The National Catholic School of Social Service

 

Michael J. Sheridan, Ph.D., M.S.W.

Visiting Scholar and Director of Research, Center for Spirituality and Social Work

 

Phone:  202 319 6549

Email:  sheridam@cua.edu

 

Education:

Ph.D., Social Policy and Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University

M.S.W., Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University

B.S., Social Welfare, Virginia Commonwealth University

 

Biographical Information:

Dr. Sheridan has over 16 years of experience as a social work practitioner and administrator in health, mental health, juvenile and criminal justice, and family service settings. She has been a social work educator for 19 years, teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Northern Iowa prior to coming to Catholic University.   She has taught courses in social work practice, theories of human behavior, research methods and statistics, social justice, diversity and oppressed groups, spirituality and social work practice, international social development, field practicum, and directed research and served as the director, methodologist or member of numerous doctoral dissertations and master’s theses.  She is currently teaching courses at NCSSS in human behavior, diversity, international social development, and transpersonal theory.  Dr. Sheridan received VCU’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2001.

 

Dr. Sheridan’s scholarship includes both empirical and theoretical writings in the areas of spirituality and social work, families and substance abuse, child abuse/neglect and other trauma, the needs and experiences of incarcerated persons, social work education, research methodology, and homelessness and mental illness.  Her publications include over 50 refereed journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, research reports, and published curriculum materials and she has made over 100 refereed and invited presentations at international, national, state, and local conferences or universities.  In addition, Dr. Sheridan has developed several survey instruments and measurement tools in the area of spirituality, which have been used by a number of researchers both nationally and internationally. Professional service includes leadership roles at the School, University, community, and national levels, including service to the Council on Social Work Education, the National Association of Social Workers, the Society for Spirituality and Social Work, and editorial service for 13 different scholarly journals and publishers. 

 

Selected Publications:

 

Sheridan, M. J.  (2008). The spiritual person.  In E. D. Hutchison’s (Ed.), Dimensions of human

      behavior: Person and environment (3^rd ed.) (pp. 183-224). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 

Kvarfordt, C. L., & Sheridan, M. J. (2007). The role of religion and spirituality in working with

      children and adolescents: Results of a national survey. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in

      Social Work: 26(3), 1-23.

 

Sheridan, M.J. (2004).  Predicting the use of spiritually-derived interventions in social work

      practice: A survey of practitioners.  Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work:

      Social Thought, 23(4), 5-25.