Mason Social Work

Prioritising rest is essential for our mental health💙 //

If you are a social worker or know a social worker that works in DC or Virginia, we need your help!! A George Mason University colleague is collecting data to help amplify working conditions and its connection to wellbeing and burnout. All survey data will be summarized collectively across participants and your individual information will remain anonymous. We appreciate your effort for completing this survey. To access the survey please use the QR code or click the following link:
https://redcap.chhs.gmu.edu/surveys/?s=TW38P8JLRKPEKEF8

A quick reminder to thank a social worker during Social Work Month!! ✨

The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) will be holding their annual fundraiser event and walk at George Mason University on Saturday, September 23rd from 10am - 2pm. The Social Work Department is creating a team so PLEASE join us and let’s represent!!!

“Mental Health for All” is critical and we hope you can join us in support of this powerful mission.

As a friendly reminder dogs are welcome at NAMIWalks so please feel free to bring your fur babies! ✨

There will be food trucks, live band performances, and kids fun zone, along with many other activities!

For more information or questions, please contact walk team co-captains, Nina Kwartin at [email protected] or
Dr. Daphne King at [email protected].

We hope to see you there to join us in the fun festivities!! 😊

To join our team, here is the link! And if you can’t join but would still like to donate, please use the same link:

https://www.namiwalks.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=60903

Today is World Su***de Prevention Day. Currently, there is an estimated 700,000 su***des per year worldwide and we know the profound affects this has on many people. The running theme for this day since 2021 has been, “Creating Hope Through Action”, and it’s a call to action and reminder that there are alternatives to su***de and we must do our part to encourage hope and strengthen preventions (who.int). Actions, no matter how big or small, can make an impact and inspire hope in those who are struggling. We must remember to look out for each other and be kind to one another.

Spread messages of hope! Feel free to share some in the comments down below, you never know, someone might need to hear it! ✨

September is Su***de Prevention and Awareness Month.

In this month, we remember the lives lost, the ones who struggle with ideation, and acknowledge the individual, families, and communities that have been impacted (SAMHSA.org).

Show your support by (DHS.gov):
-Not being afraid to express concern for the person in crisis, this can be the first step to helping them get the help they need.
-Actively listening to a person a crisis is a way to help them feel like they’re not alone.
-Remaining present and help get them the professional help they need by connecting them to mental health professionals.
-Call or text 988. Don’t forget the recent update to the National Su***de Prevention Lifeline number, 988. They are available 24/7 to help with people in crisis or mental health related distress.
-*If someone is at immediate risk of su***de, call 911 right away.

Remember to look out for each other and stay safe everyone. Never be afraid to reach out and let’s share messages of hope! ✨

Dr. Kirsch in the news!

Pride month is celebrated every year in the month of June to commemorate and honor the tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the US in 1969 known as the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The purpose of this month is to recognize the impact le***an, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have had on history at the local, national, and international levels. The events in the month of June consist of pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposiums and concerts, and memorials held for those who the community has lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS.

Today, with the community facing continued attacks, this month is an opportunity for visibility and for the community to show support! Happy Pride and remember, love always wins!!

Source: (Library of Congress)

Congratulations graduates!! Onward social workers!!

Congratulations to all our 2023 graduates!! 🎉

The Department of Social Work at Mason presented a screening of the film "The Reason I Jump" based on the best selling memoir by Naoki Higashida. In the film, we had the honor of witnessing the work of Amrit Khurana. She is a young artist on the autism spectrum who speaks through her artwork. In support of her work, the department is assisting in selling some of Amrit’s art pieces. If you’re interested in purchasing, please email [email protected] with the name or description of the painting.

Here is a link to the artist’s website and additional paintings: https://www.amritkhurana.com

Every day is different & that's okay⭐️🌈 //

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!! ✨🌎✨
This year’s Earth Day theme is “Invest in our Planet”!!!

Every year, we observe Earth Day to bring awareness to climate change, increasing levels of pollution, and the many other occurrences that continue to cause damage and threaten our home. This year’s theme calls for humankind to work together towards a healthier economy for the planet and making sure we work for a more equitable future for everyone. For this to work, those with power, such as those in the private sector, businesses, investors, and financial markets, should begin encouraging green innovation and practices. They have the ability to create significant and large scale change. The government also has a duty to ensure a future to its citizens that is both equitable and sustainable and the people have a duty to vote for those who support conserving and protecting our planet.

Let’s do what we can to protect the only home we know and love and invest in our planet in any way that we can.

(Source: EarthDay.org)

The Departments of Social Work and Nutrition & Food Studies are teaming up for a fundraiser to benefit the World Central Kitchen - a nonprofit organization that provides fresh meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. We know that a nourishing meal in a time of crisis is so much more than a plate of food—it's hope, it's dignity, and it's a sign that someone cares about you and that you are not alone. Join us in supporting the World Central Kitchen on March 7th. See more details below! If you are unable to attend but would like to contribute, you can do so through our fundraiser page: https://donate.wck.org/CPH_emptymugs

Today we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and as a way to celebrate, we encourage everyone to participate in an act of service to your community!

We still live in a world and society that can greatly benefit from systemic change. As social workers, let’s continue to fight injustice and work towards the must needed change we’d like to see in this world.

For volunteer ideas, please visit our linktree:

https://linktr.ee/masonsocw?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=8696dae4-9677-4702-9ac9-cedce43ad4c7

Election Day is fast approaching and if you can, please VOTE! Voting is a basic human right and it is a tool we use to make sure our voices are being heard. As social workers, our duty is to encourage others to exercise their right to vote. Place an informed vote by doing your research and vote for the candidates that best align with your values. Voting gives community members power within the political system and increases social justice. It’s our duty to vote so please, if you can, head out to vote on Tuesday, November 8th!!

Today is the start of Hispanic Heritage Month!! This years theme is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation”. This theme was chosen to encourage and ensure that all voices are heard, represented, and welcomed. There is strength in diversity and it is important to recognize that the Hispanic community is a very diverse one. They speak different dialects and have many different traditions. There are over 62 million Hispanics living in the US and counting!! Let’s observe this month and acknowledge the many contributions this community has made to this nation!

It's every child's right.

Yet, in the face of COVID-19 and conflict, so many children are missing out on the chance to study.

This , UNICEF is calling on governments to tackle the learning crisis. Once and for all.

Congratulations to Mason Social Work & to Dr. Daphne King!!

Best Online MSW Programs Of 2022 If you want to obtain social work licensure, you must first earn a master of social work (MSW). Online MSW programs allow students to work toward this credential from anywhere with an internet connection—often at each learner’s preferred pace. Graduates go on to become social workers operating a...

The Su***de and Crisis Lifeline has a new number that’s modeled after 911. The three digit number is 988 and it’s designed so that it’s easily remembered and to make it easy for people to call for help during a mental health crisis. This new change helps fill in a long-standing gap in the mental health crisis care. Before this new change, the majority of people experiencing a mental health crisis would dial 911 but 911 was not designed to address mental health needs. The hope is that with this new three digit number, it will become widely known and used as well as a safer and more effective alternative.

(Source: Chatterjee, R. (2022, July 16). NPR.)

To read more about this, here is the link: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/07/15/1111316589/988-su***de-hotline-number

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention will be hosting a webinar to discuss ways to create a justice system that’s more productive for the youth and the public. Some of the goals of this webinar is for participants to be able to understand the impact that the involvement the justice system has on youth, especially those who are most at risk and to identify strategies and policies to help move towards a system that positively impacts youth development and rehabilitation.

For more information and registration, the link is in the bio.

For more information and registration, here is the link: https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/events/NGC-interrupting-cycle-youth-violence-moving-toward-equitable

A SW Perspective: Today, we mourn the decision of the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade. This is a huge setback for women in this country. It creates a narrative that women are NOT equal citizens. We no longer have a right to choose over our own bodies. In a country where we are all suppose to be free, women are not. How can we be considered free if we can’t decide our own future?

This decision has so many implications and we social workers are at the forefront of this battle. We must continue to fight for the rights of women everywhere. Now is not a time to give up but to continue to get involved on a micro, mezzo, and macro level. Women deserve the right to choose their own future and today was not just a setback for women’s rights but for human rights in general.

Yesterday we commemorated the day when over 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas to announce that the over 250,000 enslaved Black people still found in this state, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as “Juneteenth”.

As we celebrate we are still reminded of the work that still needs to be done to end the disparities the Black community still faces. As social workers we should always work and strive towards doing our part in dismantling systemic racism and any other oppressive systems that continue to be present within our society today.

(Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture)

Congratulations to Dr. Hardy-Chandler for being named the Culpeper-based Association of Social Work Boards’ new Chief Executive Officer!!! Dr. Hardy-Chandler is the first African-American woman to serve as the CEO of this association since it was founded back in 1979. As a former Director of Field Education in the Social Work department at Mason, we are thrilled to hear about Dr. Hardy-Chandler’s wonderful news and wish her success in her new position!!

If you’d like to read more about this story, here is the article link:

https://starexponent.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/association-of-social-work-boards-based-in-culpeper-names-new-ceo/article_2a23b061-b9a1-5714-9212-7353e00bfa07.html

Association of Social Work Boards, based in Culpeper, names new CEO Stacey Hardy-Chandler, Ph.D., J.D., LCSW, has 30 years experience in field, most recently led Center for Children and Families in Alexandria.

The fight to end gun violence has never been so urgent. We should not have to live in fear of another tragedy as a result of gun violence. Wear Orange is an organization that uses orange to represent the gun prevention movement. Let’s wear orange on June 3-5 and stand together against gun violence!!

Here is a link to learn more about the organization:
https://wearorange.org

When should aging parents stop driving? Social work chair of George Mason University, Emily Ihara, joined us to discuss how to know when aging parents should stop driving.

will oppose a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate access to essential reproductive health care. Read our full statement, statements from our chapters, and review our resources: https://bit.ly/3ybaJ2g

Join Us!! Register here: https://alumni.gmu.edu/s/1564/GID2/16/interior-1colb.aspx?sid=1564&gid=2&pgid=6633&content_id=11325

Are you about to graduate? Are you looking for summer employment? Ready to change positions? This is for you!!

Brought to you by the Department of Social Work Advisory Council, come learn about:

-Do’s and Don’ts
-Resources and Supports
-Putting your best forward
-Licensure supports
-And more…

Come join us Wednesday, April 20th from 4:30-6pm.

Registration: https://gmu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tcOCorT0oHt2pk70PB-nnqOous3rKDXvf