Marriage & Family Therapy News
Clothing Drive Fills Unmet Need in Local Transgender Community
Second-year MFT students organize donations during a January 2015 clothing drive to benefit Syracuse’s transgendered community.
L-R: Jamie Kanter, Melanie Gonzalez, and Megan O’Brien.
Table after table lined with hundreds of donated shirts, pants, sweaters, skirts, jackets and other clothing items were visible in one Peck Hall classroom because MFT graduate students Amy Goss and Megan O’Brien recognized an unmet need within Syracuse’s transgender community.
“Working with the transgender population, it became startlingly obvious how expensive the transition process is. Many insurance plans don’t cover the costly expense of hormones yet, plus there are fees associated with blood work, binders, doctor visits, name changes and other legal documentation. Add on top of that a new wardrobe? It costs a lot of money,” says O’Brien.
Goss and O’Brien, who are in their second year of graduate study—working with classmates and faculty and staff in Falk College’s Department of Marriage and Family Therapy—organized a clothing drive in January to benefit the Syracuse-area transgender community. The organizers explained that for clients with families, or teens who may not have parental support or any financial abilities, shopping for clothing is not only costly, but can be a fearful experience during the transitioning process. “The added challenge of trying on clothes that appear to not match external presenting gender and gendered changing rooms could be a real nightmare,” adds O’Brien.
So during the clothing drive, MFT students allocated private dressing room space where clients could try on the clothing in a comfortable, safe and judgment-free space. The students are actively working to store the clothing in the Couple and Family Therapy Clinic for clients to attain at any time throughout the year, and anticipate a clothing drive to benefit the transgender community will be an annual event.
Both Goss and O’Brien serve on the Transgender Team—or Trans Team—that includes MFT graduate students, guided by assistant professor, Deborah Coolhart, and Falk Endowed Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy, Linda Stone Fish, as well as adjunct supervisor, Daran Shipman, who train students in basic clinical skills to work with the transgender population to help them during their transition and beyond.
“My clients have given me so much, and I’ve been able to grow in a way I never expected through working in the community that I want to provide safety and security in a time that can be distressing,” notes O’Brien. “To provide a place where the people understand the clientele, where they know the proper terminology and are nonjudgmental, and where those in the community can attain free clothing to help support their internal gender identity and make their lives more cohesive is really important.”
Syracuse University’s Falk College Highlights Graduate Studies During November 15 Information Session
Faculty, staff, students available to talk about programs, coursework, student life
Syracuse University faculty, staff and current students will welcome potential graduate students interested in the Falk College’s graduate programs in child and family studies, public health, marriage and family therapy, nutrition science, social work andsport management during a special Fall Information Session for graduate studies on Saturday, November 15. The presentation begins at 10:00 a.m. in the Shaffer Art Building, Shemin Auditorium.
Detailed information will be provided on graduate programs in child and family studies (MA, MS, Ph.D.), child and family health (MS), marriage and family therapy (MA), social work (MSW) as well as the dual degree program (MA/MSW) in marriage and family therapy and social work, nutrition science, and sport venue and event management (MS). Details on our newCertificate of Advanced Study (CAS) programs in trauma-informed practice and intercollegiate athletic advising and supportwill be available along with information on other Falk College CAS programs in addiction studies, dietetic internship, and global health.
Admissions staff will be available at the information session to meet with students and provide information on academic programs, scholarships and housing.
Now enrolling for Spring 2015: New marriage and family therapy course offerings for non-majors
MFT 400: Introduction to Couple and Family Therapy
Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:45pm – 5:05pm
Introduction to couple and family therapy theory and techniques, including structural, strategic, intergenerational, and experiential couple and family therapy.
MFT 600: Interpersonal Violence and Family Therapy
Thursdays, 9:30am – 12:15pm
Systemic approaches to the assessment and treatment of domestic violence, child, spousal, and parental abuse, and other forms of interpersonal violence.
Falk College Announces New CAS in Trauma-Informed Practice
A Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Trauma-Informed Practice is now available through the Falk College’s Department of Marriage and Family Therapy. Comprehensive in scope, it prepares professionals to respond to trauma across a broad scope of origins, symptoms and systems. Core courses and electives address the theoretical foundations of trauma, as well as evidence-based trauma-informed practice approaches and techniques. Trauma-informed care provides a way for different agencies and groups to come together around a common concern. In a trauma-informed framework, prevention programs, human services, government agencies, and civic groups work together to create healthier and safer communities.
Marriage and Family Therapy Presents ‘Survivor Sessions’ Oct. 24
In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy is hosting a panel presentation of survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence on Friday, Oct. 24, from noon-2 p.m. at Peck Hall, 601 E. Genesee St., Room 111. “Survivors Sessions” is a guest panel of four survivors who will bravely detail their journey from victim to survivor, including challenges of addiction and abusive relationships and the ultimate empowerment of reclaiming their lives.
A question and answer session and meet-and-greet with the panelists will follow the panel discussion. The event is free and open to the public, and free parking is available in the building’s front lot.
Guest Panelists include:
- Renee – an adult female survivor who was raped as a college student by two friends and became pregnant from being raped.
- Dan – an adult male survivor who was sexually abused by a football coach as a child
- Blythe – an adult female survivor who was sexually abused by a teacher and family friend
- Wayne – an adult male survivor who was raped at 13 years old by a stranger
The Clean Slate Diaries is an organization that hosts events and workshops of empowerment for survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence. Clean Slate Diaries provides survivors with an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and restore wholeness to their lives using music, art, dance and their voices.
Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Trauma-Informed Practice
Offered through the Falk College’s Department of Marriage and Family Therapy, the Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Trauma-Informed Practice is structured for clinicians, mental health professionals, and practitioners from allied disciplines to expand their knowledge and skills in the field of trauma response and intervention. Trauma-informed practice is based on an understanding of the vulnerabilities or triggers of trauma survivors that traditional service delivery approaches may exacerbate so that these services and programs can be more supportive and avoid re-traumatization.
The core courses and elective options in the CAS in Trauma-Informed Practice address the theoretical foundations of trauma in all of its forms, as well as evidencedbased approaches and techniques. According to the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care (NCTIC), trauma is not limited to experiences of violence, but includes physical, sexual and institutional abuse, neglect, intergenerational trauma, and disasters that induce powerlessness, fear, recurrent hopelessness, and a constant state of alert. The Falk College’s comprehensive CAS program includes focus on trauma related to dehumanizing, shocking or terrifying singular or multiple compounding events over time, including betrayal of a trusted person or institution and a loss of safety.
Completion of the Advanced Certificate program alone does not qualify an individual for licensure as a social worker, marriage and family therapist, or any other profession licensed under Title VIII of the Education Law, nor does it authorize a certificate holder to engage in those scope-restricted professions.
Unique Program Features
Trauma-informed care provides a way for different agencies and groups to come together around a common concern. In a traumainformed framework, prevention programs, human services, government agencies, and civic groups work together to create healthier, safer, more healing and more productive communities. As individuals, groups, and organizations become aware of trauma and its consequences, new forms of collaboration emerge and people work together to prevent violence and trauma and to respond effectively when it does occur.
The CAS in Trauma-Informed Practice is interdisciplinary, offering students in one academic program the opportunity to take courses in other related academic areas (visit coursecatalog.syr.edu). Additionally, courses are taught by faculty from different departments, exposing students to a broad array of perspectives and approaches. Many of the classes offer applied knowledge such that students will learn how to both be aware of trauma and how to work with it in the field.
Career Outlook and Opportunities
According to the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care, this field has reached a tipping point. While interest grew steadily from 2005 to 2010, there is currently an unprecedented interest in trauma-informed care and a need for it. Trauma-Informed Care is a fundamental framework for behavioral health systems nationwide today.
However, this increasing interest in and need for trauma-informed care takes place in an environment where there are not enough trained mental health professionals to meet the demand. The improvement of care and the transformation of systems of care depend entirely on a workforce that is adequate in size and effectively trained and supported.
The Certificate of Advanced Study in Trauma-Informed Practice will help address the extraordinary need for mental health and related services to trauma victims and their families, and will help address the significant shortage of trauma-informed practitioners in the mental health workforce by creating a steady volume of appropriately educated and trained professionals.
Course Requirements and Electives
The CAS in Trauma-Informed Practice requires completion of 15 credits of graduate study, including three required courses and two electives. All courses for the CAS are part of graduate degree programs offered through the Falk College’s Department of Marriage and Family Therapy, as well as its School of Social Work and Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition. Graduate students enrolled at Syracuse University will be eligible to apply for admission to the CAS track, as will mental health and allied professionals.
Required courses span topics including trauma studies, family therapy, applied neuroscience in human services and treatment of complex trauma with individuals. Elective courses include areas such as violence, trauma and bullying, trauma treatment for children and adolescents, play therapy, dynamics of addiction, stress reduction and psychopathology, among others.
Admissions Requirements
The Certificate of Advanced Study in Trauma-Informed Practice is open to current graduate students at Syracuse University, current graduate students at other universities, and practicing mental health and allied professionals with at least a bachelor’s degree. Application requirements include two letters of recommendation, transcripts, and a personal statement. Admissions requirements for this program also include TOEFL or IELTS scores for international applicants.
Admissions Contact Information
Office of College Admissions
David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
(315) 443-5555
Falk@syr.edu
Stone Fish co-authors Treating Complex Trauma
In Treating Complex Trauma, clinicians Mary Jo Barrett and Falk Family Endowed Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy, Linda Stone Fish, M.S.W., Ph.D., present the Collaborative Change Model (CCM), a clinically evaluated model that facilitates client and practitioner collaboration and provides invaluable tools for clients struggling with the impact and effects of complex trauma. A practical guide, “Treating Complex Trauma”, organizes clinical theory, outcome research, and decades of experiential wisdom into a manageable blueprint for treatment. With an emphasis on relationships, the model helps clients move from survival mindstates to engaged mindstates, and as a sequential and organized model, the CCM can be used by helping professionals in a wide array of disciplines and settings. Utilization of the CCM in collaboration with clients and other trauma-informed practitioners helps prevent the re-traumatization of clients and the compassion fatigue of the practitioner so that they can work together to build a hopeful and meaningful vision of the future.
Stone Fish’s earlier book, “Nurturing Queer Youth: Family Therapy Transformed” (Norton), is a groundbreaking treatise devoted to advocating for families as safe havens for all children. She has contributed research and theoretical articles to publications including Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Contemporary Family Therapy, American Journal of Family Therapy and International Journal of Theory and Research. She has authored numerous chapters in books including “Research methods in family therapy” (Guilford), “Revisioning family therapy” (Guilford), and “Handbook of affirmative LGBT couple and family therapy” (Routledge).
Falk College Seed Grants awarded for 2014-15
Each year, the David B. Falk College Research Center, in collaboration with the Dean’s Office, awards seed grants on a competitive basis to assist faculty with completing preparatory work for research projects that have a high likelihood to compete for external funding. The 2014-15 seed grant recipients include:
Development and evaluation of a mind-body awareness intervention to enhance self-regulation as a mechanism to promote healthy weight among young children.
Dessa Bergen-Cico, assistant professor, Public Health
Rachel Razza, assistant professor, Child and Family Studies
Cultivating food justice: using photovoice to document the outcomes of a pilot food system intervention program for youth
Evan Weissman, assistant professor, Food Studies
Housing and LGBTQ youth
Maria Brown, professor of practice, School of Social Work and Aging Studies Institute
Deborah Coolhart, assistant professor, Marriage and Family Therapy
How do Iraqi refugees experience and make sense of family relationships as they resettle in a host country?
Rashmi Gangamma, assistant professor, Marriage and Family Therapy
Falk College honored with 2014 Chancellor’s Awards for Public Engagement & Scholarship
The Falk College is pleased to announce that its students representing 21 courses, student organizations, field placements/internships and community efforts, and their faculty-staff advisors, were recognized with 2014 Chancellor’s Awards for Public Engagement and Scholarship (CAPES) during a ceremony April 23. The Chancellor’s Awards for Public Engagement and Scholarship are given each year to Syracuse University students and groups who exemplify the highest ideal of sustained, quality engagement with citizens in our community.
Social work student, Joshua Berman ’14, received a Chancellor’s Citation. He is an active leader serving as a Falk College peer advisor, teaching assistant for the first-year social work gateway course, and co-executive director and board member of Orange Seeds first-year leadership program. He is also active with SU Collegiate Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service, and Elmcrest Children’s Center.
Over the years, many students indicated the desire to honor special faculty, staff or community partners who have been motivating to them as they made their way into the community. A 2014 Inspiration Award was presented to Bette Brown Thoreck, B.S.S.W. program director.
FST 402—Feeding the City received an honorable mention in the category of Innovation in Academic Achievement. This course investigates the relationship between food systems and cities, including a deliverable item for a community partner. The Falk College received several honors in the category of Legacy Award for Academic Achievement for meaningful and sustained engagement:
Students enrolled in the Department of Child and Family Studies’ internship courses (CFS 433, 493, and 494) were recognized for their service to the community. CFS internships place seniors in social service agencies, schools, and early childhood education facilities throughout Central New York.
Legacy awards were presented to the Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition for: HTW 307—Culturally Competent Healthcare; HTW 227—Healthy You; HTW 304—Public Health: Community Health Education; HTW 311—Health Literacy and the Genesis Health Project Network; NSD 511—Nutrition Education; NSD 513—Nutrition Education Experience: Orange Wrap, and; NSD 658—Participatory Program Planning. These groups were selected for their on-going, outstanding work in improving the health of others in the University and greater Syracuse community.
Second-year students in the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) were recognized for the more than 7,500 hours of individual, couple and family therapy provided. TheMFT Transgender Team, one of the largest transgender programs in upstate New York, was honored for providing access to care many clients might not otherwise be able to afford. School of Social Work students enrolled in field placement courses in the BSSW and MSW programs (SWK 435, 445, 671, 672, 771, 772) and SWK 301—Foundations of Social Work Practice received awards for their on-going, outstanding work in improving the quality of life in the greater Syracuse community.
Psychology Progress features Coolhart’s work on therapy with transsexual youth & families
Deborah Coolhart, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Marriage and Family Therapy, explored therapeutic issues specific to transsexual youth and families and presented a clinical assessment tool for determining transsexual youth’s readiness for medical treatments in a recently published article. “Therapy with Transsexual Youth and Their Families: A Clinical Tool for Assessing Youth’s Readiness for Gender Transition,” was published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Volume 39, Issue 2, pages 223–243, April 2013, with Amanda Baker, Sara Farmer, Meaghan Malaney, and Daran Shipman.
It is currently featured as a key research article on the web site of Psychology Progress. Key research articles are selected from a wide variety of peer-reviewed journals and are judged to be of major importance in their respective fields. Psychology Progress provides its readers with the latest and most significant research in all areas of psychology. It offers a medium through which new innovations in psychology can emerge, challenging conventions and ideas regularly. It is focused on increasing recognition and visibility to researchers in the international field of psychology.
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