University of Kansas School of Social Welfare

Social workers and healthcare providers joined the School of Social Welfare in Pittsburg, Kansas on June 12 for “Conversations for Change: Talking About Substance Use as Part of Integrated Healthcare.”

A full day of presentations focused on commitment to community health, collaboration across agencies, and equipping attendees with skills to identify, engage and intervene with substance use.

Presentations included:

Meeting the challenge of substance use disorder in Southeast Kansas with integrated care, presented by Vickie Malle-LaFever and Dr. Jennifer Bacani McKenney

SBIRT tools for opening conversations about substance use and motivational interviewing skills, presented by Christina Boyd

KU’s Integrated Health Scholars Program building capacity for health referrals, presented by Michelle Levy

Building teams equipped to address substance use disorder in Southeast Kansas, presented by Kayla Roecker

Thank you to all our presenters and attendees, and a special thank you to the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas for hosting.

"I became a social worker about 20 years ago... the thread that's been consistent is that no matter what, you're seeing people’s vulnerabilities and getting to know people, learning people's stories.”

Pam Twohill loves connecting with other humans, and that’s the core of her journey as a social worker. Now, she has a Doctor of Social Work degree.

Soon after Social Welfare graduation, current and former Toni Johnson Scholars gathered to chat and reflect on their time at KU so far. They shared post-graduation plans and encouraged one another for their successes and goals.

Toni Johnson Scholars Program co-directors Joonmo Kang and Claire Willey-Sthapit, along with faculty affiliates Laura Ramirez and Juliana Carlson, welcomed students with food, beverages and warm support.

We are so fortunate to have these students be a part of our community!

"I have always known I wanted to help others, because I think that everyone deserves a chance to be their best self.”

Nicole Brown has long been driven by a deep compassion for children and young adults who navigate the early stages of life without reliable access to essential resources.

After earning her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare in May, Brown is committed to creating meaningful change and making life more manageable for those in need.

Eva Markoulatos enjoys the human connection that comes with a social work degree. It was one of her favorite elements of the Master of Social Work program at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.

After Markoulatos graduated with her MSW this spring, she looks to take her moral compass and lessons learned into the workforce. She praises her Social Welfare instructors, including senior lecturer Nicholas Simons-Bracken, who taught her how to be personable and develop meaningful relationships with clients.

"Getting my doctorate is just something I've always known I wanted to do. I think I was 7 years old the first time I decided I was going to do that.”

Afton Salas was 30 years old when she decided to pursue a social work career, but knew she wanted to get a doctoral degree since she was a child. Salas, a non-traditional student throughout her adult life, recieved her online Doctor of Social Work degree this year from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.

Salas is a program manager for University Health’s Community Behavioral Health Clinic in Jackson County, Missouri. She aspires to do more program evaluation and development with her DSW.

We are thrilled to welcome new Master of Social Work students who attended MSW orientation today both online and in-person at the KU Edwards Campus. Incoming students received information about resources, picked up Jayhawk gear and heard from various speakers, including Dean Michelle Mohr Carney, Social Welfare faculty and staff, and current MSW students.

We are excited to get to work and help you achieve your academic and career goals as social workers.

The UMKC Libraries and University of Kansas announced a multi-year partnership to to preserve the physical and digital archives of Stand Up KC and the Missouri Workers Center.

The landmark collection, initiated by the leadership of Social Welfare assistant professor Dr. Tadeo Weiner Davis and UMKC Libraries head of digital projects Mēgan A. Oliver, will be permanently housed in LaBudde Special Collections.

Highlights of the partnership include:

- Implementing community-led archiving through a worker advisory board.
- Housing physical materials in UMKC’s state-of-the-art robotic storage system and providing long-term preservation and processing support for digital assets.
- Engaging students through fellowships and internships.

It was an eventful trip as always for our Social Welfare group that traveled abroad to Costa Rica with Professor of Practice Melinda Lewis.

Here are some of the highlights, including sight-seeing, visiting Asociación Gerontológica Costarricense (AGECO), a day at Soy Niña and other adventures.

Natalie Ladd grew up in areas that needed more social workers. She and her family moved back and forth between Michigan and Kansas. Now in Heston, Kansas, Ladd recently graduated with her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.

Social work wasn’t always the plan, but it was a path that made sense to Ladd. She wants to make lives better for those who need the extra help.