Influential Women: Alice Cagampang, Guiding Families Through Grief And Preparing Social Workers For End-Of-Life Care

WA, UNITED STATES, November 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work, Alice Cagampang Brings Nearly Three Decades of Clinical Experience in Grief, Bereavement, and Palliative Care

Seattle, Washington – Alice Cagampang is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work, where she has dedicated her career to educating and mentoring the next generation of social workers. She also serves as Director of the Carol LaMare Scholars Traineeship Program, guiding Master of Social Work students with interests in end-of-life care, life-limiting illness, palliative care, and hospice social work. Since joining the University of Washington, she has taught graduate-level courses and developed learning experiences focused on attachment theory across the lifespan and integrative approaches to social work practice in life-limiting illness and end-of-life situations. Her commitment to teaching excellence has been recognized with multiple MSW Students’ Choice Teaching Awards.

With nearly three decades of experience as a clinical social worker, educator, and advocate, Alice has built her career around supporting individuals and families navigating grief, loss, and bereavement. She previously managed the Journey Program at Seattle Children’s Hospital, a bereavement program that supports children and families after the loss of a child or a significant relationship. Under her leadership, the program expanded equitable access to culturally responsive grief services by increasing clinician representation and ensuring that Spanish-speaking families had access to appropriate support. Her innovative work in pediatric bereavement earned her the Odessa Brown Ken Feldman Award from Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Bridge to Healing Award from the Safe Crossings Foundation.

Alice also maintains a private practice, providing therapy and clinical supervision for therapists working toward independent licensure. Her practice focuses on culturally responsive care and on supporting under-represented identities in social work practice, work that builds on her earlier efforts at Seattle Children’s Hospital to increase clinician representation in bereavement support. A Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology and Religious Studies from the University of Michigan and her Master of Social Work from Western Michigan University. She speaks English and Tagalog.

Alice attributes her success to the legacy and wisdom passed down through her lineage. She believes she has inherited the baton from her ancestors, carrying forward the values, lessons, and resilience they built before her. Their influence continues to inspire and guide her as she pursues her own path to contribute to the generations that follow. She also credits influential mentors, including Jackie Kite, Clarissa Barber-Kurose, J’May Rivara, and Isaac and Gloria Cagampang, with shaping her journey.

The best career advice Alice has received is to know who you are. Understanding her values, strengths, and purpose has helped her make intentional decisions, stay authentic in her work, and build a career that aligns with who she truly is. Her advice to young women entering social work is to live fully and practice with an open, compassionate heart. Even when the work is difficult, she believes that embracing our shared humanity allows practitioners to connect authentically with those who are suffering.

Alice is candid about the challenges in her field, chief among them the lack of resources available to those who need them most. There are never enough mental health providers, affordable housing options, food resources, or time to fully meet the growing needs of the communities social workers serve. Those gaps make her commitment to training skilled, compassionate practitioners all the more important.

The values most important to Alice are accessing joy, experiencing joy, and sharing joy with others. She believes that bringing positivity, compassion, and meaningful moments into people’s lives is an essential part of both her personal and professional journey. Beyond the classroom and clinical work, she serves as a board member of Wild Grief, a nonprofit organization dedicated to grief support, and is a member of the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network.

Through decades of teaching, clinical care, and advocacy, Alice has helped countless families find support in their hardest moments while preparing future social workers to do the same. Alice Cagampang continues to advance compassionate, inclusive, and community-centered social work practice rooted in the wisdom of those who came before her.

Learn More about Alice Ryan:

Through her Influential Women profile: https://influentialwomen.com/connect/alice-ryan

Influential Women

Influential Women provides a platform where women from all backgrounds can connect, share their perspectives, and create content that empowers themselves and others. Through storytelling, thought leadership, and creative expression, Influential Women amplifies voices that inspire change.

Editorial Team
Influential Women
email us here

Media gallery