Spotlight on giving
$20 million gift transforms support for students and innovation initiatives
Eddie Uehara, Ballmer Endowed Dean in Social Work, recently announced
a major gift of $20 million from longtime School supporters Connie
(pictured) and Steve Ballmer. About half the amount will be used for
scholarships for graduate students, helping them to pay for their
studies and start  careers with a reduced debt load. The remainder will fund specific innovation initiatives at the School.
“This is going to change the lives of our students in profound ways,”
said Uehara. “We will be able to help students who need it and continue
to attract the brightest and the best to the University.”
The
scholarships will be a powerful force to recruit, educate and retain
social workers statewide. With a median salary of $41,000 for social
workers in Washington state, the debt-to-salary ratio can be an onerous
burden on graduates, prompting many to leave the field for more
lucrative careers and deterring others from pursuing graduate degrees.
“The
School is educating a new generation of social workers, unsung heroes
in our community,” said Connie Ballmer. Over the past five years, the
Ballmers' support for the School has totaled $32 million, funding a
range of pioneering projects and initiatives that are changing the face
of social work in Washington state. Read more here.
In the news
GeekWire profiles how School harnesses technology for social change
As part of a special series on innovative solutions to societal
challenges, GeekWire interviewed Dean Uehara, who spoke to the School’s
ability to bring together the Puget Sound area’s technology skills,
devoted philanthropists, academic expertise and community relationships
to create real change. “Neither sector can do it on their own,” says
Uehara. It’s through these dynamic collaborations that the School is
helping social programs move forward
technologically in the 21st century. The story focused on the School’s use of
technology to improve child welfare in the state through improved data collection and data sharing, as well as the recent partnership with Facebook to provide suicide-prevention tools for millions of social media users. Read the full story.
SDRG researchers lead national coalition to reduce youth problems
Three School researchers, part of a national coalition of more than
60 experts, recently unveiled a plan to reduce behavioral health
problems among young people by 20 percent in 10 years. The approach,
outlined recently on the National Academy of Medicine website, revolves
around one simple principle: prevention. The report’s lead author, David Hawkins, founding director of the School's Social Development Research Group, along with SDRG’s Richard Catalano and Kevin Haggerty,
lays out seven steps for achieving this goal, from targeting 10 percent
of all public funds spent on young people toward prevention efforts to
developing a new cadre of prevention workers. Read the full story.
Alumna tackles needs of undocumented Asians and Pacific Islanders
Marissa Vichayapai (MSW ’14), who works at the Seattle nonprofit 21 Progress,
helped launch a campaign called FAIR!, or Fearless Asians for
Immigration Reform, an effort to call attention to the lack of services
for undocumented Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. In three
months, Vichayapai and her colleagues reached out to about 1,000
community members in Washington state. Interviewed recently by the
International Examiner, Vichayapai noted that APIs, who make up 18
percent of the undocumented community, face barriers such as social and
cultural stigma, making it difficult to seek help. “When we chose the
word ‘fearless’ for our campaign,” she said, “it describes what we want
the undocumented API community to be: Fearless enough to look past the
shame and stigma and reclaim their voice.”
Doctoral candidate’s foreclosure report reaches key administrators
What did the home foreclosure crisis from 2008 to 2013 look like in Washington state? Maria Rodriguez, a doctoral candidate at the School, examined the crisis by  reviewing foreclosures by ZIP code. The results were published in the Washington
State Foreclosure Mapping Report, funded by the Washington State
Department of Commerce and the Washington Department of Financial
Institutions, and highlighted in the April HUD Region X newsletter,
which has a readership of more than 45,000. Rodriguez is one of 11 grads
from the School’s doctoral program making an impact and launching
careers in higher education and public service. Read more about these remarkable graduates.
Alumni and School Updates
Cambodian partnership spurs cross-regional dialogue in Southeast Asia
 In 2004, the School formed a dynamic partnership with the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP)
to build a viable social work education program in Cambodia. Today,
that partnership is thriving and reshaping social work in the region.
This past summer the Association of Professional Social Workers of
Cambodia organized a conference that addressed the challenges of
building the capacity of social work education in Southeast Asia. The
event drew more than 150 participants and presenters from 18 countries,
including India, Nepal, New Zealand and Vietnam. Find out what you can do to support this innovative partnership.
Help for trauma survivors is subject of alum’s TEDx talk
Founder and director of the Trauma Stewardship
Institute, Laura van Dernoot Lipsky (MSW ‘94) has worked with trauma
survivors for nearly 30 years.  In April, she participated in a TEDx conference at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. Her presentation, "Beyond the Cliff,"
offered a window into the cumulative toll hardship, crisis or trauma
takes on individuals. TEDx events are based on the original TED model
but are independently organized.
Carol LaMare scholar serves as a U.S. Air Force clinical social worker
 In 2011, Erika Washington (MSW ’13) was selected as a Carol LaMare scholar—a School of Social Work program that
supports students who focus on oncology social work and palliative
care—and at the same time was commissioned by the U.S. Air Force as a
first lieutenant. Since graduation, she has been stationed at Hurlburt
Field, Florida, as a clinical social worker, working to complete three
years of required active service. In July, she was promoted to captain.
“Being a Carol LaMare scholar has enhanced my ability to work with those
who are struggling,” said Washington. “My dream is to serve veterans as
a VA oncology social worker. I am passionate about helping these brave
men and women and connecting them with resources they need.”
Awards and accolades
Latino Center for Health allocated $500,000 in state budget
In July, the Washington state legislature approved $500,000 to
support the School-affiliated Latino Center for Health. The center is
the first of its kind in the  state to focus on the health needs of
Latinos, who account for 12 percent of Washington’s population but who often
lack access to critical health services for chronic diseases as well as
bilingual and bicultural service providers. “The center is a shining
example of how UW research and collaboration empower local communities
to address critical issues of health care access and equity in our
state,” said Dean Eddie Uehara. Read the full story.
Six faculty members named top women in their field for research impact
A recent study in the scholarly journal Research on Social Work Practice
looked at the leadership, scholarship and research impact of women in
the top-ranked schools of social work in the United States. Of the 25
female academics cited, the School of Social Work had six faculty
members on the list, the highest percentage of female scholars at one
university. The six academics are Kelly Davis, Diane Morrison, Paula Nurius, Cynthia Pearson, Taryn Lindhorst and Elizabeth Wells.
Sixteen percent of the women on the list had completed their final
degree at the University of Washington School of Social Work. Read more here.
Social work professor Jennifer Stuber recognized for entrepreneurial thinking
 Jennifer Stuber, a social work professor and faculty director of Forefront, a University of Washington collaborative effort focused on suicide prevention, was appointed a UW CoMotion Presidential
Innovation Fellow, an award that recognizes the value
entrepreneurial thinking brings to the University. Under Stuber’s
leadership, Forefront has developed an impressive record in just
three years. The group provided data and consultation to Washington
state legislators to support the passage of several groundbreaking laws,
started a partnership with Facebook to deliver online resources for
suicide prevention, and launched Husky Help & Hope, an outreach
program for students at risk for suicide. Read the full story.
Forefront takes suicide prevention to rural communities with new grant
Washington state’s rural communities with the highest suicide rates will
soon have resources to provide prevention training and support. Forefront, a  School-based
suicide-prevention organization, received $100,000 from the Washington
Women’s Foundation to reach out to sparsely populated counties around
the state. A multi-pronged approach will address isolation, stigma and
lack of access to mental health care—all contributors to higher suicide
risk in rural areas. The grant will also allow Forefront to reach out to
doctors, nurses and teachers in rural areas, helping them to recognize
the risk signs of suicide and how to respond. Read the full story.
Research group awarded $230,000 to study tobacco- and cannabis-use link
Half the individuals seeking treatment for cannabis-use disorders regularly
smoke tobacco. Stopping tobacco and cannabis use may be
beneficial, but quitting can be difficult. Denise Walker, co-director of the School-affiliated Innovative Programs Research Group,
received more than $230,000 from Dartmouth College to evaluate
treatments for cannabis-use disorders among individuals who also use
tobacco. This protocol may reduce adverse psychosocial and health
consequences for those dependent on tobacco or cannabis.
NIH grant supports program to help foster teens reduce risky behavior
The Social Development Research Group will
receive nearly $3.2 million over five years from the National
Institutes of Health to evaluate the SDRG-developed prevention program
called Connecting. The program focuses on reducing substance abuse and
risky sexual behaviors in foster teens. The five-year study is designed
to test the program's effectiveness for foster parents and foster teens.
Connecting was adapted for use in the child welfare system based on the
initial success of an earlier program called Staying Connected with
Your Teen. The study is being done in collaboration with Partners for Our Children and the Washingon State Children's Administration.
Michelle Bagshaw recognized for guidance to aspiring school social workers
 The
Washington Association of School Social Workers has honored field
education faculty member Michelle Bagshaw (MSW ’04) with its 2015
Distinguished School Social Worker Advocate Award. “Michelle has been an
outstanding resource for the MSW students in school social work field
placements and for their practicum instructors,” said the association
president, Erin Vidler Romanuk, adding that Michelle has consistently
advocated for school-based social work training at the UW and in the
community. “Receiving this award is such an honor,” said Bagshaw, who
characterizes her work with students as a privilege, and praises her
field instructors for the “stellar mentoring, coaching and supervision
of our students.”
Upcoming events
Forefront holds third annual fundraiser Nov. 18
Forefront
will hold its third annual fundraiser Nov. 18 at the Husky Union
Building. The evening will honor the work of staff, trainers, volunteers
and board and community members who have given their time and talents
to strengthen Washington state’s suicide prevention efforts. Although
the event is free, guests are encouraged to make a meaningful gift to
advance the work of suicide prevention. Register here.
Seventh annual scholarship breakfast — save the date!
The recent $10 million gift
to the School's student scholarship fund is the foundation for an even
larger effort that will make it possible to attract the best students
and reduce the debt load of School graduates. Mark your calendars for
April 26, 2016, the date of our seventh annual scholarship breakfast.
Your support is critical to our students' continued success.
Milestones
James DeLong retires, reception to be held Dec. 10
School lecturer James DeLong (MSW '79) retires at the end of the fall quarter. From 1979 to 1989,  he
worked for Senior Services of Seattle/King County, where he was a core
instructor in a groundbreaking research and demonstration project
focused on health promotion with older adults. He joined the School in
1989 as the MSW evening degree and practicum coordinator. The program
thrived under his direction and became an essential component of the
School’s social work degree offerings. In 2013, DeLong was honored with
the UW Distinguished Contributions to Lifelong Learning award. The
awards committee cited his many years of leadership at the School, where
he supported education access for working adults and other
nontraditional students through the renamed Extended Degree Program. His
retirement reception will be held Dec. 10 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. To
attend, please RSVP to Madeline Galbraith.
Lifetime Achievement Award, Nancy Amidei
On Oct. 1, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance presented
emeritus social work lecturer Nancy Amidei with the group’s Lifetime
Achievement Award for her tireless efforts to ensure safe, healthy and
affordable homes for Washington state residents. The award recognizes
the many thousands of people she  has
encouraged and inspired to raise their voices for change. Amidei is
known for her passion for advocacy and her belief that all
people can change the world once they have the tools to make a
difference. She has helped demystify the legislative process for
thousands of students, faith community members, low-income parents and
other citizen advocates. Says Alison Eisinger (MSW '97), executive
director, Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness: “If you've ever
used a folder as a billboard for affordable housing, written a message
about childhood hunger on a paper plate, or have a card stock phone
cutout with the legislative hot line on your fridge, you've used Nancy's
techniques.” 
|
