Review of the University of Kentucky’s DSW in Social Work Program (2025)
Kino is a DSW student at The University of Kentucky’s College of Social Work.
The University of Kentucky’s College of Social Work is located in Lexington, Kentucky. The school is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Name: Kino D. Hickey, LCSW-S
Insta: @dsw_chronicles LinkedIn: Kino Hickey, MSW, LCSW, LCDC
Anticipated graduation date: May 9, 2026
Tuition: $33,180
Why social work? The diverse career path. I was working full-time with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and a social career provided several career opportunities within the VA as well as in the private sector.
Where are you currently working? Olin E. Teague Veterans Center – Temple, Texas, I am currently employed as a suicide prevention coordinator.
What made you choose your DSW program? I believed the Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) is a practice doctorate. I hope to enhance my clinical skills while also making myself competitive in the sports world as a clinician. Earning a doctorate will provide me with expert-level knowledge in addiction and the application of social work interventions, working with elite athletes and substance use.
Tell us about your area of research. My research focus is to share how clinical social workers who are skilled in working within the addiction field can provide social work interventions with elite athletes challenged with substance use. I would like to see all professional sport organizations, as well as any NCAA programs, have a clinical social worker as a full-time employee.
What was the best thing about your academic program? The flexibility of being an online program, but it feels just as personable as being in person.
Who are your favorite instructors? I do not have a favorite instructor; they are all great in their own way. If I have to choose a favorite, it will be Dr. Jasmie Cohen-Young, LCSW. Dr Cohen-Young is the mentor for clinical and the new sport social work concentrations. As a recent graduate of the same program, she provides the guidance and motivation needed to complete this program successfully.
What are you listening to today? I mainly listen to audiobooks.
What are you currently reading? Endure by Alex Hutchinson, The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction is not a Disease by Marc Lewis, PhD, Building a Life Worth Living by Marsha M. Linehan
Where do you see yourself in three to five years? What are your goals? In three to five years, I will have my 30 years of federal time and can consider retiring, or I can keep going. My goal is to one day work as a full-time employee with the National Football League (NFL) as a clinical social worker or at any Power 5 University with large athletic programs.
What wisdom do you have for potential DSW students? Communication is important! Make sure you are organized and have set the time aside to be successful.
Advice to applicants: Do not wait for a good time. There will never be a perfect time, if this is a goal, then do the research and find the right program for you.
For more information: Click here for more information about the DSW program at The University of Kentucky.
Thank you, Kino!
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