Tag: social work

Consistent with its mission of promoting peace and justice through education, Spalding University announced on Martin Luther King Jr. Day that it is launching an online training and professional development program in antiracism.

Available nationally to individuals and groups from public-sector, corporate and nonprofit organizations, the range of half- and full-day online courses – collectively titled Restorative Practices for the Antiracist Journey – will teach concepts of cultural humility and restorative practices as a means to bring about positive social change.

Enrollment is open now for Restorative Practices for the Antiracist Journey with live virtual sessions set to start in late January. It is the first featured offering of a reorganized interdisciplinary institute of social justice-themed training at Spalding – called The Well – that will be housed in the School of Social Work. Visit spalding.edu/thewell to register.

Spalding’s Restorative Practices for the Antiracist Journey is designed and facilitated by faculty and staff leaders of the university’s Center for Peace and Spiritual Renewal, School of Social Work, School of Professional Psychology and Collective Care Center, which is one of the nation’s only behavioral health clinics to specialize in treating race-based trauma and stress.

REGISTER | Restorative Practices for the Antiracist Journey courses now available on The Well

The faculty and staff serving as facilitators for the program are among Louisville’s leading scholars on matters of restorative practices and dialogue, conflict resolution, polarity management, cultural humility, institutional oppression and racial trauma.

“This program is designed for individuals and groups who are interested in meaningfully and constructively addressing and healing race relations in their professional and personal lives through self-exploration, truth-telling, difficult dialogue and action,” said Spalding Executive Director for Peace and Spiritual Renewal Chandra Irvin, who helped lead the Charleston (South Carolina) Illumination Project of community conversations and healing following the tragic shooting of nine Black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church in 2015. “The Spalding faculty and staff who have collaborated to create this program have a great deal of experience in these spaces and bring a diverse set of perspectives. Organizations that participate in this training at Spalding will be making a valuable investment that demonstrates a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Certified in 2011 as the World’s First Compassionate University, Spalding is a historic, private institution that has been located for 100 years in downtown Louisville – which, as the hometown of Breonna Taylor, saw months of demonstrations last year in the name of racial justice, including several that took place on or near Spalding’s campus.

“Spalding’s mission states that we are a diverse community of learners dedicated to meeting the needs of the times by promoting peace and justice through education and service,” Spalding President Tori Murden McClure said. “As the past year has shown, pain and suffering from racial injustice and inequity remain prevalent in our society. Offering the Restorative Practices for the Antiracist Journey training program is an example of Spalding meeting the needs of the times by using the experience, wisdom and teaching skills of our faculty and staff to help promote a more equitable world.”

Upon completion, participants in Restorative Practices for the Antiracist Journey will be awarded three tiers of certification badges by Spalding – Bronze, Silver and Ebony (highest level) – based on the number of sessions completed, and these credentials will be appropriate to share on resumes and online professional profiles. Completed hours in the program can be applied to continuing education requirements for social workers, and Spalding plans to seek approval for continuing education credits from other professions’ governance boards in the future.

“Spalding’s School of Social Work has a rich tradition of providing quality continuing education for practitioners and community members throughout Kentucky,” School of Social Work Chair Dr. Shannon Cambron said. “The Well is the next chapter for us. It’s a reflection of our commitment to meet the needs of the times by co-creating an interdisciplinary space of training and engagement with a justice and equity lens – a space that equips people with the skills to begin the work of dismantling white supremacy and injustice. Restorative Practices for the Antiracist Journey is evidence of that commitment, and we are excited about this new chapter.”

For more information on participating in Restorative Practices for the Antiracist Journey, visit spalding.edu/thewell.

A week before Thanksgiving Day, the Spalding University School of Social Work on Thursday earned its own exciting, memorable spot on the 2019 calendar.

Mayor Greg Fischer recognized the School of Social Work’s contributions to the community by proclaiming Nov. 21, 2019 as Spalding University School of Social Day in Louisville.

Joshua Watkins, Executive Administrator for the city’s Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, announced the proclamation and presented a certificate (see bottom of story) to School of Social Work Chair Dr. Shannon Cambron during a reception to honor Master of Social Work alumni.

The city-wide proclamation came on the day that the School of Social Work was celebrating the 20th anniversary of its first MSW graduating class, of which Cambron was also a member.

“It’s a little overwhelming, and looking at the proclamation, it’s kind of a weighty feeling to have a whole day that’s devoted to what we are doing here,” said Cambron, who oversees a Spalding social work school that began in the 1960s. “We are so grateful for the Office for Safe and Health Neighborhoods and to be able to support the incredible work that they do and that all of our partners do. To be recognized for the work that we support, it makes the 20th anniversary of the MSW even more special. People are acknowledging that for many years we have been out there working hard and doing good things, and now we have our own day.”

Learn More |  Master of Social Work Program

Spalding’s MSW has produced 508 graduates since 1999, with alumni moving on to work in a range of social work settings, including schools, nonprofit organizations, hospitals and government offices that impact individuals, communities and policy at large. At least seven Spalding MSW alumni, Cambron, currently serve as either a dean or chair of a university social work program.

The MSW is a growing program. Cambron said Spalding will have had a record 71 students admitted to the master’s program this year, including, for the first time, a January cohort set to start in 2020.

Additionally, from a community service perspective, the Spalding School of Social Work has been a sponsor since 2017 of the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods’ One Love Louisville Ambassador program, a civic engagement initiative aimed at preventing violence and building community. The Ambassador program’s training sessions are held in the School of Social Work’s building.

Related | Social work course on compassion helps student connect with hospital patients

Members of the social work faculty have also made valuable civic contributions.

* Dr. Cynthia Conley, who serves as the School of Social Work’s Coordinator of Graduate Studies, recently developed a survey for the Louisville Metro Police Department to gather data on how residents who identify as LGBTQ perceive the police.

* Cambron, a 2018 Bingham Fellow, and Assistant Professor Dr. Laneshia Conner are working with Jefferson County Public Schools to develop cultural humility training for teachers.

*Assistant Professor Glynita Bell is crafting new diagnostic codes around racial trauma, Cambron said.

*Associate Professor and former Chair Dr. Kevin Borders is helping perform evaluations for nonprofit organizations, Cambron said.

Spalding Graduate Dean Dr. Kurt Jefferson said the School of Social Work aligns strongly with the mission of the university and the legacy of education, service and social justice left by Mother Catherine Spalding.

“The world needs more social workers,” Jefferson said. “There’s no question about that when you look at where we are as a culture and society. What you’re doing is important not only in academic sense of research and academics – which are hugely important – but there is a moral element to the work you are doing.”

Cambron said she had been feeling pride all day Thursday as she reflected on the accomplishments of the School of Social Work and the MSW program over the past two decades. She said she is thankful for the contributions and foresight of the late former Chair Jillian Johnson, who led the school at the time the MSW was introduced. ‘

“I think that if Jill could see the work that is going on and that this faculty group is doing, I think we would get a big thumbs up,” Cambron said.

“When you think about what would be the thumbprint of the Spalding University School of Social Work not only in this community but regionally with many of our graduates, it’s our brand of teaching social justice. It’s humbling, and it’s awe-inspiring. And I think this is just the start.”

**Two members of the original MSW faculty –  Patricia Cummings and Dr. Helen Deines – were honored Thursday by Cambron and the current faculty with Legacy Awards.

By proclamation of @louisvillemayor, today is officially Spalding University School of Social Work Day in Louisville. Great and well-deserved recognition for our social work program on all of its contributions to our community. pic.twitter.com/uFz7sJWBJJ

— Spalding University (@SpaldingU) November 21, 2019

The Spalding University School of Social Work believes so strongly that compassion is key to creating social change that it now offers a course – Compassionate Social Justice – on that specific concept.

It’s made an immediate impact on at least one social work student who is preparing for a career working in health care.

During her social work practicum last year at Jewish Hospital, Jonetta Meddis said she was able to directly apply the skills she’d learned from the classroom toward her conversations with patients.

For her practicum, Meddis was an intern whose role was to communicate with and gather information from patients, including many who were in the hospital for complications related to addiction and substance abuse.

As is common with people who are hospitalized while struggling with addiction, many of them didn’t want to be there, felt angry or mistrustful and were adamant about leaving, even if it was against medical advice. Part of Meddis’ job was to help convince them to stay and get the care and services they needed.

Thanks in part to the skills she learned in the School of Social Work’s Compassionate Social Justice course, Meddis was able to make inroads with many patients and helped steer them in the right direction.

She listened. She made them feel heard. She treated them as her equal and respected their perspective.

Learn more | Spalding’s Bachelor of Science in Social Work program

“Mainly I just wanted to be an ear because they may not have people in their life who listen to them, believe in them or understand what their situation is, and not just brush them off,” said Meddis, who earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work degree from Spalding in June and is now enrolled in the Master of Social Work program.

Now in its second year at Spalding, Compassionate Social Justice is an online undergraduate course taught by adjunct professor Diane Wright, a licensed social worker who serves as the Vice President of Quality Management and Compliance for Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services.

Wright’s class, which is being offered in Session 2 and is open as an elective to any undergraduate in any major, emphasizes the importance of communication, listening and looking past stereotypes in order to show unconditional positive regard to all groups of people.

Students’ assignments include conducting a conscious act of kindness, then writing a reflection paper.

“Instead of walking by a homeless person, talk to them and bring them food,” Wright said. “Or surprise a family member by cooking them a meal or cleaning their house.”

Students have been surprised to find that the people on the receiving end of simple acts of kindness are often extremely moved by the gesture, Wright said.

“The students had a whole new perspective on thinking about others and adding others to the equation as they make their way through their day,” Wright said. “For a lot of traditional college students, they’re in a stage in life when this is a new thing. So for a lot of students, this is a very powerful thing.”

Thanks to skills learned in Wright’s compassion course, Meddis said, she became more self-aware of her own body language and facial expressions as she talked to patients at her practicum. She never wanted to present herself as anything but the patient’s equal, and she said she never used phrases like, “I understand what you’re going through,” because if she’d never actually experienced what the patient is going through, the words would ring hollow.

Wright and Dr. Stacy Deck, Director of Undergraduate Education in the School of Social Work, said the Compassionate Social Justice course would be a valuable one for students in any major at Spalding. Future nurses, teachers and business professionals, for example, all could benefit from skills that help them better understand the personal struggles, frustrations and misgivings experienced by their patients, students and clients.

“It’s an excellent course as a foundation for social workers, but it’s an excellent place for any student to start their academic career at Spalding or to deepen their academic journey,” Deck said. “No matter what your academic concentration, Diane has a way of making that compassion that we aspire to, very concrete and letting us see what it looks like in action.”

Those interested in registering for Compassionate Social Justice for Session 2 may contact School of Social Work Undergraduate Education Director Dr. Stacy Deck at sdeck@spalding.edu. The course is open to any Spalding undergrad, in any major. 

The Spalding University School of Social Work will celebrate Social Work Month with two signature events held back-to-back on Thursday, March 7,  and the public is encouraged to attend.

A daylong conference called #OppressForgetRepeat – A Call to End the Cycle of Injustice and Oppression will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the College Street Center ballroom, 812 S. Second Street. It’s free for Spalding faculty and staff as well as students from any school, and it’s $25 for the public. For those seeking to acquire six continuing education units (CEUs), the cost is $35. Register online on the A Call to End the Cycle of Injustice & Oppression event page.

That will be followed at 5 p.m. for Spalding’s Celebration of Social Work reception at the Republic Bank Academic Center,981 S. Third St. That event is free and will feature distribution of the second annual Spalding Social Work Awards.

Here’s more detail on both events.

#OppressForgetRepeat conference

The #OppressForgetRepeat – A Call to End the Cycle of Injustice and Oppression conference is designed to explore the dynamics of systemic and structural oppression, while reviewing the history and long-range damage of oppressive practices.

Participants will engage with community and regional leaders in plenaries and participant-driven breakout sessions.

There will presentations by Rabbi Nadia Siritsky about antisemitism; Rashaad Abdur-Rahman, director for the city’s Department of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, about slavery; and Joshua Poe, urban planner, about the redlining of Louisville neighborhoods.

Learn more | Spalding University School of Social Work

Learn more | New School of Social Work Chair embraces role

Marta Miranda-Straub, the retired leader of the Center for Women and Families and a current Spalding social work adjunct professor, will also speak.

Breakout sessions will be held on anti-oppressive practice, trauma-informed practice, community organizing and more. There will also be an information fair of social justice organizations.

“It’s really a call to action,” said Miranda-Straub, who also helped organize the conference. “We’re setting the context (of examples of oppressive practices and systems), then giving the opportunities to engage with activists and advocacy and organizations that are doing social justice work. It’s kind of a shifting of a paradigm that we can’t keep doing this work without really learning from the past and moving it forward to find out what action we’re going to take.”

Celebration of Social Work reception

After the conference, at the Celebration of Social Work public reception, Spalding will present its annual social work awards to community leaders dedicated to the profession and the community. This year’s honorees are: Jennifer Hancock (Leader Award), Volunteers of America Mid-States; Edgardo Mansilla (Advocate Award), Americana Center; Miranda-Straub (Champion Award), Catapult Now; Adria Johnson (Collaborator Award), Metro United Way; and Quaniqua Carthan (Innovator), Cities United.

More Social Work Month coverage: Spalding School of Social Work Chair Dr. Shannon Cambron and professor Laneshia Conner each wrote an op-ed column for the Courier-Journal this past week explaining the profession of social work.

Spalding University announced Wednesday, Sept. 5, that it has reached a milestone in its ongoing, largest-ever capital fundraising campaign: surpassing $30 million in total contributions since 2014. They have supported new construction projects, facility improvements and academic and scholarship programs that broadly impact campus and student life.

The $30.4 million raised to date is a record for a Spalding campaign, and it far outpaces the original fundraising goals – $20 million by 2020 – set by the university’s board of trustees when it voted to launch the campaign four years ago. The goal was officially upped to $30 million in 2016.

“We are extremely grateful for the individuals and organizations who have stepped forward in support of our campaign and the mission and progress of Spalding,” Chief Advancement Officer Bert Griffin said. “We’ve made improvements all over campus and have not used any tuition dollars to make it happen.”

Spalding President Tori Murden McClure added: “Through this campaign, we have provided our students and the community with more resources and services while making our campus greener and more beautiful. We are grateful to our many partners who are helping us meet the needs of the times and change our community for the better.”

Some highlights of the $30 million capital campaign:

● Nearly $11 million in student scholarships and fieldwork stipends have been or will be distributed by way of the campaign, including more than $4 million in federal grants for clinical psychology and social work students from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

● More than $7 million has been donated or pledged in support of a greening initiative that has beautified the 23-acre downtown campus. Completed projects include the Mother Catherine Spalding Square green space on West Breckenridge Street between South Third and South Fourth and 2.2-acre Trager Park, which, in partnership with Louisville Gas and Electric Company and the Trager Family Foundation, opened last fall at the corner of South Second and West Kentucky. The Trager Park site was formerly an unused asphalt lot.

Ongoing outdoor projects are the seven-acre athletic fields complex between South Eighth and South Ninth streets that will be the home of Spalding’s NCAA Division III softball and soccer teams, and the Contemplative Garden at Spalding University, which will be a meditation space at 828 S. Fourth St. that is designed to honor Trappist Monk Thomas Merton and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Thanks to a recent anonymous $500,000 challenge grant, installation of the playing surfaces at the fields complex is expected to begin this fall, and it could be ready for competition by late spring 2019.

FROM WHAS: Spalding works to build Ninth Street ‘Field of Dreams’

● Kosair Charities has contributed more than $1.2 million to Spalding in support of the Kosair Charities Enabling Technologies of Kentuckiana (enTECH) assistive-technology resource center, the Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy and the Spalding School of Nursing.

RELATED: Spalding, enTECH receive $275,000 grant from Kosair Charities

● A $500,000 challenge grant from the James Graham Brown Foundation has helped raise $1 million to develop programs focused on restorative justice and restorative practices as well as Spalding’s Center for Behavioral Health.

● Nearly $1 million was raised to renovate the lower level of the Columbia Gym into a student fitness center and lounge.

● Other facilities that have undergone major improvements and modern updates are the Republic Bank Academic Center, which is the home of Spalding’s nursing and social work programs; the Spalding Library; the historic Tompkins-Buchanan-Rankin Mansion; and the Egan Leadership Center Lectorium.

Spalding University’s Columbia Gym Auditorium, 824 S. Fourth St., will be the site of the Courier Journal’s A Way Forward addiction panel discussion and information fair on Thursday, July 19 (5:30-8:30 p.m.). The event is underwritten by Find Help Now KY.

The free, public event is a part of the Courier Journal’s ongoing A Way Forward series examining solutions to Kentucky’s drug addition epidemic. According to the newspaper, the goal of the panel discussion is to “provide families with information on how to deal with addiction and how Kentuckians can find a way to solve this crisis — together.”

Here is a link to the Facebook event, and more schedule info is below.

Tiffany Cole Hall, an adjunct professor in the Spalding School of Social Work and a vice president for Volunteers of America Mid-States, will be one of the seven panelists. Hall, who oversees addiction recovery, HIV and homeless/housing services for VOAM, helped create Spalding’s addiction curriculum, and she now teaches in the program. Spalding offers a minor in addiction studies as well as numerous continuing education courses for the public that can be used toward the requirements of becoming a certified alcohol and drug counselor in Kentucky.

Hall and Volunteers of America Mid-States President Jennifer Hancock co-wrote a Courier Journal op-ed this month about addiction issues. The piece also describes the importance of college and universities like Spalding in training skilled, compassionate professionals to assist folks who are battling addiction.

If you or a loved one are battling addiction and looking for help, or just if you want to become more informed on addiction issues and the support services in our area, come check out the A Way Forward forum at Columbia Gym Auditorium.

Here is the event schedule for the evening of July 19:

5:30-6:30 p.m.: Information fair and naloxone training

Information fair participants: Centerstone, Find Help Now KY, The Healing Place, Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition, Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, Louisville Metro Police Department, The Morton Center, Our Lady of Peace, Renew Recovery, Spalding University, Young People in Recovery.

6:30-8:30 p.m.: Panel discussion addressing questions about prevention, recovery and solutions to our addiction epidemic, moderated by Laura Ungar, Courier Journal investigative reporter.

Panelists:

• Terry Bunn, University of Kentucky, Find Help Now KY
• Tiffany Cole Hall, Volunteers of America Mid-States and Spalding University School of Social Work
• Tara Mosely, Young People in Recovery
• Sgt. Paul Neal, Louisville Metro Police Department, Narcotics Unit
• Dr. Charles Noplis, Renew Recovery
• Stacy Usher, Wolfe County Coalition UNITED Against Drugs
• Maurice Washington, Chad’s Hope Teen Challenge

Longtime state Rep. Jim Wayne, a licensed clinical social worker who represents Louisville and the 35th District in the Kentucky General Assembly, received an honorary doctorate of public service on Friday, March 2 from the Spalding School of Work.

President Tori Murden McClure conferred the honorary degree on Wayne during a Celebration of Social Work at the Republic Bank Academic Center. About 100 students, faculty and members of the public were there to celebrate Social Work Month in March and honor Wayne and three other social workers who have made outstanding contributions to the profession and their community.

The other honorees (see photos below) were Jackie Stamps (Advocate Award) of the state’s Department of Child Based Services, Judy Freundlich Tiell (Leader Award) of Jewish Family Career Services and Rashaad Abdur-Rahman (Champion Award) of the Louisville Metro Office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods.

Before the event, Wayne discussed the honor from Spalding and gave his thoughts on the importance of social workers.

How did you find out you were receiving this honorary degree from Spalding?

Jim Wayne: Several weeks ago, (School of Social Work Acting Faculty Chair) Shannon Cambron called me and said they wanted to honor me in some way, but she wouldn’t tell me in what way. It kind of made me a little uncomfortable. (Chuckling.) She said, would you mind meeting President McClure for coffee or lunch. So we did meet for an early coffee at this little place across the street D. Nally’s. Tori was there, and so was Shannon and (social work faculty member) Stacy Deck. Tori announced that the board of trustees had decided to honor me with a doctorate degree. I was quite stunned because I wondered (laughing), “What qualifies someone to receive such a degree?” I think they were trying to show that it’s important for social workers to be recognized in shaping social policy and that would be an inspiration to some of the other people in training to be social workers. I said, “If that helps somebody else to be inspired to do good work, then I’m happy to accept it.”

What is your background in social work?

Jim Wayne: I have a master’s in social work from Smith College in Massachusetts. I went from there to work at a mental health center in Southern Indiana in a rural area, which was a wonderful experience. Then I was at Bingham Child Guidance Clinic here for several years and  taught the pediatric residents and did therapy there and evaluations. Then I started our work in the community with private practice doing employee assistance programs and always doing work with people who cannot afford therapy, so I’ve always done pro bono work. I always maintain a psychotherapy practice for long-term cases because employee-assistance programs are brief. They’re assessment and brief therapy. But I also love to work in long-term cases. And then I’m always in the community. I do a number of pro bono cases and try to work in the community, especially the West End. At one point I was a pro bono counselor at a school there, and some of those children are now young adults and I maintain contact with them.

How do you describe the importance of social workers and all that they do?

Jim Wayne: Right now we live in very difficult times – I say dark times – and there are many forces right now that are destructive, that are harmful, that are divisive. The role of social work is just the opposite of all that. The role of social work is to bring people together, to build communities, to help heal the emotional traumas that people suffer, to heal the traumas in a family as well as individually and to also connect those individual and family traumas with the larger society in a social context because there are many systems that are harmful and, I’d say, have pathological components. So social workers not only work individually or in small groups or couples, but they also work in systems in trying to change social policy so that the social environment we all live in is conducive to human growth. And that’s very challenging, but it’s so very necessary and social workers have the skills to do that.

Tell me what you think about Spalding’s role in where it’s positioned downtown since 1920 or the composition of its student body or any of the priorities you’ve heard about from President McClure or about the social work program. Just anything that you think about Spalding and its role in the community.

Jim Wayne: Well, I’m a Spalding grad – an MFA in writing grad. … My understanding is this is an urban university, and it’s strategically situated in a very vibrant part of our city. This is also an area where there are some people suffering from homelessness and hunger and addiction and mental illness. What (McClure) has done is basically put her flag in the ground here and said, “We are here, and we are going to grow here, in the middle of this diverse environment of the urban core.” And I think it’s wonderful because she’s bringing into this area people who maybe wouldn’t be exposed to this type of urban environment. So I’m a great admirer of her and her vision and what the School of Social Work is doing right here.

Last thing, so will you now start referring to yourself as “Dr. Wayne?”

Jim Wayne: (Laughing.) Tori said that I could do that, but I think I’ll just be Jim.

Longtime Kentucky state Rep. Jim Wayne will receive an honorary degree from the Spalding University School of Social Work on Friday, March 2, joining three other local social workers who will be honored during an on-campus event to celebrate Social Work Month in March.

The three others who will receive awards from the Spalding social work program for their outstanding contributions to the social work profession and their community: Judy Freundlich Tiell, executive director of Jewish Family and Career Services; Joqueline “Jackie” Stamps, staff assistant to the commissioner of Kentucky’s Department for Community Based Services; and Rashaad Abdur-Rahman, director of the Louisville Metro Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods.

The free, public event, which is themed “Social Workers: Leaders. Advocates. Champions,” will be 4-6 p.m. at the Republic Bank Academic Center, 981 S. Third Street.

At about 5 p.m. Spalding President Tori Murden-McClure will present Wayne with an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree. Wayne will retire this year after serving for 27 years in the Kentucky House of Representatives, representing the 35th District in Louisville.  He is a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Wayne Corp., a practice that provides counseling and employee assistance to more than 80 corporations and unions. His work in the legislature and through Catholic organizations has made him a leading voice in Kentucky on social justice issues.

More information on the other awards and honorees

• Leader Award: Judy Freundlich Tiell – The Leader Award is presented to a transformational leader who has created an inspiring vision of the future, motivated others to engage with that vision and built a team to achieve the vision.  Under the leadership of Tiell, who is a licensed clinical social worker, Jewish Family and Career Services (JFCS) provides family and career services, pre- and post-adoption services, senior home care and transportation assistance, a food pantry, a microenterprise lending program and assistance to refugees and immigrants.  The agency serves more than 9,000 individuals each year.

• Advocate Award: Joqueline “Jackie” Stamps – The Advocate Award is presented to an individual who has represented a client or cause and systematically influenced decision-making in unjust or unresponsive systems.  In her role with the Department for Community Based Services, which is within the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Stamps is responsible for coordinating efforts in the department to eliminate disproportionality and disparities in outcomes for children and families of color in the child welfare system and working with cross-system partners for improved outcomes for all families.

• Champion Award: Rashaad Abdur-Rahman – The Champion Award is presented to an individual whose work for social justice is passionate, innovative, collaborative, flexible and courageous. As director of the Louisville Metro Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, Abdur-Rahman, who is a licensed clinical social worker, leads a department that was established by Mayor Greg Fischer in 2013 to help the city develop cross-sector and comprehensive violence prevention strategies aligned with a public health model. Its five key engagement areas are community building, education, employment/economic development, health and social wellness, and criminal/juvenile justice reform.

“These four individuals represent the best of our profession,” said Shannon Cambron, acting chair of the Spalding School of Social Work.  “As leaders, advocates and champions, their tireless work at the local and statewide levels inspires us and makes our community a better place.  They are outstanding role models for our students.”

Social work is a growing profession with more than 680,000 social work professionals in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS projects that overall employment of social workers will grow 16 percent from 2016 to 2026. Clinical social workers are the largest group of mental health providers in the United States.

“The services of social workers are needed now more than ever before as the nation grapples with issues such as income inequality, the opioid addiction crisis, the environment and the continued struggle for equal rights for all,” McClure said. “During Social Work Month, we hope you will take time to learn more about the profession and support the work of social workers in improving the lives of individuals, families and our society.”

About the Spalding School of Social Work

The School of Social Work offers undergraduate- and graduate-level degrees in social work with concentrations in addictions and restorative practices. The School of Social Work is a leading provider in the region of continuing education for social work professionals. Social work faculty members also provide research and evaluation services and serve as consultants and advocates in the community. For more information, visit Spalding.edu/social-work.

Spalding University has received a federal grant of nearly $1.15 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support advanced-level psychology and social work students who perform behavioral health work in primary care settings in medically underserved areas of Louisville.

The grant, which comes via the federal Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training program (BHWET), will provide stipends to doctoral candidates in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) and students pursuing a master’s degree in social work (MSW) who are part of Spalding’s Interdisciplinary Behavioral Health Scholars Program (IBHSP). The stipends will assist in recruitment and retention of future behavioral health professionals who do their training work in vulnerable and medically underserved areas.

Spalding, the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville were the only institutions in Kentucky to receive BHWET grants.

Spalding’s psychology and social work scholars are partnering with three Louisville health and wellness organizations to provide services. They are the Family Community Clinic, which provides medical assistance to individuals without health insurance, including many who don’t speak English, at its facility in the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Butchertown; Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center, which provides affordable primary health and dental care to patients in West Louisville; and Smoketown Family Wellness Center, which offers wellness programs in a neighborhood in which residents’ average life expectancy is 10 years below other Louisville areas, according to the center’s website.

“I am very familiar with the health care academic programs at Spalding University and find it very rewarding to know that individuals who rely on health care services will receive the quality care and attention that a partnership with Spalding will bring,” said George Fischer, founder of the Family Community Clinic. “I’m grateful to Spalding and its faculty and students for providing help to members of our community who need it.”

The grant money for Spalding students will be dispersed over four years with the funding increasing after the first year. There will be six student recipients in the first year and 10 in Years 2-4.  The psychology students will receive $28,352 each, and the social work students will receive $10,000.

“We are thrilled to have received this federal grant,” said Dr. Steve Katsikas, faculty chair of Spalding’s School of Professional Psychology and the IBHSP program director.  “Between 60 and 70 percent of all health-related problems have a behavioral component, such as smoking, living a sedentary lifestyle or eating an imbalanced diet.  The grant will allow us to partner with primary care sites in underserved parts of Louisville to provide integrated behavioral health services. Individuals who see a health care provider and need a referral will be able to immediately see a behavioral health specialist. Spalding’s schools of social work and psychology are excited about this program because it allows us to train the next generation of psychologists and social workers to make a lasting health impact in our community.”

The grant will also be used to hire a clinical coordinator and fund seminars.

(more…)