Dr. Patricia Fletcher

Patricia Fletcher, LCSW, Ph.D.

  • MSW On-Campus Program Director
  • Associate Professor

Affiliated Programs

Education

  • MSW, Social Work (1994)
    Widener University (PA)
  • Ph.D. Social Work 2019

About Me

I have enjoyed a long affiliation with Widener University and the Center for Social Work Education. I completed undergraduate degrees at Widener in both psychology and social work and went on to earn my MSW degree in 1994 and my Ph.D. in 2019. I joined the faculty part-time in 2004 and full-time in 2006 when I was appointed the Assistant Director of Field Education. I served as the Director of Field Education until 2019 when I transitioned to the Director of the MSW Campus Program.

In my administrative role of program director, I am privileged to support all of our graduate students in their quest to earn an MSW.  I am aware of the many stressors that students face during the educational process and I make every effort to be supportive of students yet have high expectations for them academically and in the field.  I am student centered in my approach to education and I value and appreciate the transformative impact of a social work education.

As a teacher, I work with students to learn to integrate theoretical knowledge from the classroom to their work with clients in the field. I am committed to helping students develop a wide range of skills as well as the capacity to reflect critically on their work and utilize supervision in order to competently engage in direct practice. My teaching responsibilities at the graduate level include Generalist Social Work Practice and Field Seminar/ Liaison, Clinical Social Work Practice, and Clinical Supervision.

I have worked in many capacities in the field, most extensively in hospice work and in child and adolescent mental health. I currently maintain a small private clinical practice and my areas of specialty include working with adolescents and young adults, families, women in transition, and older adults.

Research Interests

My research interests are currently focused on field education and the ethical decision-making models that field directors use when placing students. I am also investigating the differences in field experiences of online and on-site social work students and field instructors.

Media Expertise

  • Social work careers
  • Social work field issues

Publications

  • Buck, P., Fletcher, P., and Bradley, J. (2016).  Decision making in social work: A good  enough framework.  Social Work Education, 35(4), 402-413. 

  • Buck, P., Bradley, J., & Fletcher, P. (2013). Reports from field directors: Seeking the "good enough" balance. Paper Presented at the Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Dallas, TX.

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD), NASW