Class Notes

I was recently recognized in the Spring 2024 newsletter for CDC Office of Minority Health, as a Health Equity Champion:

https://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/newsletter/2024/spring/champion.html

Hi all. (Especially those in the '97 Dr Faller's child welfare program!) I've spent almost 20 years working with children as a clinical social worker and in child welfare, then homelessness and mental health, and currently managing a number of violence prevention programs for Hennepin County, MN.

After losing three family members to suicide, including my father when I was a college senior in 1989, my cousin Vinny in 2013, and my brother Brendan in 2022, I just published "The Secret Struggle: Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One", coupling these personal experiences with my professional insights.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1643435906?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_45VSPCIWXFP1TBMHQCFM_1&skipTwisterOG=1
Website: thesecretstruggle.com
Hope all are well!
Don

Jun Sung Hong received the Fulbright Scholar Award in 2023 and was hosted by the University of Antwerp in Belgium to conduct research on cyberbullying.

Advocating for students, student wellbeing, and mental health and wellness are passions of mine and sharing this work with others is very meaningful to me. In May 2023, I left Michigan to work at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce as a Mental Health Consultant, one of only two in the state. Prior to leaving for Ohio, I worked for 8 years in Lenawee, Branch, and Jackson counties serving as an elementary school social worker. In these roles, I provided individual counseling services to students, facilitated small groups, and taught schoolwide SEL lessons, among other duties. Now at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, I consult with districts and schools throughout Ohio to provide best practices and evidence-based implementation strategies in mental and behavioral health. I've been fortunate enough to present at national MH conferences in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. I am forever thankful to be a UMSSW graduate! It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine!

Let's applaud our accomplished alumna, Adrianne Muntz, class of 2015, for her insightful book "Understanding the Power of Affirmations," found on Amazon at https://a.co/d/09koNUv.

Adrianne skillfully explores societal influences on beliefs, emphasizing affirmations as a means to reclaim personal narrative. Readers embark on a journey of self-awareness, crafting affirmations to overcome negativity and foster profound change. Adrianne's book stands out for its practicality, offering tangible steps for integrating affirmations into daily life. Each chapter empowers readers to cultivate resilience, confidence, and self-empowerment, leading to a purposeful and fulfilling life. Adrianne's work resonates with individuals of all backgrounds, providing a roadmap for navigating modern complexities with grace.

Congratulations, Adrianne, on this outstanding accomplishment!

Check my latest publications:

Cabin, W. (2024). “They Live in an Isolation Chamber”: Medicare Fails the Depressed Homebound
Elderly. Home Health Care Management and Practice, 36 (1): 12-19. Published online in 2023:
https://doi.org/10.1177/10848223231165274.

Cabin, W. (2024). “What Were They Thinking?”: The Exclusion of Medicare Home Health from Providing
Supplemental Social Needs Benefits. Home Health Care Management and Practice,
Volume 36, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1177/10848223221135576

Dr. Lisa Young Larance's book, Broken: Women's Stories of Intimate and Institutional Harm and Repair, will be available August 6, 2024.
https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520392335/broken

Lindsay Bryan-Podvin shared expert insights on the emotional toll of financial scams in a recent appearance on CNN Central News with Brianna Keilar & Boris Sanchez. She highlighted the misconception that only seniors fall prey to scams and emphasized that anyone can be vulnerable. The discussion centered on a viral story where a personal finance journalist was scammed out of a large sum of money, illustrating how scammers exploit personal information to induce fear and dysregulate the victims' nervous system. Bryan-Podvin stressed the importance of empathy and compassion in combating financial exploitation.

On March 13, 2024 I was recognized for my policy work with the 2024 Outstanding Individual in Academia Award from the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP).

After 11 years of federal service to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Bryan has accepted a new role with the US Department of Health and Human Services providing federal oversight of State and community based programs.

In March, I am releasing a novel, Supplemental Needs, about a family coping with a prenatal diagnosis of Klinefelter syndrome, a disorder of sexual development resulting from an extra X chromosome in a male. Popular literature has not addressed the dilemma of prenatal diagnosis of developmental disabilities and rarely atypical development in a child. Previously, I published the widely read guide, Living with Klinefelter Syndrome, Trisomy X and 47,XYY. I used my experience as a social worker devoted to improving life for those with developmental disabilities and as my personal experiences as a special needs parent to write both For more information on both publications, please visit www.virginiacover.com.

I was selected as a 2024 Presidential Leadership Scholar. More info can be found here: https://www.presidentialleadershipscholars.org/2024-class-of-presidential-leadership-scholars-announced/

Lauren Davis was featured in the Michigan Daily, profiling her journey to pursuing diversity, equity, and inclusion work at the University of Michigan.

https://www.michigandaily.com/news/administration/my-success-was-finding-people-meet-the-seas-director-of-diversity-equity-and-community-lauren-davis/

SWWLHC Award for Social Work Leadership in Clinical Practice has been awarded to John Paul Tuanqui Abenojar, Social Services Manager at Arleigh Burke Pavilion - Vinson Hall Retirement Community. He has consistently exemplified the qualities that made Ida Cannon, an iconic figure in health social work leadership. His career dedicated to improving the lives of older adults in long term care settings has called attention to the critical importance of psychosocial care, for both the patient and family.

I am humbled to be selected as an honoree for the de Beaumont Foundation’s 40 Under 40 in Public Health Class of 2023. This is an accomplished group of professionals striving to bring healthier solutions to communities across the nation. https://debeaumont.org/40-under-40/sade-richardson/

Sara Thane Milam, LCSW opened her private therapy practice Steadfast Living Therapy, LLC in July 2023. Her practice provides individualized and actionable mental health therapy for adults in Nashville, TN. Sara is an EMDR Certified Therapist and specializes in trauma and grief therapy. Visit her website at https://www.steadfastlivingtherapy.com/ to learn more.

Mike assumed the President/CEO position at Pasco Kids First in February of 2023. Pasco Kids First is a Child Advocacy Center working to prevent child abuse and neglect, providing medical assessment and forensic interviews when abuse occurs as well as therapy and healing services for survivors. Visit www.pascokidsfirst.org for more information.

I have been awarded the 2023 Joseph Gittler Award by the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP). The award is in recognition of a SSSP member for their significant scholarly achievements on the ethical resolution of social problems.

GO BLUE!