Staff News

Assistant Professor Lindsay Bornheimer and Curtis Center Program Manager Jamie Abelson are on the board of Garrett's Space, which was founded by Ann Arbor residents Julie and Scott Halpert after their son Garrett died from suicide at age 23 in 2017. Bornheimer and Abelson helped the new non-profit develop programs to provide holistic mental health programming for young adults struggling with mental health issues. "Adding a layer of support, positivity and tools that people can engage with can sometimes be more helpful than just medication or just traditional therapy," said Bornheimer.  
 
"Members of our program committee were trying to think: What can we put in place that would help a young person who has been in the hospital? How can we help them transition to feeling more adequate?" recalls Abelson. She notes that the development of their approach took a year. "We wanted to make sure we had it right, because you don't take risks with this population."

ENGAGE Program Manager Fatima Salman, MSW ‘15, is one of five alumni named as Racial Equity Fellows by Detroit Equity Action Lab. The Racial Equity Fellowship develops leaders who work to end structural racism in Detroit. Other alumni fellows include Michelle Anderson, MSW ‘01, Margo Dalal, MSW ‘18, Sibohan O’Laoire, MSW ‘13, and Robert Siporin, MSW ‘14.

The Michigan Social Work marketing and communications team has won a Pride of CASE V Award for the fall 2019 cover of Ongoing. Niki Williams’ photo of Juliana Huxtable — taken during her February 2019 performance presented by the School — makes use of lasers and fog to frame the artist. CASE is the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, a global non-profit association dedicated to educational advancement, alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and advancement services.

Researchers at the Center for Equitable Family & Community Well-Being surveyed more than 600 low-income residents across Ypsilanti about the impact of COVID-19. Their work is giving voice to the needs of those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, ensuring that local health and economic responses attend to issues of equity.

Professor Trina Shanks and Patrick Meehan, Program Manager of the Center for Equitable Family and Community Well-Being, wrote an op-ed for the Michigan Journal of Public Affairs. They write: “As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines begins, the medical establishment faces a critical challenge: earning Black Americans' trust.”

Student Services Admissions Coordinator Nyshourn Price has been selected by NEW: Solutions for Nonprofits as a Champions of Change fellow. Champions for Change is a racial justice fellowship shifting hearts, minds and actions away from the collective harm of white supremacy and toward a liberated path on which we all get to live into our purpose.

Michigan Social Work students, faculty and staff took to the Diag to perform a dance set to “Glory” by Common and choreographed by Gabryel Wilson, a first year LS&A student and a member of the U-M women's gymnastics team. The performance brought awareness to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium held on Monday, January 20.

Lauren Davis, Assistant Director of the School of Social Work DEI Program has been selected as a member of the U-M Voices of the Staff Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team.