Learn more about a day in the life of a social worker at OHIO Zanesville on March 2

Ohio University Zanesville is hosting the fourth annual Day in the Life of a Social Worker program. The event will take place at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 2, in the Elson Hall Auditorium at 1425 Newark Road at the Zanesville Campus.

Discover more about the social work career from those in the field making a difference in your community. Join this event to hear more about a day in the life of a social worker, obtain a FREE CEU and learn more about area career opportunities from agencies in the region.

Schedule of Events:

11 a.m.: FREE CEU provided by Ohio University Department of Social Work – Auditorium
Human Trafficking 101: Focus on Appalachia with presenter Dr. Christi Scott Bartman

12 p.m.: Agency Fair and free lunch provided by OHIO Zanesville – Elson Hall Atrium

1 p.m.: Social Work Panel Discussion – Auditorium
Community social workers will answer questions about their role and their path to social work. They will also provide advice for those entering the social work profession.

This event is open to the public to learn more about the social work profession or for social work professionals to obtain a CEU for their field. Learn more about the expert panelists and CEU presenter below.  

To register for this upcoming program or learn more, please visit http://ohio.edu/zanesville/social-work-day. Discover more community events taking place across campus or register for the community mailing list today!

CEU Presenter

Human Trafficking 101: Focus on Appalachia 

Dr. Christi Scott Bartman is the founder of Eyes Up Appalachia, an anti-human trafficking initiative focusing on the Appalachian counties of Ohio. She operates as a compassionate catalyst to push for better ways to address human trafficking and the vulnerabilities that underlie it. In 2021, she received The Social Justice Leader Award from the University of Toledo's Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute and was chosen as one of the inaugural fellows for the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio in 2022.  In 2023, she was awarded the Everyday Ohio Heroes Award for the Southeast Region by the Ohio Children's Trust Fund. In 2025, Bartman received The Patriot Award from the Ohio Department of Public Safety. She served as the Co-Chair of the Ohio Attorney General's Human Trafficking Commission Research/Gap and Data Analysis Subcommittee until January 2022 and continues to serve on that subcommittee. Bartman is an Air Force Veteran.

Guest Panelists:

Erin Finley, LISW-S, is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with over a decade of experience walking alongside individuals and families as they navigate life's challenges. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, adjusting to parenthood, processing grief, or trying to make sense of past trauma, Finley offers a safe, sacred space where you can feel heard, seen, and deeply met. She works with people across the lifespan from infants and young children to teens and adults. Finley has a special passion for supporting parents, those touched by adoption, and individuals in the prenatal and postpartum period. Finley's approach is grounded in evidence-based practices like CBT, EMDR, and attachment-focused therapies (PCIT, CPP), but at the heart of her work is a person-centered connection. Finley believes that every individual has strengths worth building on and a story worth honoring.

Finley is a graduate of Ohio University and a lifelong member of a rural community; she is deeply committed to making high-quality mental health care accessible and meaningful for the people she serves. Finley is also an adjunct faculty member for the Ohio University Zanesville Social Work Department.

Sasha Grundfast, LISW-S, is an assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Social Work at Ohio University. She teaches MSW courses in social work practice, policy, and assessment, with a particular focus on rural communities. Grundfast plays a key role in curriculum development, including the design of online master’s-level courses that emphasize rural social work practice and community-based interventions.

Grundfast brings a varied and robust professional background that reflects the full scope of generalist and advanced social work practice. With over a decade of direct practice experience, she has worked as a hospital social worker in the emergency department of a Level I trauma center, as well as in child welfare (children's services), correctional settings, and community behavioral health. Her work has included extensive experience supporting individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders.

Her research and professional interests include expanding the behavioral health workforce, advancing community-driven responses to the opioid crisis, and engaging in social justice advocacy. As a principal investigator, Grundfast has secured significant federal funding to support workforce development initiatives through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

In addition to her teaching and research roles, Grundfast is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) at the University of Delaware School of Social Work. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Muskingum, Perry, and Morgan Counties, reflecting her ongoing commitment to community leadership and regional collaboration.

Madison Hartman, BSW, LSW, is a graduate of the Bachelor of Social Work program at Ohio University Zanesville, where she was honored with the Special Achievement Award in 2024 and the Michael Kline Spirit Award in 2025. She is currently continuing her education at Ohio University in the Advanced Standing Master of Social Work program, with a focus on advanced clinical practice in rural settings and a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and addressing complex social issues affecting individuals, families, and communities. She is expected to graduate in May 2026.

Hartman currently works at Quality Moments Behavioral Health as a therapist, where she provides compassionate, client-centered services to foster youth and families, community-based children, and residents in a skilled nursing facility. She is passionate about supporting individuals across the lifespan and values creating a safe, collaborative space where clients feel heard, respected, and empowered in their healing process.

Scott Nicola, LISW-S, is a 1998 graduate of the Ohio University School of Social Work and earned a master’s degree from Ohio State University. With a diverse background, Nicola has worked with populations including child/adolescent mental health, school social work, and emergency services. He uses multiple treatment approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, mindfulness training, and existential psychotherapy.

Nicola finds the work challenging and fulfilling, emphasizing the importance of self-care, healthy coping skills, and social support for practitioners. He believes social workers have a responsibility to advocate not only for clients but also for systemic change when systems are inequitable or unfair to the populations they serve.

Kate Rinehart, LISW-S, LICDC, is the owner and founder of Resilient Minds Counseling, LLC, with over 15 years of experience in the mental health and substance use field. She began her career in 2010 as a chemical dependency counselor and earned her Licensed Social Worker credential in 2014. Rinehart spent seven years working in a treatment facility specializing in substance use disorders, trauma-informed care, and treatment for pregnant women affected by opioid use. She later served as an Intensive Outpatient (IOP) therapist at a re-entry center, supporting individuals incarcerated for drug-related offenses as they addressed trauma and successfully re-entered the community.

In 2018, Rinehart transitioned into private practice and opened Resilient Minds Counseling, LLC in 2020. Her clinical work focuses on helping individuals heal from shame, guilt, and vulnerability, informed by her completion of Brené Brown’s Daring Way™ Facilitator Program in 2015. She specializes in the treatment of mood disorders, PTSD, anxiety, and depression, and is trained in EMDR and Somatic Experiencing, integrating evidence-based and body-centered approaches to promote deep and lasting healing.

Crowned Mrs. Ohio American 2025, Rinehart leverages her pageant platform to merge advocacy, leadership, and mental health education. She is a passionate advocate for AED accessibility and CPR training, partnering with the American Heart Association to raise awareness and expand life-saving resources in communities. As a current nominee for the American Heart Association’s Women of Impact campaign, Rinehart uses both her professional expertise and lived experience as a cardiac arrest survivor to promote prevention, preparedness, and resilience. Through public speaking and community engagement, she works to normalize therapy, dismantle stigma, and encourage courageous conversations about mental health and wellness.

Rinehart is a wife of nearly 11 years, a mother of two, and a firm believer that vulnerability and courage are powerful tools for leadership, healing, and meaningful change—both on stage and in everyday life.

Danielle Smith, MSW, MA, LSW, CAE, is an experienced executive director with over 17 years of leadership in social work, association management, and government relations. As executive director of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Ohio Chapter since 2011, Smith has championed social justice initiatives, transforming the chapter into a leading voice for social justice in Ohio. She has led numerous advocacy campaigns, focusing on issues such as LGBTQIA rights, immigration, and reproductive justice.

Smith is a recognized leader and has been honored with awards, including the 2023 NASW Chapter Executive Director of the Year and the 2023 Women in Government Relations State Campaign of the Year for her work to protect reproductive rights in the lawsuit NASW vs Lebanon, Ohio.