Ronnie Swartz, Ph.D., LCSW

Ronnie has been engaged in practicing and teaching social work to facilitate change with individuals, families, organizations, and communities since 1994. He is particularly interested in the skills for living people have developed along with the processes through which these methods, knowledges, and values can be marginalized by technologies of power.

Ronnie has consulted with young people, families, adults, and organizations in education, medical, behavioral health, problematic substance use, juvenile justice, child welfare, and advocacy systems. His research, teaching, writing, and practice includes narrative approaches to therapy and community work, harm reduction in relation to problematic drug use and drug policy, social/economic policy, values, ethics, and the cultivation of love, kindness, and care skills. Ronnie's clinical practice generally consists of work with large groups and time-limited interactions with individuals.

Ronnie received a BA in Philosophy from Brown University, a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University. He served as the Chair of the Department of Social Work from 2009-2018 and has been the Director of the Oliner Altruism Institute since 2010.