Overview
The Central Oregon MSW Option campus is located at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Oregon. Bend is renowned for its natural beauty and abundant outdoor recreational activities. Located in Oregon's high desert country, it is also known for its sunshine and winter skiing and snowboarding. Bend is the state's seventh largest city, combining the amenities of city living with clean air and easy access to rivers, lakes and forests.
The Central Oregon Option is three years in duration, with classes held all three years on Fridays from 9 am to 5 pm. Years two and three add two additional days of practicum in one of the area's many social service agencies. All students receive direct supervision during their practicum education by a qualified social worker. The primary counties that students in the Bend cohort come from are Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. There have also been students from Klamath, Lake, Harney, Hood and Wasco counties. Thus, the Bend site serves Central and Eastern Oregon for the most part.
The Central Oregon area is fortunate to have a relatively large and diverse group of social service agencies. The social work program in Bend has a longstanding relationship with the majority of these agencies as practicum sites and new ones regularly become available as the community works to address the needs of an expanding and more diverse population. Virtually every social work field of practice is represented in this area but what stands out is the prevalence of medical facilities including a growing number of integrated primary care/behavioral health practice opportunities. The site also partners with state and county social services including but not limited to the Department of Human Services Child Welfare division, Deschutes County Health Department, and Juvenile Department.
Students in the MSW Central Oregon Option study the Advanced Clinical Practice concentration and follow a prescribed course sequence outlined in the Distance Course Map.
Learn about CLIN »
Admissions
The next Central Oregon cohort will begin in Fall 2026. Application materials will be made available in September 2025.
Curriculum
Students complete 78 credits. The curriculum consists of 36 credits of generalist (foundation) courses, 24 credits of advanced courses, and 18 credits of electives. Below is a sample course map only. Current students should follow the most up-to-date course map located in the student webcenter.
Year One (18 Credits)
| Fall (6 credits) | Winter (6 credits) | Spring (6 credits) |
|---|
| SW 539 Social Justice in Social Work (3 credits) | SW 520 Social Welfare History and Policy (3 credits) | SW 532 Advocacy and Empowerment (3 credits) |
| SW 541 Societal, Community and Organizational Structures and Processes (3 credits) | SW 550 Introduction to Social Work Research (3 credits) | SW 590 Advanced Research - online (3 credits) |
Year Two (30 Credits)
| Fall (10 credits) | Winter (10 credits) | Spring (10 credits) |
|---|
| SW 530 SW Practice with Individuals and Families I (3 credits) | SW 531 SW Practice with Individuals and Families II (3 credits) | SW 515 Skills for the Helping Process – Groups (3 credits) |
| Elective – online (3 credits) | Elective – online (3 credits) | Elective – online (3 credits) |
| SW 511 Practicum and Seminar (4 credits ) | SW 511 Practicum and Seminar (4 credits ) | SW 511 Practicum and Seminar (4 credits ) |
Year Three (30 credits)
| Fall (10 credits) | Winter (10 credits) | Spring (10 credits) |
|---|
| SW 533 Advanced Clinical Practice I (3 credits) | SW 534 Advanced Clinical Practice II (3 credits) | SW 535 Advanced Clinical Practice III (3 credits) |
| Elective – online (3 credits) | Elective – online (3 credits) | Elective – online (3 credits) |
| SW 512 Advanced Practicum (4 credits) | SW 512 Advanced Practicum (4 credits) | SW 512 Advanced Practicum (4 credits) |
Course Map Notes
• Students in the Clinical concentration are required to take SW 555 SW Perspectives on Mental Health Disorders: Adults OR SW 554 SW Perspectives on Mental Health Disorders: Children and Adolescents.
• All students are required to take an advanced research course online.
• Electives are available online only; no site-based electives are offered.
Site Coordinator
Leah Allen MSW, LCSW is from Eugene Oregon and completed her Bachelors in Science with a double major in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Oregon. After graduating, Leah traveled and explored the world for about 5 years before returning to Oregon and pursuing her Masters in Social Work with Portland State University. Leah attended the Central Oregon distance program and completed her MSW in June 2013. Leah then became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 2015 and has been pursuing her passion in clinical care since.
Leah has over 13 years of practice working with people in various capacities and her passion for social justice was realized while working with oppressed people experiencing extreme states (see Hearing Voices Network). This work inspired Leah to pursue her Masters in Social Work due to the focus on anti oppressive practice and social justice in action. Leah has focused her continued educational pursuits on supporting people who have and continue to experience trauma and has specifically focused on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Internal Family Systems (IFS) as these modalities seek to honor the truth of the individual and guide them towards empowered healing.
Leah was hired as an adjunct in 2022 and has enjoyed learning more about Trauma Informed Teaching practices and non traditional ways of teaching and supporting students. Leah is excited to reenergize the Social Work program in Central Oregon, she hopes to be a part of creating an excellent program for Social Work and for creating change in our community. In 2022 Leah also joined the board of Bendable Therapy, Oregon's first non profit created to support individuals pursuing Psilocybin therapy. The mission at Bendable is to ensure life saving mental health treatment is accessible to all.
In her free time Leah enjoys camping, listening to music, traveling, and loving her people.
Contact
Leah Allen
Interim Central Oregon Site Coordinator
(541) 346-5612
lbuehrig@pdx.edu
Central Oregon Community College
Cascades Hall, Room 219
2600 NW College Way
Bend, OR 98701