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October 4, 2021 - 8:30am to October 17, 2021 4:30pm

Realm of the Dead is an installation/performance, freely adapted from Rogério Pinto’s award-winning play, Marília, about his sister who died in an accident in the street outside the family home when she was three years old and he just tenth months. Comprising a solo performance and an installation that serves as a set for that performance, Realm of the Dead is grounded in the work of the Brazilian theater artist Augusto Boal and in autoethnographic social work research and practice. These methodologies are recommended as vehicles for critical reflection, self-healing, personal growth, and advocacy.

The Realm of the Dead installation comprises more than thirty suitcases, each reflecting an aspect of Pinto’s multiple physical and spiritual journeys and representing the cemetery where Marília is buried. The performance, directed by Erwin Maas, also includes autobiographical material and explorations of ethnicity, race, gender, class, and other identities. The autoethnographic content of the piece has been reformatted into workshops for students at the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work.

The Installation will be on view in the Lower Level Atrium from Sunday October 4 - Sunday October 17.

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October 5, 2021 - 9:00am to 12:00pm

This webinar will offer a working definition of terms, including Transgender, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Intersex, Gender Nonconforming, Non-Binary, Intersex, Gender Transition, and Ally. Language and terminology will be examined with emphasis on using affirming language and avoiding offensive terminology...

Registration for this course is closed. Visit the CE Course Catalog for more offerings.

October 5, 2021 - 11:00am to 3:00pm

Connect virtually with an admissions counselor to learn more about the University of Michigan School of Social Work MSW program. Ask about our Online Program, On-Campus Program, Curriculum Options, Application Process, Financial Aid, and more!

Click here to RSVP »

October 6, 2021 - 3:30pm to 5:00pm

An admissions counselor will meet virtually with Eastern Michigan BSW students to share information about the University of Michigan School of Social Work's MSW program. Topics covered will include: Online Program, On-Campus Program, Curriculum Options, Application Process, Financial Aid, and more.

October 7, 2021 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm

Proposal P attempted to address numerous social inequities in the City of Detroit that would impact the quality of life for its residents, giving them a greater voice in the city’s administration. In the August 2021 elections, however, Proposal P did not pass. What is proposal P? And how would it have impacted the city? Who was and is involved in the continued fight for the proposal, and the issues that surround it? Come and listen to Detroit changemakers and social justice advocates involved in this movement share their thoughts and experience, and ideas for continued civic change in Detroit. Speakers include Detroit City Councilmember Raquel Castaneda-Lopez; Executive Director of We the People Michigan, Art Reyes III; Executive Director of We the People Detroit, Monica Lewis-Patrick; and John Sloan III, BLM Detroit Co-Lead Organizer.

October 7, 2021 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm

The Fedele F. and Iris M. Fauri Memorial Lecture on child welfare is presented annually in recognition of the former University of Michigan Dean and Vice President Fedele F. Fauri and his wife, Iris. Dean Fauri's leadership and accomplishments in the field of child welfare spanned nearly 50 years.

This year the Fauri Lecture will focus on the feedback loop from research, policy, practice, and vice-versa. Through conducting community-based applied research, the presenters will talk about their work with communities to make the most of existing social welfare policies and advocate for more family-friendly policies. The current policy moment is a critical turning point that must be harnessed for improvements to the child welfare system. The Families First Prevention Services Act has drawn significant attention to reforming the "front end" of the child welfare system, with a much larger emphasis on prevention. At the same time, the Biden administration has released the American Rescue Plan Act, which includes significant progressive economic policy changes. As scholars in the field of child welfare, the three presenters will focus on working with families and communities to create positive change for children and families during this critical moment.

Todd Herrenkohl, PhD, is Marion Elizabeth Blue Professor of Children and Families. Dr. Herrenkohl's primary research interests focus on the areas of child and family well-being, child maltreatment and the psychosocial and developmental underpinnings of health-risk behaviors in youth and adults; substance use, mental and physical health outcomes of adversity; and resilience. He has also worked to raise awareness of the causes and consequences of violence in children and families and to promote the use of public health models of primary prevention.

Whitney Rostad, PhD, is a Director of Research Services at Casey Family Programs in Seattle, Washington with subject matter expertise in the prevention of child abuse and neglect. In her role, Whitney manages and oversees a variety of research projects and dissemination activities, and collaborates with others in the field to advance a broad research agenda to identify effective policy, practice, and systems change in child welfare. Prior to Casey, Dr. Rostad was a behavioral scientist in the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where she conducted research identifying risk and protective factors for different forms of violence and evaluating the impact of policies and programs on health and well-being.

Katie Maguire-Jack, PhD, is an Associate Professor at University of Michigan School of Social Work. She studies the impact of social welfare policies and neighborhoods on child maltreatment. She has an MSW, MPA, and PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin. Her research is funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Centers for Disease Control, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and Ohio Children's Trust Fund. She is passionate about child maltreatment prevention and teaches courses in social welfare policy.

Megan Feely, PhD, is an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. Her work focuses on the primary and secondary prevention of reported child maltreatment, particularly focusing on economic factors, and working with public agencies to disseminate and apply research findings.  Currently, she works with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood and the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.  She is a part of a CDC-funded multi-agency grant to increase the state’s capacity to monitor and prevent adverse childhood experiences.  She is originally from St. Louis, Missouri where she began her work with child welfare systems. She now lives in West Hartford, Connecticut as a half-time-single-mother of two school-aged children.

Michelle Riordan-Nold was named Executive Director of the Connecticut Data Collaborative (CTData) in February 2014, she is responsible for executing the vision and strategy of CTData which is a user-driven, public-private partnership that educates, liberates, curates, and democratizes data for public consumption to help drive planning, policy, budgeting and decision making in Connecticut. In her tenure at CTData, she has grown the organization from 1 full time staff to 7 staff. In addition, she has created and developed new data service offerings including but not limited to, launching the CTData Academy and building an integrated data system called the Hartford Data Collaborative. Michelle holds a bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Boston College and a master's degree in public policy from the University of Chicago. In her career, she has had the opportunity to work in all sectors of the economy – private, nonprofit, and government. After receiving her Master’s, she worked in a research capacity examining a wide range of policy areas and programs including: healthcare, economic development, state tax credits, and energy efficiency programs. Her policy interests are broad but her passion is in using data to help drive policy decision-making.

Rana Smith is the Children’s Services Supervisor at SOS Community Services. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Siena Heights University and is certified in Early Childhood Administration. She began working at SOS in 2017.Since her start, she has increased enrollment in SOS Parents as Teachers Home Visiting Program and engaged new partners. Rana has always had a passion for establishing and expanding programs to better serve at-risk families and children. Leveraging community partnerships to improve their well-being is a specialty of hers. With over twenty-five years of considerable management experience in the areas of human services, early childhood, and family and youth services, Rana continues her passion of uplifting and supporting children and their families in our communities. In previous roles, she has had successful parenting programs. Rana has run afterschool programs, developed a fatherhood program, developed child abuse prevention trainings, and still finds times to tutor, mentor, and engage in home-school visits during her every-day activities. In her many capacities, she has also served as executive director of a residential facility for at-risk youth outside of Michigan. However, now her talents reside at SOS Community Services where she has the successful Parents as Teachers Home Visiting program spanning from Wayne to Washtenaw County and serves on the Board of Directors at Packard Health and St. Joseph Hospital. She is also the Co-Chair of the Home Visiting Advisory Council Rana Smith has a passion for families and communities and a long history of being a strong social justice advocate for underserved populations.

Brenda Jones Harden is the Alison Richman Professor for Children and Families, at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She directs the Prevention and Early Adversity Research Laboratory, where she and her research team examine the developmental and mental health needs of young children who have experienced early adversity and toxic stress, particularly those who have been maltreated, are in foster care, or have experienced other forms of trauma. A particular focus is preventing maladaptive outcomes in these populations through early childhood programs. She has conducted numerous evaluations of such programs, including early care and education, home visiting services, parenting interventions, and infant mental health programs. Dr. Jones Harden is a scientist-practitioner who uses research to improve the quality and effectiveness of child and family services and to inform child and family policy, especially in the area of child welfare. She is currently the Vice President of the Board at Zero to Three, and serves on various federal, state, and local advisory boards. She received a PhD in developmental and clinical psychology from Yale University and a Master’s in Social Work from New York University.

Suzanne Greenberg currently serves as the Executive Director for the MI Children’s Trust Fund in Lansing which is the state agency responsible for the prevention of child abuse and neglect through 100+ prevention programs serving the 83 counties across Michigan!  As a tireless advocate for the best interests of children and a survivor of childhood physical and sexual abuse, her experience includes leading the CAN Council Great Lakes Bay Region in strategic growth from serving one to three counties as well as expanding prevention, intervention and advocacy programming across the region.  This award-winning agency grew from just 2 part time staff to over 25 staff plus a team of active volunteers and interns!  Her legacy is the move from the basement of the Westlund Guidance Clinic to the beautiful CAN Council building expanded in 2015.  Ms. Greenberg has been honored as the CAN Council’s Child Advocate of the Year 2020, Saginaw Chamber’s Community Impact Award (2018), YWCA’s Woman of Distinction (2014) among many others.  Suzanne’s greatest joy is her husband of 36 years, Alan and their children Samantha and Ben.

October 7, 2021 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm

We invite you to a community conversation about supporting each other in the midst of events that may feel threatening or traumatizing. As we all know, this past weekend a serious threat was made against women on the UM campus, causing concerns over the safety and security - especially for those who hold identities that are often marginalized. It would be naive to ignore the ripples of trauma, anxiety, vigilance and fear that has been created by this threatening event.

This is a time for conversation - ask questions, raise concerns, and talk together as a school community. To aid the conversation, space will be limited. (We know it's coming up soon, so if you miss it, don't fear!  If there is a lot of interest in this topic, we can hold another session soon.)

About the format. A few students and faculty have decided to try something different - smaller community conversations. Our hope is that this can take topics that lend themselves better to verbal dialogue off of email and into a face-to-face (or screen-to-screen!) environment. We will draw heavily on practices from intergroup dialogue and restorative justice.

When: October 7th @ 6pm, zoom format

Where: Zoom link sent the day of the event

RSVP here »

October 8, 2021 - 9:00am to 12:00pm

Schools can play a critical role in promoting healing and resilience among children who have experienced trauma, but to do so, they must be trauma-informed. This course will provide an introduction to a collaborative multi-stakeholder, trauma-informed approach based in theory and concepts of system change. TIPPS features 10 core principles that will be described.

Registration for this course is closed. Visit the CE Course Catalog for more offerings.

October 8, 2021 (all day)

The Winter 2022 field application cycle has staggered due dates according to Pathway. 

On Friday October 8, the Field Application is due for students on this Pathway who are starting field in Winter (January) 2022: 

Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (*On-Campus MSW Students only*)

The OFE Field Faculty will begin reviewing field applications for the Interpersonal Practice Pathway after October 8.

October 11, 2021 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

In this space, Erika Murcia will be sharing about her personal experience as one of the authors of Antología Maternidad Creativa: Recordar el latido original del útero. She will facilitate a generative tertulia around the concept of Maternidad Creativa.

Erika Murcia, also known as Erika Sanadora, is a multirracial Mesoamerican curandera, guardian of poetic storytelling, daughter of El Salvador’s diaspora, apprentice of the Grandmother Moon. She facilitates individual & group healing programs through embodied ancestral power. In 2017, Erika graduated with a Master's in Social Work from the University of Michigan, where she was a Community-Based Initiative in Detroit Scholar.

Hosted by the University of Michigan Latinx Faculty and Staff Research Group in collaboration with the U-M SSW Global Social Work Pathway and the Office of Global Activities.

RSVP »

October 11, 2021 - 2:00pm to 3:00pm

Learn more about the Coursera-based Social Work: Practice, Policy, and Research MasterTrack™ Certificate and how this certificate can be applied to the University of Michigan's MSW program. During this online session we will discuss the structure of the MasterTrack certificate, the full MSW degree program, and the application process for students interested in earning their Master of Social Work degree online or on-campus through the University of Michigan.

*Please note: This session is informational only and does not provide a certificate of completion.

Click here to view recording »

October 12, 2021 - 12:30pm to 1:30pm

The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship is dedicated to improving health by developing a corps of multidisciplinary professionals committed to creating systemic change in human and health services and policies that impact underserved and vulnerable populations. Schweitzer Fellows are committed to promoting health equity through action, self-reflection, and a lifelong passion for learning and caring for others.

Join us for a virtual information session for the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship program.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021 at 12:30pm, EST

Schweitzer Fellows are graduate students in health care, social work, law, education and other fields who design and implement year-long service projects that address the root causes of health disparities in under-resourced communities, while also fulfilling their academic responsibilities.

* Candidates for the fellowship should be enrolled throughout the Fellowship year (April-April). Opportunity for 16 month students expected to graduate in December 2022 to still participate.

Click to RSVP »

October 12, 2021 - 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Join the Idealist Social Impact Virtual Graduate School fair to speak with an admissions representative about U-M's MSW and PhD programs. 

Click here to RSVP »

October 12, 2021 - 3:00pm to 4:00pm

This online session will provide the opportunity to learn more about the University of Michigan School of Social Work MSW program. Topics covered will include: Online Program, On-Campus Program, Curriculum Options, Application Process, Financial Aid, and more!

Click here to RSVP »

October 12, 2021 - 5:30pm to 6:30pm

An admissions counselor will meet virtually with Alabama State University BSW students to share information about the University of Michigan School of Social Work's MSW program. Topics covered will include: Online Program, On-Campus Program, Curriculum Options, Application Process, Financial Aid, and more.

October 12, 2021 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm

What's the program really like? Where is your field placement? What do social work students do for fun? Join an MSW student as well as other prospective MSW students for a live webchat about the School of Social Work.  Our MSW students are excited to answer any questions that you have and share their feedback about the program. 

Click here to RSVP »

October 13, 2021 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The UM-SSW continues to raise awareness of important issues to the Latinx community as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Please join us via Zoom to engage in a discussion with Dr. Fernanda Cross and Laura Sanders from the University of Michigan School of Social Work to discuss research and experiences among undocumented Latinx immigrants living in Southeast Michigan and to explore how parents talk about immigration and deportation with children.

RSVP »

October 13, 2021 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm

An admissions counselor will meet virtually with Tuskegee University BSW students to share information about the University of Michigan School of Social Work's MSW program. Topics covered will include: Online Program, On-Campus Program, Curriculum Options, Application Process, Financial Aid, and more.

October 14, 2021 - 9:00am to 12:15pm

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States for youth between the ages of 13-24. According to the National Council on Behavioral Health, youth that identify as LGBTQIA+ are 300% more at risk for attempting suicide and have identified rejection and negative reactions from family and social supports as precepitating factors to causing distress. Suicide and self harm have been identified as the solutions to address mental, emotional, and social distresses that don't have a perceived solution. Youth engaged in child welfare programs have an increased rate of exposure to trauma and increased risk to engage in behaviors that are harmful. This course will provide an overview of the prevalence of mental health concerns of LGBTQIA+ youth, introduce emotional pain as a concept to consider as a need to manage in treatment and methods to deliver services in accordance to ethical standards and obligations.

Registration for this course is closed. Visit the CE Course Catalog for more offerings.

October 14, 2021 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

Undoing Racism is a community collective of students, staff, and faculty in the School of Social Work dedicated to fighting white supremacy at the individual, school, and structural levels.

This workgroup was established in 2019 after students, staff, and faculty took part in the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond Undoing Racism© workshops. Since then, the Undoing Racism workgroup has been working to implement the People’s Institute anti-racist community organizing model – recognizing that community organizing within our school is critical to move toward an anti-racist and anti-oppressive program to bring along all members of the community.

The Undoing Racism workgroup also emphasizes the role that white members of our community must take on to dismantle and undo white supremacist structures that benefit and maintain power for white people. Our work has largely been focused on building collective community – a fundamental step in the People’s Institute organizing model. Our dialogue and strategic planning to advance towards an anti-racist and anti-oppressive program and school community must begin with building relationships and strengthening community bonds to engage in internal and external anti-racism work.

Meetings are held on the last Thursday of every month from 12-2pm (with some exceptions). All members of our school community are invited to attend.

A Zoom link will be sent out the day of the event to all those who RSVP.

RSVP »

October 14, 2021 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm

As part of the Michigan Social Work Centennial, we are delighted to feature cutting edge, contemporary innovations in social work practice that are being created by Michigan faculty members. This series will consist of three sessions showcasing mental health intervention research happening at the University of Michigan School of Social Work.

Featuring innovative research from SSW faculty, the session provides examples of community-engaged research and multilevel interventions to address and reduce suicide and depression in diverse communities. The strategies shared range from community-level, universal prevention to indicated, individual psychotherapy. The research targets rural and urban populations, and responds to specific conditions of young Black men, Alaska Native communities, rural Michigan communities, and adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The interactive panel discussion will explore the diversity and promise of current SSW research.

October 14, 2021 - 5:00pm

Students should select and save an Assignment for each competency.  You will not be submitting the Ed Agreement to your field instructor at this time, that will happen at the end of the term.

October 15, 2021 - 12:00pm

How did racism and sexism become embedded in our understanding of physics and the cosmos? What does the fight over the Affordable Care Act—better known as Obamacare—reveal about our country’s politics? What would it take for the U.S. to adopt a universal child allowance?

The annual Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series will explore these issues and many others. Featured speakers include Associate Professor of Social Work Terri Friedline, author of “Banking on a Revolution: Why Financial Technology Won’t Save a Broken System," Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, a trailblazing theoretical cosmologist who also explores the relationship between how we understand science and broader societal justice; HuffPost Senior National Correspondent Jonathan Cohn, who covers politics and health care policy; and H. Luke Shaefer, the director of Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan and a contributor to significant research on the potential of a universal child allowance to drastically reduce child poverty in the U.S.

The eight-week fall speaker series is hosted by Poverty Solutions at U-M, a university wide presidential initiative that aims to find new ways to prevent and alleviate poverty through action-based research, in partnership with various university departments.

Watch Livestream Here 10/15/21 12PM

October 18, 2021

October 19, 2021 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

The School of Social Work Office of Global Activities and U-M Spectrum Center are collaborating to host Trans Visibility Passport Day. During this event, the Washtenaw County Clerk's office will assist students and community members to apply for, renew, or make changes to their passport in the form of a name change* or updated gender marker.** Although this event is hosted specifically for folks needing a gender marker or name change, individuals not requiring these services but still in need of a new or renewed passport are welcome to attend.

*Please note that one must have already gone through the legal name change process and must be able to provide the original court documentation regarding the name change.

Register here »

October 20, 2021 - 4:00pm to 7:00pm

An admissions counselor will meet virtually with students attending Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College to share information about the University of Michigan School of Social Work's MSW program. Topics covered will include: Online Program, On-Campus Program, Curriculum Options, Application Process, Financial Aid, and more.

October 22, 2021 - 2:00pm to 5:00pm

An admissions counselor will meet virtually with students attending Central Michigan University's BSW program to share information about the University of Michigan School of Social Work's MSW program. Topics covered will include: Online Program, On-Campus Program, Curriculum Options, Application Process, Financial Aid, and more.

October 22, 2021 (all day)

The Winter 2022 field application cycle has staggered due dates according to Pathway. 

On Friday October 22, the Field Application is due for students on these Pathways who are starting field in Winter (January) 2022:

Community Change

Global Social Work

Management & Leadership

Policy & Political Social Work

Program Evaluation & Applied Research (PEAR)

The OFE Field Faculty will begin reviewing field applications for these Pathways after October 22.

October 26, 2021 - 2:00pm to 5:00pm

An admissions counselor will meet virtually with students attending Eastern Connecticut State University's BSW program to share information about the University of Michigan School of Social Work's MSW program. Topics covered will include: Online Program, On-Campus Program, Curriculum Options, Application Process, Financial Aid, and more.

October 27, 2021 - 3:00pm to 4:00pm

This in-person session will provide the opportunity to learn more about the University of Michigan School of Social Work MSW program. Topics covered will include: Online Program, On-Campus Program, Curriculum Options, Application Process, Financial Aid, and more!

All guests will need to complete the ResponsiBlue guest screening before entering the School of Social Work. Masks are also required at all times in University of Michigan buildings unless actively eating or drinking.

Click here to RSVP »

October 27, 2021 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm

What's the program really like? Where is your field placement? What do social work students do for fun? Join an MSW student as well as other prospective MSW students for a live webchat about the School of Social Work.  Our MSW students are excited to answer any questions that you have and share their feedback about the program. 

Click here to RSVP »

October 28, 2021 - 9:00am to 5:30pm

Admissions counselors will be available to talk with LEAD attendees about the University of Michigan School of Social Work's MSW program. Topics covered will include: Online Program, On-Campus Program, Curriculum Options, Application Process, Financial Aid, and more.

October 28, 2021 - 5:00pm to 8:00pm

Join the Idealist Social Impact Virtual Graduate School fair to speak with an admissions representative about U-M's MSW and PhD programs. 

Click here to RSVP »

October 29, 2021 - 9:00am to 12:00pm

The objective of this training is to help mental health professionals develop confidence and a skill set for discussing sexual identity, health/wellness, and intimacy with their clients. Fundamentals of sex therapy from a biopsychosocial approach will be covered to ensure that participants feel well-equipped to incorporate sexual functioning into their core approach to assessment and treatment. The learner will understand the ramifications of relegating this topic to a "specialized" treatment approach and feel skilled and capable in addressing sex therapy topics as a foundational approach to assessment and treatment.

Registration for this course is closed. Visit the CE Course Catalog for more offerings.