Dissertation Defended!
Kai Medina-Martinez, the Department's Field Education Coordinator, has defended their dissertation at the University of Utah. Entitled, “YOU ARE NOT WHO YOU SAID YOU WERE WHEN YOU WERE HIRED!”: AN AUTOETHNOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT OF A STUDENT AFFAIRS PROFESSIONAL’STRANS* BECOMING, the dissertation focuses on authethnographic vignettes. The study specifically looks at the experience of a student affairs educator as they navigated their trans* becoming while working on their campus. While many higher education institutions’ include gender identity and gender expression in their non- discrimination policy and offer trans* affirming healthcare, practice has neglected to reflect a standard that honors trans* staff and faculty in the manner that support them to thrive in the academy.
New Resources on Parent-Child Separations: The U.S. Southwestern Border Crisis
When the current Presidential administration refused to allow a UN special rapporteur investigate the parent-child separation crisis on the Southwestern border, our own Dr. Karen Smith Rotabi partnered with colleagues Dr. Carmen Monico (Elon University) and Dr. Justin Lee (Idaho State University) to investigate.
MSW interns provide culturally sensitive services for Children's Behavioral Health
Both student interns are supporting young women cope with symptoms of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and trauma exposure in a culturally sensitive way by ensuring that services are being provided in the clients preferred language. Mrs. Oviedo and Ms. Galvan have demonstrated their skill and appreciation of culturally sensitive services by acknowledging differences within the cultures of Latino subgroups and directly meeting the services needs of their clients, both in the individual and group settings.
Literature Review Paper Results in Conference Presentation on Food Insecurity
MSW candidate Estefania Rodriguez attended the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management’s 2019 DC Regional Student Conference; where she had the opportunity to present her Master’s capstone project titled: Understanding Food Insecurity in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature.
Dr. Altman & MSW student Emilee Pakelee attend SSWR in San Francisco
Dr. Julie Altman and MSW student Emilee Pakele recently attended the annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference (SSWR) in San Francisco. They presented “Exploring The Construct and Use of Hope with Involuntary Child Welfare Clients.”
From the Desk of the Department Chair - Dr. Karen S. Rotabi
This fall we welcome our entering 2018 cohort as we finished up reaffirmation of accreditation documents for the Council on Social Work Education. It’s been a busy academic year thus far and we’re happy to share our news!
Reaffirmation of Accreditation Documents Ready for Shipment!
Sharing in our joy of sending out the final documents, Vanessa Gonzales dropped off our self study documents for shipment to the Council on Social Work Education. The three volumes of documentation included nearly 1,000 pages of narrative and examples of our mist/curriculum. Thank you to all of the MSW faculty & staff for their hard work and dedication. Job Well Done!
Critical Dialogue on the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis: Systematic Racism, Human Rights and Environmental and Economic Justice
For the second consecutive year, our incoming class began their orientation with the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) training that oriented the students to diversity, tolerance, and our CSUMB institutional response to racism and other forms of oppression. Led by CSUMB alum Steven Goings, MSW, and lecturer Lynne White Dixon, LCSW, the training gave our incoming students an opportunity to explore the critical importance of one's own identity and the effective use of self in diverse settings.
Featured Alumni in the News!
Cristina Sotelo, class of 2017, was featured in the First 5 Monterey County newsletter for her work. And Latishia S. Irving, class of 2016 was recognized at UC Berkeley, School of Social Work.
First Generation Latina Shares her Journey to Doctoral Education and Beyond
Based on two 2017 Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) surveys conducted, 7.1% of students enrolled in PhD programs identify as Chicano/Mexican, Puerto Rican and other Latinx/Hispanic identities, as compared to only 5.2 % of full-time faculty. This is contrasted with the 2017 U.S. Census Bureau estimates regarding U.S. residents of Hispanic origin (14.8% or 44.3 million), with an additional 12 million undocumented Latinxs estimated to be residing in the U.S.
CSUMB Joins a National Teach-in Effort Focused on Forced Family-Child Separations on the Border
As a Department of Social Work, we heard the call to participate in a national teach-in related to educating our students, faculty, and the greater community on the subject of the human rights abuses taking place on the southwestern U.S./Mexico border, specifically the forced parent-child separations. We were pleased to host Dr. Monico as she made a presentation based on the following paper on this timely topic.
Reflections: On The Importance of Social Work Associations and Joining NASW
As a department, we continue to organize our students for participation in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). We have a student representative from the MSW Student Association who will liaise to our local NASW chapter. Many thanks to MSW student Jacqueline Serrine-Jauregui for your representation!
A Grand Challenge: Ending Homelessness
One of the major goals set forth by our profession, within our Grand Challenges, is ending homelessness. To better understand the circumstances of homeless individuals, particularly veterans, students had the opportunity to hear five veterans give their testimony about their lives, including the experience of homelessness.
End of Semester Poster Presentations: Capstone Projects
Our next graduating class wrapped up their evidence based practice research projects this December (SW600). Most students engaged in a systematic review of the intervention research literature. Project highlights included Elan Cohen’s poster entitled: “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis and Cognitive Enhancement Therapy: A Systematic Review”. Also Andrés Rodriguez Torres presented “Latinos with Substance Abuse, Evidence Based Practices: A Thematic Analysis”. There was a diversity of topics, such as Nayelli Julian’s exploration of strengthening the use of foreign language interpreters in the child welfare setting. Others looked at food insecurity on campus, family group conferencing as an intervention, and the use of arts and eco-therapy with combat veterans. These are just a few examples of some truly excellent work focused on evidence based practice.
Life Skills Education in Chinatown: Graduation Celebration
The program “Moving On…Transitioning to Permanent Housing,” offered through CSUMB’s Chinatown Community Learning Center (CCLC) is an excellent testament of possibilities. This four-week, comprehensive life skills and job readiness program builds a pathway for our CSUMB Master of Social Work interns in collaboration with Dorothy’s Place case managers, to assist Chinatown community members in their transition to subsidized housing. The first session included 24 clients who entered the program with a unique history. Most had been consistently homeless for more than two years and many were battling drug addiction, mental illness, neglect, abuse, dysfunction, and family loss.
Faculty Highlights
Dr. Karen Rotabi recognized by USC for her immigration and human rights Work, Dr. Lisa Stewart co-authors a scientific publication with students, Dr. Julie Altman assumes community leadership, and community lecturers star in Advanced Social Work Practice classes
