You Are Here: Home > Academics > School of Social Work > School of Social Work News

School of Social Work News

Special License Review Program Offered SSW hosted a Special License Review Program with Social Work Examination Services. The comprehensive two-day review was designed for recent graduates and experienced practitioners taking Social Work Licensing Examinations in all states. The next License Review Program will be offered at SCSSW on June 5,6, 2010. To register call Social Work Examination Services (SWES) at 1-800-933-8802, or register online at www.swes.net.

NASW Section Committee for School Social Work

Dr. Joseph Gianesin has been appointed by NASW as a Section Committee Member for School Social Work. He is one of five national experts in school social work to serve on this committee. Some of the responsibilities as a section member include serving on the core task force for the revision and update of the NASW Standards for School Social Work Service, advising NASW on policies regarding school social work, and authoring articles on pertinent topics for NASW's School Social Work Newsletter. Dr. Gianesin and Dr. Mullin's article on childhood suicide is featured in the most recent issue.

International Association of Schools of Social Work

Professor Joseph Wronka, Ph.D. was recently named a permanent representative of the International Association of Schools of Social Work at the United Nations. He also presented "Peace, Development, and Security: Pillars of the U.N. Human Rights System" at the tenth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Grants Awarded for Gerontologic Social Work

Professor John Habif was awarded a CSWE Gero-Ed grant and an Appleton Fund grant from Springfield College. The funds will support the ongoing development and execution of professional educational opportunities for Social Work faculty, students, field placement instructors, and graduates to learn and apply aging education. Funding will be used primarily to present a conference to draw attention to Gerontology and Social Work and stimulate involvement in a learning community. Then, through our Social Work Advisory Board, we will recruit community scholars in gerontology and social work that will develop a service network where students can pursue an area of emphasis in gerontology. Dean Vecchiolla commented, “This project will assist us in building gerontological social work practice expertise at SCSSW that is necessary to enable us to remain competitive in preparing graduate social work professionals for the labor market. We are developing a variety of initiatives in gerontological social work that will culminate in this conference.”

School of Social Work Organizes Annual Adoption Event

The Springfield College School of Social Work and the outdoor programs department have joined forces with several Massachusetts state agencies to organize an adoption event where approximately sixty prospective adoptive parents and sixty children in need of a stable home can meet on Campus.

This is the sixth year that the School of Social Work has been involved. Graduate students from the first-year Practice 2 class taught by Katherine Walsh, Ph.D., helped plan and organize the event. Students will be paired with children for the day's events, students and staff members from outdoor programs will supervise outdoor activities, and undergraduate students in the art therapy department will offer arts and crafts activities.

In addition, Cooley-Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Mass,. has sponsored a three-day adventure camp, which allows about twenty-five teenagers in the foster care system to take part in a number of outdoor activities at East Campus.

According to Walsh, the event has an approximate twenty percent succes rate in pairing children and parents, especially when it comes to placing siblings in the same home.

"Think Tank" for Advanced Generalist Social Work

Dr.'s Katherine Walsh and James Canning attended a nation-wide "Think Tank" for Advanced Generalist Social Work faculty held in Denver, Colorado. The pupose of the meeting was to explore and establish core competencies that would apply across advanced generalist MSW programs and would be adopted as standards by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The meeting was a first in that it brought together faculty from all parts of the country to share their ideas about the knowledge and skills that distinguish advanced generalist MSW graduates from those of other programs. Dr. Walsh is Chair of the Schools Educational Assessment Committee. Dr. Canning is Chair of the School's Curriculum Committee. Findings of the "Think Tank" are expected be available this month.

Best Practices in Suicide Prevention and Intervention with Children and Adolescents

As part of the fight to combat the increased number of suicides in Massachusetts, the Department of Public Health awarded Springfield College School of Social Work a grant in order to implement a plan that integrates and enhances suicide prevention education in the Master of Social Work degree curriculum. Supplemental funding awarded on this grant enabled Walter Mullin, M.S.W., Ph.D., and Joseph Gianesin, M.S.W., Ph.D. to create a Suicide Prevention Fellows Program, plan a suicide prevention conference and develop specific content to be included in all core courses. In culmination of the academic year, the “Best Practices in Suicide Prevention and Intervention with Children and Adolescents” conference was held to educate community professionals on how to deal with clients who are or may become suicidal.

Address

• Springfield College
  School of Social Work
  Brennan Center
  45 Island Pond Road
  Springfield, MA 01109
Get Directions

Phone Number

• Main Phone: 413-748-3065
• Admissions Phone: 413-748-3060

Upcoming Events

March 25, 2010
Social Work Practice with Older Adults in Health and Social Services Settings in Western Massachusetts: Informing Policy, Practice, and Research

April 21, 2010
Academic Awards Ceremony and Reception

May 13, 2010
New Student Orientation

May 15, 2010
Graduate Commencement

May 15, 2010
School of Social Work Reception Immediately following Commencement