Understanding Grief in Children/Teens in Foster/Residential Care

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Ruth Pearlman, LCSW, LICSW, M.ED
Wed, March 29, 2023Register Now for CE programs now
10 am – 12 pm (ET)
2 CECs

$40 – UConn SSW Alumni and Current Field Instructors
$50 – All Others

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

As social workers, we tend to have limited training in the grief of children. How they cognitively and psychologically understand loss is often omitted from our core learning objectives. For children in foster or residential or alternative care, the research is even more limited. This webinar will focus on the specific bereavement and grief experiences of children in alternative care. We will explore how a child, to even “be” in alternative care, is to be a griever. Any alternative care for a child, by its very definition, requires that the child in care has either lost a family member(s) to actual death or another form of loss that often feels like a death.

How have we systemically viewed these grieving children? Are we more likely to diagnose their expressions of grief as negative behaviors? Can the most oppositional child we treat be among the most bereaved children we have encountered?

This webinar will examine children in alternative care as disenfranchised grievers. We will address the bereavement needs that so often, and unintentionally, go untreated. We will also explore why this grief has been systemically undertreated due to a system that was never given adequate resources to address the bereavement needs of these children.

Participants will:

  • be able to identify the common symptoms of grief experienced by children in care
  • be able to identify how grief manifests in behavioral symptoms
  • learn positive interventions to address grief and loss issues of children in alternative care

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day

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From the Office of Dean Heller

Dear Colleagues,

On Monday, January 16, we recognize Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. For four decades, this holiday has provided an opportunity to celebrate the life and contributions of this legendary civil rights leader. At UConn School of Social Work, we also take this moment to reaffirm our commitment to Dr. King’s Dream and the ongoing struggle for racial justice.

The goal of achieving racial, social, and economic justice is central to our School’s mission and a major focus of Social Work for Impact: Our Five-Year Strategic Plan. Our faculty and staff are deeply committed to continuing to engage in meaningful dialogue about diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in our community and in our work. We also pledge to hold ourselves accountable and to take action to advance racial justice.

As part of this commitment, we recently published our School’s definition of anti-racism in order to clarify our purpose and goals moving forward. It states that anti-racism is “collective and individual actions designed to ensure that all members of our community experience, in equal measure over time and place, belonging, power, esteem, success, and wellness.” As a community of social work students, faculty and staff, we know that our mission can only be realized when justice is achieved for those who have long been excluded, especially racially oppressed people in our community and world.

On MLK Day, I encourage you to participate in events organized at UConn and in our community. These include the MLK Living Legacy Convocation and the MLK Day of Service.  For information about these events and other events across the state, please visit UConn’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice website.

 

In solidarity,

Nina Rovinelli Heller, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor
Zachs Chair in Social Work

 

 

Developing Comfort and Confidence with Tapping (EFT)

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Catherine Ewing, LCSW, MDivRegister Now for CE programs now
Monday, March 27, 2023
10 am – 12 pm (ET)
2 CECs

$40 – UConn SSW Alumni and Current Field Instructors
$50 – All Others

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete

This webinar is a great follow up for those who have taken Fundamentals of Emotional Freedom Technique: Care for Clients and Practitioners, other Entry Level EFT classes, or practicing on their own. Based on feedback from prior participants, this follow up class has proven helpful in deepening understanding and developing confidence in using EFT.

Getting comfortable using EFT comes with practicing on yourself and with clients who are generally well-functioning but may be struggling with anxiety, physical pain, intrusive thoughts, self-limiting beliefs or life changes. The more you use EFT and see the consistent positive results, the less strange it will feel and the more opportunities you will find to use it for your clients and your own self-care.

This webinar will include a review of the Basic Recipe for tapping, including tapping points, set-up phrase and basic tapping protocol. Additional topics to be introduced and further explored will be the Personal Peace Procedure, Tapping to Install Positive Beliefs, Borrowing Benefits, and how EFT dovetails with the Law of Attraction. There will be ample time for group tapping, demonstration, and Q&A.

Participants in this interactive webinar will:

  • Develop more comfort and confidence using EFT for self and with clients
  • Understand the Personal Peace Procedure and its appropriate use
  • Learn protocol for Tapping in Positive Beliefs
  • Learn about the power of Borrowing Benefits in group settings
  • Understand the energetic integration of EFT and the LOA

Fundamentals of Emotional Freedom Technique

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Catherine Ewing, LCSW, MDivRegister Now for CE programs now

Monday, Feb 27
10 am – 12 pm (ET)
2 CECs

$40 – UConn SSW Alumni and Current Field Instructors
$50 – All Others

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete

Emotional Freedom Technique is a form of Energy Psychology, combining psychotherapy and energy healing techniques. It is based on the understanding of the human body as an electrical system and the recognition of the systems of subtle energy that surround and interface with the physical body. When that energy system is disrupted, a person experiences mental, emotional or physical imbalance.

EFT has application across a broad range of issues, including stress and anxiety related disorders, PTSD, physical pain, self-sabotage, cravings and addictions and performance. It draws from a variety of proven modalities, including Thought Field Therapy, acupuncture, biofeedback, EMDR, hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy and applied kinesiology.
Various forms of Energy Psychology have been practiced since the early 1980s. In recent years, EFT has been researched in more than 10 countries, by more than 60 investigators, whose results have been published in more than 20 different peer-reviewed journals.

In this engaging workshop, participants will learn how to use Emotional Freedom Technique both for their own self-care and for working with their clients, students, colleagues and families.

In this engaging seminar, participants will:

  • learn about the psychological and medical roots of EFT
  • learn the Basic Recipe and Tapping Sequence of EFT
  • understand how EFT can be used to bring down high emotional charge in both current issues such as anxiety and fear, as well as from past trauma
  • have a direct experience of the benefits of tapping
  • learn how to use Emotional Freedom Technique with their clients and for their own self-care

 

Art of Diagnosis – Webinar

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Register for CE programs nowJennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-II
Virtual

Thurs, Oct 12, 2023
10 am – 12 pm (ET)
2 CECs

Registration Fee: $50
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and current SSW Field Instructors

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

Although a large component of the daily work of social workers is to diagnose psychiatric illnesses, there is little education on how to do that well. This training teaches how to differentially diagnose using specific questions and provides distinct tools that clinicians can use in sessions.

In this live webinar, you will:

  • Explore common diagnostic mistakes clinicians make
  • Learn to accurately use the Mental Status Exam as a diagnostic tool
  • Gather the assessment tools available in the DSM 5 and elsewhere
  • Practice differential diagnosis by disorder type through vignettes

Making Sense of the DSM 5 – Webinar

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister for CE programs now
Virtual

Thurs, Oct 26, 2023
10 am – 12 pm (ET)
2 CECs

Registration Fee: $50
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and current SSW Field Instructors

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

The 5th edition of the DSM brings with it some of the most significant changes between editions. In addition to changes in the disorders themselves and how they are grouped, the diagnostic system has been revamped. Are you prepared to incorporate the changes into your practice and to diagnose your clients accurately? This training shows you how to use the DSM5 to enhance your assessment skills.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the major philosophical changes to the diagnosis process in the DSM 5
  • Learn the categorical and disorder changes and additions introduced in the DSM 5
  • Examine the assessment tools published with the DSM 5
  • Practice diagnosis using the DSM 5 through numerous clinical vignettes

SSW Faculty and Students Present at SSWR Conference 2023

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Several UConn School of Social Work faculty and students are presenting their research at the 27th annual Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) conference in Phoenix, Arizona, from January 11 to 15. The theme of the conference is "Social Work Science and Complex Problems: Battling Inequities and Building Solutions." The research presented by SSW covers a wide range of areas and our expertise, including child welfare, foster care, sexual and gender minority youth mental health, and substance use, among others.

 

Thursday, January 12

Time: 3:15 – 4:45 PM
Presentation: Factors Associated with Child Welfare Diversion for Substance-Exposed Infants
Location: Hospitality 2 – Room 444
Author(s): Margaret Lloyd Sieger, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Cynthia Nichols, LCSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Melissa Sienna, UConn Health; Marilyn Sanders, MD, UConn School of Medicine

 

Friday, January 13

Time: 7:00 – 8:30 AM
Presentation: Acamamas: Academic Mothers
Location: Paradise Valley
Author(s): Cristina Mogro-Wilson, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Nalini Negi, PhD, University of Maryland Baltimore; Danielle Parrish, PhD, Baylor University

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
Presentation: Changes in Social Support over Time and Attention to Congregate Care Placement Among Older Youth Transitioning from Foster Care: Ages 17-24
Location: Hospitality 3 – Room 432
Author(s): Keunhye Park, PhD, Michigan State University; Nathanael Okpych, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Mark Courtney, PhD, University of Chicago

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
Presentation: Emerging into Parenthood While in Foster Care: Correlates of Active Parenting Behaviors at Ages 21 and 23
Location: Hospitality 3 – Room 432
Author(s): Justin Harty, PhD, Arizona State University; Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; Nathanael Okpych, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Mark Courtney, PhD, University of Chicago

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
Presentation: Examining Prevalence and Predictors of Food Insecurity for Transition-Age Foster Youth
Location: Hospitality 3 – Room 432
Author(s): Melanie Nadon, University of Chicago; Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; Nathanael Okpych, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Justin Harty, PhD, Arizona State University; Mark Courtney, PhD, University of Chicago

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
Presentation: The Role of Enduring Relationships in Early-Adult Outcomes Among Youth Transitioning out of Foster Care
Location: Hospitality 3 – Room 432
Author(s): Nathanael Okpych, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; Jenna Powers, MSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Justin Harty, PhD, Arizona State University; Mark Courtney, PhD, University of Chicago

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
Presentation: The Impact of a Teaching Peer Support Group on Doctoral Student Instructors: A Collaborative Autoethnography
Location: Hospitality 1 – Room 443
Author(s): Madri Hall-Faul, MSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work;
Cindy Dubuque-Gallo, MSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Grace Felten, MSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Maritza Vasquez Reyes, MA, LCSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
ePoster Presentation IV: Fear and Stigma with Home Visiting: Barriers to Participation
Location: Phoenix C
Author(s): Megan Feely, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Grace Felten, MSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Kathryn E. Parr, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
Presentation: A Whole Health Model of Care to Promote Health Equity and Social Justice
Location: Camelback B
Author(s): Anna Faul, PhD, University of Louisville; Pamela Yankeelov, PhD, University of Louisville;
Madri Hall-Faul, MSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Samantha G. Cotton, PhD, University of Louisville Trager Institute; Joseph D'Ambrosio, PhD, University of Louisville Trager Institute; Barbara Gordon, MA, University of Louisville Trager Institute

 

Saturday, January 14

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
ePoster Presentations IX: Affirmative CBT: Longitudinal Change Processes for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth
Location:
Author(s): Shelley L. Craig, PhD, LCSW, University of Toronto; Vivian Leung, MA, University of Toronto; Jenny Hui, MA, University of Toronto; Frank Dillon, PhD, Arizona State University; Ashley Austin, PhD, Barry University; Rachael Pascoe, MSW, RSW, University of Toronto; Gio Iacono, PhD, MSW, RSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Nelson Pang, MSW, University of Toronto

Time: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Presentation: Annual Social Policy Forum: Democracy?!?!
Location: Phoenix D/E
Author(s): Darcey Merritt, PhD, University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work; Maria Blunt-Carter, MSW, Rutgers School of Social Work; Justin Hodge, MSW, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; and Tanya Rhodes Smith, MSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work

Time: 4:00 – 5:30 PM
Presentation: Direct Scribing as a Rigor-Promoting Technique: Centering Youth Voice throughout Data Collection and Analysis
Location: Encanto A
Author(s): Jenna Powers, MSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work

Time: 4:00 – 5:30 PM
Presentation: The Relationship between Legal Permanency Among Older Foster Youth and Their Outcomes
Location: Ahwatukee A
Author(s): Mark Courtney, PhD, University of Chicago; Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; Nathanael Okpych, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Justin Harty, PhD, Arizona State University

 

Sunday, January 15

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
ePoster Presentations XI: Risk, Race/Ethnicity and Subsequent Reports in a State’s Differential Response System
Location: Marquis BR Salon 6
Author(s): Megan Feely, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Brenda Kurz, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Patricia Carlson, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Melissa Ives, MSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Joshua Pierce, BA, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Kimberly Nilson, State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
ePoster Presentations XI: Doulas: A Possible Solution to Birth Inequities Among Families of Color
Location: Phoenix C
Author(s): Mollie Lazar Charter, PhD, MSW, Fordham University; Kathryn E. Parr, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work, Jane Lee, University of Connecticut School of Social Work, Juliany Polar, University of Connecticut School of Social Work

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
Presentation: State-Level Predictors of Core Priorities Spending in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program: Implications for Human Rights and Equity
Location: Laveen B
Author(s): Madri Hall-Faul, MSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Anna Faul, PhD, University of Louisville

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
Presentation: Critical Time Intervention for People Leaving Residential Substance Use Treatment: The Feasibility and Preliminary Impact of a Pilot Randomized Trial
Location: Hospitality 1 – Room 443
Author(s): Jennifer Manuel, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Khadija Israel, MSW, New York University; Yeqing Yuan, PhD, LCSW, New York University; Laura Esquivel, MSW, New York University; Laura Curran, MA, New York University; Daniel Herman, Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
Presentation: Writing and Reviewing for Refereed Journals: Discussion with Editorial Advisory Board Members
Location: Valley of the Sun E
Author(s): Cristina Mogro-Wilson, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Sondra Fogel, PhD, University of South Florida; and Kirstin Anderson, Social Current

Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Presentation: Rates of Infants Reported to CPS at Birth for Prenatal Substance Exposure: A Panel Data Analysis
Location: Estrella
Author(s): Rebecca Rebbe, PhD, University of Southern California; Margaret Lloyd Sieger, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; John Prindle, PhD, University of Southern California

Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Presentation: Connect: Plans of Safe Care for Substance-Exposed Infants
Location: Estrella
Author(s): Margaret Lloyd Sieger, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Cynthia Nichols, MSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Ira J. Chasnoff, MD, NTI Upstream

Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Presentation: A Primer on Conducting Scoping Reviews: Purpose, Guidelines, and Resources
Location: Camelback A
Author(s): Jon Phillips, PhD, University of Connecticut School of Social Work; Daniel Gibbs, MSW, JD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Kalah M. Villagrana, MSW, MPA, Arizona State University; and Elizabeth Jurczak, MSW, University of Connecticut School of Social Work

Marijuana: Miracle Drug or the Devil’s Lettuce?

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William C. Gilbert, PhD, LCSW, AADCRegister Now for CE programs
Virtual

Wednesday, Sept 20, 2023
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
2 CECs
Also approved for 2 CEUs by the Connecticut Certification Board (CCB) for Alcohol and Drug Counselors

Registration Fee: $50
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and current SSW Field Instructors

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete

With the increasing number of states legalizing recreation marijuana and other states approving the drug for medical purposes, the use of marijuana is becoming more popular. With this increasing popularity, the facts about marijuana and the effects on the brain and body are often misrepresented. Marijuana in neither the panacea that some claim, nor will its use lead to the downfall of our country. This webinar will present an unbiased discussion about the facts and myths about marijuana. The pharmacology of the drug will be reviewed as well as its benefits and negative consequences.

By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:

• describe the effects of marijuana on the brain and body
• distinguish between the myths and facts about marijuana
• describe the validated medical use of marijuana
• describe the cultural and societal effects of marijuana use

Dean’s Statement about Sexual Harassment

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From the Office of Dean Heller

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing to address several reports of sexual harassment by faculty and students who attended the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting (CSWE APM) 2022 last week. I want to thank those who came forward to share their experiences on social media, with CSWE, and with my office.

CSWE has stated that they are investigating and I will closely follow the outcome of their pledge to take action. Unfortunately, these kinds of behaviors have been more frequently occurring at professional conferences. Behaviors like this cannot be tolerated and must be dealt with swiftly. We firmly stand with the individuals who have had this distressing experience.

First and foremost, I would like to say that as the Dean of the School of Social Work, I unequivocally condemn any forms of sexual harassment toward students, faculty or staff. The fact that this offensive behavior took place off campus makes it no less serious or worth addressing. The safety and dignity of our students and faculty are paramount, and that safety should be ensured on our campus as well as at events where members of our community are engaged in work on behalf of the School.

I am especially troubled by the fact that students and junior faculty would have to endure unwelcome conduct at a point in their careers where they may not feel empowered to speak up or resist. Please know that the School of Social Work fully supports the reporting, anonymous or otherwise, of sexual harassment or violence by our students and faculty. Employees can contact the Employee Assistance Program for counseling or support.

As social workers, we stand firmly in defense of the dignity of all people. As a School, we also recognize that opposing sexual misconduct is part of our strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion for all members of our community.

In solidarity,

Nina Rovinelli Heller, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor
Zachs Chair in Social Work

 

 

 

Social Work Faculty Presentations at CSWE Annual Program Meeting

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CSWE APM 2022

We are proud to announce the presentations that UConn School of Social Work faculty will lead at the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) 2022 Annual Program Meeting (APM), from November 10 through 13.  The following list of presentations and sessions represents the wide range of scholarship that School of Social Work researchers are engaged in, including human rights, child welfare, COVID-19, political social work, refugee and immigrant rights, and more.

Thursday, November 10

Time: 3:00 – 3:30 PM
Presentation: “Academic Mothers: A Discussion on More Equitable Structural Policies in the Academy”
Session: The Social Work Gaze and Academy
Author(s): Cristina Mogro-Wilson, Ph.D. and Nalini Negi, Ph.D.

Friday, November 11

Time: 7:45 – 8:15 AM
Presentation: “A Human Rights-Based Policy Analysis of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families”
Session: SNAP and Temporary Assistance Reviews
Author(s): Madri Hall-Faul, MSW

Time: 8:15 – 8:45 AM
Presentation: “Fulfilling the Right to Adequate Food: Examining SNAP through a Qualitative Lens”
Session: SNAP and Temporary Assistance Reviews
Author(s): Emily Loveland, MSW

Time: 10:30 – 11:30 AM
Presentation: “Writing and Reviewing for Refereed Journals: Strategies for Successful Publishing and Ethical Peer Review”
Session: Writing and Reviewing for Refereed Journals: Strategies for Successful Publishing and Ethical Peer Review
Author(s): Cristina Mogro-Wilson, Ph.D., Danielle Parrish, Ph.D., Elissa Madden, Ph.D., and Jeremiah Jaggers, Ph.D.

Time: 11:15 – 11:45 AM
Presentation: “Building Pedagogical Identities Across Cohorts: A Collaborative Autoethnography of a Doctoral Peer Support Group”
Session: American Higher Education and Pedagogical Identities
Author(s): Lukas Champagne, MSW, Elizabeth Jurczak, MSW, and Breana Bietsch, MSW

Time: 11:15 – 11:45 AM
Presentation: “The Importance of Critical Relational Teaching in Social Work Education During the COVID-19 Era”
Session: Teaching and COVID-19
Author(s): Gio Iacono, Ph.D. and Emily Loveland, MSW

Time: 1:15 - 1:45 PM
Presentation: “Increasing Early Childhood Disability Content in Social Work Education: Traumatic Brain Injury and how to Create Interdisciplinary Teams and Family Partnerships”
Session: TBD
Presented by: Emily Longo, LMFT

Time: 2:30 – 3:30 PM
Presentation: “Resurgence of Radical Extremism: Critical Conversations on Human and Global Rights by Social Workers”
Session: Connect
Author(s): Rebecca Thomas, Ph.D., Golam Mathbor, MSS, MSW, Ph.D., RSW, Connie Gunderson, Ph.D., LISW, Sister Angela Kim, IHM, Ph.D., and Johny Augustine, MSW, M.Phil, Ph.D.

Saturday, November 12

Time: 12:00 – 12:30 PM
Presentation: “At the Table or on the Menu: Political Social Work Since 2016”
Session: TBD
Author(s): Shannon Lane, LMSW, Ph.D., Tanya Rhodes Smith, MSW, Kathryn Krase, JD, MSW, Ph.D., and Katherine Hill, MSW, Ph.D., MPP, LISE

Time: 3:45 – 4:15 PM
Presentation: “Providing Students and Professionals with a Conceptual Foundation and Empirical Justification for Cross-Systems Collaboration”
Session: Cross-Systems Collaboration and Global Conflict Resolution
Author(s): Jon Phillips, Ph.D., Daniel Gibbs, JD, MSW, Elizabeth Jurczak, MSW, and Kalah Villagrana, Ph.D.

Sunday, November 13

Time: 9:30 – 10:30 AM
Panel Presentation: “Deservingness, Differential Treatment, and Dehumanization of Refugees, Asylees, and Asylum-Seekers”
Session: Deservingness, Differential Treatment, and Dehumanization of Refugees, Asylees, and Asylum-Seekers
Author(s): Kathryn Libal, Ph.D., S. Megan Berthold, Ph.D., David Androff, Ph.D., Scott Harding, Ph.D., and Cherra Mathis, MSW

Time: 10:45 – 11:45 AM
Panel Presentation: “Fulfilling U.S. Children’s Human Rights through the UN Children’s Rights Convention”
Session: Fulfilling U.S. Children’s Human Rights through the UN Children’s Rights Convention
Author(s): Kathryn Libal, Ph.D., S. Megan Berthold, Ph.D., and Madri Hall-Faul, MSW