Darla Spence Coffey is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). CSWE is the national association for social work education, representing over 800 accredited undergraduate and graduate programs of professional social work. Through its programs and initiatives, CSWE promotes emerging technologies, interprofessional education, and innovative models, pedagogies, and practices to advance social work education. As the voice of social work education, CSWE works to strengthen the position of social work
within higher education, the national political environment, and in the perceptions of the general public. Coffey received her BSW from Eastern College, her MSW from the University of Pennsylvania, and her PhD from Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. She has an extensive background in social work practice in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, and domestic violence. More recently, Coffey has been advancing the causes of provider well-being and leadership in presentations and writings. Coffey is a Distinguished Fellow in the National Academies of Practice and is the 2017 recipient of the Advocate for Human Rights Award by the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.