political discourses surrounding the citizen-soldier construct have inequitably affected diverse populations along the lines of age, class, race/ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ability. Micro, mezzo, and macro interventions will be explored through strengths-based and empowerment-focused lenses.

Human Behavior Theories

Learn about the multiple factors which affect human biological growth, personality development, and behavior. Focus on interactions between the developing person, their family, and the social systems in which that lifelong development takes place. Study human development within the context of those biological, psychological, and socio-cultural systems which affect, and are affected by, human beings. Incorporated into this content is current knowledge related to ethnic minorities and oppressed groups. In connection with such course content, attention is also focused on differences in values and identities, and the issues that they generate for the understanding of human development, and for the role of the social work practitioner.

Field Instruction

Field instruction takes place on a weekly basis in community agency settings over both fall and spring semesters for a total of 400 hours; 200 in the fall, 200 in the spring. The generalist foundation field practicum experiences place emphasis on the application of skills for generalist social work practice in an agency setting. This practicum prepares students for generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Field seminar meets both on ground and online according to the course schedule.

Andrew Repp, MSW, PhD

Contact Us

Education and Training

Areas of Professional Interest

Recent Publications

Courses Taught

Professional Services

Professional Memberships

Honors and Awards