The world needs social workers more than ever. From families battling cancer, to adults struggling to make ends meet due to mental health disorders, Kimberly Setterlund, MSW, has been there for people in their lowest moments, drawing them toward the light of Christ, even when all they can see is darkness. As a professor and chair of APU’s Department of Social Work, Setterlund teaches students to carry the Lord’s light in the world, so that every patient they help has hope for a brighter future.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Setterlund has always been immersed in multicultural environments. She seeks to learn people’s stories, meet them where they’re at, and help them work toward improving their wellbeing. When entering college at UC Riverside, she wasn’t sure what that looked like though. Setterlund majored in science, intending to enter allied health, but quickly realized science was not for her. Psychology, however, was intriguing to Setterlund because of its incorporation of behavioral science and holistic healing.
After graduating with a degree in psychology, she didn’t plan on going to graduate school. However, working with adults with severe mental health illnesses deeply impacted Setterlund.“I didn’t choose social work. Social work chose me,” she said. Thinking back to this time in her life, she shed a few tears reflecting on how meaningful it is to care for those who have a hard time seeing a future for themselves. “Hearing their stories and meeting people where they’re at changed every assumption I ever could’ve made.” A mentor encouraged Setterlund to consider a master’s degree in social work, and she knew it was a career worth pursuing.
Prior to teaching at APU, Setterlund spent eight years working in various healthcare
settings as a social worker, including hospitals, a cancer center, and neonatal intensive
care unit. Setterlund also has a private clinical practice where she provides individual
counseling. “Both psychology and social work share the same theoretical roots, but
psychology examines the inner workings of a person’s mental health, whereas social
work emphasizes how a client’s environment impacts them,” she said. Setterlund is
driven by God’s calling to help the marginalized and suffering.
Setterlund began teaching at APU in 2007. A friend mentioned that the university was starting an MSW program. “I wasn’t looking for a new job, but my friend said she felt like God wanted me here,” she said. Setterlund prayed about it, and every step of the interview process aligned with what she felt God was calling her to do. “Everything fell into place, and 17 years later I can confidently say how grateful I am to be here.”
Setterlund primarily teaches students earning their MSW. Her hope is that students are equipped to be ethical and caring social workers who put clients at the forefront. She engages in rich discussions with students, seeking to guide them as they apply skills in their practice. “I want to hear what students are learning and struggling with in their internships to facilitate a conversation surrounding real world scenarios,” she said. By approaching students with openness and eagerness to hear their stories, she sets an example of what it means to serve others well.
“APU is a special place. Everyday I’m grateful I get to work in a community that loves Christ and others.”
Setterlund’s love for people shines in everything she does, and her students leave her class ready to be difference makers.