Jeanette Harder

I am building the new Master of Social Work (MSW) program at Goshen College and Bluffton University. We will begin offering courses in Fall 2023, and are working towards accreditation. You can see more about that program here.

I am continuing research on Plain communities’ (Amish and Old Order Mennonites) participation in the adoption and foster care of children.

I provide training and consultations to social service organizations on how to “tell the story” of their programs (program evaluation). I led a series of workshops in March and April 2023 on program evaluation and logic models. (I was previously the founder and project manager for Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs), from 2011 to 2022, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.)

I look forward to teaching many MSW courses, including research, evaluation, generalist and macro social work practice, and integrative seminar.

Cultural awareness training on Amish and Old Order Mennonites for social service organizations and professionals.

Program evaluation training and consultations for social service organizations.

“Integration of spirituality into social work curriculum” at the annual conference of the Indiana Association of Social Work Educators, Indianapolis, IN–September 2022.

“Everyone wins! A University-Based Program Evaluation Center” at the Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Orlando, FL‒November 2021.

“Protecting Amish children through understanding and relationship” at the annual conference of the North American Association of Christians in Social Work, Glendale, CA–November 2021.

“Promoting safety for Amish and Old Order Mennonite children and families in Plain communities” at the 2021 Kempe International Virtual Conference⎼October 2021.

“The good and the not-so-good: Hear the collective voice of plain Anabaptist families providing foster care and adoption to children” at the annual conference of the Amish & Plain Anabaptist Studies Association, Millersburg, OH⎼July 2021.

“Keeping Amish children safe” at the national conference of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), New Orleans, LA, with Sandy Cook-Fong, delayed from June 2020 due to COVID-19.

“Healthy boundaries for leaders” at the International Servant-Leader Summit, Milwaukee, WI, delayed from June 2020 to June 2021 due to COVID-19. Presented virtually, June 2021.
“Tools to improve and reflect on evaluation practice” at the annual conference of the American Evaluation Association, Minneapolis, MN–November 2019, with December Lange Treacy (public administration doctoral student).

“Researching child welfare best practices for Plain communities” at the annual mini-conference of the Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies Association, Millersburg, OH, August 2019.

“Using collaborative, utilization-focused evaluation to move toward evidence-informed practice” at the annual conference of The Network for Social Work Management, Chicago, IL, May 2019. Also Rachel Lubischer (MSW/MPA student).

“Realistic and strategic evaluation plans.” (6 hours). Rape Prevention and Education programs. Three locations: Omaha, Kearney, and Columbus, NE‒Summer 2019. Primary presenter: December Lange Treacy (public administration doctoral student).

Harder, J. (2022). Protecting Amish children through understanding and relationship. In C. Altaras & C. Penner (Eds.). Resistance: Confronting violence, abuse and power in peace churches. Elkhart, IN: Institute of Mennonite Studies.

Harder, J., Bharwani, S., & Gabel, J. (2022). Inviting Plain Mennonite and Amish families to provide foster care for children. Journal of Public Child Welfare, pp. 1-26.

Harder, J., & Wilder, E. (2021). Child protection practices in Mennonite Church USA congregations: A follow-up study. Journal of Social Service Research, 1⎼15.

Harder, J. (2021). Understanding and partnering with Amish communities to keep children safe. Child Welfare, 99(1), 69⎼91.

Hoover, A. & Harder, J. (2019). For the sake of a child: Love, safety, and abuse in our Plain communities. Stoneboro, PA: Ridgeway Publishing.
Intended audience: Amish and Old Order Mennonites.

2022-present
Professor of Social Work, Master of Social Work (MSW) Program Director, Goshen College, Goshen, IN (in collaboration with Bluffton University, Bluffton, OH).

2021
Summer research fellowship, Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, Elizabethtown College.

2004-2022
Professor of Social Work, University of Nebraska at Omaha. Also Founder and Project Director for Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs) from 2011-2022.

2001-2004
Adjunct Professor of Social Work at University of Texas at Arlington and Collin County Community College.

1996-2001
Senior Case Manager, Child Abuse Prevention Center, Dallas, TX.