Faculty and Staff
Chris Simmons, Ph.D., LCSWInterim Director & Associate Professor of InstructionPhone: 813-974-4603 |
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Dr. Chris Simmons is the Interim Director and Associate Professor of Instruction. He received his BS in Psychology from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, (’94), received his MSW from Louisiana State University, (’97), and received his Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the ßÙßÇÂþ», (’08).
Dr. Simmons is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Qualified Clinical Supervisor, and currently serves as the Faculty Director of the Social Work Clinic at the BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic.
His teaching is primarily centered on generalist and clinical practice, human behavior, and multicultural social work practice, making good use of his experience as a clinical social worker and clinical supervisor. In his courses, he strives to incorporate what he has learned from his research on cognitive development and student learning. Specifically, his goals are to help students develop practice skills, as well as cognitive abilities to tolerate ambiguity, to deal with incomplete and sometimes conflicting information, and to develop problem solving abilities. To accomplish this goal, he uses experiential learning, service learning, and interprofessional education to help students develop these cognitive skills, which provide a good framework for effective social work practice.
Research Interests: Cognitive Complexity; Cognitive Development; Clinical Supervision; Multicultural Social Work Practice; and Mental Health and Well-being