News
Advanced Level Clinical Classes Offered for MSW Graduates
The National Catholic School of Social Service will offer advanced level clinical courses this summer for MSW graduates in need of courses for clinical licensure or for professional development. The following courses will be offered during the first summer session, which runs from May 20 to June 29, 2013.SSS 570 Diversity in a Multicultural Society
SSS 572 Human Development & Psychopathology
SSS 653 Attachment Theory & Neurobiology
SSS 723 Psychodynamic Theory & Social Functioning
SSS 740 Ethical Issues in Contemporary Social Work
SSS 756 Evaluation of Social Work Practice
SSS 802 Clinical Social Work with Adults
Students will enroll in courses through the Summer Sessions program. To enroll, please complete the non-degree application available online at http://summer.cua.edu and submit official copies of your transcripts.
For further information, contact Aileen Worrell at 202-319-5496 or worrell@cua.edu.
Drs. Mayer and Blome Publish Article on the Importance of Early, Targeted Interventions
Mayer, L.M., & Blome, W.W. (2013). The importance of early, targeted intervention: The effect of family, maternal, and child characteristics on the use of physical disipline. Journal on Human Behavior and the Social Environment, 23, 144-158. doi:10.1080/10911359.2013.747406
Drs. Mayer, Sabatino, and Thursby Present at BPD's Annual Conference
Mayer, L.M., Sabatino, C.A., & Thursby, E.F. (2013, March). Ethics competency through virtue ethics: Do BSW students use virtues in field? Paper submitted to Annual Conference of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors.
Thursby, E.F., Mayer, L.M., & BrintzenhofeSzock, K. (2013, March). The assessment of social work practice behaviors: Evaluating the field assessment tool. Paper submitted to the Annual Conference of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors.
NCSSS Students Coordinate Metro D.C. Social Work Advocacy Campaign
The cheering could be heard from the opposite side of the Brookland/CUA metrorail station. Despite temperatures in the mid-30s, students from Catholic University’s National Catholic School of Social Service (NCSSS) were not short on enthusiasm Friday as they greeted morning commuters.
Wearing T-shirts reading “social workers strengthen the fabric of society” and carrying signs promoting their profession, students and faculty gathered at the Brookland/CUA metro bus terminal as part of the Social Work Shout Out! sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). This year, the Metro D.C. chapter’s Shout Out was coordinated by CUA students.
“We have over 200 people participating today [in the metro D.C. area] and it was all coordinated by NCSSS,” said Anthony J. Hill, assistant clinical professor of social work, as he stood beaming with members of his class at the metro.
Students in Hill’s Social Welfare Policy and Services class coordinated the Shout Out! event as part of an advocacy assignment.
“The purpose of the event is to demonstrate the size and diversity of the social work profession. Social work students, faculty, and professionals gather at metro stations to help educate the general public about the social work profession,” Hill said.
Teams representing social work programs at Bowie State University, Howard University, and the University of the District of Columbia, as well as social work agencies, gathered during the morning and evening rush hours on Friday at metro stations that included Judiciary Square, McPherson Square, Shaw/Howard University, Silver Spring, Union Station, and Van Ness UDC to give a shout out to social work.
The class was broken into three different teams to plan the event, according to Marta Schenck, a junior social work major from York, Pa.: a publication team, a communications team, and a constituency-building team, which was responsible for contacting metro D.C. area colleges and universities with social work programs to encourage students to participate.
“We think it’s really important to raise awareness about what social work actually is. A lot of people don’t know exactly what it is because it encompasses so many different things,” Schenck said.
“We’re drawing attention to the social work profession by engaging our students to bring the face of the next generation of social workers to the public’s attention,” said Michael Francum, executive director of NASW, who paid a visit to the Catholic University contingency on Friday.
Schenck said one of the best moments of the morning was greeting a group of five social workers on their way to work.
“They were really excited that we were here,” she said. “It’s been really cold but it’s been super fun.”
“They’ve got a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” said Lynn Milgram Mayer, assistant professor and chair of the undergraduate social work program, who joined students on Friday morning. “It’s so great to see them so excited about their profession, and at the same time practicing advocacy.” (March 22, 2013)
Dr. Anthony Hill receives Social Work Advocate of the Year Award from the Metro DC Chapter of NASW
The Social Work Advocate of the Year Award is given during National Social Work Month, in March, to recognize an individual whose work in the community espouses social work values and ethics and benefits the profession and its clients. Dr. Anthony J. Hill, LICSW, LCSW, ACSW was recognized for his outstanding leadership in lobbying the Office Boards and Commissions for the District of Columbia to abandon a proposal that would have merged the Board of Social Work with the boards of 17 other helping professions, issuing a press release that articulated the official Metro DC Chapter – NASW social work response to the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and providing opportunities for students at the National Catholic School of Social Service (NCSSS) and other social work programs to engage in meaningful policy practice. Dr. Hill was recognized at the Chapter’s Biennial Conference on March 1, 2013.
NCSSS Alum David Fortuna Receives 2013 Social Worker of the Year, Private Agency Award
NCSSS Alum David Fortuna, LICSW, receives the 2013 Social Worker of the Year, Private Agency Award from the National Association of Social Workers DC Metro Chapter. Mr. Fortuna will be recognized at the Chapter's Biennial Conference on March 1, 2013.
Dr. Plitt Donaldson Presents at International Conference on Researching Policy Practice
In January 2013, Dr. Linda Plitt Donaldson travelled to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to participate in an international workshop entitled "Researching Policy Practice in Social Work: An Inernational Perspective." She presented on the topic "What can Survey Data Teach us about Policy Practice?"
Dr. Plitt Donaldson Presents at NASW Foundation's Social Work Policy Institute's "Critical Conversations: Influencing Social Policy Event
Dr. Linda Plitt Donaldson addressed attendees at the NASW Foundation's Soclal Work Policy Institute's "Critical Conversations II - Influencing Social Policy: Positioning Social Work Graduates for Policy Careers". A goal of the event is to draft a brief on the importance of social work and policy practice. The event was featured in the February 2013 issue of NASW News. For more information about the initiative, visit www.socialworkpolicy.org.
Drs. Faber and Daughtery Publish Article in the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research
Zajicek-Faber, M.L., Mayer, L.M., & Daughtery, L. (2012). Connections between parental mental health, stress, child routines, and early emotional behavioral regulation of preschool children in low-income families. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research,3(1), 31-50.
Dr. Faber Publishes Chapter in Children with Disabilities, 7th ed.
Zajicek-Farber, M. L. (2012). Caring and coping: Helping the family of a child with a disability. In M. L. Batshaw, N. Roizen, & G.R. Lotrecchiano (Eds.), Children with disabilities, 7th ed., (Chapter 37), Paul H. Brookes.
Dr. Grady Receives Grant from the New York Community Trust to Document Proven Practice and Interventions by Graduates of Social Work
The National Catholic School of Social Service has been awarded a two-year $48,000 grant from the New York Community Trust. Assistant Professor Melissa Grady, along with others from NCSSS, will document the use of proven practice and interventions by recent graduates of social work.
Dr. Bennett Publishes Article on Supervisor Attachment
Bennett, S., Mohr, J., Deal, K., & Hwang, J. (2012). Supervisor attachment, supervisory working alliance, and affect in social work field instruction. Research on Social Work Practice, 10 December 2012.
Dr. Bennett Publishes Article on Supervision Training
Bennett, S., & Deal, K. (2012). Supervision training: What we know and what we need to know. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 82, 195-215.
Southern Maryland Higher Education Center (SMHEC) Graduating Class of 2012
Congratulations to our graduating MSW class of 2012 who completed their MSW program on a part-time basis at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center. "The Tenacious Ten" students completed a part-time Saturday only program over a period of four years. The program began in the Fall of 2008 to meet the educational needs of an expanding population in Southern Maryland. The program was developed in collaboration with the State of Maryland Department of Human Resources and the local social service agencies in Southern Maryland.
Military & Veterans Social Work at NCSSS-CUA
At National Catholic School of Social Service (NCSSS) of The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, DC, we have BSW, MSW, and PhD programs, each of which has some focus on military personnel, veterans, and military families.
- In our BSW and MSW programs, we have recent veterans attending CUA through Yellow Ribbon funding. We offer a 1-credit (4-week) course in Military Culture for all students, including foundation year MSW students and senior BSW students.
- In our MSW program, we have created a 61-hour Specialization in Social Work with Military, Veterans, and their Families, which is part of the advanced year Clinical Concentration in Social Work. The requirements for this MSW specialization are the completion of the 30-hour foundation year, plus:
- 3-credits of Applied Theory for Social Work Practice with Military, Veterans, and Families (advanced theory course);
- 3-credits of Policy Related to Military Personnel and Veterans (advanced policy course);
- 1-credit in Military Culture (elective course available for all levels of students);
- 6-credits (2 semesters) of Advanced Field Education and Integrative Seminar:
- This military specialization seminar is part of the 20 weekly hours per semester clinical field placement, working with military personnel and veterans and/or military families;
- Given our DC location, we have a growing number of military field placements, including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda, MD, and the Veteran’s Administration in Washington, DC;
- 3-credits of Cognitive Behavioral Theory and Social Functioning (advanced theory course);
- 3-credits of Clinical Social Work with Families: Strengths-Based Model (advanced practice course);
- Four other 3-credit courses required for all MSW clinical students
- Ethical Issues in Contemporary Social Work,
- Evaluation of Social Work Practice,
- Two of four advanced practice courses in either Clinical Social Work with Adults, Clinical Social Work with Older Adults, Clinical Social Work with Children, or Clinical Social Work with Adolescents and Young Adults;
- Elective courses in Social Work Responses to Trauma, Attachment Theory and Neurobiology, Death, Treatment for Chemical Dependency, Drug Abuse: Public Health and Public Policy Considerations, and Homelessness: Individual and Social Concerns are offered for students who wish to extend coursework beyond their 61-credit MSW specialization.
• Our PhD program is the third oldest social work doctoral program in the country. For over 20 years, it has collaborated with the Child and Family Study Fellowship Program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda, to offer active duty military social workers the opportunity to pursue their PhD during the fellowship, graduating within three years.
In addition to our MSW specialization and our PhD collaboration with Walter Reed, we have a Military Social Work Initiative Center. This group focuses on curriculum, research, service, and continuing education. It is open to both students and faculty, and we have a national advisory board to aid us in our planning. The wider Catholic University of America also has a group for veteran students, and we are in the early stages of creating an inter-disciplinary post-graduate continuing education program for clinicians working with military personnel, veterans, and their families.
NCSSS Advanced Year MSW Student, Tosin Ogunyoku, Receives The Sam Williams Memorial Award
Tosin Ogunyoku was selected to receive The Sam Williams Memorial Award. While attending CUA in the early 1970s, Sam Williams was very active in BOSACUA and committed to his objective of fostering greater understanding among the students. Before he was able to graduate from CUA, his life came to a tragic end as he was killed in an automobile accident. This award is presented in his memory to a student who has contributed significantly to the activities of minority or international students, enhanced communications, and furthered understanding among culturally and ethnically diverse groups on campus and in the community. This award is designated for outstanding service.
New York Community Trust Awards NCSSS Professor a Grant to Study the Impact of Licensure on Macro Social Work Practice
The New York Community Trust has awarded NCSSS Associate Professor Linda Plitt Donaldson a two-year $27,000 grant to study the impact of the states' differing advanced-level licensing policies on macro social work practice. (Macro social work practice includes community organizing, policy advocacy, and international social development, that is, interventions that seek change in macro systems.) In this largely un-researched area, many questions exist about the utility of licensing for macro social work practice, the effect of clinical licensing on macro practice education in schools of social work, and attitudes and perceptions among social workers toward advanced-level macro licensing. This research is significant given the lack of consensus regarding advanced-level macro licensing within the profession, questions about its relevancy, and emerging trends in advanced clinical licensing that are having unintended consequences for macro social work education and practice.
2011 Graduate Regina Tosca, Awarded the NCSSS Center on Global Aging's Second Annual Best Aging Paper Award; Current Advanced Year Student Mamiko Hada also recognized
The NCSSS Center on Global Aging’s second annual Best Aging Paper Award will be presented to 2011 graduate Regina Tosca, in recognition of her advanced year scholarly paper that identifies specific aging services needs and gaps for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender seniors. Her paper addresses the roles and responsibilities of social workers in healthcare settings in meeting the needs of this population. Ms. Tosca will receive a plaque and cash award at the Center on Global Aging's Biennial Daniel Thursz Memorial Lecture, on October 17, 2011, at 4PM in Caldwell Hall Auditorium.
Mamiko Hada, a current Advanced Year graduate student, received honorable mention, in recognition of developing a well-resourced paper, during her foundation year that addresses the important issue of elder abuse and neglect and roles and implications for the social work profession. Her award will also be presented at the Memorial Lecture.
The Center on Global Aging is one of six research centers at NCSSS. It was founded in 1996 and is celebrating its 15th Anniversary on October 17, 2011 with the Second Biennial Daniel Thursz Memorial Lecture, honoring the memory of its founder. The 2011 Daniel Thursz lecture, “Social Justice for the Elderly and the Intergenerational Compact” will be presented by Dr. Michael Reisch, Distinguished Professor of social justice at the University Of Maryland School Of Social Work.
The Center on Global Aging’s Annual Best Aging Paper contest is open to NCSSS undergraduates, foundation and advanced year graduate students.
Dr. Frederick Ahearn Inducted as a Social Work Pioneer
Dr. Frederick Ahearn was inducted as a Social Work Pioneer by the National Association of Social Work Foundation on October 22, 2011. Dr. Ahearn has an international reputation in the area of psychosocial issues of forced migrants, particularly refugees and persons displaced by disasters. He has served on international missions in the aftermath of disasters and consulted with state and local mental health agencies in designing a mental health response in the case of disaster. In October 2008, as recognition of his outstanding scholarship and leadership in the field of international social work, Dr. Ahearn was granted the Global Commission Award by the Council on Social Work Education. In the same year, the National Association of Social Work gave him its Lifetime Achievement Award.
NCSSS Receives 2011 Partners in Advancing Education for International Social Work Award at CSWE Annual Meeting in October
In 2003, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Commission on Global Social Work Education initiated the Partners in Advancing Education for International Social Work (PIE) Awards to recognize the contributions of partners in the advancement of conceptual, curricular, and programmatic innovations in education for international social work. Three partner awards are given annually, one for each of the following categories:
1. Individuals or teams of individuals,
2. Degree-granting social work education programs, and
3. National and international organizations
The National Catholic School of Social Service has been selected to receive the 2011 PIE Award in the degree-granting social work education program category as a result of its program in the Philippines in partnership with Dr.Steven Muncy, Executive Director of Community and Family Services International in the Philippines.
Drs. Gray and Dombo Present at International Conference on Trauma and Spirituality
Dr. Cathie Gray and Dr. Eileen Dombo presented "Helpers Need Help Too: Engaging Spirituality in Addressing Vicarious Trauma" at the Journey Towards Healing: An International Dialogue conference in
NCSSS Admits 42 Students to its Social Work Education Program (SWEP) in Mindanao, Philippines
The National Catholic School of Social Service, who partnered in 2006 with three Filipino universities and two non-governmental organizations to conduct a Master of Teaching in Social Work (MTSW) program in the conflict-affected areas of Mindanao, Philippines, has admitted 42 applicants to the SWEP. NCSSS faculty, who volunteer during their vacation time to travel to the Philippines, will teach the 10 courses (30 credits) to these students, all of whom are professors or social work leaders. This program focuses on social development as a means of resettling the more than a million displaced persons from the 40 plus year conflict between the Muslim majority and the government. When this class graduates in late 2012, the SWEP initiative will have graduated more that 100 masters-educated social workers who will work in the conflict-affected areas of Mindanao.
Dr. Bennett Publishes Article on Confidentiality in Clinical Writing
Dr. Susanne Bennett has published "Confidentiality in clinical writing: Ethical issues in publishing social work practice examples." (2011). Smith College Studies in Social Work, 81(1), 7-25.
Dr. Bennett Publishes Article on Teaching Human Behavior in Conflict-Affected Mindanao
Dr. Susanne Bennett has published "Cultural relevance and bridging the divide: Teaching human behavior in conflict-affected Mindanao." (2010). Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 16(4), 5-18.
Drs. Blome and Bennett Publish Article on the Challenges of Implementing Attachment-Based Practices in Public Child Welfare Agencies
Dr. Wendy Blome and Dr. Susanne Bennett have published "Organizational challenges in implementing attachment-based practices in public child welfare agencies." (2010). Journal of Public Child Welfare, 4(4), 427-449.
Drs. Sabatino and Mayer Publish Book Chapter on Supporting Today's Blended Family
Dr. Christine Sabatino and Dr. Lynn Mayer have published a book chapter titled "Supporting Today's Blended Family," in The Church Leader's Resource Book: A Guide to Mental Health and Social Problems. Cynthia Franklin and Rowena Fong, editors. Publisher: Oxford Press, January 2011.
Drs. Mayer and Blome Publish Article on Youth at Risk for Heavy Drinking
Dr. Lynn Mayer and Dr. Wendy Blome have published "Necessary, but not sufficient: The importance of family and school for youth at risk of heavy episodic drinking." (2010). Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 10: 377-392. doi: 10.1080/1533s56X.2010.498743.
Dr. Bennett Publishes Book on Adult Attachment in Clinical Social Work
Dr. Susanne Bennett has published "Adult attachment in clinical social work : practice, research, and policy," Susanne Bennett, Judith Kay Nelson, editors. Publisher: New York : Springer, c2010. Location: CU: Mullen Library Stacks. Call Number: HV689 .A38 2010.
Dr. Soniat Publishes Book on Working with Vulnerable Older Adults
Dr. Barbara Soniat has published "Empowering social workers for practice with vulnerable older adults" Barbara A. Soniat and Monica Melady Micklos. Publisher: Washington, DC : National Association of Social Workers,c2010. Table of Contents includes: Vulnerable older adults : a population demanding attention; Geriatric social work as a vital field; Theoretical perspectives; Value issues and ethical dilemmas; The importance of the client-social worker relationship; Assessing capacity; Assessing risk; Using the capacity-risk model to guide assessment and intervention decisions; Working with older people who hoard; Live alones : social work interventions with people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias who live alone. Location: CU: Mullen Library Stacks. Call Number: HV1451 .S643 2010.
Dean Zabora and Sister Vincentia Joseph Inducted as Social Work Pioneers
James Zabora, dean, and Sister Mary Vincentia Joseph, professor emerita, of Catholic University’s National Catholic School of Social Service were inducted into the Social Work Pioneer Program of the National Association of Social Work Foundation in a ceremony on October 23 at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C.
The Social Work Pioneer Program honors professionals who have contributed to the enrichment of the profession and made important contributions through service, teaching, writing, research, program development, administration or legislation.
Zabora, NCSSS’s dean since 2002, has been a frequent keynote speaker at health care conferences and editor of the “Journal of Psychosocial Oncology.” He has written extensively on his areas of research — cancer prevention and control, psychosocial screening, problem-solving education and quality of life among cancer patients and their families. In 2009, he received the Ida M. Cannon Award from the Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care. He also is a past recipient of the Holland Distinguished Leadership Award, the highest honor in the field of psychosocial oncology.
Sister Joseph has taught doctoral seminars as well as graduate courses on supervisory practice and religion, and the spiritual dimensions of social work. She served as assistant dean and chair of the doctoral program from 1986 to 1996. CUA’s Cardinal O'Boyle Faculty Scholar, Sister Joseph includes among her research interests religion and social work practice, supervision/consultation, professional ethics and organizational burnout.
NCSSS Graduate Student, Julie Brooks Noble, Awarded the NCSSS Center on Global Aging's Best Aging Paper Award
Julie Brooks Noble was awarded the NCSSS Center on Global Aging's Best Aging Paper Award for her foundation year paper, Attachment Processes in Nursing Facilities that Provide Dementia Care to Older Adults. Ms. Noble's paper was selected by the Center on Global Aging's Board of Advisors for its scholarly approach to a broad range of attachment issues facing nursing facility residents with dementia, their family and their professional caregivers. The inaugural Best Aging Paper Award was presented at the Center on Global Aging's Biennial Bill Bechill Memorial Lecture, which was held on October 7, 2010.
The Center on Global Aging is one of six research centers at NCSSS. It was founded in 1996 and will celebrate its 15th Anniversary in October 2011 with the Biennial Daniel Thursz Memorial Lecture, honoring the memory of its founder. An announcement and criteria for submitting papers for the 2011 Best Aging Paper Awards is forthcoming. The paper contest is open to NCSSS undergraduates, foundation and advanced year graduate students.
NCSSS and MASI Research Consultants to Offer Employee Assistance Online Education Program
NCSSS and MASI Research Consultants announce a new Employee Assistance Online Educational Program, the first offered by a school of social work. The four-course program will be available to students worldwide beginning April 1, 2011. Online enrollment will begin in late 2010.
Dr. Sheridan Recognized by JSWE
Dr. Michael Sheridan's recent article, "Understanding the Pathways of Factors Influencing the Use of Spiritually Based Interventions, which appeared in the Fall 2009 issue of the Journal of Social Work Education has been chosen as the JSWE Best Quantitative Empirical Article of 2009. Dr. Sheridan's work was chosen among all articles published in JSWE in 2009. The criteria for choosing the best empirical article include demonstration of a logical and sophisticated methodology; use of advanced statistical procedures; and discussion of clear implications that add significantly to the professional knowledge base and to social work education. The Editorial Board noted the article's very sophisticated analysis and one member commented that he had not seen another article done this well on this topic. Dr. Sheridan will be honored at the Council on Social Work Education 2010 Annual Program Meeting in October.
Doctoral Graduates Selected to Present Dissertation Research
Dr. Laura Granruth, PhD May 2009 and Dr. Ravita Maharaj, PhD January 2010 have both been selected from among recent graduates across the country to present their dissertation research at the 22nd Annual Symposium on Doctoral Research at The Ohio State University.
Faculty Named Top Therapists
Four faculty members were named as "top therapists" by readers of Washingtonian magazine (July 2009). The faculty members are Dr. Cathleen Gray, Dr. Eileen Dombo, Mr. Britt Rathbone, and Ms. Jennifer Weaver.
