School of Social Work News

Associate Professor Daphne Watkins and Assistant Professor Jamie Mitchell recently published an article, "Perceptions and Receptivity of Non Spousal Family Support: A Mixed Methods Study of Psychological Distress Among Older, Church-Going African American Men" in the Journal of Mixed Methods Research. The study explores the role of nonspousal family support on mental health among older, church-going African American men.

Clinical Assistant Professor Deb Mattison and LEO Adjunct Lecturer Dan Fischer have been selected as members of the inaugural cohort of the U-M Interprofessional Leadership Fellows program. The program will provide faculty members with opportunities to learn from and work with academic and practice leaders at the university and national level. It is designed to build the capacity of faculty members as interprofessional educator scholars, as well as effective leaders and change agents.

LEO Lecturer Beth Spencer is participating in Memory, Aging and Expressive Arts, a collaborative program between, the Stamps School of Art and Design, SSW and the Silver Club Memory Programs. The program won a national competition that recognizes outstanding programs helping Alzheimer’s families and caregivers.

The program won in the category of Creative Expression and will receive their award at a celebratory reception during the annual “Aging in America” Conference to be held on March 22 in Washington, DC.

Assistant Professor David Córdova received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) via the University of California San Francisco to carry out interventions focused on drug use and HIV risk behaviors in the primary care clinic setting.

Professor Edie Kieffer received a grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund via the Michigan Primary Care Association to continue her initiative, “The Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance” in order to evaluate several components of Linking Clinical Care with Community Supports, a statewide project that integrates Community Health Workers into patient care teams at community health centers.

Shari Robinson-Lynk, an Adjunct Lecturer with the School of Social Work since the fall of 2012 and the 2014-2015 Professor of the Year by the SSW Student Union, has accepted the position of Professor of Practice with the School of Social Work at Simmons College in Boston. Simmons College is the nation's oldest School of Social Work.

Shari is expecting to lead the race and oppression curriculum for the new synchronous MSW program, among other responsibilities such as serving as the course lead for the major around health and aging and the community organizing/activism minor as well as assisting with the organizing of black students.

Shari's last day in Ann Arbor will be towards the end of April as she has a May 16 start date.

In response to the Flint water crisis, there will be a collection of water bottles, cases, and jugs to be delivered to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint. Drop:

• Water and cash donations at the Office of Student Services, School of Social Work
• Water donations in the School of Public Health lobby
• Cash donations can be brought to the Prevention Research Center office, School of Public Health

Collections are now through January 22.

Assistant Professor Katie Richards-Schuster and Professor Barry Checkoway are featured in the special "Building Youth Leadership in Southeast Michigan" which airs Monday, 1/18 at 7:30 pm on Detroit Public Television. The program brings together students & educators for a special panel on the emergence of youth voices.