Advocate - SWK Newsletter
The Advocate Vol. XIV, No.1 Spring, 2009
Social Work Club Activities
Officers:
President: Jimmy Smith
Vice President: Lizzie Simpson and Serena Sherrill
Secretary: Alison Peak
SGA Representative: January Utermahlen
Club President, Jimmy Smith, files the following report:
The Social Work Club received an amazing outpouring of support from donors that aided us in funding our holiday party at Napier Elementary School back in December. We were able to give the entire kindergarten class goodie bags filled with gloves, socks, and hats as well as some fun stuff for the kids. It was a fantastic accomplishment! A special thanks to Jenni Hoge and her parents' generous help, as well as to our advisor Mrs. Patsy Peach for her amazingly savvy shopping skills in finding us great deals on items for the party.
Spring semester could only mean one thing; preparing for our annual Baccalaureate Program Director's conference, held this year in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. Besides frolicking in the desert air, we enjoyed many sessions and seminars conducted by social workers from around the country.
"This was the first conference that I was able to go to and I was very excited about learning about what social workers are doing today. My favorite session was one about Grad Schools. Even though I'm only a sophomore, this session helped me better prepare myself for choosing grad schools and knowing how to apply for them in the future." Michelle Barnett, Sophomore
Many club members will be participating in the Social Work Legislative Conference at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel on April 7th. This year our project confronts child sex trafficking, one of the fastest growing underground organized crimes. Our hope is to encourage officials to not only eliminate the criminalizing of these trafficked victims, but to also ensure that a consistent and transparent system is put into place to adequately counsel and rehabilitate the children. Join us on April 7th to hear more!
The Social Work Club also plans to participate in the Tennessee Foster Care and Adoptive Association's fundraising walk on May 2nd, and Belmont's Family Literacy Day Activities.
Notes from the Department
Social Work Students and Faculty Attend National Conference
Social work majors; Michelle Barnett, Elizabeth Brown, Claire Godwin, Whitney Harold, and Jimmy Smith joined their professors and attended the Association of Baccalaureate Program Director's annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ. Also attending were Professor Hunt (her first BPD), Professor Simpler and Dr. Scholten. The conference theme was The Future is Now, which showcased the infusion of innovation and technology in social work practice. In addition to serving as conference volunteers, students attended a variety of workshops and met with dozens of graduate program representatives
Next year's conference is in Atlanta. Students, get ready!
Chili Supper
Or...Good things that don't need to change. Alumni always remember, with great fondness, the wonderful chili supper, so why change it? This year, Professor Simpler hosted the event on a cold day in February. Chili, in an array of delicious forms, prepared by Professor Simpler, Professor Hunt, Dr. Scholten, and Ms. Peach, along with desserts that had students coming back for more, was enjoyed by about 30 students. It was a full house and loads of fun.
Award's Day
Social Work Award's Day, to be held on April 29, 2009, will honor The Lousie Carter Fallis winner, the two recipients of the Rising Star award, and the newest members of Phi Alpha which are: Elizabeth Brown, Claire Godwin, Jennifer Hoge, Alicia McDonald, Serena Sherrill, and Emma Shouse.
Graduation
BSW degrees will be awarded on May 16, 2009 to Kubar Abdi, Julia Carruthers-Thorne, Jessica Chapman, Stephanie Gregory, Elizabeth Kearse, Alicia McDonald, Hannah Olson, Alison Peak (who will also receive the BA in Spanish), Sara Rosenbaum, Lizzie Simpson, and January Utermahlen.
Social Work Joins Facebook
The Department of Social Work has started a Facebook account and alumni group to help connect current and former students. We will be able to send job opportunities to our alumni through this group and any other social work news or information. It is also a great way to connect with old friends and make new ones in the world of social work. If you would like to join the alumni group, all you have to do is add Patsy Peach as your friend and she will invite you to join the group. For any other information you can contact Patsy at patsy.peach@belmont.edu.
Report from the Field
Alison Peak is currently placed at Clifton Government Relations. She helps Stewart Clifton and Anne Ross in their legislative work. While advocating on behalf of many groups, including NASW, TAEYC, Tennessee Alzheimer's Association and others, she has gotten to sit in on legislative meetings, help organize strategies, fundraiser events, speak with legislators and policy boards and meet the Governor.
Hannah Olson is placed with the elderly population at Catholic Charities Refugee Services. Hannah is very involved in the further development and implementation of a program that pairs the refugees with an American friend who meets with them on a weekly basis for English and citizenship tutoring. Hannah gets valuable and fun face time with the refugees when they come in twice a week for English classes and other special activities.
Lizzie Simpson is completing her placement at The Ranch, an in-patient treatment center located 40 miles west of Nashville. The Ranch serves adults facing issues such as chemical dependency, alcoholism, eating disorders, trauma, depression, anxiety and other attachment and addictive disorders. Lizzie is participating in leading groups, assisting with equine and adventure therapies, attending staffing meetings and assisting the clinical director.
Cait Lecksell is at the Sudanese Community Center, working with refugees and immigrants from Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iraqi Kurdistan, and other countries in Africa and the Middle East.
Emergency and Immigration are the two programs that Cait is getting up and running this semester. Those involve being an advocate for clients in crisis situations as well as in assisting them navigate the often complex Immigration system to become permanent residents and citizens.
Alicia McDonald is currently completing her 250 clock hours with Park Center. Shework at the North building with individuals who have chronic mental illness and aren't able to work. Alicia "hangs out all day and talk to each other as well as others that aren't with us! (Most of our clients hear voices, it's fun fun fun)". Alicia also works with the homeless population known as Tent City.
Hannah Gentiles's spring field placement is at the Oasis Center teen shelter. Oasis's shelter is a two week program for teens who, for various reasons, need a break from their normal life. They live at the shelter for two weeks where they continue to take classes, participate in completing chores and making meals, attend nightly activities and participate in both individual and group counseling with their families. Hannah spends most of her time hanging out with the teens, sitting in on group therapy, and getting pieces of all the various steps involved in the teens stay at Oasis. In addition she will eventually help answer crisis calls that come in to the shelter and help them to get necessary resources. There is never a dull moment and Hannah loves it.
Jessica Chapman is working at Catholic Charities in the Social Services Department. Social Services caseworkers concentrate on refugees who have been in Nashville for awhile, but are having trouble becoming self-sufficient. Jessica helps these refugees navigate their way around Nashville, as well as various governmental agencies
Kubar Abdi is working at Siloam Family Health Center with the coordinator for the Patient Drug Assistant Program. Kubar's time is spent getting new applications, ordering medications, and dispensing them to the patients who cannot afford their medication.
January Utermahlen is completing her field placement at the orphanage ''Love in Action'' in Chapala, Mexico. At the orphanage there are 47 children ranging from 6 months to 17 years old. January spends most of her time in the classroom with the school-age children helping them to learn basic reading, writing and math skills. She spends time with all of the children on the playground and at lunch. January will occasionally help out with the babies doing basic exercises with them to increase their motor skills. At ''Love in Action'' everyday is different, every child is unique and every experience is priceless.
Lib Kearse is spending her 250 clock hours at Renewal House, a drug treatment program unique in its ability to serve both mothers and their children during the recovery process. Lib works closely with the vocational coordinator; completing vocational assessments and doing liaison work with Maximus (Tennessee Works!). She is also creating and implementing a new curriculum for the Life Skills group and attends all clinical team meetings to discuss the best plan of service for the clients. Renewal House is a great experience!
Julia Caruthers-Thorne and Sara Rosenbaum are both at the Brown Center. The Brown Center is a non-profit organization that delivers innovative, therapeutic services for young children ages 18 months through five years old who are impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder. On staff they have an Occupational Therapist, a Speech/Language pathologist, an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Specialist, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and a family therapist in order to ensure that all needs of the child and their family are met.
Stephanie Gregory is in Chapala, Mexico working with the elderly in a nursing facility.
Policy Corner
Students in Social Welfare Policy and Services II class are drafting a bill which they will present at the 2009 NASW Legislative Conference and at BURS (Belmont Undergraduate Research Symposium)
NASW Legislative Conference Abstract
Child Sex Trafficking in Tennessee
The goal of this bill is to provide rehabilitation services to children previously involved in prostitution. According to Not For Sale, a non-profit organization fighting human trafficking, the current policy places these children in DCS rather than providing the needed counseling and support services to empower them towards a new hope and potential. Due to the underground nature of child prostitution, it is impossible to document an exact number of children who are victimized each year. According to a study done by the University of Pennsylvania, 300,000 children are victimized nationwide each year (humantrafficking.com). Our vision is to partner with DCS to provide counseling and support to minors that have been victimized by prostitution in order to empower these children towards a more stable future. If services are not provided, these children will not have the needed tools to move forward and become independent from the system. During the current budget crisis, we propose a multi-disciplinary team with local non-profits, law enforcement and the Department of Children Services in order to provide adequate services and minimize costs. We also believe the children that will receive counseling through DCS should be allowed to come back and counsel others once they have left the system. By empowering these children towards independence they will be able to give back to the system through their counseling position rather than continuing to take from it.
Alumni Update
1999
Rebecca Wylie Carter is working with United Way of Nashville in the Community Investment section. Rebecca also finds time to volunteer with Mobile Loaves and Fishes in Nashville.
Emily Bucci is a Social Worker with Fifty Forward in Nashville.
2002
Becky Julian Cook gave birth to a healthy (6lbs, 13oz, 19 inches) daughter, Juliann Mae Cook on March 14, 2009.
2003
Colleen Coffey is currently a full time doctoral student at Trevecca Nazarene University and a full time program manager for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign.
Brooke Morgan is employed by Ensworth High School as the head track coach and a Seminar Instructor. The seminar promotes listening, critical thinking and discussion skills via a myriad of relevant life based topics such as depression, gender addictions, and relationships. Sounds like a social work class!
Mandy Stinnet Adkins is working as the Director of Family Promise (a homeless shelter network for families) in Blount County, TN. Family Promise is a national organization (http://www.familypromise.org/), but this will be it's start-up in Maryville, and it will be Mandy's job to get it up and running.
2004
Sarah Lindsey Anderson is working as a Social Worker and youth facilitator in the Strengthening Families Program with Santa Fe Youth Services in Fort Worth, TX. The main focus of Strengtheningfamilies is to prevent substance abuse through strengthening the family unit. Sarah is also pursuing the LMSW (state of TX licensure) and, eventually, LCSW.
Sarah recently married, and her husband, Danny, is a Lutheran Pastor in Mansfield (a suburb of Ft. Worth).
Mandy Gerling is a Social Worker for Casa De Amparo, a shelter for foster youth in Oceanside, CA. Mandy and Jordon Pundik will marry on May 23 in Oceanside, and, hopefully, will have their fix-er-up bungalow ready for the newlyweds.
2005
Kristin Vance and Erik Richards will marry in June. Then it is off to Florida State University where Kristin has been accepted into Florida State's Ph.D. program in Social Work, with a full scholarship and a living stipend, and Erik will enter the Ph.D. in music.
2006
Ashley Wright is working with Park Center as a social worker with the Homeless Outreach SSI/SSDI Project.
2008
Charlsey Gibson Charlsey sends this report from University of Pennsylvania. "The internship I was with last semester closed. The city had some major budget cuts, and social services (as you know) are always the first to go. It was heart-breaking for us. We were the oldest social service agency in the city, over 100 years. The mayor just did not see a need in our agency anymore. Now I am working as a case manager at the family residence shelter affiliated with the agency as a whole: Travelers Aid of Philadelphia Family Residence. We service 75 families: over 100 adults and well over 200 children. I only started in January, but I have grown fond of some of the residents there. I also run a group with the women there. They are hilarious to say the least, but have taught me a lot about life in Philadelphia and overall. They are truly my heroes. I am still not sure where I want to go with the whole social work thing, but I would not mind doing something similar to this in the future."
Brooke Sunday Modlin has been accepted to the Advanced Standing MSW program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. This is an extremely competitive program, admitting only 18 students each year into the Advanced Standing program.
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