Student Spotlight: Madison González

Posted on January 27, 2022June 7, 2023 by Jackson, Abigail

Name, SSW Class & Concentration

Madison González, I am on the two-year track – set to graduate by May 2023, my concentration is IGFP.

Which came first – your interest in politics or interest in social work? In other words, did a desire to be involved in politics inspire you to pursue a degree in social work or did your pursuit of a social work degree inspire you to get involved in politics?

For me, the two thought processes were different! I was interested in running for local office during the pandemic, but a few months prior I decided to pursue social work. I wasn’t sure what my career path would look like yet, but I liked working with children as much as I liked advocating in my community. I would say I decided both almost around the same time. The decisions haven’t influenced each other but the outcomes of both have been important to my development as a student and social worker.

What made you decide to run for office?

During summer of 2020, I was motivated to organize Black Lives Matter rallies and marches in my town. Several surrounding towns were showing support, and I felt as though South Windsor needed to show the same solidarity. I worked with young residents and graduates from the school system to raise awareness about the injustices happening outside of our small community. I was able to work very closely with our mayor and was interested in the opportunity to work on the policy side of some of these issues. One of the items we focused on in our advocacy was education and curriculum in our schools. I was particularly attracted to the Board of Education for this reason. After some inquiring and following up with my local Democratic Town Committee, I was able to be nominated and voted to run on a slate by caucus!

What are your future career aspirations?

I love the clinical work that I do; at this point I am pursuing a career as a school social worker. My goal is to also advocate for equitable policy that will impact the children and families I work with.

Do you feel serving in public office will help you in the social work profession or vice versa (or both)?

I certainly believe that my work in the field will be impacting the way I serve as a public official. My field placement this year is in an alternative education program in Hartford, and it has been interesting to see the differences between districts. I also like to hear from administration and teachers. While I can’t assume that each situation is the same, I do recognize the extreme stress school staff is under during the pandemic, and especially with new variants emerging frequently.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of in your time at UConn School of Social Work?

My first semester of grad school I worked to run and win a campaign. I was entering a higher level of education, while starting an internship, working, and reaching out to the community. Everyone was so supportive, and I was able to finish my semester with straight As. It was an incredibly stressful yet rewarding experience.

Confronting Fear and Anger

Posted on January 7, 2022September 1, 2022 by Beth Sharkey, MSW

Jelan Agnew, LCSW

Thursday, February 24, 2022
1 pm – 3 pm
2 CEC

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

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

Step away from trauma responses and move toward responses based on alignment. Transition from fight, flight, and freeze to acknowledge (observe and describe), surrender, and be. Participants will explore the function of anger and fear, and how to use the momentum of intense emotion to achieve goals. Trainer Jelan Agnew will use a trauma-informed and culturally competent lens, with a focus on mindfulness and guided meditation, to help clinicians and clients confront fear and anger.

Participants in this webinar will:

examine how we manage intense emotions and learn skills to increase our ability to manage our feelings
learn how trauma may play a role in the way we experience these emotions
learn how to use the concept of “Observe and Describe” – Where do I feel Fear in my body? Where do I feel Anger in my body?
use the “momentum of the emotion” to increase effectiveness in achieving goals

Drs. Ann Marie Garran, Lisa Werkmeister Rozas, Release Latest Edition of Racism in the United States: Implications for the Helping Professions

Posted on January 1, 2022January 18, 2022 by Wessell, Lindsay

UConn School of Social Work faculty members Dr. Ann Marie Garran and Dr. Lisa Werkmeister Rozas recently published the third edition of Racism in the United States: Implications for the Helping Professions.

Originally published in 2008 and co-authored by Dr. Ann Marie Garran and Dr. Joshua Miller (Smith College), this text explored the historical context of racism as well as institutional racism present in the United States today. The authors conveyed that human service professionals must confront racism on two fronts: the racism outside of themselves as well as the racism within.

The third and newest edition, published in December 2021, uses coloniality and other critical theories as a conceptual framework to analyze all levels of racism: structural, personal, interpersonal, professional, and cultural. It features the contributions of a new team of authors and scholars; new conceptual and theoretical material; a new chapter on immigration racism and updated content to reflect how racism and white supremacy are manifested today; and new content on the impact of racism on economics, technology, and environmental degradation; expanded sections on slavery; current political manifestations of racism and much more.

Disordered Gambling

Posted on December 21, 2021September 1, 2022 by Beth Sharkey, MSW

Thomas E. Broffman, PhD, LICSW, CAADAC, CCS, CEAP
Monday, January 31, 2022
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
2 CECs

$40 – UConn SSW Alumni and Current Field Instructors
$50 – All Others
Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete

The CT Council on Problem gambling estimates approximately 70,000 Connecticut adults meet the clinical criteria for problem gambling disorder. An additional 285,000 people are at risk of developing a problem in their lifetime. Problem gambling is often times under-assessed or a component of an undiagnosed co-occurring disorder. This webinar will examine why people gamble, the diagnostic criteria for disordered gambling, screening tools, and available Connecticut treatment resources.

This webinar will examine:

• what is gambling
• why do people gamble
• diagnostic criteria for disordered gambling
• screening tools for disordered gambling
• CT treatment resources

Happy Holidays from Dean Nina Heller

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Jackson, Abigail

Dear Colleagues,

I hope this greeting and update finds you all well and healthy. It has certainly been a strange twenty months as we have had to find ways to adapt and develop new ways of relating, teaching, learning, and working. For some of you, things may feel a bit more “back to normal” and others may find that there are lessons learned through the pandemic that we can incorporate into our family and work lives.

Here, at the School of Social Work, we are nearing the end of the fall semester, with almost all our classes taught in person and with appropriate health measures. For most of our second year MSW students, this is the first time they have stepped foot on our campus, having taken the three prior semesters online. Our BSW and MSW students are back in their field settings and they and our partner agencies have certainly found this preferable to providing remote services. At the same time, we know that current and residual effects of the COVID pandemic have disproportionately affected many of the communities we serve. Where possible, we have placed more students in agencies who have expressed significant needs of their clients and opportunities for our students. As always, we are grateful to our community partners for their role in educating the next generation of social work practitioners.

Our faculty continue to engage our students in our classrooms and through advising and mentoring. They are also engaged in research and scholarship that explores pressing social issues such as substance abuse; food insecurity; juvenile justice; the isolation experienced by many older adults; health, educational, and economic disparities; and the effects of racism.

Of particular note, is the forthcoming book by two UConn professors, Dr, Ann Marie Garran, and Dr. Lisa Werkmeister Rozas, along with Dr. Hye-Kyung Kang and Dr. Josh Miller. Racism in America: Implications for the Helping Professions, 3^rd Ed., to be released at the end of December, this book addresses historical, structural, theoretical, and interpersonal perspectives. This is the right moment for this book, and it provides a critical overview of contemporary issues around race, with a particular focus on the educational and professional needs of social workers and other related practitioners.

The SSW embarked on a Strategic Planning Process last spring, under the leadership of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Joanne Corbin and Doctoral Program Director, Dr. Scott Harding. We will continue our work for the next several months with a completion date of mid-spring 2022. Our aim Is to produce a living document that emphasizes our strengths and guides us through investment in areas for development and expansion. Core to this plan is a focus upon multiple aspects of diversity, inclusion, and equity and the creation of an anti-racist culture at the school. Our ultimate goal is to promote a sense of belonging for all, while preparing to meet the multiple needs of the communities and profession we serve, through our teaching, scholarship and community engagement. Our focus upon emerging needs.

We always look forward to connecting with our alumni and hearing about all you are doing with your UConn SSW degree. Our students are eager to see what their degree can do for them and what they, in turn, can give back to the profession and people we serve.

Please come and visit, support our students through the UConn Foundation, check out our Continuing Education options – and have a healthy happy holiday season.

All the best,

Nina

Alumni Spotlight: Ayesha R. Clarke

Posted on November 11, 2021June 8, 2023 by Jackson, Abigail

Name, Profession Title, SSW Class & Concentration

Ayesha R. Clarke, Deputy Director at Health Equity Solutions, c/o 2018, Policy Practice

Brief description about your current career path

After I graduated, I was hired by COMPASS Youth Collaborative and assumed the role as Vice President of Operations. I utilized the skills I learned about program planning and policies to understand my role and how to push accountability for programming. After two years, I was able to transition to the Deputy Director at Health Equity Solutions, where I am no longer involved in programming, but able to handle all of the organization’s operational needs. The School of Social Work allowed me to understand functional requirements and to ensure that policies are in place to help everyone understand their roles, responsibilities and expectations.

What are your favorite hobbies?

I enjoy traveling, reading, and spending time with my family and friends.

What was your favorite moment at UConn SSW?

My favorite moments are the times I spent building relationships with my policy cohort. We learned and supported each other so much during the course of our time at UConn SSW. It’s been three years since we graduated and we still keep in touch to discuss our work and the latest policies.

What is something you learned at UConn SSW that still applies to your work today?

The Nancy Humphrey Institute has helped me tremendously. I was able to apply so much of what I learned to my own campaign when I ran for a board member position. The institute helped me understand how to be an elected official and the process of running successful campaigns. Logic models are important! (LOL).

During my time at UConn SSW, I didn’t fully understand the importance of logic models and why we needed to have them. Since then, I’ve discovered that having a proper understanding of these models has allowed me to support change management in my current roles.

I have also learned how policies affect people’s daily lives. It is essential to understand who a policy impacts, who is on your side and against you, what to look for in policy decision making, and when policies can be implemented. The process recordings were also beneficial and helped me remember conversations and understand my feelings. More importantly, the school taught me how to use empathy to support, promote and help shift policies.

Heart Path Therapy® for Therapists

Posted on October 18, 2021September 1, 2022 by Beth Sharkey, MSW

Debra Franklin, LCSW

Monday, January 10, 2022
1 pm – 4 pm
3 CECs

$60 – UConn SSW Alumni and Current Field Instructors
$75 – All Others

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

Heart Path Therapy® for Therapists combines powerful healing approaches from ancient spiritual wisdom combined with guided imagery, Family Constellations, inner child work, sound healing, and energy psychology. There are many wonderful psychological and spiritual healing techniques, but until you heal your own wounds in order to really free your heart, mind, and intuition, those techniques will not be fully effective. As you transform, you empower love, understanding, intuition, and compassion – the most important ingredients to healing. Integrate those with spiritual, sound, and imaginative and energy-oriented approaches, and you will discover your true therapeutic gifts. You can learn to see and feel clients’ “wounds” even before they talk about them and intuitively guide them through a life changing journey once you have traversed your own.

This transformational webinar will take you on an inner journey to experiencing life in a new way. Ms. Franklin will provide a “practitioners introduction” to Heart Path Therapy® to help you significantly on your healing path and inspire your creative gifts as a therapist. Some of what you experience you can begin to apply with your clients.

This webinar will enable you to apply wisdom from sacred traditions whether offering online or in person services, including:

the power of an altar, clearing and blessing your space and your clients’, prayer and intention, and the use of sound
brief reference to the use of chakras (energy centers in body)
ways to increase and apply your intuition, including “feeling” energy
explore the roots of emotional struggles, via the inner child and ancestral wounds (the latter from concepts from Family Constellations by Bert Hellinger) through an experiential guided meditation
learn about the available options for more in-depth training in Heart Path Therapy® for Therapists

Dr. Kathryn Libal Co-PI on OVPR Research Excellence Program Award

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Wessell, Lindsay

Dr. Kathryn Libal, Associate Professor and Director of the UConn Human Rights Institute, was named a Co-PI on an Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) Research Excellence Program (REP) award:

Investigator: Oscar Guerra, Digital Media and Design
Co-PIs: Glenn Tatsuya Mitoma, Curriculum & Instruction and Human Rights Institute; Kathryn Libal, Human Rights Institute
Project: COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in Stamford, CT: A Multimedia Archiving Project
Award: $24,999.35

The primary goal of the Research Excellence Program is to provide seed funding to fuel innovative research, scholarship, and creative endeavors with strong potential for:

Significant extramural funding from federal and state sponsors, corporations, industry partners, and foundations.
Achievements consistent with the highest standards of accomplishment in the discipline.

Shall We Zoom? Benefits and Challenges of Providing Group Work Services in a Virtual Environment

Posted on September 28, 2021September 1, 2022 by Beth Sharkey, MSW

All practitioners of groups are welcome – those currently facilitating in the virtual world and those facilitating in person groups who are interested in developing new knowledge and skills to integrate into their practice.

Joan Letendre, PhD, LCSW

Thursdays, December 2 and 9, 2021
1 pm – 3 pm
4 CECs

$80 – UConn SSW Alumni and Current Field Instructors
$100 – All Others

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged us personally and professionally. At a time when many of us were experiencing personal challenges related to the pandemic, we were asked to develop ways of creating positive virtual group experiences in our agencies, communities, and classrooms. Flexibility and creativity were called for as practitioners and educators adapted new models for working safely with clients so in need of services during this time. With the use of technology for delivering services, it was necessary to adapt different ways of engaging and working with students, group members and colleagues. This 2-part webinar will focus on the challenges and successes of this work.

We will have an opportunity to learn about and experience a virtual group as we examine this model. We will pay special attention to the elements that foster group engagement and development of mutual aid. In Session 1, we will focus on planning and engagement of members in the overall group and each session and activity. Much of the planning will involve the translation of elements of an in-person group to one that is virtual. In Session 2, we will use a problem-solving model to address the common challenges that group workers encounter (high and low participation, conflict, value-laden topics, curriculum vs process etc.). Instructor and participant examples will be used to illustrate the problem-solving model that encourages members to be active participants in learning from one another and offering mutual aid.

Using didactic instruction, small and large group discussions, activities, and videos, participants in this 2-part webinar will:

Develop a group climate where we can share the challenges and successes of on-line formats of group service delivery
Review planning and engagement strategies and apply to on-line formats
Share different creative strategies for developing a climate of support and mutual aid in on-line groups
Review the problem-solving model in relation to common group challenges that may be exacerbated by the on-line format
Learn to manage conflict in a way that gives affirmation to many points of view