Specific Pioneering Contributions
Dr. Beverly J. Buckles has been at the forefront of advancing social work education and practice for more than four decades.
As Dean of the School of Behavioral Health and Vice President for Behavioral Health Education at Loma Linda University Health since 2007, Dr. Buckles has been a driving force in integrating trauma- and resiliency-informed care into education and practice. She has established innovative initiatives such as a free behavioral health summer academy for graduating high school students to expand the interest, opportunity and diversity of individuals interested in pursuing a career in social work and other mental health professions. She also founded the Practice, Research, and Clinical Training Innovation Center (PRACTIC)—an institutional hub that connects student training, faculty research, and community behavioral health services.
As the founding and continuing Chair of the Department of Social Work and Social Ecology at Loma Linda University since 1993, Dr. Buckles has developed signature academic programs including the Master of Social Work, Doctor of Social Work, PhD in Social Welfare and Social Research, MS in Gerontology, MS in Criminal Justice, and Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Case Management, while also expanding online degree options. Her vision integrates whole-person care, professional ethics, and faith-informed practice across all levels of education.
Throughout her career, Dr. Buckles has authored and led more than 30 major accreditation reports and successfully secured tens of millions of dollars in grant funding to support social work education, behavioral health workforce development, resiliency-focused programs, interdisciplinary initiatives, and international response efforts.
She has also been instrumental in statewide curriculum reform, serving as Co-Chair of California’s Mental Health Initiative through the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC) from 2006 to 2012, where her leadership helped develop statewide mental health education competencies. As Principal Investigator for the Southern California Regional Partnership Core Competencies Project (2013–2015), she led the creation of behavioral health competencies and training modules for all licensed and paraprofessional public behavioral health employees across ten county departments of mental health. These efforts further solidified her reputation as a pioneer in bridging education, research, and community-based practice, expanding both the reach and the impact of behavioral health and social work integration.
Internationally, Dr. Buckles’ humanitarian leadership is unparalleled. In 1995, she founded and continues to direct the Loma Linda University International Behavioral Health Trauma Team (LLUBHTT), which has conducted over 100 international active and post-crisis interventions in more than 65 countries. The team has provided direct services and crisis-response training for over 13,000 survivors, frontline responders, and humanitarian workers, including government and UN personnel. LLUBHTT’s work includes disaster relief for the 2005 Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and major earthquakes in China, Haiti, and Nepal; interventions in conflict zones such as Côte d’Ivoire and Ukraine; services during the Sierra Leone Ebola outbreak, crisis response following the San Bernardino terrorist attack, the Paradise wildfire, and resiliency-informed aid for Sudanese refugees in Egypt, among many others.
Her professional social work leadership exemplifies a lifelong commitment to uniting academic expertise with humanitarian service, creating powerful connections between classroom learning and field-based global practice. Through her example, students become not only academically prepared but also equipped to address real-world challenges in diverse communities.
Dr. Buckles’ extraordinary career reflects a life devoted to service, scholarship, and the advancement of social work and behavioral health worldwide. Whether leading accreditation self-studies, developing new academic programs, or directing global interventions and field projects, she has consistently demonstrated her commitment to linking education and scholarship with real-world service—preparing social workers to lead in times of crisis and change. Her enduring legacy continues to inspire future leaders to pursue innovation, justice, and compassionate, whole-person care.
Career Highlights
Dr. Beverly J. Buckles has served as Dean of the School of Behavioral Health and Vice President for Behavioral Health Education at Loma Linda University Health since 2007, guiding interdisciplinary growth and infrastructure advancement across clinical education, research innovation, and community mental health outreach. Under her leadership, the School has expanded its behavioral health offerings, launched innovative curricula and graduate programs, strengthened accreditation and program excellence, and advanced resiliency-based and trauma-informed practices. Her leadership has fostered collaboration across disciplines, integrating behavioral health with medical and allied health education to support whole-person care.
Since 1993, Dr. Buckles has served as the founding and continuing Chair of the Department of Social Work and Social Ecology, where she has designed and implemented signature programs such as the Master of Social Work (MSW) and Doctor of Social Work (DSW), as well as other advanced degrees and online learning options. In parallel with her academic leadership, she has answered the call to extend behavioral health care to marginalized and underserved populations around the world.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Buckles served as BSW Program Director at La Sierra University (1988–1993), during which time she also taught as adjunct faculty at California Baptist College and California State University, Long Beach. While completing the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree at Adelphi University she simultaneously combined teaching, and administrative roles. At Adelphi, she served as Coordinator of the Staten Island, Nassau, and Huntington off-campus MSW and BSW programs (1986–1988), Director of Continuing Education (1987–1988), and an adjunct instructor (1984–1988).
From 1982 to 1984, she held a dual appointment as instructor at the Walla Walla College Department of Social Work and Sociology and Director of Social Services at Walla Walla General Hospital, uniting classroom learning with social work leadership. Prior to that, she served as Human Resources and Developmental Disabilities Coordinator for Walla Walla County (1978–1982), while teaching as an adjunct instructor at Walla Walla College.
Her career embodies an exceptional integration of leadership, education, and service, solidifying her reputation as both an academic innovator and a humanitarian practitioner.
Biographical Data
Dr. Beverly J. Buckles earned her Doctor of Social Welfare (DSW) degree from Adelphi University in 1989, with an emphasis in social welfare policy analysis and administration. She completed her Master of Social Work (MSW) at Eastern Washington University in 1983 and her Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), with a second major in Home Economics, from Walla Walla College in 1978, graduating cum laude.
She began her professional career in Washington State, serving in human resources and developmental disability services before transitioning into higher education and clinical leadership roles. Over the years, she has provided leadership on numerous boards, task forces, and committees at the institutional, state, and national levels.
As a Certified Master Trainer in both the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM), Dr. Buckles has led more than 100 international training missions, capacity-building collaborations, as well as active and post-crisis recovery partnerships with organizations such as ADRA, PAHO/WHO, and the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Her scholarly record includes peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, national curricula, and conference presentations on topics such as psychiatric recovery, geriatric care, and resilience-building.
Her lifetime achievements have been recognized through numerous honors, including the NASW California Social Worker of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Awards, Distinguished Service Awards from ADRA, Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center (LLUAHSC), and San Bernardino County, as well as Alumni of the Year honors from both Walla Walla University and Eastern Washington University. She has also been recognized through National Association of Counties Best Practice Awards for early childhood and workforce development initiatives.
As an institutional, academic, and social work leader, Dr. Buckles serves as a member of the Loma Linda University President’s Council, Joint Officers and Deans Council, Center for Christian Bioethics, and multiple strategic planning bodies. She is a member of both the National and California Associations of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work, and has served as a CSWE Site Visitor and Accreditation Chair. An expert in institutional reaccreditation, she has chaired Loma Linda University’s institutional reaccreditation processes over several decades, served on numerous WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) review teams throughout California, and contributed as a site visitor for the reaccreditation of international programs through WSCUC and the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Department of Education.
Born in Nampa, Idaho, and raised in Vale, Oregon, Dr. Buckles’ foundation in social work and humanitarian service was formed early through the compassionate example of her parents, Clay and Jewell Buckles, who reached out to serve those most in need within their rural community. Whether assisting an older adult without heating fuel, a family lacking food, or neighbors whose home had been destroyed by fire, her parents ensured that no one was ever cold, hungry, or without shelter. Dr. Buckles recalls working alongside her parents and four siblings as they served others, inspired by her parents’ enduring motto: “You always give of your best and serve with a joyful heart.”
Significant Recognition and Awards
Dr. Beverly J. Buckles’ exceptional contributions to social work education, humanitarian service, and academic leadership have been recognized through numerous distinguished honors spanning her decades long career.
In 2025, Dr. Buckles was inducted into the California Social Work Hall of Distinction. She has been honored multiple times by the California Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), receiving the California Social Worker of the Year Award (2010) and the Region F Lifetime Achievement Award (2008).
Her collaborative leadership and commitment to community partnerships were recognized by the National Association of Counties, which awarded her Best Practice Awards for joint service projects with San Bernardino County in 2012 and 2003. In 2010, she received Distinguished Service Awards acknowledging her combined roles as a social work educator and academic-public liaison from the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, the Southern California Regional Partnership, and the San Bernardino County Behavioral Health Commission.
Dr. Buckles has also been recognized by her alma maters for her sustained excellence and leadership, being named Alumni of the Year by Walla Walla University (2018) and by the Eastern Washington University School of Social Work (2013).
Her dedication to academic leadership and teaching excellence has been further recognized by Loma Linda University, where she received the Institutional Accreditation Merit Award (2020) and the Richard A. Winn Assessment and Accreditation Award (2017).
In recognition of her worldwide humanitarian service through the Loma Linda University International Behavioral Health Trauma Team (LLUIBHTT), Dr. Buckles received the Distinguished Service Award from the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in 2014 and the Centennial Vanguard Award from Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center (LLUAHSC) in 2006. The work of LLUIBHTT has also earned Dr. Buckles expressions of gratitude and commendation from numerous regional, national, and international organizations and governments around the world.
Earlier in her career, she received the National Zapara Award for Excellence in Teaching (1992), the YWCA Women of Achievement Award (1990), and the Rita Paprin Social Policy Achievement Award from Adelphi University (1988).
Significant Publications
Dr. Beverly J. Buckles has published extensively on topics related to trauma, resiliency, and mental health education. Recent works include co-authored articles on building resilience in Sierra Leone using the Community Resiliency Model, published in the International Journal of Mental Health (2023), and contributions to Routledge volumes addressing trauma and resiliency frameworks. Earlier publications include Beyond Stigma and Discrimination: Challenges for Social Work Practice in Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Recovery (2008), along with influential reports on curriculum implementation and continuous quality improvement in mental health education. Her scholarly contributions also encompass book chapters, monographs, and proceedings from national and international conferences, reflecting her sustained commitment to integrating research with applied social work practice.