On Feb. 16, more than 100 people converged in Olympia for Suicide Prevention Education Day. It was the third year in a row that Forefront—a School of Social Work suicide prevention group—sponsored the event to raise awareness and legislative momentum to reduce the number of deaths by suicide in Washington state. Constituents from 48 districts fanned out across the Capitol campus to meet with legislators. For the second year in a row, the Suicide-Safer Homes Memorial’s color-coded headstones represented the toll of suicide loss in this state—1,129 deaths in 2015.
March 1, 2017
Forefront education day in Olympia builds momentum for suicide prevention legislation
February 13, 2017
New findings reveal health, aging experiences of LGBT older adults across nation
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from the UW School of Social Work have released new findings this month on the health and aging of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender older adults in the U.S. Approximately 2.7 million adults age 50 and older self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. “It’s important to understand the health and well-being of LGBT older adults so we can take steps to reduce health disparities,” said principal investigator Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen, professor and director of the UW’s Healthy Generations Hartford Center of Excellence.
February 1, 2017
Forefront to advocate for solutions at Suicide Prevention Education Day in Olympia
In 2015, 1,129 Washington residents died by suicide—the second leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 44. Next month, volunteers from Forefront—a UW School of Social Work suicide-prevention advocacy group—will erect headstones on the lawn in front of the Washington State Capitol, one for each of those lost lives, as part of a suicide prevention education day that includes a ceremony of remembrance and hope, a program on legislative priorities at the Governor’s Mansion, and suicide prevention awareness training at the Woman’s Club of Olympia.
January 26, 2017
Paula Nurius elected to board of national group dedicated to social work research
Professor Paula Nurius was recently elected to the board of the National Society for Social Work and Research. Nurius has played an active role in SSWR governance, serving previously as vice-president and working on projects to expand research capacity and advance doctoral training and early career scholar research supports.
January 20, 2017
J. David Hawkins leads national collaborative effort on healthy parenting
School of Social Work endowed professor of prevention J.David Hawkins is leading the Collaborative on Healthy Parenting in Primary Care, an initiative sponsored by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine in Washington, D.C. The collaborative—made up of 90 professionals in pediatrics, social work, family medicine, psychology and mental health—came together following a national workshop on prevention strategies for effective parenting.