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School of Social Work News

  1. Matthew J. SmithKari Sherwood
     
    Matthew Smith and SIMmersion LLC Awarded a $3.1 Million Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health

    Associate Professor Matthew Smith and SIMmersion LLC were awarded a $3.1 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. Smith is the scientific lead developing a virtual simulation, which will help autistic teens and young adults learn effective ways to talk and interact with customers, coworkers and supervisors in work settings. Joint PhD student Kari Sherwood is assisting with this project.

    • April 17, 2020
  2. Shawna J. LeeKaitlin P. Ward
     
    Shawna Lee Discusses Parenting During COVID-19 with Michigan Minds

    Associate Professor Shawna Lee discussed the stress of parenting during the coronavirus pandemic on the latest episode of the Michigan Minds podcast.  On March 24, which was shortly after much of the country began social distancing, Lee and PhD student Kaitlin Ward conducted an online survey that asked a series of questions on parenting behaviors, economic situation and well-being.

    • April 17, 2020
  3. John E. Tropman
     
    John Tropman’s Book “Supervision, Management, and Leadership: An Introduction to Building Community Benefit Organizations” is Published

    Henry J. Meyer Collegiate Professor Emeritus of Social Work John Tropman is the author of a new book, “Supervision, Management, and Leadership: An Introduction to Building Community Benefit Organizations.” Tropman’s handbook serves as a guide for managers and leaders in the human services field. “In response to the increasing needs of managers and leaders, John Tropman provides a comprehensive framework and sensible strategies for improving the craft of management. His text provides a wealth of insights for management practitioners ranging from students to supervisors and agency executives." -- Bowen McBeath, Professor of Social Work and Public Administration Portland State University and Beijing Normal University

  4. Jaclynn M. Hawkins
     
    Jaclynn Hawkins Will Assess Men’s Health Event In Relation to the COVID-19 Pandemic

    Each year the Michigan Men’s Health Foundation holds a Men’s Health Event in Metro Detroit, which offers low-income men free health and mental health screenings.  Research consistently demonstrates that these groups of men are more likely to experience undiagnosed or sub-optimally managed chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. 

    Assistant Professor Jaclynn Hawkins has received a grant to both evaluate the impact of this event on health behaviors, and to assess health behaviors and outcomes in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Funded by the Michigan Institute for Clinical Health Research, this study will help health care professionals better meet the needs of this at-risk group, while taking into account the specific health needs during the pandemic. 

    Low-income men in metro Detroit are one of the most at-risk and vulnerable groups during the pandemic, this research will ensure their voices are heard and their needs are met during this critical time,” Hawkins said.

  5. Joseph A. HimleAddie Weaver
     
    Joseph Himle and Addie Weaver Research on the Opioid Crisis in Rural America Referenced in The Atlantic

    Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Howard V. Brabson Collegiate Professor Joseph Himle and Assistant Professor Addie Weaver, research “A systematic review of rural-specific barriers to medication treatment for opioid use disorder in the United States” is referenced in The Atlantic's “America’s Other Epidemic - A new approach to fighting the opioid crisis as it quietly rages on.” The drug-overdose epidemic has already killed 800,000 Americans—more than have died from AIDS—but the federal government has yet to provide adequate solutions, let alone a level of funding that could stem the crisis.

  6. Sara F. Stein
     
    Sara Stein and MI Frontline Support Essential Workers During COVID-19 Crisis

    Michigan’s frontline workers are providing essential services during the pandemic and they are also dealing with unprecedented stress.  Knowing the potential impact of this stress on workers’ psychological well-being, a team including Joint PhD student Sara Stein LMSW, MS and Joy Wolfe Ensor, PhD ‘83, has created MI Frontline Support, a mental health initiative to help frontline workers in Michigan get easy-to-access support from clinicians. Other team members include Erin Barbossa, Felicia Brabec and Sarah Jurkovic.

    “The mental health of our doctors, nurses, delivery personnel, grocery clerks, gas station attendants and other essential workers is paramount now more than ever,” says Sara Stein “They are putting their own health and safety, not to mention that of their families, at risk to save others affected by the outbreak, provide needed food and deliver crucial necessities to Michiganders. I feel it’s our responsibility, as social workers and psychologists, to ensure that frontline workers who are supporting all of us during this pandemic can access the mental health care they need.” Members of MI Frontline Support along with members of the southeast Michigan mental health community delivered an online psychoeducational presentation on the mental health risks of the pandemic to frontline workers. 

    MI Frontline Support’s priority is to develop a detailed list of mental health clinicians who can provide services to essential workers in need. “We invite all licensed Michigan mental health professionals to join this initiative. The list will reduce the barriers that make it difficult to find a provider,” says Stein. MI Frontline Support is removing the long wait to find a therapist, providing easy insurance information for clients who have insurance, pay what you can for those who still have resources, and some volunteer services for frontline workers who can't afford anything. 

    You can do your part:

    • If you are a licensed clinician who wants to be added to the directory of available providers go to MIFrontlineSupport.com and fill out the Google form.  
    • If you are working or know of someone on the frontlines who is suffering from stress, emotional strain and physical exhaustion and needs help coping, share the list of providers.

    During this global pandemic, it is essential to protect Michigan’s frontline workers. Interventions such as MI Frontline Support bolster the mental well-being for workers exposed to COVID-19.

  7. Terri L. Friedline
     
    Stimulus Checks Might Not Reach Those Who Need Them Most

    Associate Professor Terri Friedline discusses financial system reform and consumer protections to ensure that people and communities have access to safe and affordable financial products and services during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

  8. Addie Weaver
     
    Addie Weaver’s Research Offers Rural Residents Virtual Treatment for Depression During Pandemic

    Assistant Professor Addie Weaver recently started a pilot program to increase access to depression treatment in rural communities, which often lack mental health professionals, as part of her National Institute of Mental Health-funded Career Development Award. She collaborated with pastors and human service providers from Hillsdale, Michigan to develop an evidence-based, computer-assisted depression treatment program, Raising Our Spirits Together. The computer-assisted program, based on cognitive behavioral therapy, was designed to be delivered in small groups in rural churches, with local pastors serving as facilitators.

    As the project was launching, Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order to fight the spread of the coronavirus. It was no longer feasible to meet in person for small group sessions at the church. Weaver and her partners had already identified a group of people who needed depression treatment and were concerned about their symptoms worsening due to the additional stresses of social distancing and isolation. 

    After talking with the pastors and group members, Weaver and her research team retooled the treatment program and now offer Raising Our Spirits Together remotely. Weaver, the pastors, and group members gather online once a week to complete the treatment program. Group members have shared how meaningful it is to continue treatment, stay connected with one another, and to learn new skills and tools to help them manage their depression during this difficult time. 

    Team members include Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Howard V. Brabson Collegiate Professor of Social Work Joseph Himle, Professor Andrew Grogan-Kaylor, Project Coordinator Caroline Landry, Community Research Coordinator Jeffery Johnson, and MSW student Trevor Buys. 

    By developing solutions during this rapidly changing time, Weaver and her team are providing crucial mental health support to rural community members.

    • April 9, 2020
  9. Anne Blumenthal
     
    Anne Blumenthal Selected as Rackham Predoctoral Fellow

    Anne Blumenthal, Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Sociology Candidate, was selected for a 2020-2021 Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship Award. The Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship is one of the most prestigious awards granted by the Rackham Graduate School. The fellowship supports outstanding doctoral candidates working on dissertations that are unusually creative, ambitious and impactful. Blumenthal's abstract is "Services or Surveillance? Contextual Differences in the Role of Trust in Parents’ Engagement with Social Services Aimed at Preventing Neglect."

  10. Kristin S. Seefeldt
     
    Poverty Solutions with Kristin Seefeldt Publish COVID-19 Pandemic Guide

    The Michigan COVID-19 Pandemic Resource Guide, published by U-M Poverty Solutions aims to make sure the people who would benefit most from these policy changes are able to take advantage of them.

    “The guide demonstrates Poverty Solutions’ commitment to action-based research that is responsive to community needs,” said Kristin Seefeldt, Poverty Solutions associate faculty director and an associate professor of social work and public policy.

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