Carla Sofka

Assistant Professor
Social Work Program
Siena College
Social Work House
Loudonville, NY 12211
(518) 786-5046 (Office)
(518) 782-6499 (Fax)
csofka@siena.edu
Office Hours: Mon. & Wed. 3:30-4:30PM;
Friday, 1:30-2:30 PM; Tuesday, 9:00-11:00 AM
or by appointment.

Academic Career

Ph.D. in Social Work (1992); MSW with Concentration in Gerontology, Specialization in Family Therapy (1987).
George Warren Brown School of Social Work,
Washington University, St.Louis

B.S. with Distinction in Psychology (1985)
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Teaching Career

Assistant Professor of Social Work, Siena College (2000-present)

Visiting Professor of Social Work,
George Warren Brown School of Social Work,
Washington University, St.Louis(1999-present)

Visiting Professor of Social Work,
Skidmore College(1998-2000)

Assistant Professor of Social Work, University at Albany
(1993-98)

Courses taught at Siena

SWRK-100: Introduction to Social Welfare and Social Work
SWRK-200: Interpersonal Communication Skills
SWRK-320: Social Work Practice Theory I
SWRK-420 and 430: Basic and Advanced Field Instruction

Practice Areas

Geriatric Social Work
Medical Social Work
Psychiatric Social Work
Hospice
Death, Dying, Grief and loss

Research Interests / Publications

* Reactions to Loss ( including non-death loss situations)
* Community Death Education
* Use of technology in social work education and practice
* Social support "internetworks" (the use of the Web / Internet as a
     resource for social support)
* Cultural reincarnation (the afterlife on earth / continued presence       within popular culture of famous individuals long after their
    deaths)
* Historical & cultural practices / customs related to death, grief,
   and mourning

Professional Passions

Improving loss education for social workers
www.adec.org
Improving the responsiveness of the mental health system to the needs of the consumers with severe and persistent mental illness who are grieving
Enhancing partnerships between human service providers and the media
Enhancing student appreciation for macro social work practice and political issues

Favorite Stuff

Family:
Mike
Gwyn
Daisy

Adventures of a "Thanatic" (thanatology fanatic)

Collecting cartoons related to aging, death, and grief.
Collecting mourning jewelry and other artifacts
Are you also a cemetery buff?
* The Tombstone Tourist: http://www.teleport.com/~stanton/
* Association of Gravestone Studies: http://www.gravestonestudies.org/

* Geza's grave site in Eger, Hungary

PLEASE BE PATIENT - loading the picture!

Death clock: Want to confront your mortality?

Music

Dulcimer
Wanted: To start a madrigal group at Siena
Singing with Gwyn