About The Sanville Institute

The Sanville Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is committed to fostering advanced educational opportunities for social workers and other licensed clinicians whose values align with those of the social work profession, including service to people in need, commitment to social change on behalf of those who are vulnerable and oppressed, respect for cultural differences, advancement of the well-being of individuals and communities, and continual development of professional knowledge and clinical competence (National Association of Social Workers). The institute is managed by an all-volunteer board of trustees and a part-time administrator; it is funded by a trust established by Jean Sanville, a pioneering figure in clinical social work.

From 1974 – 2018, the institute operated a state-approved graduate school in California, offering a PhD in clinical social work. After forty-four years of doctoral instruction in clinical social work, the institute terminated its academic program and entered a five-year transitional phase in which it provided tuition assistance to former students completing their degrees elsewhere. With the successful conclusion of the tuition assistance program, the institute now directs its funding to the support of professional development and doctoral-level research.