School Alumni Associations

IU School of Social Work Alumni Association

Alumni Profiles

Corbett Troyer

“It Was a Big Step” 

I was born and raised in Middlebury, IN, a small farming community in Northern Indiana. In 1996, I graduated from Goshen College where I received my undergraduate degree with a double major in psychology and business. While psychology was always a passion of mine in school, I was also interested in the business world. Upon graduating from Goshen I moved to Indianapolis, where I knew the job market would be better, and I began a career in sales with a large technology and publishing company. While I enjoyed the environment and the job was a good fit, I was still interested in pursuing a career in the mental health field. Eight years passed, and after filling a variety of sales and marketing roles, I finally got serious about exploring the possibility of going back to school to pursue a career in the helping professions.

In 2003, I sought the counsel of a handful of mental health professionals from LCSW’s to Ph.D’s. In general, the guidance they provided was to explore MSW programs. I researched a handful of mental health programs at schools around central Indiana and finally decided to apply to the MSW program at IU (Indianapolis Campus). The program offered the flexibility to pursue my education while working full-time and spending time with my family. It was a big step, but with the support of my wife, I began the MSW program as a part-time evening student in the summer of 2004. Starting graduate school eight years after receiving my undergraduate degree was quite an adjustment to say the least, but school has a way of not allowing you much time to think about your anxiety. In addition to work and starting school, our first child, John, was born during my first semester of school. While working full time, doing homework, making bottles, changing diapers, and attending classes in the evening two days a week, each semester seemed to fly by for me. The best part was that I continued to feel more and more affirmed that I was entering a field that was a “true fit” for me. In the second year of graduate school, we were required to complete two practicums. I spent my first field placement at Volunteers of America doing both individual and group therapy for the incarcerated population transitioning from prison back to the community. This experience introduced me to the process of leading group therapy, as well as completing psychosocial assessments for individual clients. With my background in business, my school curriculum was like dipping my toes in the water of social work, while this practicum at VOA was like diving headfirst into a completely new area. I loved it. My second field placement was at Methodist Hospital on the child/adolescent inpatient psychiatry unit. It was amazing to see young people and their families transition from crisis to stabilization as they learned effective coping skills to deal with difficult life situations. My field instructors were fantastic, and they gave me the freedom and autonomy to participate and lead family therapy and peer groups. I also learned what it was like to be a member of a multidisciplinary team. Faculty member, Dr. Khadija Khaja, who taught my initial professional practice skills class, was particularly influential to me, not only as a knowledgeable colleague, but as a personal mentor. She provided the guidance and encouragement I needed in helping me to successfully change careers at this stage in my life. I graduated with my MSW in 2006.

Following graduation, I was fortunate that my field placement at Methodist led to a job offer at Riley Children’s Hospital in the outpatient psychiatry clinic. In this role, I met with families to conduct new patient assessments for children in the autism clinic, and I provided individual and family therapy to patients in the outpatient chronic pain clinic. Both of these roles at Riley helped me to build on the foundation that I learned through the MSW Program at IU.

After a year and a half at Riley, I was hired to be a part of the outreach psychiatry team at the VA Hospital where I love working with a population of men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving our country. I conduct new mental health assessments in the outpatient clinic, as well as meet with at-risk veterans in the hospital who are in need of more intense assessment and evaluation. The outreach team also ensures proper continuity of care for the veterans and their mental health appointments. I feel very fortunate to work with a talented staff of social workers, physicians, and other mental health providers. In December 2008, I passed another milestone in my career transition from business to social work, when I successfully passed my LCSW licensure exam.

Corbett Troyer

See the IUPUI Office of Alumni Relations Calendar of Events for upcoming School of Social Work alumni programs.

School of Social Work web site 

IUPUI Office of Alumni Relations contact:
Karen Deery, (317) 274-8959 or kdeery@iupui.edu