The psychosocial perspective serves as the primary guide in shaping the human behavior in the social environment (HBSE) curriculum.
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Courses focus on bodies of knowledge and theory that help to explain the intimate and extended contexts that shape human development and experience, explore the inner lives and psychological functioning of children and adults and explain the complex interactions between person and context.
Content on individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, culture, social structure and political and economic forces—as well as on the relationships among various groupings—is all an integral part of the HBSE curriculum.
Sequence Coordinators and Faculty
Sarah Harper, M.S.W.
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Sarah Harper (she/her) is an infant and early childhood mental health consultant and supervisor at Community Action Pioneer Valley’s Head Start & Early Learning…
Shveta Kumaria, M.A., Ph.D., LCSW
Assistant Professor | Practicum Seminar Instructor
Shveta Kumaria is an assistant professor in the School for Social Work. Kumaria’s research interests lie in psychotherapy research, more specifically therapist…
Brandyn-Dior McKinley, M.S.W., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Brandyn-Dior McKinley, M.S.W., Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the School for Social Work at Smith College. As an interdisciplinary family scholar, McKinley…
Peggy O'Neill, Ph.D., LICSW, LCSW
Interim Dean | Associate Professor | Presenter, Deepening Clinical Practice
Peggy O’Neill, Ph.D., is the interim dean and an associate professor at the Smith College School for Social Work (SSW). A dedicated educator, administrator, and…