Brenda Sweeten, MSSW, LCSW

Clinical Assistant Professor, BSW Field Director

University of North Texas Foster Care Liaison Officer

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Ms. Sweeten is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Texas.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from Baylor University and a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Sweeten has spent the majority of her twenty two-year career working as an advocate in the child welfare system and serving children and families involved in the judicial system. She continues to practice social work in the community and is a social study evaluator for private and independent adoption cases.  She served as the Program Director for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Denton County, Inc. for almost twelve years before accepting a full-time faculty position at the University of North Texas in 2010. She currently serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor and the Director of Social Work Field Education in the Department of Social Work. Ms. Sweeten participates on a number of community boards and advisory councils including Court Appointed Special Advocates of Denton County, Texas Woman’s University Social Work Advisory Council and Education Reach for Texans, a non-profit that brings together higher education and child welfare professionals from across Texas to learn and share ideas for helping former foster youth succeed in post-secondary education. She serves as the faculty advisor for PUSH (“Persevere UNTil Success Happens”). PUSH has received considerable support from the north Texas community and has grown from the grassroots efforts of students who experienced foster care as youth into a program at UNT specifically geared toward improving the successful educational outcomes of foster care alumni attending the University of North Texas. Ms.Sweeten participates on various work groups in the community that support youth in foster care and has been appointed to serve as the Foster Care Liaison Officer for the university.