School of Social Work News

Assistant Professor Fernanda Cross has been named a 2023 Anti-Racism Research & Community Impact Faculty Fellow. The Anti-Racism Collaborative is a partnership of U-M’s National Center for Institutional Diversity with the provost’s anti-racism initiatives and is intended to help support, connect and amplify scholars across the U-M campus who study racial inequality, racial equity and racial justice. The fellowship provides funding to support Cross’ research titled Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Latinx Youth in Washtenaw County.

Professor Karla Goldman wrote in The Conversation about the new memorial commemorating the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire victims, most of whom were Jewish and Italian young women and girls. One of the deadliest workplace disasters in U.S. history, the tragedy inspired worker protections and invigorated labor activism.

“The memorial offers a bold and graceful reminder not only of the fire but of its imprint on the world we inhabit today,” wrote Goldman.

Assistant Professor Rebeccah Sokol wrote in The Conversation about both the increase in gun deaths among children and teens and the research-backed strategies and tools to reverse this trend. “Reducing young people’s access to unsecured and loaded firearms can prevent firearm-involved deaths across all intents including suicide, homicide, and unintentional shootings.” The editorial also ran in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Chicago Sun-Times.

The School of Social Work celebrated the third annual Social Justice Changemaker Lecture with an art show, spoken word performances, and a rich conversation about community, art, incarceration, and second chances. The program, “Incarceration and its Aftermath: How Art Can Create Pathways to Reintegration and Healing,” looked at the personal and societal implications of the carceral state, the connection between creativity and freedom, and the importance of imagination and inclusion.

Professor Matthew Smith has received a $3.16 million award from the National Institute of Mental Health for his project “A Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation RCT of Virtual Interview Training for Autistic Transition-Age Youth.” 

The project will be used to offer virtual job interview training in 16 Michigan and California schools over the next three years. Once in the program, students will practice interviewing for various jobs, such as cashier, food service worker and greeter, among other positions. 

Pre-employment transition services are federally-mandated by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (2014) to prepare autistic transition-age youth for the workforce prior to exiting high school. While most job interview training programs can be limited — students may role-play with teachers once or twice — Smith’s virtual interview training program provides the opportunity for multiple practice sessions with increasing difficulty. 

The grant builds upon previous efforts involving virtual interview training for transition-age youth. In that study, the training improved interview skills, lessened interview anxiety, and led to more students finding competitive employment within six months of completing the program, Smith said.

The project also includes a partnership with San Diego State University, which will provide an opportunity to study participation in cultural diverse communities.

PhD student Nicolás Juárez was named to the 2023 cohort of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Research Scholars. The national leadership program is for full-time doctoral students who are entering their second year of study and are from populations underrepresented in specific doctoral disciplines and/or historically marginalized backgrounds.

“I am so excited to be part of the 2023 Health Policy Research Scholars cohort,” said Juarez. “I know another world is possible, and I am incredibly grateful to be given the time and resources to craft socially just and participatory approaches to environmental degradation and injustice.”

Online Program Manager Antuan Featherstone has been selected for the Detroit Regional Chamber's 44th Leadership Detroit Class. Leadership Detroit is a nine-month program designed to challenge emerging and existing community leaders from Southeast Michigan to bring about positive change. As part of Leadership Detroit 44, Featherstone will join nearly 75 executives across Southeast Michigan, representing a cross-section of the community, including business, organized labor, government, education, media, civic groups, health services and community organizations.

Professor Luke Shaefer spoke with “Detroit Today” on WDET about how rising income inequality affects our economy and our society. “Workers today want to feel like people are looking out for them,” said Shaefer, “and they don’t feel that when they see CEOs making so much, and they don’t feel that when they don’t see government playing a role.”