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School of Social Work News

  1. H. Luke  Shaefer
     
    Luke Shaefer Discusses Flint’s New RxKids Program

    Professor Luke Shaefer spoke with Michigan Advance about Rx Kids, a new program in Flint, Michigan, which will work to improve residents’ health by alleviating poverty in the state’s poorest city. The program, which is likely to begin in 2024, specifically focuses on maternal and infant health outcomes at a community level; every Flint resident who is pregnant will be eligible to receive direct cash payments during their pregnancy and throughout the first year of their child’s life. RxKids is a collaboration between Michigan State University and University of Michigan. Shaefer, who is the director of U-M’s Poverty Solutions, is working on the program’s launch.

    “This is something where Flint becomes a leader for the nation; that’s a really powerful thing,” Shaefer said. “We’ve already spent time at the White House, at the U.S. Capitol, in Lansing, and I’ve never had a project like this where people get this happy,” Shaefer said. “I’ve been working in poverty for a long time, and I think the design of this and values imbued in it are fundamentally different than other efforts.” 

    Shaefer also discussed the program with WKAR, Vigourtimes and Yahoo! News.

  2. Yatesha D. Robinson
     
    Yatesha Robinson Selected as a 2023 Michigan Road Scholar

    Field Faculty Yatesha Robinson has been selected as a 2023 Michigan Road Scholar. The annual Michigan Road Scholar Tour is a five-day traveling seminar through the state of Michigan for U-M faculty. The tour provides a unique opportunity for faculty to learn more about the state’s economy, government, geography, educational systems, history and the diverse communities and cultures. The experience encourages public service and collaboration for the benefit of all Michiganders. This year’s tour takes place during the first week of May.

  3. Lindsay A. Bornheimer
     
    Lindsay Bornheimer Invited to Speak at the Albert J. Silverman Conference

    Assistant Professor Lindsay Bornheimer was an invited faculty speaker at the Albert J. Silverman Conference in the Department of Psychiatry this week. She spoke about her study in a presentation on "Adapting a Cognitive Behavioral Suicide  Prevention Treatment for Adults with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders in Community Mental Health.”

  4. Laura L. Sanders
     
    Laura Sanders Discusses Animal-Assisted Therapy and Social Work

    Lecturer Laura Sanders’ work with animal-assisted therapy (AAT) at her farm is featured in Crazy Wisdom Journal. “Instead of vegetables, we produce mental health,” she says.

    Sanders describes her approach to AAT and how she uses it to teach relationship-building with social work students.

  5. Matthew J. Smith
     
    Matt Smith’s Research Cited in MIT Technology Review Article on Virtual Reality

    Professor Matt Smith’s research was cited in the MIT Technology Review on the potential of using virtual reality as a therapeutic tool, specifically for incarcerated individuals. Smith originally developed Molly, a virtual-reality tool for job interview training, for underserved groups. Molly was used in a pilot program with 44 men involved with the justice system. The findings showed that 82% of those who used the tool landed a job within six months of being released, compared with 69% of other program participants.

    “Above just the employment rate, those that interviewed with Molly had stronger interview skills over time, greater reductions in interview anxiety over time, and greater increase in motivation to interview over time,” said Smith.

  6. Shanna Katz Kattari
     
    Shanna Kattari Quoted in USA Today on Anti-Trans Rhetoric & Laws

    Associate Professor Shanna Kattari is quoted in USA Today on the recent negative attention and laws in the U.S. targeting transgender people. "All of this anti-trans rhetoric is absolutely about power and control, though some people may also hate trans people," says Kattari, "We are seeing the pendulum swing back in response to all the progress towards equity and justice that has been made over the past decade or so."

  7. Olivia D. Chang
     
    Olivia Chang Named 2023 Promising Scholar by ResilienceCon

    PhD student Olivia Chang is the recipient of the ResilienceCon 2023 Life Paths Promising Scholars Award. This competitive award is presented to a small number of current students attending ResilienceCon who are conducting high-impact resilience-focused research that focus on under-served or disadvantaged communities.

  8.  
    Kevin Nguyen Appointed to MAPAAC by Governor Gretchen Whitmer

    MSW student Kevin Nguyen has been appointed to the Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “As the only student and youngest commissioner to ever serve on MAPAAC, I am humbled and honored to represent the growing APIA population in Michigan.” ENGAGE Program Manager and Lecturer Ayesha Ghazi Edwin serves as chair of the commission.

    • April 19, 2023
  9.  
    Cassandra Kelly Named 2023 NASW Student of the Year

    MSW student Cassandra Kelly has been selected as the 2023 University of Michigan National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Student of the Year. NASW selects students for this honor based on criteria that includes demonstrated leadership qualities, contribution to the positive image of a social work program, commitment to political and community activities, success in academic performance and the student’s representation of the NASW Code of Ethics.

    Online Award Ceremony

    Friday, April 14, 2023, 6-8 PM

    RSVP »

    • April 11, 2023
  10. John E. Tropman
     
    John Tropman Writes New Book on Leading Efficient Meetings

    Professor Emeritus John Tropman’s new book, “Fixing Broken Meetings: A Manual on Meeting Rotten-osity, Deleterious Decisions, and Ineffective Implementation,” examines the myriad ways in which meetings regularly fail and how individuals and organizations can produce efficient meetings that lead to effective decision making. The book serves as a resource for courses and programs in business and organizational behavior, as well as for anyone interested in improving the functionality of meetings within their organizations.

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