CEHD Inside / Out

Professor Mark Umbreit is in Israel and Palestine (the occupied territories) this week providing restorative justice training and consultation to the Israeli Ministry of Justice and the Juvenile Probation Services. He will also be meeting with the Parents Circle, an organization of bereaved Israeli and Palestinian parents who have lost their loved ones in the conflict and have come together to support each other and speak out for ending the conflict and violence.

Mark will also meet with a colleague at the Hebrew University School of Social Work who will be a visiting scholar in the School of Social Work next year during his sabbatical. In addition, Mark will be meeting colleagues on the West Bank and working on a sniper shooting case in which an Israeli mother wants to meet the Palestinian prisoner who killed her son who was in the Israeli Defense Force. Finally, Mark will be providing a keynote address at the first Israeli Forum for Restorative Justice Conference at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 01:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Associate Professor Yat-sang (Terry) Lum, who is currently on sabbatical in Hong Kong, was the keynote speaker at the April 30, 2008, Henry Leong Symposium on Elderly Care. He spoke on “The Global Trend in Elderly Care”. The symposium was funded by an Endowment from the Leong family to the University of Hong Kong.

Terry was co-principal investigator of two research projects funded by the Central Policy Unit of the Hong Kong Government: one to study the change in family values and attitudes in Hong Kong; the second to study the antipoverty policy in five developed countries.

Terry was also appointed an Honorary Associate Director of the Sau Po Center on Aging at the University of Hong Kong, and was appointed guest editor of a special issue of the Social Development Issue on "Population Aging and Development."

Posted by Anitra Budd at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Field Coordinator MJ Gilbert (Social Work), along with Sarah Axtell (Family Social Science) has accepted the position of co-chair of the University's Transgender Commission. The commission is associated with the GLBTA Programs Office, and reports to the Vice President and Vice Provost for Equity and Diversity.

The University of Minnesota Transgender Commission works to create equity, access, and an inclusive environment for people of all genders through education, advocacy, and institutional change. The Commission strives to honor transgender people and celebrate gender diversity; make visible the systems of gender that profoundly affect all our lived experiences; and eliminate the discrimination faced by transgender and gender non-conforming students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members.

More information about the Transgender Commission can be found at http://glbta.umn.edu/trans. Anyone interested in the work of the commission, or in becoming involved, should contact MJ at 612-624-4259 or mgilbert@umn.edu.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sara Axtell, Community-Campus Health Outreach Liaison in the School of Social Work, has received an Outstanding Partners in Engagement award from the Campus Community Coordinators Alliance. Sara received the award for facilitating more than 70 new collaborations between individual and organizational partners to enhance the education of health professionals at the University and to improve the health of Minnesota communities.

Congratulations, Sara!

Posted by Anitra Budd at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Associate Professor Liz Lightfoot (Social Work), who is in Namibia on a Fulbright Scholarship, was the keynote speaker at the Namibia Social Work Association annual meeting held on April 15, World Social Work Day. She spoke on “Social workers making a world of difference: Social workers as leaders in social development." Liz also has made presentations in the last few months at events sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the African Girls Scholarship Program, the University of Namibia, and local community agencies.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

James and Pamela Toole, community faculty members in the School of Social Work, received the Alec Dickson Servant Leader Award at the 19th Annual National Service-Learning Conference in Minneapolis on April 11. The citation read: "James and Pamela Toole have been the standard-bearers for service-learning practice since the early 1990s, when they composed the National Youth Leadership Council's professional development department. With backgrounds in teaching and counseling, they are beloved as trainers nationally and internationally. They continue to work for systemic improvements in education and communities." The Tooles received onstage congratulations from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was a keynote speaker at the conference.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Doctoral student Charissa Eaton (School of Social Work) has been awarded the University's 2008-09 Shelly Joseph-Kordell Scholarship. The scholarship supports graduate students in the School of Public Health or other graduate schools at the University who have indicated a commitment to working directly to improve the lives of older people.

Congratulations, Charissa!

Posted by Anitra Budd at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Professor Mark Umbreit (School of Social Work) is serving April 13 to 23 as a U.S. State Department Fulbright Senior Specialist providing lectures about his restorative justice research and conducting training seminars at the Catholic University Law School in Piachenza, Italy (near Milan). Mark is the Director of the Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking in the School of Social Work.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Senior Fellow Jerry Stein's (School of Social Work) Learning Dreams program was featured in a recent issue of the University's UMNnews.

Partnering with hope and dreams
UMNnews (Minn.) March 26, 2008

Posted by Anitra Budd at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Long-time youth studies community faculty member and high school teacher Jan Mandell is the recipient of the inaugural Facing Race Ambassador Award given by The Saint Paul Foundation. Jan and 12 nominees were honored at a March 8 ceremony at the Science Museum of Minnesota. A nonprofit organization or public entity of her choice will receive a cash award of $10,000 to further work in creating an anti-racist East Metro community.

Continue reading "Mandell receives Facing Race award" »

Posted by Anitra Budd at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Professor Oliver Williams (School of Social Work), director of the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community, recently received the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Social Work. The award honors outstanding contributions in social work education. Oliver will receive this award on Sunday, April 27, at the University of Pittsburgh's "Afternoon of Recognition" event.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Julia Welle, a graduate student in the School of Social Work, and Matthew Ayres, a planning analyst in the Hennepin County Office to End Homelessness, recently announced their engagement! The couple are planning a March 15 wedding at their home in Minneapolis.

Congratulations Julia and Matt!

Posted by Anitra Budd at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Senior Associate Dean Jean Quam recently received the Generations of Love and Service Award for her research on GLBT aging. The award was presented on January 25 at the 2008 GLBT Aging Policy Summit in Minneapolis. The event was sponsored by GLBT Generations and OutFront Minnesota. In addition, Kelly Knochel, a doctoral student in the School of Social Work, presented on their joint research on MAAA planning and providing services for GLBT individuals as they age.

Congratulations, Jean!

Posted by Anitra Budd at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Recent alumnus Rajean Moone was mentioned in Wednesday's edition of the International Falls Daily Journal. Rajean just received a doctorate from the School of Social Work, where he studied aging and social policy.

Education Briefs 01/23/08
International Falls Daily Journal (Minn.) Jan. 23, 2008

Posted by Anitra Budd at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a recent Monterey County Herald article, Professor Rosalie Kane (social work) comments on the group home model of elder care.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 02:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Social work professor Mark Umbreit, director of the Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking (CRJP), recently provided training in Naples, Italy, for the Italian Ministry of Justice. The training was related to their efforts to introduce national legislation to support victim offender mediation, as required of all member states of the European Union.

Later this month Mark will present a paper on restorative justice and human rights at a conference by Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee. In addition, at the request of Minnesotans for Human Rights, Mark and CRJP will provide a training session for the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in both West Africa and the Twin Cities, which has the largest Liberian immigrant population (20,000+) in the U.S. Following years of severe internal political conflict, violence, and more than 200,000 deaths, Liberia (under the leadership of the first woman president of an African country) is in the process of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), following South Africa’s TRC model. Two TRC Commissioners from Liberia in West Africa, along with two local Liberian leaders, will be participants in the six-day November training. Representatives from seven other countries and numerous U.S. states will also be part of this training session.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 02:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Associate Professor Liz Lightfoot, Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare Director Traci LaLiberte, and doctoral student Katharine Hill (all in the School of Social Work) recently published the "Guide for legislative change: Disability in the termination of parental rights and other child custody statutes" (PDF file). Four states are currently using this guide for changing legislation regarding parents with disabilities, and several national organizations have put this issue into their national agendas. For more information on this project, please see the project Web page.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 02:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Professor Jeffrey Edleson in the School of Social Work presented to a statewide conference in Michigan of judicial officers and advocates on children's exposure to domestic violence. The presentation was held at the Hall of Justice in Lansing, Michigan, on August 16.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 01:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This year the School of Social Work devised an innovative plan for reaching out to professionals: Provide convenient continuing education units (CEUs) with a State Fair twist. The result? The first annual offering of "CEUs on a stick" from August 27 through August 29.

The concept of CEUs on a stick was the product of two years of brainstorming in Social Work's Continuing Education committee. The event featured several two-hour workshops spread across three days, organized to mirror the themed days of the Minnesota State Fair: Children and Adolescents Day, Diversity Day, and Direct Practice with Adults Day. The workshops were created free of charge by members of the Social Work faculty.

Since costs for the event were kept relatively low, the department was able to offer a free ticket to the State Fair to all registered attendees. Participants were able to attend workshops in the morning or early afternoon, then take a brief walk over from Peters Hall to the State Fair grounds for some fun and food.

Over 200 social work professionals registered for the workshop series, more than twice the number expected. Field Coordinator MJ Gilbert, one of the event's organizers, says this year was just the beginning. "We've learned so much. We're hoping this is just a jumping off point for what we have to offer the practice community."

Posted by Anitra Budd at 09:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Jeffrey Edleson, professor in the School of Social Work and director of the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse, recently had two articles accepted for publication, one of which was co-authored by Ph.D. student Narae Shin and master's student Katy Kim Johnson.

Continue reading "Edleson: Recent publications" »

Posted by Anitra Budd at 03:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ph.D. student Rajean Moon (Social Work) just had his first sole authorship article accepted for publication in Educational Gerontology, with no edits to boot. Congratulations Rajean!

Posted by Anitra Budd at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Inside / Out reported back in June that Professor Susan Wells (School of Social Work), the Gamble-Skogmo Chair in Child Welfare and Youth Policy, hosted a national invitational forum on evidence-based practice in child welfare in the context of cultural competence on June 11. The forum proceedings, including video footage, are now available online at the Gamble-Skogmo Chair Web site.

Susan is also co-editing an upcoming special issue of Children and Youth Services Review on culturally competent child welfare practices. The journal is currently seeking papers on this topic. Download a PDF of the call for papers or contact Susan at swells@umn.edu if you have any questions. Articles are due by October 15, 2007.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 09:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matthew Ayres, a School of Social Work alum, is sending a call out to all CEHD students who want to enhance their educational experience while learning more about issues of poverty and homelessness.

Continue reading "Students: Volunteer with Project Homeless Connect" »

Posted by Anitra Budd at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Alumna Caroline Schultz (M.S.W., '86) details her career path in social work in a Minnesota Women's Press article.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wells Fargo has contributed $10,000 to CitySongs on behalf of a Wells Fargo team member who frequently volunteers with the program. Helen Kivnick, professor of social work, is the executive director of the CitySongs. CitySongs’ volunteers pursue the goal of helping inner-city children develop competence, confidence, and individual potential through diverse group music participation.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Joyce Simard (M.S.W., '83) recently published a book entitled The End-of-Life Namaste Care Program, for People with Dementia. The book, published by Health Professions Press, gives step-by-step instructions for building Namaste Care programs in direct care facilities. Namaste Care blends nursing care and meaningful activities, promoting peaceful and relaxing end-of-life experiences for older adults.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mark Umbreit, professor in the School of Social Work and director of the Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking, was awarded $26,000 by the Minnesota Department of Corrections. The project is based around a restorative justice program for the department. It began this month and is scheduled to end in June 2009.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Professor Susan Wells in the School of Social Work was recently awarded $60,000 by the Casey Family Programs, a nonprofit committed to providing and improving foster care. Wells' project is entitled "Evidence-Based Pratice in Child Welfare in the Context of Culture." The project began in May 2007 and is scheduled to end in August.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Gamble-Skogmo Chair in Child Welfare and Youth Policy, Professor Susan J. Wells (School of Social Work), recently hosted a national invitational forum on Evidence Based Practice in Child Welfare in the Context of Cultural Competence. Major funding for the forum came from Casey Family Programs, whose mission is to provide, improve - and ultimately prevent the need for - foster care. The June 11 event was attended by about 80 people who were practitioners, administrators, legislators, policymakers and community members with an interest in child welfare. The keynote speaker was Dr. Carl C. Bell, M.D., an internationally known psychiatrist with experience in evidence-based practices and knowledge of issues of cultural sensitivity.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Elizabeth Lightfoot, associate professor of social work, received a Fulbright Faculty Scholar Award for the 2007-08 academic year. As an award recipient, Lightfoot will spend the next year teaching at the University of Namibia's Department of Social Work and Community Development in Windhoek, Namibia. She will also conduct research on HIV prevention among people with disabilities. Congratulations on this achievement, Liz!

Posted by Anitra Budd at 04:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Senior Associate Dean Jean Quam was one of the leaders of 10 professional social work organizations convened at the Wingspread Conference Center to address the future of the profession on June 18-20, 2007. Participants signed a resolution: "We resolve to create a unified profession with one social work organization by 2012." This agreement sets the stage for an organizational structure inclusive of all sectors of social work.

The challenges of the 21st century, as identified by the Social Work Congress of 2005, compel a proactive, flexible organizational structure that reflects collective vision and ensures impact. A transition team (to which Quam was elected) will address implementation issues with ongoing input from constituents over the next five years.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CEHD Inside / Out is happy to report that Peter Dimock and Peggy Pond, both in the School of Social Work, are recovering nicely from their recent operations at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. As reported earlier in the Star Tribune, Pond donated a portion of her liver to Dimock. Read more about their recovery here.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kelly Knochel and Charissa Eaton, both second-year doctoral students in the School of Social Work, were recently awarded Hartford Pre-Doctoral Fellowships. The fellowships support students who are interested in gerontological social work research. Students receive travel funds to aging-relevant conferences, attend pre-conference institutes that enhance grant writing and research skills, and have the opportunity to meet with key scholars in the field of gerontology.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Peter Dimock (teaching specialist) and Peggy Pond (undergraduate community program assistant), both in the School of Social Work, made the front page of today's Star Tribune. The feature article discusses Pond's decision to donate a portion of her liver to Dimock.

Posted by Anitra Budd at 04:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A grant was awarded to Professor Esther Wattenberg (School of Social Work) for a statewide forum to discuss findings from an exploratory study of “Child Welfare Issues in Immigrant Families.”

Posted by Anitra Budd at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)