Loyola’s School of Social Work Opens State-of-the-Art Behavioral Health Simulation Lab

CHICAGO—Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work celebrated the grand opening of its new Behavioral Health Simulation Lab on Friday, October 17, marking a major milestone in the University’s commitment to advancing behavioral health education and training.

The lab’s immersive technology replicates real-world behavioral health scenarios to prepare students for clinical practice.

The lab offers multiple rooms, each furnished to recreate various real-world spaces where social workers may practice. Trained “standardized participants” will act as clients with whom students can practice their clinical skills like providing trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, and ethical decision-making. Instructors can view the sessions from the control room and provide live feedback or record the sessions to review later.

“This investment underscores our shared commitment to expanding the behavioral health workforce, where the need for skilled and empathetic practitioners has never been greater,” said Loyola President Mark C. Reed. “Every student who trains here will carry forward the Jesuit values of service and justice into communities across our state, our nation, and globally, bringing healing and hope to those who need it most.”

While social work students will be the primary users of the lab, it will also be available to faculty for research purposes, as well as community partners who wish to provide training to employees.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), who helped secure the federal grant that supported the creation of the new facility, praised Loyola’s investment in behavioral health education, emphasizing the growing need for a trained and resilient workforce.

“The reality now is that we need men and women trained to deal with behavioral and mental health issues like trauma, which are so prevalent in communities nationwide,” Durbin said. “I happen to believe that trauma in childhood and early adulthood, when not properly addressed, can negatively impact a person throughout their life. Loyola University Chicago, with this grant, has a chance to create tomorrow’s leaders in this field, as well as save and improve a lot of lives.”

The lab is part of Loyola’s Center for Simulation Education, and will serve as a resource for both teaching and research, supporting Loyola’s mission to promote excellence, equity, and innovation in behavioral health practice.

“For behavioral health, this new lab represents far more than an investment in technology or space—it’s an investment in people, in the students who will train here, and the communities they will serve,” said School of Social Work Dean Patricia Findley.

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About Loyola University Chicago
Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, recognized for its academic excellence, commitment to community engagement, and leadership in sustainability. A Carnegie R1 research institution, Loyola leverages its status as one of an elite group of universities with the highest level of research activity to advance knowledge that serves communities and creates global impact. With 15 schools, colleges, and institutes—including Business, Law, Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences—Loyola operates three primary campuses in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, that provide students a transformative, globally connected learning experience. Consistently ranked among the nation’s top universities by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is a STARS Gold-rated institution that is ranked as one of the country’s most sustainable campuses by The Princeton Review and has earned distinctions from AmeriCorps and the Carnegie Foundation for its longstanding record of service and community engagement. Guided by its Jesuit mission and commitment to caring for the whole person, Loyola educates ethical leaders who think critically, act with purpose, and strive to create a more just and sustainable world.

About the School of Social Work
Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work provides transformative education for practice-informed social work. The School advances rich and diverse knowledge grounded in empowering work with clients and organizations from a participatory, person-in-environment perspective. The School promotes social justice through macro, meso, and micro practice. “Transformative education” reflects our commitment to engaging students to be effective change agents for social justice in a global context. “Practice-informed social work” refers to a strengths-based, client-centered focus in working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and environmental systems.