Dr. Kristina O Brien

Biography

Kristina Whiton-O’Brien is a Lecturer and Online Course Facilitator at the Boston University School of Social Work since 2010. She took on the role of assistant director for online advising and field education in 2012, where she was responsible for overseeing advisor hiring, training assignments, student internships, and creating online MSW field education policies. In 2021, she transitioned to join Vot-ER as the director of partnerships while continuing her teaching at BUSSW. Whiton-O’Brien holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Providence College (1991) and a Master of Social Work from Boston University (1995). Since 1998, she has served as a field instructor for macro and clinical students in various social work programs. Her prior experience at BUSSW has focused on field work related to child welfare, particularly in adoption preparation and placement support. Additionally, she has worked in management and clinical roles within group practices, providing individual therapy services to adults within the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families and Children’s Friend & Service in Providence, RI. Moreover, she has served as the director of continuing education for clinical issues at the National Association of Social Workers in Massachusetts.

Research Interests