Social Work News
March 16 is deadline to apply for HRSA-funded field placements working with veterans, their families
A unique opportunity for Syracuse University Advanced Standing MSW students interested in working with veterans and their families is now available. Awardees will receive enriched education and training in evidence-based interventions, trauma recovery, cultural competence and interprofessional practice.
Keith A. Alford, honored for activism and service, co-edits new book that addresses needs of families in rural communities
Last fall, Social Work Degree Guide published a listing of its “30 Most Influential Social Workers Alive Today.” Falk College Associate Professor of Social Work, Keith A. Alford, Ph.D., A.C.S.W., was listed ninth on this compilation that includes educators, activists, authors, and public servants. The magazine, which provides information and guidance on social work education and careers, described the honorees as “experts who instigate awareness and advocate for those affected by social disadvantage, such as poverty, abuse, illness, disability, or social injustice.”
Alford is an educator who teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses at Syracuse University in human diversity, social work intervention, field instruction, family mental health and social work practice with Black families. His students and colleagues also recognize him as a community advocate with leadership service to organizations that include board membership with the Onondaga County Public Library and AccessCNY (formerly Enable/TLS), which provides support for children and adults with disabilities. He facilitates the Community-Wide Dialogues on Race sponsored by InterFaith Works of Central New York, an organization that builds bridges of understanding among people of different religions and across racial divides where he also sits on the board of directors.
In recognition of his on-going community service and advocacy, he received the 2015 Harriet Tubman Spirit Award from the Bethany Baptist Church on February 26 during the annual Turning Another Page (TAP) Festival in commemoration of Black History Month. His featured remarks during the award ceremony were entitled, “Somebody’s Knocking at Your Door.” With this theme, inspired by the Negro Spiritual with those words, Dr. Alford encouraged the audience to listen for the knock of service to uplift others, and to be ready to answer the knock of racial and social justice for all. Michele Jones Galvin, a descendant of Harriet Tubman, presented the award to Alford. She is co-author of the book, Beyond the Underground, Aunt Harriet, Moses of Her People, which delves into the genealogical roots of the Tubman family and its struggle to survive slavery and racism.
Earlier this year, Alford’s co-edited book, “Rural Families and Reshaping Human Services,” was released, providing essential strategies and programs to address the needs of families in rural communities in a time when services are being dismantled and diminished. Originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Family Social Work, the book organizes its chapters by identification of the needs of rural families, addressing disparities in rural areas, practice in rural communities, and human service organizations and professionals. It includes a chapter by Falk College professor of social work, Deborah Monahan, M.S.W., Ph.D. entitled, “Family Caregivers for Seniors in Rural Areas.”
On Thursday, March 19, 2015, Keith Alford will also moderate a panel of activists at the ArtRage Gallery discussing the current focus of their work and strategies on local and national issues. The purpose of the interactive discussion is to exchange information and ideas, sharpen critical thinking skills, and inspire activism.
Alford’s areas of research specialization include mental health service delivery to children and families, culturally-specific programming for children in out-of-home care, contemporary rites of passage programming, loss/grief reactions among African American families. He currently serves on the editorial review board of the Journal of Brief Therapy and the Journal of Family Social Work. He received his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and is a licensed independent social worker for the state of Ohio. He is an active member of the Council on Social Work Education and the National Association of Social Workers as well as an affiliate member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
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.
Dr. Alejandro Garcia receives 2014 Advocate for Older Adults Award from State Society on Aging of NY
Alejandro Garcia, Ph.D., was honored recently with the State Society on Aging of New York’s (SSANY) 2014 Advocate for Older Adults Award. The Advocate for Older Adults Award recognizes a record of planning, policy development and advocacy work. Garcia, who currently holds the position of professor of social work in the Falk College at Syracuse University where he has taught in the areas of gerontology, social policy, and human diversity for 35 years, was nominated by Maria Brown, Ph.D., LMSW, a member of the Board of Directors for SSANY who also accepted the honor on his behalf at the Society’s annual meeting in New York City in October. Brown is the Hartford Doctoral Fellow in Geriatric Social Work and assistant research professor, Aging Studies Institute and Falk College.
Currently on the editorial board of the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, Dr. Garcia has served on the editorial boards of numerous national journals. He is the co-editor of three books, including Elderly Latinos: Issues and Solutions for the 21st Century (with Marta Sotomayor; 1993), HIV Affected and Vulnerable Youth: Prevention Issues and Approaches (with Susan Taylor-Brown; 1999), and La Familia: Traditions and Realities (with Marta Sotomayor; 1999). He is also the author of numerous articles and book chapters.
Dr. Garcia is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, and an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance. He was elected vice president/secretary of the Council on Social Work Education in 2012. He has held national leadership positions with the National Association of Social Workers and the National Board and Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education. Dr. Garcia is the immediate past-Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Hispanic Council on Aging. He is the immediate past Chair and current regional representative to the National Policy Council of AARP, and a member of the Executive Council of AARP New York. He has also served as a vice-president of the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (SCAA) and was recently made a Lifetime Honorary Trustee of the Center.
Nationally, Dr. Garcia is known as a strong advocate for Hispanic populations, especially the elderly. For his contributions to the social work profession and those whom it serves, he was named a Social Work Pioneer by the National Association of Social Workers. The National Hispanic Council on Aging acknowledged Dr. Garcia with its Special Recognition Award for outstanding leadership and advocacy on behalf of older adults, and created the Alejandro Garcia Internship on Hunger and Poverty Policy. In New York State, Dr. Garcia has been the recipient of a number of honors including Lifetime Achievement Awards from the New York State Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and from the New York State Social Work Education Association. He is a recipient of the Andrus Award, the highest recognition that AARP New York awards for community service.
Dr. Garcia has been named a Distinguished Social Work Educator of the Decades by California State University at Sacramento, and has received several outstanding teaching awards at Syracuse University, including Scholar/Teacher of the Year. He has also been honored by the SU LGBT Resource Center with the Foundation Award for Outstanding Faculty Member, and in 2006 was named the Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the Syracuse University Alumni Association.
Social work students explore mental health policy during 16th Annual James L. Stone Legislative Policy Forum
On November 10, students in Syracuse University’s School of Social Work in the Falk College explored the implications of policy changes for social workers and other health professionals as New York State moves forward with reforming its behavioral health system. The 16th Annual James L. Stone Legislative Policy Symposium, entitled “Serving Adults with Severe Mental Illnesses: Will New York State Get It Right?”, offered a day-long interaction connecting students with the first-hand expertise of faculty, agency leaders, government officials and human services practitioners on the future of community-based care for adults with severe mental illnesses.
The day-long event, held at the Onondaga County Courthouse in Syracuse, prompted student inquiry into topics such as the extent to which fiscal incentives and cost-saving agendas steer reform and whether reforms adequately represent the needs of adults with severe mental illnesses. Students interacted with panelists about what is being done to ensure the voices of those with mental illness and their families are heard, and how these policy reforms impact social workers and other providers.
This year’s program agenda was developed by social work professor, Eric R. Kingson, in collaboration with other faculty from the School of Social Work and, MSW graduate assistant and conference coordinator, Shannon Alvord. One of the collaborators, assistant professor of social work, Matthew Spitzmueller, is currently working on a research project exploring the impact of proposed changes in mental health administration and financing in New York State on providers, consumers, and families. Since individuals with severe mental illness place unique pressures on inpatient services and costs, policymakers singled out mental health services for key structural reforms.
“This discussion addresses a time-sensitive and relevant issue. Social workers are strongly represented in community-based agencies that provide services to individuals with severe mental illness. Their work includes housing for the homeless, poverty relief, care coordination, and mental health treatment,” says Spitzmueller. “Social workers are the ones who, in their day-to-day interactions, are responsible for implementing and delivering policy. To put it most simply, they are the face of public policy for the individuals they serve. The more we can educate our students about policy implementation and advocacy, the more effective they will be in their practice,” he adds.
Spitzmueller led the panel discussion, “From the Top Down: New York State Perspectives and Impacts,” which included panelists: John Allen, special assistant to the Commissioner; director, Office of Consumer Affairs, NYS Office of Mental Health; Briana Gilmore, director of public policy, New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Service; Robert C. Long, commissioner and director of community services, Onondaga County Department of Mental Health. New York State Assembly member Aileen Gunther offered commentary during the panel discussion and participated in the question and answer session with the other panelists.
The keynote address, “Community Mental Health Care Reform: What’s It All About?” was presented by Glenn Liebman, Chief Executive Director, Mental Health Association of New York State.
For more than a decade, School of Social Work alumnus James L. Stone, MSW ’64 has made it possible for social work students to participate in the annual legislative policy symposium. Stone, a nationally recognized leader in the field of mental health services, created an endowed fund to support this event into the future and was involved in the event. “Once again, Professor Kingson brought together an amazing cast of experts, law makers and constituents who bring clarity, understanding and passion to a significant issue that is relevant to social work practice and policy. We are indebted to Mr. Jim Stone for his generosity in endowing this event. Mr. Stone is a model for other alums of our program,” says Carrie Jefferson Smith, director, School of Social Work and associate professor of social work.
Additional panels during the day included:
Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Direct Experience of Policy Impact
Moderator: Nancy Mudrick, professor, School of Social Work. Panelists: Karen Winters Schwartz, president, National Association of Mental Illness, Syracuse Chapter; Shelia LeGacy, director, Family Support and Education Center, Access CNY; Justin Scott, peer recovery coach, Hope Connections – Catholic Charities of Onondaga County.
Where We Are Now: Local Perspectives and Impacts from SU School of Social Work Alums
Moderator: Alejandro Garcia, professor, School of Social Work. Panelists: Carl Coyle, MSW, chief executive officer, Liberty Resources, Inc.; Scott Ebner, MSW, executive director, Onondaga Case Management Services; Gerald Myers, LMSW, Central Division Director for the CNY Chapter of the NASW; mental health clinician, Arise; Sandra Waldron, ABD, LMSW, CASAC, personalized recovery-oriented services director, CNY Services, Inc.
The event began with greetings from Diane Lyden Murphy, associate professor and dean of the Falk College and from Carrie Jefferson Smith, associate professor and director of the School of Social Work. The day concluded with a discussion moderated Shannon Alvord, focused on implications for social work practice.
Sharing the love for ‘Cuse
by Samantha Maristany
Social Work Major, Class of 2015
My name is Samantha Maristany and I am from the beautiful state of Maine. Syracuse University was my dream college and I feel blessed that I have been able to spend the past four years of my life here. From the moment I took a college tour, I knew that Syracuse was where I wanted to be. This is my final year at Syracuse University and thinking about my time here, quickly coming to an end, truly pains me. All that I have participated in, all the activities I have done, all the opportunities I have gotten, and all the friends I have made, makes me proud to say that I am an OrangeMan.
I am majoring in social work with a double minor in additions studies counseling and psychology . I am currently involved as a member of University 100, a peer educator with BeWise, and an ambassador for the David B. Falk College.
I became part of University 100 my first semester junior year. I currently give tours of the University, walking prospective students and their families around the campus, talking to them about classes, activities, clubs, sports, studying abroad, financial aid, events, and everything else in between that Syracuse has to offer.
During my time as part of U100 I have gotten to talk to many different types of people. Different races, religions, locations, and financial backgrounds. It’s wonderful to see all walks of life on the SU campus. U100 has given me the opportunity to speak with prospective students and share my love for ‘Cuse with them and let me tell you, there is nothing I love more than talking to prospective students about how great Syracuse University is!
The David B. Falk College has been amazing; of course it has been super exciting cheering in the Dome with 35,000 of my closest friends but when I am in the classroom I know the professors and they know me, they care about me as an individual and want me to succeed. Currently I am interning at CNY Services and Vera House and without the Falk College I would not be getting this amazing real life experience. I love being an ambassador for my college because I get to share with current and future students all that the David B. Falk College has to offer.
I have done nothing but grow as an individual here at S.U. and I have said before I could not be more proud to wear Orange. After I graduate I would love to travel the world, and explore every opportunity I can before settling down somewhere and finding a job that I truly love.
Syracuse University’s undergraduate social work program earns top ten ranking from USA Today
Honor focuses on retention, graduation and career placement
Recently released results published in USA Today, based on data from College Factual’s outcome-based higher education rankings for 2015, have ranked Syracuse University’s School of Social Work in the Falk College eighth out of 332 programs studied. Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Syracuse University’s undergraduate program in social work prepares students to meet the needs of diverse populations in areas including child welfare, substance abuse counseling, health care, public policy, industry and business, school social work, gerontology and mental health services. “We are particularly pleased because our ranking is based on outcome-based data that takes into account how our students are doing related to retention and graduation, as well as employment and earnings after graduation,” notes Dr. Carrie Smith, director, School of Social Work. “These rankings speak to effective work over many years of our students, graduates, faculty and staff, and to the strength of our undergraduate and graduate programs in social work,” adds Dr. Diane Lyden Murphy, dean, Falk College.
College Factual uses U.S. Department of Education and Payscale.com data to evaluate critical outcome variables, including retention and graduation rates, student loan default rates, and overall average post-graduate earnings, as well as academic quality signals like student to faculty ratio. Syracuse University was additionally ranked twelfth in terms of graduates’ pay, with starting salaries around $37,000 and $55,000 at mid-career.
An undergraduate social work degree is the usual requirement of employers for an entry-level social service position. Students who earn a bachelor’s degree in social work are eligible to apply for the 36-credit Master of Social Work (MSW) Advanced Standing Program at Syracuse University (or other similar programs), which allows students to complete an M.S.W. in one year vs. two. The School of Social Work’s degree programs have been in existence since 1958.
Job prospects for social workers are outstanding as careers in social work are expected to increase by 25 percent through 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, faster than average for all occupations. Anticipated growth areas in social work are gerontology, mental health, health care, veteran services, criminal justice, child welfare, and case management programs serving children, individuals and families. While advanced positions in the field generally require a master’s degree in social work with state licensure or certification, entry-level positions are readily available in both urban and rural settings for graduates with bachelor’s degrees in social work.
Bullying is a Global Problem
by Ellen deLara, Ph.D., M.S.W., Associate Professor, Syracuse University
School of Social Work, Falk College
Bullying, with all of its concomitant forms, such as hazing and sexual harassment, is a global problem. With severe impacts on lifelong development and mental health, finding a way to prevent bullying is a major public health concern. Far more prevalent than we once believed, bullying occurs in vivo in our schools and via cyberspace on an around-the-clock basis. It is experienced by virtually every student as witness, target, or perpetrator. Many students experience it in all three forms.
Bullying includes instances of emotional, psychological, and physical violence. Exact statistics are hard to come by as what constitutes bullying varies by researcher, but studies indicate that between 33 and 80 percent of children experience bullying or sexual harassment. Approximately 55 percent of those who want to join an athletic team or other student organization are subjected to hazing as the price of admission. After years of media exposure, after coverage of youth suicides, and after violent incidents like what was experienced at Columbine High School, the general public is aware that bullying exists and can result in detrimental, if not deadly, outcomes. Thousands of children have suffered for us to arrive at this understanding.
We know that there are immediate consequences of bullying, hazing, and sexual harassment. They include skipping school, dropping out of school, anxiety, depression, suicide, and homicide. Most people would like to believe the impact of bullying stops at graduation. That the doors to high school close and students leave the ill-effects of bullying behind them.
Unfortunately this is not the case.
There are long-term costs that haunt those involved, and these consequences are not solely carried by the victims. Bullies are more likely than the general population to become workplace bullies or to end up involved with the criminal justice system. My research with adults, and that of others, establishes that both bullies and victims can experience lifelong depression, anxiety, difficulties in relationships, and an inability to trust others. Because bullying is traumatic, it can result in post-traumatic stress disorder.
There are numerous theories about what causes bullying. Oftentimes, adults will offer the simple explanation that kids are cruel. However, this reasoning is reductive and does not take into account that adults—their mentors—are often cruel themselves. Ethologists studying primate behavior think intimidation and physical bullying are inherent among most primates. Social psychologists believe bullying is a learned response based on viewing the behavior of others. It is certainly true that intimidation is one approach to obtaining benefits at the individual, group, and even national level. And children are not unaware of these benefits. An observation from my research with secondary school students suggests they are mindful of the dissonance between what adults say and what they do. While adults admonish children to stop bullying each other, there is an adult moral code that allows for—and promotes—bullying and revenge.
Schools and grassroots movements attempt to curtail bullying by involving children who witness peer-on-peer violence. While it is commendable to engage students to stop bullying, it is simply not enough. Bullying and hazing flourish in organizations where they are tacitly permitted, inadvertently enabled, or worse, openly sanctioned by the behavior of adults. Parents know that children are great imitators. Children watch their parents, and their moral development is based on what they see within the family. Children watch their teachers and other school personnel, and this contributes to their growing moral compass. Yet research informs us that 45 percent of teachers have admitted to bullying children. When this happens, bullying is a systemic problem and becomes almost intractable as part of the school or organizational culture. Consequently, we have to realize that children do not have enough power to change it and it is not their responsibility. Prevention of this pervasive phenomenon is the direct responsibility of adults. Adults at school and in the community need to make the commitment to examine and change their own behavior if they hope to diminish bullying among children.
Dr. deLara’s areas of research include childhood bullying and adolescent development. Her research agenda focuses on systemic school violence, bullying, and social policy. Her original research was provided to the American Medical Association for its platform statement on the national recognition of the social phenomenon of bullying. Dr. deLara is the co-author of And Words Can Hurt Forever: How to protect adolescents from bullying, harassment, and emotional violence and she is currently authoring a new book, Bullying Scars: The impact of childhood bullying on adult life and relationships, for release in 2015.
Ellen deLara, Rick Burton Explore "The Bully Culture in Sports"
What leads a person to become a bully? Is sports more or less a breeding ground for bullies than other avenues in life? If so, why? If less, why? Those were just some of the questions on the minds of listeners and panel moderators on the September 17 edition of HWTP Sports Talk Radio, a New York City-based weekly sports talk radio show. Associate professor of social work, Ellen deLara, and Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management, Rick Burton, were the featured guest expert panelists for this roundtable discussion.
Prof. deLara is internationally recognized for her expertise in the areas of bullying and adolescent development. Her research agenda includes systemic school violence, bullying, and social policy, which has been the focus of her research efforts for more than a decade at Syracuse and as a faculty fellow at Cornell University’s Family Life Development Center. She is the co-author of “And Words Can Hurt Forever: How to protect adolescents from bullying, harassment, and emotional violence,” (NY: Simon and Schuster/ The Free Press) and “An educator’s guide to school-based interventions,” (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company). She is currently authoring a new book, “Bullying Scars: The impact of childhood bullying on adult life and relationships,” which is scheduled for release in 2015. Her current research projects include “Consequences of Childhood Bullying on Adult Relationships,” “Immediate and Long-Term Impact of Childhood School Bullying,” “School Bus Bullying: Perceptions of bus drivers and students” and “Adolescents’ Solutions for Decreasing Bullying in Suburban and Rural School Districts.”
Prof. Rick Burton’s areas of expertise include sports marketing, sponsorship and the Olympic movement, professional league management, fantasy/video gaming, sport in literature and the NCAA. He was appointed Syracuse University’s faculty athletic representative to the ACC Conference and the NCAA on July 1, 2014. Prior to his appointment at Syracuse, he served as the chief marketing officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics where he directed the USOC’s marketing and sponsorship activation at the world’s largest sporting event. From 2003-07, he was the Commissioner of the Sydney-based Australia National Basketball League (a two-continent pro league with teams in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore) and responsible for every aspect of the NBL’s development and growth including securing lucrative TV rights fees, league-wide sponsorships, collective bargaining agreements and league profitability. During his varied career, he has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Ad Age, Sports Business Journal, SI.com, Sport Business International, Stadia and hosted his own sports business television show. A frequent conference host/moderator and dynamic inspirational/motivational speaker, he was also the national advertising manager for Miller Lite (Miller Brewing Company) and a vice president for Clarion Performance Properties (1993-95) where his primary client was the National Football League.
Falk College Faculty Awarded Komen Foundation Grant for Breast Cancer Awareness, Education Programming
Public health professor of practice, Luvenia Cowart, working with Maria Brown, assistant research professor, School of Social Work, has received a $47,293 grant from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure New York Foundation to support the project, “Breast Cancer Awareness and Education Program for African American Women in Underserved Communities.” The project’s aim is to reduce disparities in breast cancer and its associated health risks, and to promote participation in mammography and early detection services for African American women in the Syracuse community.
According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths among African American women. Standard health education has not been effective with minorities, particularly those with lower incomes or less education. Widespread distrust of the formal healthcare system, health literacy issues and a perceived lack of cultural relevance contribute to the challenges. Historically, faith-based organizations have led the movement to reach at- risk African American communities using culturally appropriate health promotion to address chronic diseases.
The Genesis Health Project Network, a community-designed, culturally competent intervention, has developed and started to implement the breast cancer program in the Syracuse community. Co-founded by Cowart in 2004, the Genesis Project is a partnership between minority churches, community and government sponsors and Syracuse University’s Falk College to reduce health disparities in minority populations. Under Cowart’s leadership, the Genesis Project has successfully facilitated health seminars, fitness programs, educational programs at barbershops, and healthy lifestyle activities with churches and universities. Her work and the Genesis Health Project were recognized with numerous honors, including the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities Director’s Award in 2008 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institutes of Health.
Through pastoral health messaging and culturally appropriate strategies, the grant will support efforts to heighten awareness of breast cancer risks and prevention, promote mammography and early detection, and increase awareness of free/low-cost mammography and adoption of healthier behaviors.
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