School of Social Work News

Abigail Eiler, clinical assistant professor and assistant director of athletic counseling hosted a webinar for more than 1000 U-M athletes. "It's called 'Managing My Mental Health After Collegiate Athletics,' " said Eiler, who works with counseling director Greg Harden, MSW '81 and oversees day-to-day counseling operations. 

The webinar is just one example of how social work supports the U-M athletic department and student-athletes. The group discussed the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA canceling the remainder of the winter and spring sports seasons and other necessary life adjustments. The webinar focused primarily on seniors, most of whom have left campus and are now distributed across nearly every U. S. state and internationally.

Associate Professor Terri Friedline’s research, “Mapping Financial Opportunity” can be used to inform the Automatic BOOST to Communities Act drafted by Rashida Tlaib, U.S. Representative for Michigan's 13th congressional district. In response to the coronavirus crisis, the proposed legislation would immediately provide a U.S. debit card preloaded with $2,000 to every person in America, which could be transitioned into a universal federal or postal banking account. Each card would be recharged with $1,000 monthly until one year after the end of the coronavirus crisis. Friedline's research focuses on universal bank account access and she maps post office locations to inform the potential for postal banking.

Professor Luke Shaefer is quoted in a New York Times article detailing how low-income families often bear the brunt of the pain in natural disasters and large-scale emergencies. “They tend to be the first hit when things go wrong and then also to take the longest time to recover.”

Congratulations to Briana Tetsch, the 2020 University of Michigan NASW Student of the Year. Student Social Workers of the Year are selected based on the following criteria:

• Demonstrated leadership qualities
• Contribution to the positive image of a social work program
• Commitment to political and community activities
• Success in academic performance
• Degree to which the student represents the professional ethics of social work as defined in the NASW Code of Ethics

Alaska Public Media interviewed Professor Lisa Wexler about her work with a new suicide prevention model titled Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide. The program is a community health intervention designed, supported and implemented by remote communities in Northwest Alaska to decrease suicide. “The whole process is all about self-determination and about people deciding for themselves what they want to do and how they want to do it,” Wexler said.

When children experience stress and adversity in their homes and communities, schools become a critically important setting in which to intervene and foster their resilience. Marion Elizabeth Blue Professor of Children and Families Todd Herrenkohl has collaborated on a video to help school professionals understand and better educate vulnerable and traumatized students.

Ahead (Issue 4) - In-depth views of social work research at the University of Michigan. This issue includes:

• New Vivian A. and James L. Curtis School of Social Work Center for Health Equity Research and Training
• Program Evaluation Group
• Remember Deborah Bybee

Where are the nation’s most disadvantaged communities? With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Professor Luke Shaefer, a team of researchers from U-M Poverty Solutions and Princeton University explored this question and developed an Index of Deep Disadvantage to identify and better understand America’s most disadvantaged communities. By identifying communities of deep disadvantage can help direct resources where they’re most needed.