Jason Smith
- Doctoral Student, DSW Program
- CSW, CCTP, EMDR, MRT
Contact Info
Biography —
Jason Smith is a Certified Social Worker (CSW). He is Bachelor's of Science in Sociology and Master of Social Work from the University of Utah. He is also an Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC).
Smith currently works as a Mental Health Therapist at Nat-Su Healthcare an agency owned and operated by the Skull Valley Goshute Tribe of Utah, which offers mental health care to both Indigenous communities and the general population. He is primarily working with the Indigenous population to provide substance abuse and mental health treatment.
Smith previously worked for several nonprofits that provide mental health and substance abuse treatment for three years in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah. The population he served included individuals in the recovery community who were court-ordered to seek treatment for addiction-related charges. Additionally, he communicated with the legal system to ensure that clients complied with their programs and encouraged them to pursue aftercare interventions.
Research —
Practice and Research Focus Areas
Smith's focus in social work practice is on addiction and mental health care. He provides both individual and group therapy sessions and engages in consultations with other providers. His research focuses on medically managed detoxification facilities and their utilisation in Indian reservations, both in rural areas and urban settings.
DSW Capstone Project
Capstone project title: Implementation of Agency Theory in Non-Profit Medical Detoxification Services for Indigenous Peoples.
Capstone project description: This DSW capstone project will focus on creating a nonprofit medical detoxification facility specifically designed for Indigenous communities that are experiencing high rates of both pretreatment and treatment dropout. To address these issues, the medically managed detoxification facility aims to improve referrals for Indigenous patients to substance abuse treatment by implementing a three-phase detoxification process, which includes evaluation, stabilization, and entry into treatment.
Awards & Honors —
- 2012-2013 Graduate Research Scholarship
- 2005-2007 Daniels Fund Scholarship
- 2004 American Indian Services Scholarship
Memberships —
- Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity (TKE)
- Society of Native American Graduate Students