Hi! I am a social worker-designer. My practice, research, and writing examine the intersections and integrations of anti-oppressive, futures-focused social work values, trauma-responsive principles, and care-focused design research methods.

I earned my Master of Social Work in 2010 with a focus on Advocacy, Leadership & Social Change and my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a focus on Social Movements and Social Movement Organizations in 2000. Both degrees are from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

From 2019 - 2021, I completed coursework in UIUC’s MFA Design for Responsible Innovation track. Before taking a break in January 2022 to join the U.S. Digital Service, my thesis work was centered on Trauma Responsive Design: Addressing the Hidden Gaps in Design Research Methodologies and Practice. (More about this work can be found here.)

At the local to international levels, I have served as an AmeriCorps member with the American Red Cross, an NGO delegate to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and Human Rights Council, a Mayor-appointed member of the City of Urbana Human Relations Commission, and a Governor-appointed member of Serve Illinois.

I am also the founder of Social Workers Who Design and an active member of the Design Justice Network and the Social Work Futures Lab.

Want to connect? I can be reached at rachael (dot) dietkus (at) gmail (dot) com