Alumni Spotlight: Kristine McGuire
Kristine McGuire’s career as a licensed clinical social worker showcases the true value of someone like her.
McGuire, who received her Master of Social Work from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare in 2010, already has experience helping people from all walks of life.
From older adults, children, juvenile offenders and prisoners to people in mental and physical health crises, McGuire helps with their needs. That even includes legislation.
McGuire is now in year five of working at the University of Colorado Hospital in orthopedics.
“In orthopedics, you don’t generally think of social work,” McGuire said. “But I think that’s a testament to the role that social work can play and how valuable it is.”
McGuire was heavily involved in a bill that requires insurance companies in Colorado to pay for recreational prosthetics for those who need them to have a healthy lifestyle. She helped with the bill in 2023 and saw it go into effect on Jan. 1.
Her impact as a social worker is a result of her compassion and agency. McGuire was around several social workers when she grew up in Detroit. Her mom was a secretary at an elementary school in and McGuire grew close with the school's social worker, who steered her down this path.
The MSW program at KU enabled McGuire to get her degree while having an employment-based practicum as a corrections counselor at the Lansing Correctional Facility. There, she provided counseling to incarcerated adult males in a maximum security setting.
“One thing that I encountered a lot when I was working in the prison was from the justice side of things,” McGuire said. “The deputies and the officers often said things like, ‘You care way too much about what happens to these people, they committed a crime. Why are you trying to help them?’”
McGuire always had the same rebuttal: “They're going to be your neighbor someday.”
She appreciates that her career has introduced her to all sorts of different positions within social work. McGuire also spent two years as a social worker at Saint John Hospital in Leavenworth, followed by a year with Correct Care Solutions as a mental health professional.
After a move to Colorado and a few more positions, McGuire landed in her current spot at UCHealth, where she helps people who lost limbs, broke arms and legs, wandered into traffic or experienced skiing accidents.
Some patients need substance abuse and mental health support. Others are chronically unhoused and need years of assistance. And some just need someone to talk to.
McGuire’s efforts were enough to earn her the Social Worker of the Year award at UCHealth, which was a pleasant surprise to her because of the overwhelming support she received from her colleagues.
“It's super rewarding to be able to be involved in someone's life that way, and help them with whatever their needs are,” McGuire said. “I think it says everything about how versatile our career is.”