Professor Han, an Active Leader in Advancing International Exchanges in Social Work

Dr. In Young Han, a Professor of Social Work at Ewha Womans University, has a multifaceted career spanning the international, clinical practice, and academic arenas. Professor Han has been very active in representing Korea in the international community of social work education. She is the only professor in Korea serving on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Schools of Social Work, as well as the Asia Pacific Association for Schools of Social Work. Dr. Han is nominated as Conference Chairperson for the Global Social Work conference planned to be held in Seoul in 2016. Her involvement in the international arena goes beyond the board membership with such associations. She has actively interacted with the world-class scholars and social work practitioners and has shown a strong leadership in social work education in developing countries. Her commitment in social work education in developing countries has shaped the main agenda of the government funded multi-year Brain Korea (BK) project carried out by the social work department at Ewha. This effort, in turn, successfully led to a social work master’s program at the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia, launched by the Ewha faculty from the social work department.       

   
As a licensed clinical social worker in the United States, she gained multiple years of direct clinical practice experience before joining Ewha in 1995. Her robust experience in clinical practice informs her teaching. Based on her professional practice experience, she developed a unique method in social work direct practice pedagogy. Students have continuously expressed satisfaction with her teaching method, and her unique pedagogy has contributed to the enhancement of the professional capacity of the young social workers in the field.

She has tirelessly conducted research over the last 20 years. Her research, also informed by her clinical practice experience, extends to cover marginalized yet important population. Her major contribution in social work research is with the victims of child sexual abuse. She has carried out multiple studies on child sexual abuse, and major studies include three-year-long studies of “Prevalence and Process of Child Sexual Abuse” (2005-2007) and “Family Dynamics of Sexually Abused Children” (2012-2014), both funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea. Her research commitment towards the victims of child sexual abuse led to a research on the development of a treatment model, “Child Sex Abuse Victim Treatment Model” funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (2007-2008). Her research extends over to offenders as well. She has conducted research on sex abuse offenders through studies such as, “Sex Abuse Offender Community Rehabilitation Program” (2008), and “Characteristics of Sex Abuse Perpetrators” (2009) both funded by the Ministry of Justice. Her research agenda also includes general child abuse offenders through a study “Child Abuse offender Treatment Program Development” funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (2008-2009).   

Dr. Han has also contributed to advancing health care service provision to marginalized cancer patients. Her study on “The Development of Patient Navigator Program to Reduce Disparities in Cancer Care” funded by the National Cancer Center (2011-2014) is the very first cancer patient navigator program in Korea designed to be culturally relevant to Korean patients.

 Professor Han’s contribution and influence extends to the national policy level as well. She served on the National Advisory Council on the Social Security System, provided numerous consulting, and carried out various government funded projects. She also provided a strong leadership in the academic development of the social work field by serving as the President of the Korean Academy of Social Work and the Korean Academy of Family Social Work, and the Vice President of the Korean Society for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. She has successfully produced future leaders in the academia and in the clinical social work practice field. Her students are expected to carry on Dr. Han’s endless commitment in the international, clinical practice, and academic arenas.

E-mail: yhan@ewha.ac.kr    Homepage: http://home.ewha.ac.kr/~yhan/