School of Social Work News

Associate Professor Daphne Watkins won two of the four awards presented at the University of Michigan Fast Forward Medical Innovations (FFMI) program on November 17, 2017.  

Watkins, who competed among 15 teams of physicians and medical professionals, is the principal investigator for the YBMen Project, which was created to better understand and address the pressures and needs of young black men using popular social media platforms to provide mental health education and social support.  Watkins won the Health IT category, and the Crowd Favorite category.  

“The Medical Innovations program is a great way to learn how to grow ideas and make good use of customer discovery,” Watkins said.  “These awards are an acknowledgement that the work we’re doing is useful and important. They are very encouraging.”

Watkins continues to write grants to evaluate the YBMen Project and make it scalable and sustainable.

Assistant Research Scientist and LEO Lecturer Adrienne Lapidos' project, "Can Peer Support Specialists Deliver Technology-Based Job Interview Training for People with Psychiatric Disabilities? An Assessment of Community Needs and Priorities" was awarded a Poverty Solutions grant. SSW, in partnership with Michigan Peer Specialists United, will conduct an evaluation of community needs, priorities and views to explore the potential for Certified Peer Support Specialists to deliver a virtual reality job interview training program designed for people with psychiatric disabilities, especially in nontraditional "consumer-centered" spaces such as clubhouses and consumer-run drop-in centers.

Professor Brad Zebrack's article "The Association of Oncology Social Work's Project to Assure Quality Cancer Care (APAQCC)" was published in the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology.

Assistant Professor David Cordova's research on teenage drug use and risk of HIV has been featured in multiple media outlets, including US News and World Reports. His research finds that teens who engage in risky behaviors are more likely to have unsafe sex, and that may put them at increased risk for HIV. 

Professor Edie Kieffer received an award from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation via the Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance to provide expertise and guidance related to implementation strategies needed to promote sustainable financing of community healthcare workers.

Joyce Lee, PhD student, was accepted as a student editorial board member for the journal Child Maltreatment for 2018-2019.

Associate Professor Emerita Leslie Hollingsworth's article, "Racial microaggressions in social work education: Black students' encounters in a predominantly White institution" is published in the Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work.

Associate Professor Luke Shaefer and Poverty Solutions developed an online data map displaying poverty statistics throughout the state of Michigan. The map is highlighted in the following media:

• Michigan Daily
• Detroit Free Press
• Michigan Radio