Two-time UTCSW alum Dallas King (BSSW ’17 & MSSW ’18, Trauma certification) works as the Public Defender Social Work (PDSW) Program Director, employed through Tennessee Community Services Agency, TNCSA, contracted with the Public Defender’s Conference.

What is one of your favorite memories from the College of Social Work?

Going back to school as single mother, one of my most favorite memories was having my little boy attend Dr. Bowie’s class with me on some early mornings before I could take him in to preschool. He was barely four years old and called him Dr. Dude. To have faculty and staff truly understand my situation, continually encourage me to succeed, and loving my little boy through it, meant the most to me.

As a non-traditional student every professor, staff member, and classmate made, not only me, but my son feel welcome at every event. We attended a lot of the events with BSWO and MSWO and our entire cohort made him feel like he was a part of the college of social work family.

Can you tell us about your job and what it entails?

I am the Public Defender Social Work (PDSW) Program Director, employed through Tennessee Community Services Agency, TNCSA, contracted with the Public Defender’s Conference. The Public Defender Social Work program is funded through a federal Byrne/JAG grant from the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs. The governor’s office watches this grant closely and with their blessing we have been able to expand and provide the state with more social workers and offices following the client-centered holistic defense model.

The PDSW Program is staffed by master level social workers who have had substantial training geared toward client needs: struggling with substance abuse, untreated mental health concerns, homelessness, unemployment, poverty and life consequences that follow arrests. Forensic Social Workers in the PDSW Program are integrated members of the client’s defense team. My biggest tasks as Program Director are creating and implementing policies and procedures and providing continued training to all social workers, as well as attorney staff to best support this multidisciplinary practice model.

How has what you learned at UTCSW helping you with your job?

Dr. Mindrup and Dr. Dupper made a lasting impression on me on how to best work in an integrated practice setting. I heavily focused on the medical side of that in school, but the principles surrounding the theories we discussed stayed the same when moving over from my medical field placements to law offices with the public defenders. Ethics are always at play, and we follow different ones, but I’m always able to utilize ethical decision-making models to consistently maintain awareness of how to best support staff and clients.

I honestly never thought I would land in a macro position or have anything to do with policy. Dr. Hall tasked me with a project of how I would recreate the Judicial System. Both that project and her entire Diversity class is what drove my continued passion and research into Forensic Social Work. Moreover, Dr. Bowie’s consistent passion about policy made a significant impression on how I advocate for my clients and this program. He encouraged us to reach out to legislators and explained how policies and legislation can either drastically help or hurt you and your client population. I think of his lectures often whether I’m stepping in the capital building in Nashville to speak with legislators about this program or having the opportunity to when they’re in my own back yard at Big Ed’s Pizza.

I was looking online recently and saw Governor Lee’s Bus Campaign Tour and decided to try and stop in and see if I could make positive connections. I could also hear Dr. Bowie’s statements in my mind “They all put their pants on one leg at a time like we do. If you’re passionate and knowledgeable they’ll listen.”  Going was a wonderful success! It felt surreal to have face time in a more intimate setting and talk with Governor Bill Lee, Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally and Speaker of the house Cameron Sexton about Social Work in Public Defense. All three showed genuine interest about our work and population and Speaker Sexton asked me to reach back out after the election to set up a meeting with him to learn more about our program. It was truly delightful and encouraging to see the buy-in and support firsthand from all of them.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I loved my time at UTCSW. I tried to get involved in as many activities as I could, all of which helped shape me into the person and social worker I am today.

Bachelor of Science in Social Work Organization (BSWO)
Co-Professional Development Chair, Fall 2015-Spring 2016
Fundraising Chair, Fall 2016-Spring 2017

Transfer Student Peer Mentoring Program
Peer Mentor, Fall 2016-Spring 2017

Phi Alpha Honors Society
Treasurer, Fall 2016-Spring 2017
President, Fall 2017-Spring 2018