Michelle Fernandes is a Lecturer and Faculty Liaison in the Department of Social Work. She teaches courses in Social Work Practice and Field Instruction. Mrs. Fernandes earned her MSW from San Diego State University with a concentration in Mental Health and her BSW from Whittier College with an emphasis in Public Child Welfare. She is a California state licensed clinical social worker with 18 years of clinical experience serving children, youth and families in various non-profit mental health settings, with special focus on trauma. Mrs. Fernandes practiced for many years at a Los Angeles-based, non-profit agency providing outpatient mental health treatment to court mandated families and children who were victims of crime. There she was the lead clinician for Family Preservation cases, as well as a Student Field Instructor. Later she served as a special consultant to a Los Angeles-based domestic violence shelter. There she developed and managed a mental health program for women and children. She also provided mental health services as well as clinical supervision/ training to staff and student interns. This experience lead Mrs. Fernandes to California State University, Fullerton helping to develop and implement the community-based programs at the newly established CSUF, Center for Healthy Neighborhoods. There she served as Director of Program and Services and Student Field Instructor before she became a full-time lecturer for the Department.  Her previous teaching experience included work as an adjunct faculty at Whittier College.

 

Courses Taught:

• MSW 510: Social Work Practice I
• MSW 511: Social Work Practice II
• MSW 540: Social Work Field Instruction I
• MSW 541: Social Work Field Instruction II
• MSW 542: Advanced Social Work Field Instruction I
• MSW 543: Advanced Social Work Field Instruction II