Contact
Prof. Dr.
About me
Professional background:
Many years of experience in individual case support and group work in the context of educational and integration support (SGB VIII) (2008-2020), management of a youth welfare organization (2015-2020), 2020-2025 Professor of Social Work with a focus on child and youth welfare at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University; since 2014 part-time training and case supervision activities, especially in multi-problem situations, interprofessional cooperation contexts, trauma pedagogical requirements for social work/social pedagogical professionals and teams.
Education:
Initially trained as a plant mechanic (2004), followed by civilian service, university entrance qualification via vocational high school and finally studies in social work (B.A., M.A.); doctorate in education (Dr. phil.); additional training in person- and emotion-centered counselling (Coburg University of Applied Sciences & IPSG); numerous further training courses in systemic and Gestalt-oriented methods; certified Clinical Social Worker (ECCSW) and mentor (ECCSW)
Research interests:
Case progression research, especially in the case of "difficult" progressions and discontinuations; cooperative process design in interprofessional settings of several help systems; professional action of its framework conditions and subjective justification contexts; (non-)use and (non-)utilization action in interactions with social services (from the user perspective); specifics and challenges of psycho-social counseling in the context of social work and forms of counseling "between door and door"; professional identity of social work
Teaching and research areas
- Case understanding and case work
- Social diagnostic approaches
- Psychosocial counseling in social work contexts
- Case management
- Basic concepts of social work
- Professional identity of social work
Main research areas
- Case history studies
- Professional action and specific methods in various fields of social work
- Consequences of social assistance
Current courses
Bachelor's degree program in Social Work
- Case Management (WS)
- History of the profession: The history of social work methods (WS)
- History of Theory (WS)
- Case seminars I + II (summer semester)
- Basic concepts: Empowerment (summer semester)
- Accompanying studies (certificate): Experience-oriented counseling (5th-7th semester)
Master's degree program in Social Work (focus on Clinical Social Work)
- Social and socio-therapeutic group work (WS)
- Standardized and classificatory diagnostics (WS)
- Specific aspects of counseling (SoSe)
- Mental disorders (as defined by DSM & ICD) from a social work perspective (SoSe)
Master's degree program in Clinical Social Work (continuing education master)
- Bio-psycho-social models (WS)
- Experience/emotion-focused counseling (SoSe)
Functions
Internal:
- Professorship for Casuistry and Methodology in Social Work
- Member of the Faculty Council
- Deputy program director of the part-time continuing education master's program in Social Work: Clinical Social Work
External:
- Member of the Clinical Social Work Section of the German Society for Social Work
- Member of the Cases and Casework Section of the German Society for Social Work
Short vita
- since 03.2025: Professorship (W2) for Casuistry and Methodology in Social Work, Coburg University of Applied Sciences
- 2020 – 02.2025: Professorship (W2) for Social Work with a focus on child and youth welfare, DHBW Heidenheim
- 2019 Completion of a cooperative doctorate (Dr. phil.) in pedagogy with a study on help processes between youth welfare and youth psychiatry from the perspective of users with Rita Braches-Chyrek (Otto-Friedrich University Bamberg) and Michael Vogt (Coburg University of Applied Sciences), magna cum laude (0.9)
- 2014 – 2020: Lectureships at the Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Landshut University of Applied Sciences and the Otto Friedrich University of Bamberg
- 2015 – 2020: Head of the IPSG Center for Child, Youth and Family Support (see below)
- 2008 – 2020: Social pedagogue in educational and integration support at the IPSG Center for Child, Youth and Family Support. Institute for Psycho-Social Health gGmbH (recognized independent youth welfare organization, member of the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband)
- 2006 – 2012: BA (2010) and MA (2012) Social Work, Coburg University of Applied Sciences; study scholarship from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (BMBF)
- 2004: Completion of vocational training as a plant mechanic for apparatus engineering
Memberships
- DGSA German Society for Social Work
- Section Clinical Social Work of the DGSA
- ECCSW European Center for Clinical Social Work
- IGFH International Association for Educational Assistance – German Section of the Fédération Internationale des Communautés Educatives FICE e.V.
- Amnesty International
