School of Social Work News

Professor Emeritus Charles Garvin and Professor Richard Tolman's book, Group Work Research, was published this month by Oxford University Press as part of the "Pocket Guide to Social Work Research Methods" series. The book illustrates how to plan and conduct group work research, including studies of the impact of groups on individual members, group conditions, and other systems external to the group. 

Professor Emeritus Charles Garvin's new book Social Work and Social Justice: Concepts, Challenges, and Strategies will be published on March 25, 2016 by Oxford University Press. The book details the importance and complexity of social justice work and discusses the practical and ethical challenges involved.

Associate Professor Daphne Watkins and Assistant Professor Jamie Mitchell recently published an article, "Perceptions and Receptivity of Non Spousal Family Support: A Mixed Methods Study of Psychological Distress Among Older, Church-Going African American Men" in the Journal of Mixed Methods Research. The study explores the role of nonspousal family support on mental health among older, church-going African American men.

Clinical Assistant Professor Deb Mattison and LEO Adjunct Lecturer Dan Fischer have been selected as members of the inaugural cohort of the U-M Interprofessional Leadership Fellows program. The program will provide faculty members with opportunities to learn from and work with academic and practice leaders at the university and national level. It is designed to build the capacity of faculty members as interprofessional educator scholars, as well as effective leaders and change agents.

LEO Lecturer Beth Spencer is participating in Memory, Aging and Expressive Arts, a collaborative program between, the Stamps School of Art and Design, SSW and the Silver Club Memory Programs. The program won a national competition that recognizes outstanding programs helping Alzheimer’s families and caregivers.

The program won in the category of Creative Expression and will receive their award at a celebratory reception during the annual “Aging in America” Conference to be held on March 22 in Washington, DC.

Assistant Professor David Córdova received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) via the University of California San Francisco to carry out interventions focused on drug use and HIV risk behaviors in the primary care clinic setting.

Professor Edie Kieffer received a grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund via the Michigan Primary Care Association to continue her initiative, “The Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance” in order to evaluate several components of Linking Clinical Care with Community Supports, a statewide project that integrates Community Health Workers into patient care teams at community health centers.

Shari Robinson-Lynk, an Adjunct Lecturer with the School of Social Work since the fall of 2012 and the 2014-2015 Professor of the Year by the SSW Student Union, has accepted the position of Professor of Practice with the School of Social Work at Simmons College in Boston. Simmons College is the nation's oldest School of Social Work.

Shari is expecting to lead the race and oppression curriculum for the new synchronous MSW program, among other responsibilities such as serving as the course lead for the major around health and aging and the community organizing/activism minor as well as assisting with the organizing of black students.

Shari's last day in Ann Arbor will be towards the end of April as she has a May 16 start date.