University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work

Congratulations! MSW alumna Jan Ivery has been appointed associate dean for academic affairs in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies https://ow.ly/s6LS50SeH1n

ICYMI: Alumni Speaker Series with Halle Mayes (BASW ’97) joined us to discuss her successful career in political fundraising and how she got there after graduating from Pitt School of Social Work. Watch on YouTube: https://ow.ly/rrtp50SeGOP

Congratulations! Pitt athletics inducted BASW alumna Jamie Pelusi, who is arguably the greatest goalkeeper in Pitt women’s soccer history, ranking first in saves and second in save percentage, shutouts and wins in Pitt’s all-time history, into its 2024 Hall of Fame class Pitt Panthers

Pitt School of Social Work is proud to welcome Quinton D. Cotton. Cotton, a gerontologist and intervention scientist, who recently completed postdoctoral training in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota where he received training behavioral intervention design. Read more about his work: https://ow.ly/gemT50SeG0y

TOMORROW! June 12, 2024: Pitt Bradford Campus MSW Virtual Information Session. 6-7:15pm. Register here: ow.ly/rNXG50RNWva

We are deeply saddened by the recent passing of Valerie Dixon, an incredible woman and activist in the Pittsburgh community. She worked tirelessly to combat violence in our neighborhoods, especially after losing her beloved son, Robert.

This week’s “Healing Overflow with Dr. Toy” podcast is a special rerun of one of Dr. Toy’s initial episodes, featuring Valerie Dixon as a guest. Through this podcast episode, we hope to celebrate Valerie’s life and legacy and continue spreading the important messages she championed.

Podcast Episode: https://ow.ly/1M1N50SeFlY

We also encourage you to visit this webpage to learn more about Valerie’s incredible legacy and journey: https://ow.ly/Sua650SeFhp

Please see below for more information on this podcast:

“This phenomenal woman has personified "Healing Overflow" with her story of tragedy to triumph. Losing her only son, she managed to find her path to healing and lead others who have been broken to find healing through methods like Kintsugi art. She offered tips to others still in the healing waiting room and inspired us all with her infectious zeal for life. Please watch and share this life-changing conversation with Valerie Dixon.”

Faculty member Nev Jones was in Washington DC last week, presenting on civil commitment at the National Disability Rights Network annual conference and participating in the National Academy of Social Insurance's 50th anniversary celebration of SSI. In this photo, she's standing with former Senator Harkin, chief sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and collaborator Katie Savin.

Congratulations to MSW alumnus Michael J. Dubinski! He graduated from the Marquette University Law School, was sworn in as a licensed attorney in the State of Wisconsin and will now start his position as a Guardian Ad Litem Attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee.

Check out this new study by Fengyan Tang, Ke Li, Yi Wang, Yuyang Zhu, and Yanping Jiang, which explores how perceived loneliness, in combination with various neighborhood characteristics, influences cognitive decline for older Chinese immigrants.

Full Article: https://ow.ly/bSTo50Sc8CT

Apply today for the BH Fellows program: local job working in behavioral health w/ 2-year cohort experience, loan repayment (up to $45K), competitive salary & professional development. Visit bhfellows.jhf.org/apply for more info & to apply. Allegheny County Department of Human Services Community Care Behavioral Health Organization Jewish Healthcare Foundation

Become a Graduate Global Ties volunteer peer mentor! The deadline to submit an application to be a volunteer mentor is Friday, June 14, 2024. https://ow.ly/ZBOg50Sb3UR

SSW alum Dr. Daniel Jacobson López giving a virtual presentation Friday, June 7th at noon: An Ignored Crisis: Sexual Assault Against LGBTQIA+ Individuals and People of Color. Register: https://ow.ly/nPNE50SaNtW

June 12, 2024: Pitt Bradford Campus MSW Virtual Information Session. 6-7:15pm. Register here: ow.ly/rNXG50RNWva

On May 16, three professors gave a presentation about it, “The Health Care Power of Attorney: A Scalpel, Not a Sledgehammer,” at an American Bar Association event, the 2024 National Aging and Law Conference at the University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables, Fla.

Those presenting were Pitt’s Elizabeth Mulvaney (center), clinical assistant professor in the School of Social Work, and Karl Bezak (left), assistant professor of medicine in the Pitt School of Medicine along with Grace Wankiiri Orsatti (right), assistant professor of clinical legal education at Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University https://ow.ly/et1U50S2GNv

MSW students Stavi Xinos and Sydney Biondi, advanced standing MSW COSA students due to graduate this August, have had their proposal "Liberatory Harm Reduction & Social Work: Beyond Substance Use" selected for the NASW Pennsylvania 2024 Annual Conference.

When we come together we can be greater than the sum of our parts! That is the goal of a two-year, ambitious project our office ()is working on with Dr. Danny Shaw, Dr. Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal (University of Pittsburgh - Department of Psychology ), and Dr. James Huguley () to link our interventions together and build a *Prevention Pathway* for birth - 12 year olds. Our team's community-engaged research is unique because we focus on supporting child development by working with the important adults in their lives, centering equity, and building relationships that create opportunities for learning. We presented this week at the Society for Prevention Research Conference and described how we are “streamlining our interventions so they become synergistic.”

Shout out to our amazing funders and partners that brought us together: Pittsburgh Study, of Pittsburgh Momentum Grant, and more!

June 12, 2024: Pitt Bradford Campus MSW Virtual Information Session. 6-7:15pm. Register here: https://ow.ly/rNXG50RNWva

Congratulations Jenn Lee! She is a Pitt Law Center for Civil Rights and Racial Justice at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law 2024 Student Scholar Program Award Recipient.

TOMORROW! May 30, 2024: Speaker: Addressing Substance Use Disorders in Mental Health Treatment Settings: Real World Challenges and Research on Solutions feat. Dr. Melanie Bennett. 12-1:15pm. 2017 Cathedral of Learning

May 30, 2024, Dr. Nev Jones is giving the keynote address: "What would it take to actually transform psychosis-focused services? Place, context, culture, structure, phenomenology" at the 6th Intl' Psychiatric Congress on Mental Health & Recovery Internationaler Psychiatriekongress https://www.recovery-psychiatrie.eu/redner/nev-jones/?lang=en

TOMORROW! Alumni Speaker Series: “Non-Traditional Social Work: Politics with a Background in Social Work” with Halle Mayes. May 28th 6-7pm RSVP here: ow.ly/Wm5T50RH0mL

May 30, 2024: Speaker: Addressing Substance Use Disorders in Mental Health Treatment Settings: Real World Challenges and Research on Solutions feat. Dr. Melanie Bennett. 12-1:15pm. 2017 Cathedral of Learning

June 12, 2024: Pitt Bradford Campus MSW Virtual Information Session. 6-7:15pm. Register here: https://ow.ly/mTYU50RNWvg

Alumni Speaker Series: “Non-Traditional Social Work: Politics with a Background in Social Work” with Halle Mayes. May 28th 6-7pm RSVP here: ow.ly/Wm5T50RH0mL

In their new study, Brianna Lombardi, Catherine Greeno, and Lisa de Saxe Zerden investigate the underutilization of Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) codes at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

Full Article: https://ow.ly/R7Ve50RUn2h

Center on Race & Social Problems is excited to announce that general registration for the July 2024 Racial Equity Consciousness Institute (RECI) Facilitators Academy is now open! Visit their website to learn more and register: https://www.crsp.pitt.edu/reci-facilitators-academy

Kyaien Conner, Director of the Center on Race & Social Problems and Associate Dean for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion spoke at the Environmental Justice Summit last week. The summit highlighted the need for self-care and connection among researchers and advocates working to advance justice. https://www.ehn.org/environmental-justice-pittsburgh-2668282638.html

Michael H. Arrington, MSW, Director of Counseling Services at The Neighborhood Academy is helping organize this event in an effort to raise funds for underserved students in the Tri-State area