For social workers in Central New York and surrounding communities, continuing education programming through Falk College offers an opportunity to fulfill New York State Education Law requirements. Effective January 2015, licensed master and clinical social workers are required to complete 36 hours of approved formal continuing education every three years. Syracuse University’s School of Social Work has been an approved New York State Department of Education provider of this training for more than four decades. “For participants, some of who are alumni of our social work programs, it gives them a chance to reconnect with Syracuse University,” says Xenia Becher, internship…
“The African proverb, ‘I am because we are, and because we are, therefore I am,’ celebrates the interconnectedness we all share,” explains Keith A. Alford, associate professor of social work. Alford firmly believes actively understanding another person’s life journey is not only enlightening and rewarding, but is an essential mindset professional social workers must embrace. In speaking of his own life journey, Alford recalls the positive influence of his parents and extended family, which ultimately drew him to the profession of social work. Alford was born in Columbia, SC, and attributes his tireless work ethic to his parents. His father…
“Once you start working in trauma, you see it everywhere,” says Tracey Musarra Marchese, social work professor of practice in Syracuse University’s Falk College and a practitioner in the community working with individuals and families. “Because of the amount of trauma out there, we need to have more people trained in treating it.” And Marchese is doing just that. Marchese, who also holds a clinical faculty appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at Upstate Medical University, provides EMDR Therapy basic training for psychiatry residents and community practitioners. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR Therapy, helps people of all ages…
“The first time I considered becoming a social worker was when I was mistaken for one,” says Katherine Goldberg ’18, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), who is studying for her master of social work (MSW) degree at Falk College. Goldberg was giving input during a discussion of euthanasia on the Veterinary Social Work listserv. “I guess my two cents had a considerable amount of ‘social work-speak’ in it because I received more than one email indicating that listserv members thought I was a social worker, before realizing I was a veterinarian,” she says. “I took this as a serious compliment.”…
Evidence of the power of relationships between humans and their animal companions is invigorating a growing interest for social work professionals to know about these connections and incorporate them into practice. Social work faculty in Falk College continue to develop new courses focused on the human-companion animal bond and the therapeutic role of animals while infusing these topics into existing offerings. During the first course meeting of Social Work and the Human-Animal Bond that debuted this spring, students shared varied perspectives on the important connection between humans and animal companions and considered the implications of these relationships in social work…
“Undocumented Rights Politics and Legislation: How Fare New York’s Undocumented Rights Politics and Legislation” is this year’s event title. As the name implies, the event will center around the topic of undocumented workers, the rights afforded them by their undocumented immigrant status, the policies that effect their well-being in New York, and their experience upon arrival. We look forward to seeing you all on Friday, April 1st at the Onondaga County Legislative Chambers (401 Montgomery Street). Doors open at 8:30AM. Please arrive 5-15 minutes early, as it does take some time to get everyone through security and settled in the chambers.
Sixteen Syracuse University juniors and seniors have earned full scholarships to the prestigious 2016 Dulye Leadership Experience (DLE), including social work major, Paulina Colon ’17. Founded by alumna Linda Dulye ’77, the highly selective DLE, now in its ninth year, promotes students’ self-discovery and critical skills building for finding a career that mutually benefits themselves and their employers. Since the program’s start in 2008, over 100 SU students have participated in the program, with most advancing to a job or internship within three months of attending. Dulye, an internationally recognized leader in workplace communication and engagement whose firm Dulye &…
In honor of National Adoption Day on November 21, the School of Social Work in the Falk College, in conjunction with Families with Children from China, is offering a screening of the documentary film, “Find Me” with an expert panel discussion to follow. The session will be offered as a continuing education course for LMSWs and LCSWs. Many practitioners will, at some point, work with an individual who has been affected by foster care or adoption either directly or indirectly. This course will help develop a framework for understanding the unique needs of children and families from both the national…
Professor of social work, Eric R. Kingson, a faculty affiliate in its Aging Studies Institute, was named the 2015 recipient of the Donald P. Kent Award from The Gerontological Society of America (GSA). The award was presented at the 68th Annual Scientific Meeting in November. It is given annually to a GSA member who best exemplifies the highest standards for professional leadership in gerontology through teaching, service, and interpretation of gerontology to the larger society. Also in November, Kingson, along with Nancy Altman, was honored by Encore.org with the 2015 Purpose Prize for outstanding efforts to improve local communities and the world by taking on powerful social-impact…
Nancy, a lawyer and former faculty member at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and Eric, a professor of social work at Syracuse University, share a four-decade friendship. Both have created encore roles – for Nancy, returning to work after raising her family, and for Eric, channeling his early political activism into the social-policy sphere, focusing on Social Security. Their joint experience and established professional alliance gave rise to a national organization and coalition to preserve and expand Social Security. Their encore evolutions have been gradual, they say, guided by their early mentors. People like Robert Ball, Wilbur Cohen, and many others proved that…
