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Vania Buck

Vania Buck (She/Her/Ella)

Research Associate

vania.buck@du.edu

Specialization(s)

child welfare

Professional Biography

Vania is a research associate at Butler and is supporting the evaluation work of the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI). Prior to joining the team, Vania was a bilingual social worker for a child welfare agency in California after graduating from CSU, Chico, in 2021. She has extensive professional experience working with diverse populations and with children and youth in foster care. Most recently, Vania continues to engage in research pertaining to supporting and developing bilingual/bicultural social workers in the child welfare workforce. Vania shares her research through published articles, conferences, workshops and presentations to child welfare agencies and hopes her innovative research findings will bring awareness of the further support and professional development needs of bilingual social workers. Additionally, Vania is the creator of a pilot course titled, "Bilingual Social Work in Child Welfare" at CSU, Chico, to support both undergraduate and graduate students who are preparing to enter the child welfare workforce as bilinguals. 

Degree(s)

San Diego State University, BA in Psychology California State University, Chico, MSW

Licensure / Accreditations

MSW

Research

Pilot Program – Bilingual Social Work in Child Welfare (SWRK 498): Pilot Research Study developed as a course to evaluate if the course increased social work graduate students’ confidence in being bilingual in English and Spanish. Course has four elements including Training & Workshops, Practice Space, Bilingual Certification Prep, and Resource Development that students can utilize in their current graduate program, practicum, and future employment in child welfare. Funded by CSU, Chico’s Title IV-E program (2012-2023)

Featured Publications

  1. Buck, V. Nuestras Experiencias Bilingues: Fending for Ourselves in Child Welfare. Adelante: A Journal of Student Research and Creative Work a graduate peer-reviewed student journal at CSU, Chico.
  2. Buck, V. (2022). Bilinguals Serving Latinx Families in Child Welfare. Child Welfare, 100(4).

Performances

  1. Presentation: Findings – Nuestras Experiencias Bilingues: Fending for Ourselves in Child Welfare. Marin County Children and Family Services Bilingual Work Group (August 2021).
  2. Oral Paper Converted to Poster: Impact of Bilingual Social Workers Who Are Not Bicultural in Child Welfare. Presented at the 26th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR; January 16 – 22, 2022)
  3. Panelist Guest – Workforce: How Does Our Workforce Need to Change? Panelist for Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) 2022 Virtual Conference (November 2, 2022).
  4. Presentation: Child Welfare – Emergency Response Simulation Training: Practical training to undergraduate and graduate students at California State University, Chico Title IV-E’s Summer Institute (August 18, 2022).

Awards

CalSWEC and NASW-CA Image Council Infographic Contest Award 2019-2020