Beth Okantey, MSW

The social work program welcomed Beth Okantey as an associate professor of social work in 2026. She arrived with 15 years of teaching experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels, in both online and in-person settings.

In the four years prior to her arrival, while working on her PhD in social work, she taught at Florida State University as an adjunct faculty member in the BSW program and as a teaching assistant in the institution’s online MSW program. She also worked as a part-time adjunct instructor for the MSW program at the University of Nevada, Reno, for the BSW and MSW programs at the University of Alabama, and for Portland State University’s child, youth, and family studies program and MSW program.

She has spent almost 30 years in direct practice working in various social work settings, including 15 and a half years living and working abroad in Jamaica, Malawi, England and Ghana. She started a BSW/MSW field placement program in Ghana, West Africa, where she supervised more than 90 students.

Her areas of expertise and research interests include international social work, cultural awareness among social work students, culturally relevant and informed practice, and immigration and mental health, with a focus on African and Ghanaian immigrants.

This year, she anticipates completing her PhD in social work. She also holds an MSW from Walla Walla University (2001) and a BSW from Pacific Lutheran University (1996). Beth, her husband, and three children recently relocated from Florida to Sherwood. She enjoys spending time with her family, jogging and creating DIY crafts.