School of Social Work News

Lecturer Susan Radzilowski, MSW ’82, spoke with Michigan Radio about the importance of psychological support for trangender kids, young adults and their families.

“Not only is cost a barrier to care, but it's sometimes just accessing therapists who understand the principles of gender-affirming care, which is to elevate the child's voice, to hear the child's voice, to offer exploration in a supportive environment, to listen and to understand what's helpful versus what's harmful,” she said.

Radzilowski is one of the mental health providers working with a new program by Stand with Trans that provides financial support for trans youth who would otherwise not be able to afford mental health counseling

Taha Rauf, Joint PhD in Social Work and Political Science, has successfully defended his dissertation, “Political Economy Impacts of Muslim Religious Institutions: The Case of Sufi Khanagah in India.” Lawrence Root (co-chair) and Karen Staller served on his committee. 

Rauf has accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Louisville’s Center for Asian Democracy.

Associate Professor Camille Quinn has been awarded a National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities R21 research grant. Her study will adapt mindfulness-based stress reduction interventions for justice-involved Black teenage girls.  

"This National Institute of Health (NIH) grant is a first step in my line of research on Black girls (and their parent/caregiver) who are an understudied and underserved population. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to lead this project in partnership with the Franklin County Juvenile Court and my colleagues at Ohio State,” said Quinn. “What we learn from this study will help us develop culturally tailored interventions to promote Black girls' healing, mental health and crime desistance in a R01, the largest NIH grant in a randomized control trial here in Detroit, MI."

Professor Karla Goldman spoke with the Detroit Jewish News about the School’s Jewish Communal Leadership Program, which she directs. The five-semester program gives students an education in social work and Jewish history and culture, along with skills for working with organizations and communities, said Goldman.

Professor William Elliott III spoke with Forbes about how San Francisco’s Kindergarten 2 College program, which begins with just a $50 deposit in a college savings account can make a difference. “When you have an asset, it allows you to begin thinking about your future in a more tangible way.”

Assistant Professor Fernanda Cross spoke with WEMU about the Latinx Teen Empowerment Group at Ypsilanti Community High School. Cross’ research focusing on Latinx immigrants in southeast Michigan lead to the program, which provides small group therapy in Spanish to support mental health and create community. The digital news magazine Concentrate has a companion story to the radio conversation.

“I'm a Latinx immigrant like them. And I know how much support our community needs, and I know all of our strengths. I know what we're capable of,” said Cross. “If we are able to support the kids, they would be able to accomplish so much more and really be able to demonstrate their strength and just have a better experience — better outcome — for their lives.”

Professors Shawna Lee and Andy Grogan-Kaylor have been awarded a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for the Global Families project. Their project will use data from over 520,000 families in 57 low- and middle-income countries to examine the similarities and differences in parenting and child development, and the effects of social factors, including parental physical abuse and violent norms and crimes, worldwide. 

"We are thrilled that the grant provides us with the opportunity to look at the relationship of gender inequality, parenting and child development in a large number of countries worldwide, and that the grant also gives us an opportunity to carry out this project working with undergraduate students at UM-Flint," said Grogan-Kaylor.

Professor Luke Shaefer was quoted in a New York Times op-ed which examines how quick action from the government at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the shortest recession on record. “This is the best, most successful response to an economic crisis that we have ever mounted, and it is not even close,” said Shaefer.