Steve Spyres

M.S.S.W, LSCSW
Acting Department Chair, Practicum Director, Instructor

Steve Spyres received his B.A. in Psychology and his M.S.S.W. from the University of Texas at Austin. He completed a post-masters Fellowship in Clinical Social Work at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka , Kansas in the academic year 1986-87. During this fellowship year, he received the Paul W. Pruyser Award for Professional Writing from the Menninger Alumni Association. Following the Fellowship, he joined the Social Work staff at the Menninger Clinic on a multidisciplinary team in Partial Hospitalization Services, where he worked with individuals, families, and groups. While on staff, Steve also earned certificates of advanced training in the two-year Individual Psychotherapy Training Program and the one-year Group Psychotherapy Training Program. Subsequent to this training, he joined the Psychotherapy Service and the Group Psychotherapy Service at Menninger, providing outpatient and inpatient clinical services, as well as serving on the faculty of various workshops for mental health professionals.

Steve joined the faculty of the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry and Mental Health Services, providing clinical supervision in the post-masters Fellowship in Clinical Social Work. He also had administrative and clinical responsibilities for group psychotherapy Partial Hospitalization Services working with staff and trainees of various disciplines. In his last year at the Menninger Clinic, Steve was a clinical team leader in the Community Residence Program. In the summer of 2001, Steve joined the staff at Valeo Behavioral Health Care in Topeka as Manager of Crisis and Intake Services. In this capacity, he had administrative and clinical oversight for the program, serving the residents of Shawnee County, including the chronically underserved. He also worked closely with many community agencies, including SRS Adult Protective Services, the Shawnee County Jail, the Topeka Rescue Mission, Stormont-Vail Hospital, the Topeka Police Department, Shawnee County Sheriff's Office, and United Way to better integrate community resources to serve consumers in need of mental health services.

Steve is a resident of Topeka and is married to Christine Moody, who is also a clinical social worker. They have two children at home. When away from work, Steve enjoys gardening, reading, sporting events, and adding to his jazz music collection. He also enjoys serving on the Management Committee of Camp Unistar in Cass Lake , Minnesota , which is part of the Prairie Star District of the Unitarian-Universalist Association of America, and teaching Sunday School with pre-schoolers and serving on the Ministerial Committee of the Unitarian-Universalist Association of Topeka.