Professor Flanagan grew up in Nebraska and earned her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Creighton University. During this time, she studied abroad in Limerick, Ireland. She later earned her Master’s in Social Work, Master’s in Public Administration, and Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from the University of Nebraska Omaha. Shortly thereafter, Mrs. Flanagan earned a Graduate Certificate in European Union Policy-Making from the Centre for Public Policy in Prague, Czech Republic. She was honored to share her love of travel with students while serving as Academic Travel Abroad faculty from 2019-2023, leading students on life-changing adventures to England, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, and Greece. Mrs. Flanagan maintains licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner and Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Nebraska.

Clarkson College welcomed Mrs. Flanagan in 2010 as an instructor in the General Education department. In 2018, Mrs. Flanagan was promoted to Director of Community Health and Interprofessional Education, where she continues to lead a team of over twenty esteemed faculty in this interdisciplinary program. She chairs the Interprofessional Education (IPE) Committee and leads College efforts in this arena. Mrs. Flanagan was a founding member of the Student Support Committee, which she continues to co-chair, and has been instrumental in several College strategic planning initiatives. She has co-written several College policies, and has presented at numerous local, state, regional, and national conferences on topics related to grief & bereavement, well-being & resilience, and interprofessional education, collaboration, and practice. She co-authored a publication in the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in 2023.

Professor Flanagan has received various awards and recognition from both Clarkson College and her peers. In 2017, she received the Dr. Patricia Book Perry Academic Scholarly Project Award as part of a committee working on bringing IPE to the College. Professor Flanagan received the prestigious Dr. Patricia Book Perry Faculty of the Year Award in 2015, and the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2014. In her previous endeavors as social worker in the Omaha metro area, Mrs. Flanagan was recognized as an “Everyday Hero” by Benson Presbyterian Church and recipient of the “Diversity in Social Work Practice Award” from Creighton University. 

Throughout her career, Professor Flanagan has had the opportunity to work with a wide range of client and patient populations, including hospice, long-term care, bereavement, and education – in a variety of settings, including skilled nursing, non-profit, home health care, and higher education. She is an expert in curriculum design, online learning, group dynamics, and enjoys working with a variety of constituents in her current role as an academic program director.

Professor Flanagan is an active member of the National Association for Social Workers (NASW), the Public Health Association (PHAN) of Nebraska, and the American Interprofessional Health Collaborative (AIHC). She serves on the planning committee for the Heartland Interprofessional Education (HIPE) Conference and chaired the event in 2022 when Clarkson College hosted the largest HIPE Conference to date. She has been actively involved in local, state, and federal grant initiatives, including a current 3-year Community Health Worker Training Program funded by HRSA.

Service is an integral part of her life, and Mrs. Flanagan regularly involves her own family in volunteer initiatives throughout the community. In her spare time, she enjoys fishing, traveling, leisure reading, and has recently taken up a new hobby of archery.

Words of Wisdom    

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

Courses    

CHL 241: Programs, Services & Policies in Aging
CHL 245: Family Dynamics
CHL 249: Crisis Intervention
CHL 400: Fieldwork
CHL 401: Capstone

Publications

Arshad-Snyder, S. & Flanagan, S. (2023). A model for integrating Interprofessional Education (IPE) in higher education. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 35 (1), p.219-228.

Current Grants

“Establish an Evidence-Based Training and Certification Program for Community Health Workers and Health Support Workers in Nebraska” – Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). $3.3 million, in conjunction with the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Awarded September 2022. Developed curriculum and taught module one, “Ethics & Community Health” for CHW Connect@UNMC: Core Competencies for Community Health Workers. Teaching three 80-student cohorts over a three-year period.

Selected Professional Presentations

Co-Presenter, The 4 Competencies of Interprofessional Education: An Online Course to Promote Collaboration. Innovative Educators Webinar. September 2022

Co-Presenter, Resilience & Well-Being: What You Fill Your Cup With Matters. NSRT Annual Conference. April 2022

Presenter, Explore Career Advancement Opportunities with Clarkson College. NASW Oklahoma State Conference. March 2022

Moderator, Long-COVID: Not Crazy or Lazy – Exploring Impacts on the Patient & Community. Two international Clarkson College Leadership Series events presented in collaboration with the UNMC College of Public Health. Omaha, NE. May 2021

Co-Presenter, Interprofessional Education: Collecting & Scoring Student Reflections. Heartland Interprofessional Education Conference: Come Together to Work Together. Des Moines University. July 2021

Co-Presenter, Tool-Kits & Take-Aways: the Wellness Wheel in Action. National Summit on Promoting Well-Being and Resilience in Healthcare Professionals. The Ohio State University. October 2020

Co-Presenter, Creating a Menu of On-Campus and Online IPE Activities. Heartland Interprofessional Education Conference: Come Together to Work Together. Creighton University. July 2020

Co-Presenter, poster, Growing an IPE Program: From Planting Seeds to a Blossoming Organizational Effort. Heartland Interprofessional Education Conference: Come Together to Work Together. University of Nebraska Medical Center. August 2019

Co-Presenter, When it Rains, it Pours: Ways to Survive the Storm. AEIRS (Association of Educators in Imaging and Radiologic Sciences) 19th Annual Meeting. Waikoloa, HI. July 2019

Co-Presenter, More Than Diet & Exercise: Building Campus Well-Being. AEIRS (Association of Educators in Imaging and Radiologic Sciences) 17th Annual Meeting. St. Louis, MO. July 2017

Co-Presenter, Putting the Grit Back into Grief: Fostering Resilience in Grieving Teens. 21st Annual National Symposium: National Alliance for Grieving Children. Richmond, VA. June 2017

Presenter, Cultural Factors Influencing Health Care. SERC Day at the K Conference. Kansas City, MO. August 2015

Co-Presenter, Empowering Group Facilitators: An Interactive Discussion on Developing Confidence and Creativity Through Grief Facilitator Training. 17th Annual National Symposium: National Alliance for Grieving Children. Phoenix, AZ. June 2013

Co-Presenter, Being a Drama Queen/King Ain’t All Bad: Using Video Production to Empower Teen Grief Expression. 16th Annual National Symposium: National Alliance for Grieving Children. Orlando, FL. June 2012

Presenter, Teen Night: The Benefits of Social Programming. 14th Annual National Symposium: National Alliance for Grieving Children. Cleveland, OH. June 2010

Co - Presenter, Camp Hope: A Retreat for Grieving Teens. 12th Annual National Symposium: National Alliance for Grieving Children. Houston, TX. 2008

Consultant, United States Army Reserves. Designed children’s program, Operation Healing Hearts. Gold Star Retreat, 88th Regional Readiness Command. Chicago, IL. 2007

Co-Presenter, Discourse Theory as Pedagogy: An Epistemology of Practice for Teaching Social Welfare Policy. 25th Annual National Teaching Public Administration Conference, Knoxville, TN. 2002

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