School of Social Work

In response to the new guidance issued Monday by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, we are working closely with the U-M International Center to discuss the implications for our students.  Based on initial review, these regulations for international students do not conflict with the School’s plans for fall term classes. SSW International students will enroll in hybrid model courses, consisting of a mixture of in-person and remote classes. 

Michigan Social Work international students demonstrate dedication, commitment and have made sacrifices to pursue their academic goals.  Their

Assistant Professor Anao Zhang talks with the CDC about hopefulness, mental health and wellness counseling for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.

“I have lots of challenges around my experience with law enforcement,” says Clinical Assistant Professor Daicia Price. “I have been incarcerated myself, and my son has been incarcerated for crimes he did not commit. With all that is going on now, I was trying to figure out how to make a difference.” Price decided to become trained in connecting law enforcement and mental health.

 With the challenges that communities of color, in particular, have faced regarding policing and use of force, there have in fact been several calls to increase mental health training of law enforcement. Price has

Between the pandemic and the protests in the wake of George Floyd’s brutal death, social workers have been called to action.  We checked in with a number of students, alumni and community members to hear how they are putting their training into action these last several months.  Read the stories of social work in action.

PhD student Change Kwesele recently published “‘It’s Not a Quick Fix.’ Notes for the ‘good’ white people: Insights on conversations about race at work” on Medium.  Kwesele breaks down why the choice of words matters.  “White people must be mindful of how certain ‘polite’ words and conversations have been used to harm Black people.”

Dear Michigan Social Work Community,

Today, we name Robert Fuller and Malcolm Harsch. We grieve with their families and with too many other families facing similar loss.  We endorse the further investigations of their deaths which are overseen by the FBI and the state of California.  At the same time, we know that many in our SSW community feel tired, scared and outraged about these deaths in the midst of so many others in our nation. The number of deaths and frequency of violence towards Black men and women make some worry about the potential futility of efforts to stand up against white

Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work Abigail Eiler was appointed to the Big Ten Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition. The coalition will encourage, educate and empower student-athletes and will develop tangible and actionable efforts in a collective manner and provide viable solutions addressing the issues of hate and racism in our society.

The University of Michigan School of Social Work stands for health equity and equal human rights for the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Over the weekend the federal government reversed an important Obama administration ruling that provided access and nondiscrimination in insurance coverage for transgender and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer people in the United States. This impacts transgender individuals the most, and even more so, transgender people of color. 

Assistant Professor Shanna Kattari, eloquently summarizes what each and every social worker can do to stand up for equal justice in their

In light of COVID-19, and ongoing protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death, Professor and Associate Dean of Research Rogério M. Pinto spoke to MLive about both the timing and the power of this moment of unrest.  “Protests can be a powerful strategy to enact change, and already the movement has scored some results. That includes having criminal charges filed against all four Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd’s death and upgrading of charges from third- to second-degree homicide for the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck. “The simple fact they’ve been charged already is a

"We must move past indecision to action...If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight.”
-Martin Luther King Jr.

Dear Social Work Community,

In the past few days, as we listened the news we felt appalled at the at the knee-choke-hold that killed George Floyd in Minneapolis, while the nation was still reeling from the brazen murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, and the killings of Breonna Taylor and Sean Reed.  And all of this in the