Phone: (620) 947-3121
Lara Vanderhoof portrait

Education

  • DSW, Capella University
  • MSW, Roberts Wesleyan College
  • BSW, Roberts Wesleyan College

Professional Background

  • Chief Academic Officer, Central Christian College (Kan.)
  • Assistant Director for Family and Community Services, USD418 Early Childhood Program
  • Kinship Specialists, Reintegration Area Director, Reintegration, St. Francis Community Services, Supervisor
  • Preventive Supervisor, Sexual Abuse Treatment Social Worker, Foster Care Social Worker, Catholic Family Center
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor of Social Work, Roberts Wesleyan College

Certifications

  • LMSW (KS)
  • LCSW-R (NY)

Courses Taught

  • Human Behavior and Social Environment
  • Social Work Practice 1
  • Social Work Practice 2
  • Helping Relationships
  • Social Welfare Policy
  • Social Welfare Policy and Program Development, Indiana Wesleyan University
  • Social Work Group Treatment, Roberts Wesleyan College

Publications

  • Vanderhoof, L. A. (2015). An examination of strategies to bring awareness to human trafficking in one’s community (Doctoral dissertation, Capella University).

Presentations

  • Human Trafficking 101 and Trauma-Informed Self-Care Strategies. Republic County
    Hospital. Belleville, Kansas (Republic County), Kansas. July 14, 2025

    Self-Care in Today’s World. McPherson County Special Education Co-Op.
    McPherson, Kansas. July 17, 2025.

  • Brain Breaks and Play. Kansas Independent College Association Student Success
    Summit. Ottawa University, Ottawa, Kansas. May 9, 2025
  • Harmony in Practice: Navigating the Nexus of Ethics and Artificial Intelligence in
    Social Work/Mental Health Practice. Mediterranean Region Counselors Association
    (MR-CA) Conference. Innovative clinical approaches to address contemporary
    challenges in mental health and wellness. Poznan, Poland, March 6-9, 2025.
  • Navigating the Intersection: NASW Code of Ethics and Ethical Use of AI in Social
    Work Practice. 4th Annual ACHHS (Associate of Christian Health and Human Services)
    Conference. Washington, D.C., October 25, 2024
  • Self-Care Kit. Keynote Speaker. Kansas Independent Colleges Association. Wichita,
    KS. April 17, 2024
  • Youthful Offenders Gain Pro-Social Skills through Restorative Justice Intervention.
    Association of Christians in Health and Human Services 3rd Annual Conference.
    October 26-28, 2023.
  • Self-Care: Preventing Compassion Fatigue and Building Compassion Satisfaction. Association of
    Christians in Health and Human Services 3rd Annual Conference. October 26-28, 2023.
    Hidden in Plain Sight: Diverse Discussion Webinar Presenter. Association of Christians in
    Health and Human Services. November 28, 2023.
  • Youthful Offenders Gain Pro-Social Skills through Restorative Justice Intervention for the
    2023 Mediterranean Region Counselors Association (MR-CA) conference, H.O.P.E-
    HEALING, OPPORTUNITY, PEACE, EMPOWERING: SERVING COMMUNITIES IN CRISIS
    WORLDWIDE. Budapest, Hungary. March 9, 2023.
  • Self-Care: Preventing Compassion Fatigue and Building Compassion Satisfaction for the 2023
    Mediterranean Region Counselors Association (MR-CA) conference, H.O.P.E- HEALING,
    OPPORTUNITY, PEACE, EMPOWERING: SERVING COMMUNITIES IN CRISIS
    WORLDWIDE. Budapest, Hungary. March 9, 2023.
  • Youthful Offenders Gain Pro-Social Skills through Restorative Justice Intervention.
    Association of Christians in Health and Human Services 3rd Annual Conference. October 26-
    28, 2023.
  • Self-Care: Preventing Compassion Fatigue and Building Compassion Satisfaction. Association of
    Christians in Health and Human Services 3rd Annual Conference. October 26-28, 2023.
    Youthful Offenders Gain Pro-Social Skills through Restorative Justice Intervention.
  • International Anti-Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference. University of Toledo.
    September 23, 2021.
  • Human Trafficking and Girl Power. Victory Valley Christian Academy on February
    14, 2022.
  • Human Trafficking and Ethics: Guest Lecture at McPherson College on January 27, 2022
    National Association of Christian Social Workers Conference: Youthful Offenders Gain Pro-
    Social Skills through Restorative Justice Intervention (Virtual Presentation) on November 20,
    2021
  • Faculty Focused Student Engagement: Reinventing and Reimagining the Classroom
    Overview: Central Christian College of Kansas on October 14, 2021
  • 18th Annual International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference
    Presentation: Youthful Offenders Gain Pro-Social Skills through Restorative Justice
    Intervention on September 23, 2021
  • Social-Emotional Health and Awareness on January 14, 2019, Tabor College Introduction to
    Education Course
  • Human Trafficking 101 and Ethics at McPherson College, January 2018, 2019
  • Learning and Trauma, Guest Lecture at Tabor College on April 8, 2019
  • Human Trafficking 101 at The Cedars on April 23, 2019
  • Because WE Love God: A Missional Perspective on May 24, 2019, Great Plains Conference
    of the Free Methodist denomination
  • National Association of Christian Social Workers 68th Annual Convention in presentation:
    An Examination of Strategies to Bring Awareness to Human Trafficking in One’s
    Community in Hartford, Connecticut, on October 26, 2018.
  • Kansas Council of Social Work Educators Meeting Self-Care: Preventing Compassion Fatigue
    and building compassion Satisfaction on September 28, 2018
  • 15th Annual International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference presentation: An
    Examination of Strategies to Bring Awareness to Human Trafficking in One’s
    Community on September 21, 2018.
  • Self-Care: Preventing Compassion Fatigue and Building Compassion Satisfaction at
    The Sedgwick County Special Education Co-Op In-Service on August 6, 2018
  • Human Trafficking and Gender, Guest Lecture, Tabor College, April 25, 2018
  • Human Trafficking 101 Keynote Presentation and Panellist, University of Kansas, April 17, 2018
  • Human Trafficking 101 and the Church, Tilaran, Costa Rica, March 20, 2018
  • Breaking Down Barriers: Understanding the Complexity of Human Trafficking.
    Wichita State University 4th Annual Human Trafficking Conference. Workshop
    Presentation: An Examination of Strategies to Bring Awareness to Human Trafficking
    In One’s Community, January 26, 2018
  • Vanderhoof, L. (2017, June). “Self-Care Strategies” 2017 Region VII Head Start Leadership Conference [workshop].
  • Vanderhoof, L. 2015, June).
    “Human Trafficking 101” 2015 Region VII Head Start Leadership Conference [workshop].

Service

  • USD 418 School Board Member, President
  • ESSDACK Board Member, President
  • Conflict Mediator, Facilitator – McPherson Offender Victim Ministries, McPherson, KS
  • Co-Founder, Leader Set Free, anti-human trafficking faith-based organization, McPherson, KS
  • Board Member, United Way – McPherson, KS

Other

  • Peer Reviewer for Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping.