Meg L. DeJong-Shier, LMSW, CDP
Assistant Clinical Professor of Social Work
Field Director, MSSW Program
Office: Old Main 426
Email: mdejong-shier@wtamu.edu
Phone: 806-651-2624
Professional Profile
Meg Shier joined the College of Education and Social Sciences in January of 2018. She graduated from Princeton University in 1999 with a degree in Political Science and obtained her Master of Social Work from Monmouth University in 2004. She is currently working towards her DSW with a focus on social work education at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Teaching and Related Service
Meg Shier is the Field Supervisor/Liaison for the Social Work Program. She also teaches other classes within the BSW curriculum.
In the community, Meg serves as a board member for the Continuum of Care for Amarillo. This collaboration between local government and agencies in the region seek to make homelessness in Amarillo a brief, nonrecurrent, and infrequent event for all people. Meg is also an active member of Panhandle Behavioral Health Alliance (PBHA) who work towards ensuring that all people in the Panhandle have access to mental health services as needed. She remains an active volunteer for the Victim Advocate program at Family Support Services which provides victims of sexual assault with emotional and legal support as soon as an assault is reported.
Research and Creative Activity
Meg has worked in many social work fields since her MSW graduation in 2004. She has experience in immigration, homelessness, transitional housing, mental health, and medical social work. From 2009 until the end of 2017, she has focused on geriatric social work, specifically dementia care. Since she has lived in Amarillo, Meg has worked at several long-term care facilities, ensuring that her clients and their families are empowered with knowledge and understanding regarding available medical care options.
Currently, Meg is focusing her research on rural poverty and the potential effect this may have on the rate of homelessness currently being experienced in Amarillo.