Jacobson earns certification in sport social work to support student-athlete well-being

Northwest Missouri State University faculty member Cris Jacobson has a passion for helping student-athletes and recently earned a certification to deepen her understanding of student-athlete well-being and strengthen her teaching and advising.

Cris Jacobson

Jacobson, a senior instructor in Northwest’s School of Health Science and Wellness, earned certification in sport social worker through Tulane University and the Alliance of Social Workers in Sport.

“Sport social work is a specialized area of practice focused on the well-being of athletes and something I am very interested in,” Jacobson said. “It aligns with the work I’m already doing and opens new opportunities to support student-athletes both in and outside the classroom.”

Conscious of the demands placed on student-athletes in the classroom and on the field of play, Jacobson wants to use her new knowledge to help them understand the mental health challenges that go with being a student-athlete.

Jacobson completed coursework that gave her a deeper understanding of NCAA governance, policies and best practices as well as tools to help her bridge athletics and academic success. The coursework also covered systemic issues and strategies for supporting well-being.

“It helped deepen my understanding of athlete identity, motivation and the systems that shape their well-being,” Jacobson said.

Above all, Jacobson says her goal is to support student-athletes in ways that strengthen their well-being and their success during their time on campus and as they transition beyond their sport.

“I want them to know that mental health is just as important as physical health and that it’s OK to ask for support,” Jacobson said. “My hope is that student-athletes walk away with what they need to move forward, both on the field and beyond it.”

Jacobson joined the Northwest faculty in 2014 and teaches coursework related to human services, psychology and counseling. In addition to the unique needs and experiences of student-athletes, her academic interests include cultural competence and humility in human service practice, academic success of first-generation and underrepresented students, and mental health and social policy. She has a Master of Social Work from the University of Nebraska Omaha and a bachelor’s degree in child and family studies from Northwest.