School of Social Work News

Associate Dean for Educational Programs and Professor Mary Ruffolo and her team: Assistant Professor David Córdova, Professor Jorge Delva, Assistant Dean of Field Education and Clinical Assistant Professor Dan Fischer, Associate Dean for Research and Professor Joe Himle, LEO Adjunct Lecturer Adrienne Lapidos, Clinical Assistant Professor Deb Mattison, Assistant Professor Jamie Mitchell, Associate Professor Sandra Momper, LEO Lecturer Daicia Price and Associate Professor Trina Shanks were awarded a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to provide inter-professional training opportunities for MSW students with the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority (DWMHA). This project expands field placements that link behavioral health and primary care systems within the DWMHA network. The DWMHA field placements prepare MSW students to work with low resourced racial and ethnic minority children, adolescents, and transitional age youth living with behavioral health conditions and adults with psychiatric disabilities in the Detroit community. 

Professor Mary Ruffolo was appointed Associate Dean for Educational Programs. Under Mary's leadership the Associate Dean for Educational Programs will include: 

• MSW program
• Joint PhD program
• Undergraduate Community Action and Social Change minor
• Continuing Education
• Global Programs

The expanded office will unite all academic programs under one administrative office. 

Mary brings an outstanding record of leadership and innovation to this new role. An expert in services for youth and adults managing serious psychiatric illnesses, she has brought innovation to this area of social work through several grant-funded innovations including integrated health for adults and children facing psychiatric illnesses. Mary brings a great record of curriculum leadership to the role, having served a previous term as Associate Dean for Educational Programs. She is experienced in social work accreditation. She also leads the innovative MOOC MicroMasters Initiative.

The U-M School of Social Work (SSW) has received a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to increase the number of MSW behavioral health workers. This project prepares MSW students to work with impoverished racial and ethnic minority children, adolescents, and transitional age youth living with behavioral health conditions. SSW, in collaboration with the Detroit/Wayne County Mental Health Authority, will provide a specialized inter-professional behavioral health education and training program called the Detroit Clinical Scholar Program to 33 MSW students per year (a total of 99 over three years).

Click here to learn more about the new Detroit Clinical Scholar Program »

Mary Ruffolo was the principal investigator along with colleagues David Córdova, Jorge Delva, Larry Gant, Joe Himle, Edie Kieffer, Sandra Momper, Mike Spencer and Betsy Voshel.

Associate Professor Mary Ruffolo received an award from the The National Council for Behavioral Health. She will work with the National Council to develop an instrument to evaluate the effectiveness of learning communities.

Charity Hoffman, PhD student, along with mentor Associate Professor Mary Ruffolo, received an award from the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School for their project exploring the social construction of mothering in the United States, particularly the disconnect between mothering as it is portrayed in the media and how it is actually experienced by first-time mothers.