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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK SPRING 12<br />
National ranking jumps 10 points! Page 1
contents<br />
features<br />
4 Where in the World is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
34 Alumni Awards<br />
sections<br />
1 scene@gssw<br />
22 Faculty News<br />
24 <strong>GSSW</strong> News<br />
26 Student News<br />
29 Four Corners<br />
30 Butler Institute<br />
31 Bridge Project<br />
32 Development<br />
34 Alumni News<br />
35 Class Notes<br />
gssw magazine<br />
Volume 4, Number 1<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> is published twice each<br />
year, in spring and fall, by the Graduate<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Social Work, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong>,<br />
2148 S. High St., <strong>Denver</strong>, CO 80208-7100.<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong> is an Equal<br />
Opportunity Institution.<br />
Dean<br />
James Herbert Williams<br />
Editor<br />
Deborah Jones, Director <strong>of</strong><br />
Communications and Marketing<br />
Design and Layout<br />
Art Only, Inc.<br />
Photography<br />
Wayne Armstrong<br />
Anne Enderby<br />
David Rossi<br />
Pro<strong>of</strong>reading<br />
Catherine Newton<br />
©2012 by the Graduate School <strong>of</strong> Social Work<br />
at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong>.<br />
Admission: 303.871.2841<br />
Alumni and Development: 303.871.7599<br />
Communications: 303.871.3114<br />
www.du.edu/socialwork<br />
Gary Yourtz, Chair<br />
Libby Bortz, MSW, LCSW<br />
Jana Edwards, MSW, LCSW, BCD<br />
Troy A. Eid, JD<br />
David L. Gies, MS, MPA<br />
Grover “Cleve” Gilmore, PhD, MA<br />
Alberto Godenzi, PhD, MBA<br />
Ben Lewis, MBA<br />
From the Dean<br />
In today’s global society, an increasing<br />
number <strong>of</strong> social workers are choosing to live and learn<br />
in cultures very different from their own. In fact, many<br />
believe there is no better way to truly understand the<br />
impact <strong>of</strong> global forces on the vulnerable populations<br />
they serve, both at home and abroad.<br />
At <strong>GSSW</strong>, the past decade has brought significant<br />
growth in the number <strong>of</strong> students choosing to pursue<br />
social work practice in a global community, as well as<br />
in the number and variety <strong>of</strong> international experiences<br />
we <strong>of</strong>fer them. As social work educators, we’re rapidly<br />
expanding our focus beyond our local communities to<br />
the global community <strong>of</strong> which we are all a part.<br />
In this issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>, our cover story<br />
features first-person accounts by our faculty, MSW students and alumni who<br />
have taught, studied, worked or conducted research internationally. We also<br />
invite you to meet our international PhD students who bring unique personal<br />
and cultural perspectives to their research and teaching at <strong>GSSW</strong>.<br />
A few months ago, we distributed the second issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s e-newsletter to<br />
keep our readers updated about recent and upcoming events. To ensure that<br />
future newsletters reach you, please click here to provide your current email<br />
address.<br />
Meanwhile, we welcome your interest in our school and encourage you to stay<br />
in touch with us during the coming months.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
James Herbert Williams, PhD, MSW<br />
Dean and Milton Morris Endowed Chair<br />
This and all past issues <strong>of</strong> our magazine are online. Click here and then click<br />
on “<strong>GSSW</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>.” You can also scan this barcode to read <strong>GSSW</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
on your smartphone or tablet computer.<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> BoarD oF ViSitorS<br />
Evi Makovsky, MA, MSW, JD<br />
Margaret Roath, MSW, LCSW<br />
Youlon Savage, MSW<br />
Clara Villarosa, MSW<br />
Phil Winn, DPS<br />
Alec Wynne<br />
Jae McQueen, MSW<br />
(<strong>GSSW</strong> Alumni Association President)<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> congratulates Board <strong>of</strong> Visitors member Troy Eid, JD, who was named “Lawyer <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year” by the Colorado Bar Association in December 2011.<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> Co-SponSorS<br />
morriS DeeS LeCture<br />
Nearly 400 students, faculty<br />
and staff packed the main hall<br />
at the Sturm College <strong>of</strong> Law<br />
on January 17 for a lecture by<br />
nationally renowned civil rights<br />
attorney, Morris Dees. The<br />
event, jointly sponsored by the<br />
law school and <strong>GSSW</strong>, provided<br />
a historical context for today’s<br />
legal battles over human rights<br />
issues like immigration.<br />
Dees co-founded the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama,<br />
birthplace <strong>of</strong> the modern civil rights movement. Dees went on to successfully<br />
sue branches <strong>of</strong> hate groups, such as the Aryan Brotherhood and the Ku Klux<br />
Klan, into bankruptcy and out <strong>of</strong> existence. He also sued to integrate the<br />
YMCA and other recreational facilities in Montgomery, battled for the rights<br />
<strong>of</strong> Vietnamese shrimpers in Texas and fought successful legal battles on<br />
behalf <strong>of</strong> prisoners’ rights and the rights <strong>of</strong> women.<br />
Dees described how, at the time <strong>of</strong> the American Revolution, attorney<br />
John Adams represented not only those seeking to avoid British taxes, but<br />
also British soldiers sent to counter the revolution. In doing so, Adams<br />
demonstrated his belief that the law exists to serve all people. That same<br />
belief inspired those who later became legal champions for the rights <strong>of</strong> Irish<br />
and Chinese immigrants, and later <strong>of</strong> African Americans.<br />
The struggle for justice, Dees cautioned, is far from over. He encouraged<br />
students and others in the audience to fight for the rights <strong>of</strong> Hispanic<br />
immigrants and low-income workers. “Whether you’re in law, in business, in<br />
social work,” he said, “it’s always about a simple thing called justice.”<br />
To watch a video <strong>of</strong> this event, click here.<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong><br />
scene @ gssw<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> Soars in new<br />
U.S. News Rankings<br />
The Graduate School <strong>of</strong> Social Work at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Denver</strong>, already considered one <strong>of</strong> the best in the nation,<br />
rose another 10 points in new rankings just released by<br />
U.S. News & World Report. The oldest school <strong>of</strong> social<br />
work in the Rocky Mountain region, <strong>GSSW</strong> is ranked<br />
number 26 among the nation’s best Master <strong>of</strong> Social Work<br />
(MSW) programs, placing it in the top 11 percent <strong>of</strong> all<br />
nationally accredited programs.<br />
The school has risen an unprecedented 24 points during<br />
the magazine’s last three ranking periods. <strong>GSSW</strong> is the<br />
top-ranked social work school in the Rocky Mountain West<br />
and currently <strong>of</strong>fers the only accredited MSW program in<br />
the <strong>Denver</strong> metropolitan area.<br />
“<strong>GSSW</strong>’s new ranking reflects widespread recognition <strong>of</strong><br />
our faculty’s scholarship and the achievements <strong>of</strong> our<br />
alumni,” says Dean and Milton Morris Endowed Chair<br />
James Herbert Williams. “Our colleagues across the<br />
country are noticing our accomplishments, and we are<br />
just getting started.”<br />
U.S. News bases its rankings solely on the results <strong>of</strong> peer<br />
assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators<br />
and faculty at accredited social work degree programs<br />
or schools. Only fully accredited MSW programs in good<br />
standing during the survey period are ranked. Those<br />
schools with the highest average scores on the survey are<br />
included in the list published by the magazine.<br />
to Host First Presidential Debate<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong> will host the first <strong>of</strong> three 2012 U. S. Presidential debates on Wednesday, October 3,<br />
2012. It is the only debate currently scheduled in the western United States and marks the first time DU has<br />
hosted such an event. The debate will be held in Magness Arena at the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports &<br />
Wellness. Please note that tickets are not available to the public, but there will be a limited number <strong>of</strong> tickets<br />
available by lottery for DU students only. Click here for more information.<br />
scene @ gssw spring 12 1
scene @ gssw<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> ConVeneS WorLD CaFé<br />
The Graduate School <strong>of</strong> Social Work is pleased to<br />
introduce its new Continuing Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development<br />
(CPD) Summer Series. Workshops will be held<br />
during June and July at Craig Hall, 2148 S. High Street,<br />
on the DU campus. The series is geared toward<br />
human service pr<strong>of</strong>essionals seeking to strengthen<br />
and enhance their pr<strong>of</strong>essional knowledge and<br />
repertoire <strong>of</strong> skills. Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development Hours<br />
in approved Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development Activities<br />
(required for Colorado licensure) are available, as<br />
well as Continuing Education Units.<br />
For more information, including cost and registration,<br />
click here.<br />
As <strong>GSSW</strong> continues<br />
the process <strong>of</strong> revisioning its MSW curriculum, faculty members and alumni are using a<br />
unique conversational method to consider some <strong>of</strong> the project’s key issues and questions. A<br />
World Café, convened on two days early this spring, provided a framework for discussions<br />
about new social work trends, innovative curriculum ideas and ways to enrich <strong>GSSW</strong> students’<br />
learning experiences.<br />
The World Café concept was developed by The World Café Community Foundation, a U. S.based<br />
non-pr<strong>of</strong>it organization whose mission is “to transform the world for the benefit <strong>of</strong><br />
all life through convening and supporting collaborative conversation world-wide.” Using<br />
seven design principles and a flexible dialogue method, a World Café seeks collaborative<br />
perspectives on critical questions through conversational leadership, a process that creates<br />
“architectures for engagement” across all levels <strong>of</strong> a system.<br />
Author Jon Marie Broz (L) read her children’s book<br />
aloud to young fans, while Dr. Aubrey Fine (R) gave<br />
a lecture. They’re joined here by Clinical Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Philip Tedeschi, LCSW, Clinical Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s<br />
Institute for Human-Animal Connection.<br />
Walters<br />
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jean East (at left) and Alumni Association President Jae McQueen c<strong>of</strong>acilitated<br />
the two <strong>GSSW</strong> World Café discussions, in which 55 faculty and alumni participated. Ssewamala<br />
Register Now for the CPD Summer Series!<br />
Title Date Time<br />
Facilitating Experiential Therapy Groups 6/14/2012 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.<br />
Assessment and Treatment <strong>of</strong> Depression in Older Adults 6/15/2012 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.<br />
Domestic Human Trafficking Information for Youth Service Providers 6/21/2012 8 a.m. – noon<br />
Social Work as Spiritual Practice 6/21/2012 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.<br />
A Skill-Based Introduction to Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) 6/22/2012 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.<br />
Effective Practice with High-Risk Youth 6/28/2012 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.<br />
The Practice <strong>of</strong> Empathy 6/29/2012 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.<br />
Working with Military Families 7/12/2012 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.<br />
Neurobiology and Social Work 7/13/2012 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.<br />
The Impact <strong>of</strong> Memory Impairment in Hospice and Palliative Care 7/19/2012 8 a.m. – noon<br />
Management Basics for Human Services 7/20/2012 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.<br />
Trauma-Informed Care 7/26/2012 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.<br />
Ethical Decision-Making in Social Work Practice: 7/27/2012 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.<br />
A Moral Citizenship Framework<br />
FaLL eVent FoCuSeD<br />
on animaLS anD KiDS<br />
Events that include animals or children tend to be popular, so it’s little<br />
wonder that a family-friendly <strong>GSSW</strong> program focused on both dogs and<br />
kids drew a substantial crowd last fall. Held on October 15, the evening<br />
included a lecture by Dr. Aubrey Fine, author <strong>of</strong> the Handbook on Animal-<br />
Assisted Therapy and a parent/child relations expert who specializes in<br />
treating children with ADHD, learning disabilities and developmental<br />
Scholars Highlight<br />
2012 Dean’s<br />
Lecture Series<br />
The 2012 Dean’s Lecture Series began on March 5 with<br />
a lecture by Karina L. Walters, MSW, PhD, William P.<br />
and Ruth Gerberding Endowed Pr<strong>of</strong>essor and Associate<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Washington School <strong>of</strong><br />
Social Work. Walters’ talk was entitled “Bodies Don’t<br />
Just Tell Stories, They Tell Histories: Embodiment <strong>of</strong><br />
Historical Trauma and Microaggression Distress.”<br />
An enrolled member <strong>of</strong> the Choctaw Nation <strong>of</strong> Oklahoma<br />
and a recent recipient <strong>of</strong> the Fulbright Award, Walters<br />
focuses her research on historical, social and cultural<br />
determinants <strong>of</strong> physical and mental health among<br />
American Indians and Alaska Natives. She serves as<br />
principal investigator on several groundbreaking studies<br />
funded by the National Institutes <strong>of</strong> Health.<br />
The second lecture in the series was presented on April<br />
10 by Fred M. Ssewamala, PhD, Global Thought Fellow<br />
and Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Social Work and International<br />
Affairs at the Columbia <strong>University</strong> School <strong>of</strong> Social Work.<br />
His talk was entitled “Impact <strong>of</strong> Economic Empowerment<br />
Programs on Health and Educational Outcomes <strong>of</strong><br />
Orphaned and Vulnerable Children: Lessons from Sub-<br />
Saharan Africa.”<br />
A Senior Research Fellow with New America Foundation,<br />
Ssewamala served with the Red Cross in Uganda, where<br />
he helped design poverty alleviation and community<br />
development programs. His research on Africa, funded<br />
by a consortium <strong>of</strong> organizations, examines assetownership<br />
development, financial management and<br />
creating life options through economic empowerment<br />
and innovative financial inclusion models. Ssewamala<br />
also is researching economic empowerment interventions<br />
in urban America’s poor African immigrant<br />
communities.<br />
disorders. Fine’s lecture was entitled “The Therapeutic Role that<br />
Animals Play in the Lives <strong>of</strong> Children.”<br />
Meanwhile, children had the opportunity to meet trained service<br />
dogs, complete an art project and hear author Jon Marie Broz (MSW<br />
’07), AASW, LCSW read her book, Bosco, the dog who was (once)<br />
afraid <strong>of</strong> the dark.<br />
The event also included beverages, hors d’oeuvres, dessert and a<br />
book-signing. Proceeds benefitted <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Institute for Human-<br />
Animal Connection.<br />
scene @ gssw<br />
FrienDLy ViSitorS roCK the<br />
SSWr annuaL ConFerenCe!<br />
A total <strong>of</strong> 18 <strong>GSSW</strong> faculty, visiting scholars, Butler Institute for Families<br />
researchers, PhD and MSW students were among the presenters and copresenters<br />
at the 16th Annual Conference <strong>of</strong> the Society for Social Work and<br />
Research (SSWR), held in Washington, DC, in January. This year’s conference<br />
also showcased our faculty’s musical talents, as the Friendly Visitors band<br />
stole the show at the Friday evening President’s Reception.<br />
Pictured L-R are <strong>GSSW</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jeff Jenson (the group’s organizer),<br />
Amanda Smith, Steve Kapp (<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Kansas), Justin Smith, <strong>GSSW</strong><br />
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Michele Hanna, Dan Herman (Hunter College) and<br />
Herman’s wife, Beth Falk. Click here to watch a video <strong>of</strong> the performance.<br />
WorKShop<br />
expLoreS GiS<br />
& SpatiaL anaLySiS<br />
Bridget Freisthler, PhD, associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor at UCLA School <strong>of</strong><br />
Public Affairs, presented a workshop at <strong>GSSW</strong> on February 8.<br />
The day-long workshop was entitled “Using GIS (Geographical<br />
Information Systems) and Spatial Analysis in Social Sciences Research.”<br />
Freisthler uses GIS and spatial analysis to examine the spatial ecology <strong>of</strong><br />
social problems, particularly child maltreatment and the development <strong>of</strong><br />
environmental interventions. Her research has been funded by the National<br />
Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and<br />
Alcoholism, and the National Institute <strong>of</strong> Mental Health.<br />
2 spring 12 scene @ gssw scene @ gssw spring 12 3
Intercultural Competence<br />
and Social Work<br />
by Clinical Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Stephen von Merz, MSW ’03, LCSW-CO<br />
As Coordinator <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Social Work with Latinos/as Certificate,<br />
I’ve had the pleasure <strong>of</strong> accompanying four groups <strong>of</strong> MSW<br />
students to Mexico over the past three years. The trip is a key<br />
component <strong>of</strong> the MSW course, “Global Relations and Poverty in<br />
Mexico,” which I teach in Spanish as one <strong>of</strong> the requirements for<br />
students earning the Latino Certificate. The course is also taught<br />
in English by Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Lynn Parker for non-Certificate<br />
MSW students.<br />
The demand for social workers who are linguistically and culturally<br />
equipped to work with Latinos and Latinas remains high, and I<br />
believe there is no better way to learn these skills than by being<br />
immersed in a Spanish-speaking setting. Because Mexicans are the<br />
fastest-growing immigrant group in the United States, it is critical<br />
for students to gain knowledge about Mexican culture at the same<br />
time they hear, practice and conceptualize the Spanish language<br />
in its natural environment. When they return home, the students<br />
bring with them concepts <strong>of</strong> global and transnational justice, and<br />
what the United Nations Universal Declaration <strong>of</strong> Human Rights<br />
calls a “universal respect for, and observance <strong>of</strong>, human rights and<br />
fundamental freedoms.”<br />
Offered twice each year, the Mexico course provides a mixture <strong>of</strong><br />
experiential and academic education based on the communitylearning<br />
model <strong>of</strong> Brazilian educator Paulo Freire. Friere’s<br />
educational philosophy holds that oppressed individuals must<br />
play a role in their own liberation, and that, if true liberation is to<br />
occur, the oppressors must also be willing to rethink their way <strong>of</strong><br />
life and to examine their own role in the oppression. Within that<br />
framework, the <strong>GSSW</strong> course covers aspects <strong>of</strong> Mexican culture,<br />
community development, historical patterns <strong>of</strong> oppression,<br />
spirituality and liberation theology, global economics and policy,<br />
as well as the role <strong>of</strong> indigenous movements.<br />
Our two-week journey to Mexico begins with several thoughtprovoking<br />
lectures by academic scholars and community leaders.<br />
Faculty from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México<br />
(National Autonomous <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Mexico) provide an overview<br />
<strong>of</strong> recent political and economic reforms, and <strong>of</strong> the ways other<br />
countries’ policies impact Mexico and its people. Members <strong>of</strong><br />
the women’s health community, like community social worker<br />
Carmen Granados, address topics such as breast cancer, familial<br />
violence and women’s rights. Granados also provides students<br />
with firsthand information about her work with the physically<br />
4 spring 12 where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
and emotionally wounded residents <strong>of</strong> the Mexican state <strong>of</strong><br />
Chiapas and on the border in Ciudad Juarez, one <strong>of</strong> the world’s<br />
most dangerous cities.<br />
During their time in Mexico, our students engage in critical<br />
dialogue and service with indigenous groups, natural and spiritual<br />
healers, local social service pr<strong>of</strong>essionals and faculty members<br />
from neighboring universities. We also explore numerous<br />
prevention and intervention strategies being used to treat the<br />
innocent children, youth and families who have been impacted<br />
by the increased violence along the border—strategies that<br />
include community organizing efforts, the use <strong>of</strong> spiritual leaders<br />
to address physical and mental health concerns, and the use <strong>of</strong><br />
natural healers who create floral remedies to treat a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
ailments and diseases. Our days are packed full <strong>of</strong> activities meant<br />
to prepare students for the rigorous occupations they will hold<br />
when working with one <strong>of</strong> the largest Spanish-speaking groups in<br />
the United States.<br />
I’m proud <strong>of</strong> the commitment our students make to becoming<br />
effective and culturally responsive social workers by building<br />
relationships with people from different cultures. My hope is that<br />
all people who work with marginalized immigrant groups discover<br />
the value and richness inherent in getting to know people who<br />
are different from themselves. Cultural differences among nations<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten create misunderstandings and fear, but it’s how we respond<br />
to those differences that sets the social work pr<strong>of</strong>ession apart. I’m<br />
convinced that there really can be “justice for all” if we learn to value<br />
the things that make us both unique and diverse as global citizens.<br />
Making Connections in Mexico<br />
by Aaron Green, concentration year MSW student<br />
Last August, I was one <strong>of</strong> the students who traveled to the Mexican<br />
State <strong>of</strong> Puebla as part <strong>of</strong> “Global Relations and Poverty in Mexico,” a<br />
required course in the Social Work with Latinos/as Certificate.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> our lectures focused on how foreign policies and international<br />
corporations affect Mexican policies and, in turn, the lives <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Mexican people. We also began to reflect on how these policies<br />
affect the lives <strong>of</strong> the clients we work with in the States.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the most impactful themes <strong>of</strong> the trip was making<br />
connections between the North American Free Trade Agreement<br />
(NAFTA) and the daily lives <strong>of</strong> the Mexican people. I observed<br />
that NAFTA created economic hardships on two fronts: First, it<br />
introduced foreign competition into Mexico so Mexican farmers<br />
and small businesses could no longer compete economically with<br />
large international corporations. Second, it created thousands <strong>of</strong><br />
factories in Mexico where the workers make almost nothing and<br />
work in very dangerous conditions.<br />
These economic realities have resulted in mass migration. We<br />
spoke with indigenous mothers, orphans and elderly people<br />
who described how America’s economic policies necessitated<br />
that they and their families migrate from their rural Mexican<br />
homeland either into urban areas or across the border into the<br />
United States.<br />
While the economic situation<br />
we observed in Mexico is<br />
discouraging, we also had<br />
several experiences that gave<br />
me hope. We spent a day with a<br />
social service agency that works<br />
with “street children,” providing<br />
services such as residential<br />
treatment and individual, group<br />
and family therapy. I had the<br />
opportunity to join two therapists on a<br />
home-based therapy session, and it was one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the most interesting hours <strong>of</strong> the trip.<br />
Although this family faced oppression<br />
in every aspect <strong>of</strong> their lives, the session<br />
helped empower the family members,<br />
and they reported positive reactions to the<br />
intervention. Even though I observed just<br />
one session with just one <strong>of</strong> the millions<br />
<strong>of</strong> oppressed families in Mexico, I was<br />
encouraged that the therapists could partner<br />
with the family to make a positive change in<br />
their lives, and this gave me hope.<br />
Perhaps the most important element <strong>of</strong> the trip was gaining<br />
a clearer understanding <strong>of</strong> the systems the affect my clients<br />
here in <strong>Denver</strong> and identifying ways <strong>of</strong> providing culturally<br />
competent social services to marginalized populations in the U. S.<br />
Before visiting Puebla, I believed that many Mexicans were poor,<br />
and this was devastating. But I did not realize how some foreign<br />
policies have a direct impact on global poverty. Now I feel better<br />
prepared as a social worker to critically analyze how systems <strong>of</strong><br />
oppression affect my clients, and to identify ways to effectively<br />
challenge these systems.<br />
At a Puebla market, Aaron Green and other <strong>GSSW</strong> students<br />
shop for food to be donated to the Casa Hogar orphanage<br />
and children’s shelter.<br />
Cuetzalan ro<strong>of</strong>tops<br />
Mexico<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> students visit the<br />
Yohualichan pyramid near<br />
Cuetzalan.<br />
where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>? spring 12 5
Katie Susman (MSW ‘11)<br />
wields a pickaxe while<br />
helping to dig water system<br />
trenches in the Honduran<br />
community <strong>of</strong> El Canton,<br />
where holistic model<br />
programming is being<br />
implemented.<br />
Frank Jadwin<br />
(MSW ‘11) gives a<br />
presentation at the<br />
2012 International<br />
Symposium <strong>of</strong><br />
Nurses in Mental<br />
Health in Costa Rica.<br />
6 spring 12 where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
The Social Work with Latinos/as Certificate:<br />
An Exceptional Learning Opportunity<br />
by Frank Jadwin, MSW ’11<br />
Outpatient Child and Family Therapist, Aurora Mental Health Center<br />
Social work has a proud history <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fering services to populations placed at risk by<br />
economic, political and social factors beyond their control. In general, the Latino<br />
demographic in the United States fits this pr<strong>of</strong>ile. While the Social Work with Latinos/as<br />
Certificate was just one factor that influenced my decision to attend<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong>, it subsequently became an indispensable piece <strong>of</strong> my MSW<br />
education and a defining feature in my identity as a social worker.<br />
As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer when I came to DU, I already<br />
had an adequate fluency in Spanish and a fair understanding <strong>of</strong> the<br />
diversity and complexity <strong>of</strong> Latin American culture. But I soon realized<br />
that becoming a culturally competent social worker for a group as<br />
heterogeneous as what is categorized as Latino requires much more<br />
than an adequate fluency in the Spanish language.<br />
“Latino” and “Latina” are broad, umbrella terms representing a<br />
diverse group <strong>of</strong> national origins, unique ethnicities and cultures,<br />
and even different languages. While there are several characteristics<br />
not uncommon to find among the Latino demographic—e.g., the<br />
importance <strong>of</strong> family, respect for authority, collectivism, fatalism and<br />
spiritual beliefs in partnership with the Catholic Church—even these<br />
attributes exist on a spectrum, and no person’s or group’s experience<br />
is identical to another’s. These distinctions are made even more<br />
complex by factors like the number <strong>of</strong> generations a family has been<br />
in the U. S., citizenship status and level <strong>of</strong> acculturation.<br />
Although other classes at <strong>GSSW</strong> provided a forum to discuss cultural competency,<br />
nothing quite compared to the depth and breadth <strong>of</strong> the multicultural and multilingual<br />
learning I experienced while earning the Latino Certificate. The Certificate allowed me<br />
to build upon my previous experience in working with populations with historical ties<br />
to Latin America, helped me develop my clinical vocabulary in my second language,<br />
and taught me how to tailor interventions to be more effective for my clients and<br />
more respectful <strong>of</strong> their unique backgrounds.<br />
In my current position as an outpatient child and family therapist, I <strong>of</strong>ten realize the<br />
degree to which the Latino Certificate has made me a better clinician and colleague,<br />
and allowed me greater successes in community engagement. It has also opened<br />
the door to unique pr<strong>of</strong>essional experiences, like the week three co-workers and I<br />
spent in Costa Rica recently, as part <strong>of</strong> an international exchange. We presented at<br />
the International Symposium <strong>of</strong> Nurses in Mental Health, received intensive tutorials<br />
on the status <strong>of</strong> mental health in Costa Rica, toured several facilities and mingled<br />
with mental health pr<strong>of</strong>essionals from 11 countries throughout the Americas and<br />
the Caribbean. These types <strong>of</strong> opportunities not only demonstrate the value <strong>of</strong><br />
educational programs like the Latino Certificate, but are essential<br />
in building networks to refine mental health practices in an age <strong>of</strong><br />
globalization.<br />
As the number <strong>of</strong> Latinos in the U. S. continues to grow, there will<br />
be an ever-increasing need for social work education to provide<br />
culturally sensitive training to students. In fact, I believe our<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession’s current lack <strong>of</strong> preparedness for meeting the needs <strong>of</strong><br />
this population is alarming. Because providing effective, culturally<br />
competent services is a complex task that requires ongoing<br />
education and lifelong commitment, I highly recommend that any<br />
aspiring social worker take advantage <strong>of</strong> the exceptional learning<br />
opportunity <strong>of</strong>fered by <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Latino Certificate.<br />
Empowering Communities<br />
Through International Social Work<br />
by Katie Susman, MSW ’11, MA<br />
Global Brigades Honduras Program Manager/ Research and<br />
Evaluation Program Lead<br />
When I graduated from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong>’s dual masters<br />
degree program in Social Work and International Studies last June,<br />
I was confident in my desire to travel the less-beaten track to serve<br />
others through international social work. Although I realized this<br />
field was untraditional and not the most financially lucrative, my<br />
passion for global social justice was unrelenting. Thus, green and<br />
eager to translate my theoretical knowledge into action, I found<br />
myself on a plane headed to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in July 2011<br />
as the Research and Evaluation Program Lead for Global Brigades,<br />
an international NGO (non-governmental organization).<br />
Global Brigades is the largest student-led sustainable development<br />
organization in the world. In rural communities in Honduras,<br />
Panama and Ghana, we work in nine different areas including<br />
medical, dental, water, public health, micr<strong>of</strong>inance, business,<br />
architecture, law and environment. These programs empower<br />
communities to improve their quality <strong>of</strong> life through sustainable<br />
development initiatives. Global Brigades also provides opportunities<br />
for cultural exchange and collaborative learning, and it<br />
raises student and community awareness <strong>of</strong> the ways a holistic<br />
model <strong>of</strong> development addresses both community and individual<br />
needs.<br />
How did I come to choose this particular career path? As a prior<br />
Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Social Work (BSW) student, I was fascinated by the<br />
discipline’s dedication to empowerment, cultural sensitivity and<br />
Where in theWorld is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
costa Rica | HonduRas<br />
strong Code <strong>of</strong> Ethics. I hoped to sustain these values in a future<br />
career in international social development. I felt strongly that<br />
international social development could best be achieved through<br />
cross-disciplinary action.<br />
As a community track student at <strong>GSSW</strong>, I was intrigued by the<br />
relationship between international development and social work<br />
in Latin America, particularly how community development could<br />
impact individual empowerment and quality <strong>of</strong> life. My studies<br />
sparked a strong interest in capacity building, research and<br />
evaluation, and program development. In my <strong>GSSW</strong> practicum,<br />
I conducted qualitative research and gained interviewing skills<br />
with migrant farm workers and survivors <strong>of</strong> human trafficking.<br />
My courses on social work with Latinos further strengthened my<br />
intent to work in community development in Latin America.<br />
We social workers constantly hear buzz words like “holistic” and<br />
“empower.” As students we were encouraged to think critically<br />
and analytically regarding non-pr<strong>of</strong>it organizations, leadership and<br />
transparency. We reflected on topics <strong>of</strong> privilege and oppression<br />
at great length. In the past seven months, I have translated these<br />
concepts into action in a growing international non-pr<strong>of</strong>it, while<br />
facilitating my pr<strong>of</strong>essional growth as a social worker.<br />
As the director <strong>of</strong> the Global Brigades Research and Evaluation<br />
Program, I have the opportunity to conduct baseline household<br />
surveys, lead research initiatives, support students in research and<br />
create relationships with communities and institutions. Ironically,<br />
statistics used to scare me. I sc<strong>of</strong>fed that “social workers don’t<br />
need to know how to manipulate numbers; we work with people!”<br />
Now I’ve developed a newfound appreciation for data, numbers<br />
that illustrate impact and data analysis that is one <strong>of</strong> the most<br />
effective ways to prove that your organization is “doing good.”<br />
Recently I was given the opportunity to serve as the Honduras<br />
Program Manager for Global Brigades. This new role encompasses<br />
program and staff development, inter-country operations, marketing,<br />
management, reporting and facilitation <strong>of</strong> the organization’s holistic<br />
model. I am constantly referring back to my time at <strong>GSSW</strong>, thankful<br />
for the well-rounded curriculum and field experiences that prepared<br />
me to work in the international social work field.<br />
While international social work is fraught with challenges, it<br />
provides me with an amazing opportunity to test my pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
mettle and personal fortitude in serving as a social worker abroad.<br />
A bilingual dual degree graduate, Susman earned her MA from<br />
DU’s Korbel School <strong>of</strong> International Studies at the same time she<br />
earned her MSW.<br />
where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>? spring 12 7
Where in theWorld is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
Bosnia and HeRzegovina<br />
Fresh Figs and a<br />
New World View<br />
by Clinical Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Ann Petrila, MSW, MPA<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> Field Education<br />
and Director <strong>of</strong> Project<br />
Bosnia and Herzegovina<br />
When a friend in Bosnia gave me<br />
a fresh fig, I wasn’t sure what it<br />
was. Was I supposed to peel it or cook it or just bite into this fruit<br />
that I had never seen before? Something wonderful wrapped in an<br />
unfamiliar package—it is not only figs that fit this description in<br />
Bosnia and Herzegovina (known as Bosnia or BiH). This is a country<br />
with a confusing name, an even more perplexing government<br />
structure, natural beauty, strong and humble people, and a history<br />
both rich and horrifying.<br />
Serendipity took me to BiH the first time in 2007, when I provided<br />
supervision and agency development for <strong>GSSW</strong> students interning<br />
with Project Bosnia, DU’s oldest international service learning<br />
program. What I assumed would be a one-time visit was the start<br />
<strong>of</strong> opportunities that I never thought possible. In 2011, I was<br />
named Director <strong>of</strong> Project Bosnia and also taught <strong>GSSW</strong>’s first<br />
MSW course on social work in Bosnia.<br />
On that first trip to Sarajevo, I had no idea what to expect. What<br />
would a capital city in Eastern Europe look like? I discovered a<br />
welcoming, secular city where churches and mosques sit side-by-<br />
side, where the ancient call to prayer rings out five times a day<br />
and where peace-keeping forces are noticeable everywhere. Most<br />
striking was the beauty <strong>of</strong> the city and countryside, although<br />
noticeably blemished by the ravages <strong>of</strong> war.<br />
I quickly learned about Bosnian hospitality, about the importance<br />
<strong>of</strong> meeting over Bosnian c<strong>of</strong>fee, and about the resilience <strong>of</strong> people<br />
who were targeted for genocide and lived under siege for three<br />
years in the1990s. The Bosnian sense <strong>of</strong> humor delighted me from<br />
the very beginning.<br />
Since that first trip in 2007, I have facilitated a formal affiliation<br />
agreement between <strong>GSSW</strong> and the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Sarajevo School<br />
<strong>of</strong> Social Work that has led to a partnership with my Bosnian<br />
colleague and friend, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Sanela Sadic. As a visiting lecturer<br />
at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Sarajevo, I taught classes to Bosnian social<br />
work students. In turn, Sanela traveled to the U. S. when she was<br />
awarded a Kendall Fellowship through the Council on Social Work<br />
Education. Our shared projects continue to grow.<br />
For the first time in 2011, <strong>GSSW</strong> students had the opportunity<br />
to take an MSW course I developed entitled “The Social Work<br />
Response in Post-War Bosnia.” The students learned about Bosnian<br />
history, culture, religion and politics, then spent two weeks in<br />
Bosnia where, paired with Bosnian social work students, they<br />
visited historically significant sites and social work agencies. The<br />
students also attended lectures by <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Sarajevo faculty.<br />
Our group stayed in old town Sarajevo—Baščaršija—and, by the<br />
end <strong>of</strong> the trip, students could even pronounce it! I watched our<br />
students fall in love with the beauty and people <strong>of</strong> BiH, even as<br />
they struggled with the reality that genocide took place here in the<br />
1990s while the world looked on. I saw our students realize how<br />
much they had in common with their new Bosnian friends, while<br />
also understanding that the Bosnians had experienced things<br />
Americans can’t begin to imagine. Through their interactions with<br />
the resilient Bosnian people, our students began to shift their<br />
world view and challenge some <strong>of</strong> their long-held beliefs in ways<br />
that happen only through international experiences like these.<br />
In addition to teaching the MSW class, I also take Project Bosnia<br />
students from across the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong> campus to Sarajevo<br />
each summer. For eight weeks, these students immerse themselves<br />
in Bosnian culture by completing internships in organizations<br />
focused on reconciliation, peace and the healing <strong>of</strong> people still<br />
scarred by the war. These students arrive in BiH expecting to be<br />
productive “American-style,” but they soon realize the rewards<br />
<strong>of</strong> working in a country where relationships are developed and<br />
maintained over c<strong>of</strong>fee.<br />
My hope is to introduce many more students to Bosnia, once as<br />
mysterious to me as that fresh fig, now a place I’ve come to know<br />
and love. When people ask me why I go there, I can’t help but<br />
think, why wouldn’t you go to Bosnia?<br />
Through the Glass: A Reflection on<br />
Project Bosnia and Herzegovina<br />
by Kristi Roybal, concentration year MSW student<br />
It’s been more than six months since I returned to the United<br />
States from my Project Bosnia experience. But as I write this in<br />
the space I call home, images <strong>of</strong> Bosnia surround me. Every time<br />
I walk in the door or read with a cup <strong>of</strong> c<strong>of</strong>fee, I see three <strong>of</strong><br />
the most evocative images—the keepers <strong>of</strong> moments frozen in<br />
time that tell only part <strong>of</strong> a story.<br />
I see a life-size chess figure, its paint peeling from years <strong>of</strong><br />
weathering, waiting to be played by chess players strategizing<br />
their next move. Beneath that, a sea <strong>of</strong><br />
aged pocket watches, no longer ticking like<br />
they used to, but stopped at some moment<br />
in time that was likely meaningful for<br />
someone else. And the face <strong>of</strong> a Bosnian<br />
woman, Rahima, her beautiful headscarf,<br />
perfectly rendered wrinkles, a purposeful<br />
gaze surveying the Bosnian mountainside or<br />
perhaps the strangers visiting her village.<br />
Images have always been a powerful<br />
influence in my life, obliging me to reflect<br />
upon the power I carry as a photographer, the biases<br />
and perspective I bring to composition, the ethics<br />
and meaning <strong>of</strong> “seeing.” But it’s also an important<br />
metaphor in my life as a student, a social worker, a<br />
traveler, a participant in the humdrum <strong>of</strong> everyday<br />
life. I will always look through the metaphorical<br />
glass—through the bus windows, through the complex<br />
layers <strong>of</strong> knowledge gained from life, books and an<br />
unrestrained imagination, through the lens <strong>of</strong> my own<br />
existence. While I’ll never fully understand the whole<br />
story that belongs to some other person or place, I<br />
find deep meaning in the fragments <strong>of</strong> knowledge I<br />
allow myself to perceive and reflect upon. I find deep<br />
meaning in the awareness that my “seeing” is caught<br />
up in the very existence <strong>of</strong> someone or<br />
something else.<br />
As I reflect upon the Bosnian chess<br />
players, the broken down pocket<br />
watches and a woman’s gaze locked<br />
in my time, I see the inevitability <strong>of</strong><br />
only understanding myself through<br />
attempting to understand everyone and<br />
everything else around me. Regardless<br />
<strong>of</strong> how long I’ve been back or gone, the<br />
subtleties <strong>of</strong> daily experiences—those<br />
from my time in Bosnia and those I will<br />
freshly live tomorrow—all converge to<br />
shape how I see in the world.<br />
Photo credit this page: Kristi Roybal<br />
Hundreds <strong>of</strong> traditional<br />
Moslem grave markers on<br />
a Sarajevo hillside provide<br />
a stark reminder <strong>of</strong> the<br />
ethnic cleansing campaign<br />
that occurred during the<br />
1992–1995 Bosnian War.<br />
8 spring 12 where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>? where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>? spring 12 9
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Eugene Walls and Jacquelyn<br />
Eisenberg (MSW ‘08) at a “peace wall” that divides<br />
Belfast neighborhoods. A tribute to republican hero<br />
Bobby Sands appears on the republican side <strong>of</strong> the<br />
wall (top), while the loyalist side <strong>of</strong> the wall includes<br />
this portrait <strong>of</strong> England’s King William III.<br />
Seeking Common Ground Director <strong>of</strong> Programs Jacquelyn Eisenberg<br />
(MSW ’08) and SCG Executive Director Erin Breeze join Associate<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essors Nicole Nicotera and Eugene Walls as they tour a Habitat for<br />
Humanity site in Belfast.<br />
10 spring 12 where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
Social Work Practice in Deeply<br />
Divided Societies<br />
by Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Nicole Nicotera, PhD, and<br />
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Eugene Walls, PhD<br />
The legacy <strong>of</strong> British colonialism in Northern Ireland<br />
makes an excellent case study from which to deepen our<br />
understanding <strong>of</strong> issues <strong>of</strong> difference in our own society.<br />
Getting outside <strong>of</strong> American culture and its pervasive racism,<br />
sexism, classism and other divides, enables us to more<br />
clearly see how policy, structural violence, political rhetoric<br />
and even art can become tools that reinforce and<br />
maintain power, oppression and privilege. Over<br />
time, and across generations, stratification <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
becomes legitimized and justified, and comes to be<br />
seen as almost “natural.”<br />
The solutions for maintaining “the peace” between<br />
loyalists (Protestants) and republicans<br />
(Catholics) in Northern Ireland will<br />
likely seem shocking to students. There<br />
are “peace walls” in interface zones that<br />
are closed at 6:00 p.m. to avoid violence.<br />
There are segregated schools where<br />
children from the loyalist community<br />
grow up without ever interacting with<br />
children from the republican community. And there<br />
are segregated neighborhoods where residents will<br />
walk miles to avoid shopping in stores that are<br />
closer but owned and run by the Other.<br />
While American media has <strong>of</strong>ten simplified “The<br />
Troubles” in Northern Ireland as a struggle between<br />
Catholics and Protestants, this deeply rooted conflict is not<br />
about differences in religious beliefs or practices, but rather<br />
about differences between those who view themselves as<br />
connected to the United Kingdom (loyal to the crown or<br />
loyalists) and those who view themselves as connected to<br />
the Republic <strong>of</strong> Ireland (republicans).<br />
Last December, a <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong> Internationalization<br />
Grant allowed us to travel to Ireland to develop the in-<br />
country portion <strong>of</strong> a future <strong>GSSW</strong> course, “Social Work’s<br />
Response to Macro-Level Political Violence: The Case <strong>of</strong><br />
Northern Ireland.” Accompanying us on the trip were<br />
two pr<strong>of</strong>essional colleagues from the <strong>Denver</strong>-based non-<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>it, Seeking Common Ground: Executive Director<br />
Erin Breeze and Director <strong>of</strong> Programs Jacque Eisenberg<br />
(MSW ‘08).<br />
Students who participate in the MSW course we are<br />
developing will examine the history and background <strong>of</strong><br />
The Troubles in order to better understand the current<br />
situation, along with social work’s role in addressing<br />
issues between deeply divided communities. In addition<br />
to meeting with social service providers, researchers,<br />
educators and human rights practitioners, students will<br />
meet men and women who have been involved in the<br />
conflict, including former IRA and loyalist paramilitary<br />
personnel, many <strong>of</strong> whom have served time in prison for<br />
their role in the conflict.<br />
The course will begin in Dublin, Ireland, examining the<br />
situation from the Irish point <strong>of</strong> view, continue on to Derry<br />
where the infamous Bloody Sunday incident occurred, and end<br />
in Belfast, the center <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> the most intractable violence<br />
<strong>of</strong> The Troubles. In contrast to the conflict and divisions that<br />
have characterized The Troubles, contemporary practitioners,<br />
educators, researchers and other individuals have embraced<br />
a focus on peace and reconciliation. There are many lessons<br />
we will learn from the methodologies they have used, and<br />
are currently using, to heal from decades <strong>of</strong> violence and<br />
conflict.<br />
Where in theWorld is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
noRtHeRn iReland | cHina<br />
Along the way, we will be asking ourselves a number <strong>of</strong><br />
questions: What roles have social workers played in peace<br />
and reconciliation work? What interventions at the macro and<br />
micro levels have been tried within a society whose divisions<br />
have existed for generations? What has worked, and what<br />
has not? And, finally, what does this work tell us about the<br />
divisions in our own country and the role we can play as social<br />
workers in repairing those divisions?<br />
Our hope is that students who participate in this international<br />
experience will gain a deeper commitment to their<br />
responsibility as global citizens, broaden their understanding<br />
<strong>of</strong> the role social work can play in peace and reconciliation<br />
efforts, and learn important skills—both micro and macro—<br />
that can be used in their future practice models.<br />
Learning from the Globe<br />
by Dean Emeritus and Research Scholar Jack Jones, PhD<br />
The Irish emigrate, and—being Irish—so did I. My job-hopping<br />
started when I came to the States for graduate work and shortly<br />
afterwards became dean at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Minnesota-Duluth.<br />
Far too cold there, I switched to the warmer Chinese <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Hong Kong. But feeling homesick for America, I landed back here.<br />
My fascination with international social development, however, really<br />
began in Asia. While in Hong Kong, I had an opportunity to assist in<br />
training courses conducted by various United Nations bodies. Among<br />
the most impressive U.N. agencies was the United Nations Centre<br />
for Regional Development (UNCRD) based in Nagoya, Japan—with a<br />
regional <strong>of</strong>fice in Nairobi, Kenya.<br />
Dean Emeritus Jack Jones visits “old Beijing” in 2000.<br />
In the days <strong>of</strong> telegrams, mine went astray and under the impression<br />
I’d been invited for an interview at DU, I flew to <strong>Denver</strong> only to be<br />
asked when I phoned the chair <strong>of</strong> the Dean’s Search Committee<br />
from the airport, “Jack Who?” But the outcome wasn’t bad, the<br />
job-hopping turned out nicely, and <strong>GSSW</strong> hired me—possibly out<br />
<strong>of</strong> embarrassment. Maybe the United Nations connection helped<br />
a little. At any rate, I was soon able to use that link to advantage.<br />
Thanks to a change in the American-Chinese political climate, my<br />
visit to China in 1987 began <strong>GSSW</strong>’s relationship with Beijing’s<br />
China Youth <strong>University</strong>, and led to a series <strong>of</strong> faculty and student<br />
exchanges. Other research and training projects have followed.<br />
When my days as dean were done, I moved to DU’s Conflict Resolution<br />
Institute as a research pr<strong>of</strong>essor and then, at Dean Williams’ kind<br />
where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>? spring 12 11
invitation, back to <strong>GSSW</strong>. New research and training projects have<br />
been launched, more advanced and challenging than any <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s<br />
earlier ones. The first <strong>of</strong> these, a research and training project on<br />
conflict and human security in Northern Kenya with Dean Williams<br />
as the Principal Investigator, began in 2010. This one-<strong>of</strong>-a-kind<br />
endeavor includes three partners: <strong>GSSW</strong>, the UNCRD Africa Office and the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nairobi for field research. United Nations cooperation with<br />
universities and other institutions is frequent enough, but one where a<br />
university dean heads a U.N. research project is truly rare.<br />
Palgrave Macmillan published our research findings last year in the book,<br />
Conflict and Human Security in Africa: Kenya in Perspective. The data revealed<br />
that the current causes and patterns <strong>of</strong> conflict in Northern Kenya are complex<br />
and intertwined with ethnicity, environmental degradation, competition for<br />
scarce resources and the influx <strong>of</strong> illicit arms from neighboring countries.<br />
Cultural practices such as cattle rustling, along with poor governance and<br />
political incitement, add to Kenya’s problems. Severe poverty is a major cause<br />
<strong>of</strong> insecurity in the region. In fact, scholars believe that reducing poverty<br />
by doubling income would reduce conflict by half. This is because people<br />
who have lost their livestock to either cattle rustling or drought have few<br />
alternatives. Lack <strong>of</strong> a stable economy and employment opportunities, as well<br />
as easy access to guns, have led the country’s youth to engage in criminal<br />
activity such as cattle rustling. That is why creating alternative and sustainable<br />
livelihoods is so important.<br />
Now that the Kenya project is coming to a close, what comes next?<br />
Part <strong>of</strong> the answer lies in continuing the work <strong>of</strong> livelihood capacity-building,<br />
started in Northern Kenya, but applicable to the entire country and beyond.<br />
Opportunities are opening for other U.N.-<strong>GSSW</strong> projects in Africa. For example,<br />
a research project has begun in Botswana, again with Dean Williams as the Principal<br />
Investigator. Dr. Asfaw Kumssa (Coordinator <strong>of</strong> the UNCRD Africa Office) and I are<br />
co-P.I.s. As with the previous project, the team includes a national university—the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Botswana, which Dean Williams visited this March.<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> is now deeply involved in the international arena, serving countries in the<br />
developing world and committed to international social development. So here’s to our<br />
shared global future!<br />
12 spring 12 where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
At the <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Botswana in<br />
Gaborone, Dean<br />
James Herbert<br />
Williams (center)<br />
meets with (L-R)<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Rodreck<br />
Mupedziswa,<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Social Work, and Dr.<br />
Asfaw Kumssa from<br />
the United Nations<br />
Centre for Regional<br />
Development.<br />
Brick-making in Kenya<br />
Clinical Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Philip Tedeschi stands at the<br />
entrance to Kenya’s Watha Cultural Centre.<br />
Kenyan crafters use the<br />
wire to make and sell<br />
“snare art,” creating a more<br />
environmentally sustainable<br />
way to generate income.<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> students in<br />
Kenya remove wire<br />
snares that trap<br />
endangered<br />
animals for the<br />
bushmeat trade.<br />
Promoting Sustainability Through<br />
Capacity-Building<br />
by Clinical Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Philip Tedeschi, MSSW, LCSW-CO<br />
Clinical Director, Institute for Human-Animal Connection<br />
The World Commission on Environment and Development<br />
(WCED) defines sustainable development as that which “meets<br />
the needs <strong>of</strong> the present without compromising the ability <strong>of</strong><br />
future generations to meet their own needs.”<br />
For the past four years, <strong>GSSW</strong> has been translating this concept<br />
into action through MSW courses emphasizing global practice.<br />
Conservation-focused courses and internships are now <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
annually, in Kenya and elsewhere, allowing students to study<br />
the intricate relationship between healthy environments for<br />
people and for animals. This concept, which the<br />
United Nations calls “One Health,” emphasizes<br />
biodiversity and eco-system services as emerging<br />
measures <strong>of</strong> community health and resilience.<br />
The social work concept <strong>of</strong> “person-inenvironment”<br />
does not lose any <strong>of</strong> its potency<br />
when it is applied to the critical conservation<br />
issues people face. On the contrary, at this critical<br />
juncture in our collective efforts to advocate for<br />
biodiversity protection, we must recognize that<br />
empowerment <strong>of</strong> local communities occurs from<br />
the bottom up. This means that our empowerment<br />
efforts must emphasize the practical<br />
realities <strong>of</strong> communities where people work, grow<br />
food, eat and drink, and go to school.<br />
A community’s capacity to advocate for itself<br />
and for environmental health is an important<br />
measure <strong>of</strong> social justice, and the empowerment <strong>of</strong> local people<br />
is at the heart <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s immersion service learning courses and<br />
internships. These experiences help students develop the social<br />
work skills and cultural competencies they need to assess and<br />
facilitate solutions to problems within communities that are very<br />
different from their own.<br />
In the MSW course “Social Work in Kenya: Context, Empowerment<br />
and Sustainability,” we collaborate with the African Network<br />
for Animal Welfare to apply concepts <strong>of</strong> ecological economics,<br />
sustainable wildlife management models and cost-benefit valuation<br />
to understanding the roles <strong>of</strong> local people, tribal structure,<br />
government and private/public partnerships intended to create<br />
Where in theWorld is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
Botswana | Kenya<br />
improved sustainable models. Unless sustainable alternatives<br />
are provided to these areas, human-animal conflict arises as<br />
impoverished people poach animals for income or to meet basic<br />
needs.<br />
In addition to removing snares used to trap endangered animals,<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> students work with communities to promote conservation<br />
and animal welfare. For example, they helped introduce<br />
community-building solutions like high-compression brick-making<br />
machines that <strong>of</strong>fer people a sustainable livelihood. Students also<br />
have become friends, advisors and customers <strong>of</strong> a cultural center<br />
established within Kenya’s Watha community to generate income<br />
from ecotourism. Here, local members demonstrate and preserve a<br />
wide range <strong>of</strong> cultural practices, native dances and basket-weaving<br />
skills that provide environmentally friendly sources <strong>of</strong> income.<br />
Social work and the supporting academic infrastructure can<br />
support these communities’ efforts by establishing best practices<br />
and evidence-based approaches that influence the way scientists,<br />
researchers, policy-makers and businesses think about, and interact<br />
with, our environment. The most powerful point <strong>of</strong> intervention<br />
in the environmental movement is occurring with people on a<br />
local level, a level well-suited for social worker participation.<br />
The Watha:<br />
A Displaced<br />
Culture in Kenya<br />
by Cori Noordyk, concentration<br />
year MSW student<br />
While driving through Tsavo East<br />
National Park, one <strong>of</strong> the oldest<br />
and largest parks in Kenya,<br />
Kazungu suddenly stopped the<br />
Land Cruiser and looked out the<br />
window. He swept his arm across<br />
the horizon in a grand and proud<br />
gesture. “This is where the Watha<br />
used to live,” he said.<br />
MSW student<br />
Cori Noordyk<br />
in Kenya<br />
I stood up through the opening<br />
in the ro<strong>of</strong> and saw the burgeoning river winding through an<br />
expanse <strong>of</strong> plush green meadow. “Kazungu, it is beautiful,” I said.<br />
“Yes, yes,” was his solemn response.<br />
The Watha now live on a small square <strong>of</strong> land on the outskirts <strong>of</strong><br />
Tsavo East National Park. They were once a tribe who lived <strong>of</strong>f the<br />
where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>? spring 12 13
Where in theWorld is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
Kenya<br />
land, eating the fresh foods provided to<br />
them naturally by their environment.<br />
Now they grow corn in poor soil, pay for<br />
their water and keep chickens in coops.<br />
In less than 100 years, their entire way<br />
<strong>of</strong> life has been completely changed. A<br />
large portion <strong>of</strong> their cultural identity<br />
was connected with the land and the<br />
animals that surrounded them.<br />
There are many parallels between the<br />
way the American government and the<br />
Kenyan government have treated the<br />
people native to their countries. As a<br />
result, the Watha and Native Americans<br />
have a great deal in common. Because<br />
they have experienced historical<br />
trauma and displacement, many<br />
native Kenyan people today live in<br />
poverty and out <strong>of</strong> harmony with<br />
their environment.<br />
The Watha are experiencing more<br />
than just displacement from their<br />
original homelands. They are also<br />
seeing the degradation <strong>of</strong> elephants<br />
and rhinos, with which they used to<br />
live in harmony. Poaching has risen<br />
within the last 60 years, reaching<br />
an all-time high in 2011. For the Watha, the killing <strong>of</strong> an elephant<br />
or rhino always had deep cultural meaning; the animal’s life was<br />
respected, and every portion <strong>of</strong> its body was used. Now the Watha<br />
see these sacred animals left to rot with only a fraction <strong>of</strong> their<br />
bodies taken away. Some community members have themselves<br />
resorted to poaching other herd animals, like impala or water<br />
buffalo, because their crops are not generating sufficient income.<br />
Traveling to Africa and working side-by-side with the Watha<br />
helped me gain perspective on the deep connection between<br />
the environment and social work. Conservation <strong>of</strong> our planet is<br />
imperative for the success <strong>of</strong> humans as a species—who happen<br />
to make up much <strong>of</strong> our client base. As social workers, I believe<br />
that if we are committed to conservation in the same way we are<br />
committed to our clients, we will see a drastic improvement in<br />
both our social and environmental surroundings.<br />
Click here to read student and faculty blogs from Kenya.<br />
14 spring 12 where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
An Africa That Never Was<br />
by Jane Boone, MSW ’11<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> Pawsitive Connection, a Freedom Service Dogs program<br />
Africa holds a place in my mind that is one part fantasy, one part<br />
history and one part reality. My journey into our modern day Heart<br />
<strong>of</strong> Darkness began with a book. No, not that book, but rather a<br />
series <strong>of</strong> fiction that swept Africa’s lands and rich history. I was<br />
drawn into these narratives and images <strong>of</strong> desolate sand dunes,<br />
rich dense jungles, and people who spoke languages that sounded<br />
like nothing I had ever heard. I was captured by a history that was<br />
fabulous in its brutality—and an Africa was born in my mind that<br />
held within its borders the last place on earth that was untouched,<br />
unsullied, un-Americanized.<br />
The real Africa is not the Africa <strong>of</strong> my dreams. It is a land that <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
so many dichotomous images that it can be almost impossible to<br />
wrap my head around this “real” Africa. The Africa that I came to<br />
know through two trips to this incredible continent was an Africa<br />
where I could pet lions and drink Coke; where I drove in cars down<br />
roads lined with baboons; where the people sang and danced ancient<br />
rituals wearing Nike t-shirts. This is the real Africa, and it is a place<br />
that is not without flaws. This discovery created a new Africa for<br />
me. Out <strong>of</strong> the shattered pieces <strong>of</strong> my idealized perspective came a<br />
new understanding and a greater appreciation.<br />
I traveled to Kenya in the winter <strong>of</strong> 2010 with a group from the<br />
Graduate School <strong>of</strong> Social Work at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong>. We<br />
came to study conservation social work, but in my heart was the<br />
knowledge that I was traveling thousands <strong>of</strong> miles to live and<br />
breathe Africa, and for me Africa is indistinguishable from its<br />
animals; they are one and the same. What I found was a country<br />
that was bitterly pitted against the one thing that defines it in<br />
my mind. Kenya—the lion king, the great migration, the animals<br />
—was waging a war. People plagued by animals who are plagued<br />
by people. This idea was at first baffling. How could elephants in<br />
your backyard possibly be a bad thing? How could these people not<br />
see the beauty that surrounded them?<br />
During our trip we traveled to a rural village at the foot <strong>of</strong> Mt.<br />
Kasigau to visit the Rukanga people. It was this place—these<br />
people—that define the contradictions that I struggle to unify in<br />
my mind. I was the first to step <strong>of</strong>f the bus as we pulled up to the<br />
community center. The view <strong>of</strong> Mt. Kasigau was exquisite—one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the most beautiful places I had ever been. It seemed that the<br />
moment my feet touched the ground, I found myself in the arms<br />
<strong>of</strong> a very enthusiastic, singing, black woman. I was swept up in a<br />
series <strong>of</strong> hugs, kisses, tears and exclamations, most <strong>of</strong> which I could<br />
not understand. It was a greeting that I will never forget, and I felt as though I had<br />
found a mythical people in an untouched place.<br />
We spent about four days with the Rukanga people, and not all <strong>of</strong> it was as<br />
magical as that first moment. Our last meal—one that had been prepared for us<br />
at what I can only imagine was great expense—was a celebration, a goodbye, a<br />
thank you for our work there. We were seated in a semi-circle watching as the<br />
women put the finishing touches on the meal, and a stray dog wandered into<br />
the circle, drawn by the smell <strong>of</strong> the food. A man, a member <strong>of</strong> my mythical<br />
imaginings, took a stick and hit the dog, chasing him away. Tears welled up in<br />
my eyes—a hysterical desire to run to the dog and protect it taking shape in<br />
my thoughts. I forced myself to remain seated, to bow my head and control my<br />
tears, to laugh along with my peers. But this moment created a rift—how to<br />
knit together the image <strong>of</strong> that first welcome, that beautiful moment, with this<br />
single act <strong>of</strong> cruelty? To me, that place, those people and that experience, have<br />
come to define Africa: a continent <strong>of</strong> great beauty,<br />
filled with beautiful people and rife with cruelties.<br />
Although that moment lives on in my mind as a type<br />
<strong>of</strong> reality check when I get too nostalgic about an<br />
Africa that exists only in fiction, it does not change<br />
my deep love for Kenya. In fact, what I took away<br />
from that trip was so much more than the sum <strong>of</strong> its<br />
parts. No moment or single experience can describe<br />
what I took with me when I left.<br />
When I think back on our 14 days traveling both<br />
across the land, and sometimes back through time,<br />
I remember the bristling feeling <strong>of</strong> the elephants we<br />
played with and how their drooping eyes seemed<br />
to look straight through me. I remember walking<br />
through the bush sharing ideas and exchanging Boone learns the intricacies <strong>of</strong> using sisal to weave<br />
thoughts with the ANAW (Africa Network for baskets, an eco-friendly means <strong>of</strong> generating income<br />
because sisal can easily be replanted.<br />
Animal Welfare) staff. I can remember the feeling<br />
<strong>of</strong> being surrounded by the sounds <strong>of</strong> the night and<br />
how it made me snuggle further down into my blanket. I remember being in<br />
the homes <strong>of</strong> the families we visited, and seeing beauty in the simplicity <strong>of</strong><br />
their lifestyle while at the same time being thankful for all the conveniences<br />
I have at my fingertips. I remember walking through the slum—the smell, the<br />
claustrophobia, the faces <strong>of</strong> the children staring at us.<br />
Although my perception <strong>of</strong> Africa has changed to something more real and less<br />
idealistic, I find that my love <strong>of</strong> Africa and my desire to return are not lessened.<br />
Perhaps the biggest lesson I have taken from my experience is that, even if the<br />
reality <strong>of</strong> Africa is messy and complicated and difficult to process, it is no less<br />
beautiful for being real.<br />
This article originally appeared in the ANAW 2011 Journal <strong>of</strong> Animal Welfare,<br />
Vol. 4, and has been reprinted with the organization’s permission.<br />
Jane Boone (MSW ’11) shares the<br />
joy <strong>of</strong> mud with a new friend.<br />
Boone practices a traditional dance at the<br />
Watha Cultural Centre.<br />
where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>? spring 12 15
16 spring 12 where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
Adjunct Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Sarah<br />
Bexell (center)<br />
with concentration<br />
year MSW students<br />
Kelsey Holmes<br />
and Samantha<br />
“Sam” Rabins<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> in Sichuan Province,<br />
China: Conservation Social<br />
Work in Action<br />
by Research Scholar-in-Residence and<br />
Adjunct Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Sarah M. Bexell, PhD<br />
Institute for Human-Animal Connection<br />
I have worked for the past 12 years in Chengdu, the<br />
capitol <strong>of</strong> China’s Sichuan Province, with the Chengdu<br />
Research Base <strong>of</strong> Giant Panda Breeding. Throughout<br />
this time, my colleagues and I have forged strong<br />
relationships with pr<strong>of</strong>essors<br />
at Sichuan <strong>University</strong>, Sichuan<br />
Normal <strong>University</strong> and many<br />
international and domestic non-<br />
governmental organizations.<br />
Our aim is to better understand<br />
the human strain on the<br />
natural environment and how<br />
it impacts wildlife health and<br />
human health.<br />
In 2010 and 2011, I had the<br />
honor <strong>of</strong> taking <strong>GSSW</strong> students<br />
to China for six-week summer<br />
internships. Now we are pre-<br />
paring for another exciting<br />
summer <strong>of</strong> work and learning<br />
in Sichuan, and next year we’ll be <strong>of</strong>fering a new MSW<br />
service-learning course in addition to the internship.<br />
Entitled “Connecting Social and Environmental<br />
Sciences: Biodiversity Health and Ecological Systems in<br />
Southwest China,” the new course will focus on the<br />
rapidly growing field <strong>of</strong> conservation social work.<br />
China exhibits some <strong>of</strong> the world’s most severe<br />
biodiversity declines, with impacts on human<br />
health and social stability already prevalent. Both<br />
the internship and the new course are designed to<br />
introduce students to the social, economic, cultural,<br />
health, environmental and conservation issues <strong>of</strong><br />
urban and rural China. The students will have the<br />
opportunity to integrate hands-on research with<br />
service-learning projects and field work in the urban areas<br />
<strong>of</strong> Chengdu (a city <strong>of</strong> 14-million people) and remote areas<br />
<strong>of</strong> rural Sichuan Province. These experiences will allow the<br />
students to gain firsthand knowledge <strong>of</strong> the environmental<br />
and social challenges facing China and, in turn, the world.<br />
Today, no country operates in a bubble, especially when it<br />
comes to environmental concerns that impact human health<br />
globally: air, water and soil pollution, emerging infectious<br />
diseases, food security, dwindling natural resources and<br />
much more. As the fight for global health reaches a tipping<br />
point, I can barely contain my excitement about the critical<br />
partnerships that are developing between conservationists<br />
and social workers.<br />
The conservation community has been working for decades<br />
to turn the tide toward a healthier human presence in the<br />
world, but thus far has been working in vain. We desperately<br />
need partners in the social sciences, and especially in<br />
social work, community organizing and international social<br />
development, to help us better engage with all citizens to<br />
protect Earth, our life support system.<br />
The social work community is committed to human health<br />
and well-being, but without a healthy planet, it cannot fulfill<br />
its mission. I have great hope that, together, we can ensure<br />
a future for humanity by protecting our planet and the<br />
amazing others with whom we share our land and waters.<br />
Conserving Our Environment<br />
One Panda at a Time<br />
by Kelsey Holmes, concentration year MSW student<br />
After four airports, two flight delays, one briefly lost piece<br />
<strong>of</strong> luggage and just seconds to adjust to Chinese toilets, my<br />
MSW classmate Samantha Rabins and I finally arrived at<br />
Chengdu in China’s Sichuan Province. Earlier in the year,<br />
Sam and I separately applied for an internship that focused<br />
on vital conservation issues and their direct influence on<br />
human mental health. Our shared interests led us to Dr.<br />
Sarah Bexell, Director <strong>of</strong> Conservation Education at the<br />
Chengdu Research Base <strong>of</strong> Giant Panda Breeding. It was<br />
Where in theWorld is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
cHina<br />
here that we would spend the next six weeks studying and<br />
educating others on these environmental issues.<br />
Waking up on our first day in Chengdu, Sam and I eagerly<br />
gazed out <strong>of</strong> our balcony window at the unfamiliar view<br />
below. It seemed as if all <strong>of</strong> the city’s 14-million people<br />
had gathered on the streets below! Mopeds, bicycles and<br />
walkers filled the sidewalks, while buses, trucks and taxis<br />
filled the streets. To our left was an elementary school filled<br />
with children; to our right, hotels and shops seemed to be<br />
popping up daily. Straight ahead, where we expected the<br />
mountains to be, there was nothing but smog—a logical<br />
result, considering all <strong>of</strong> the activity in this busy city.<br />
Although Chengdu is buzzing with people, it is also home<br />
to the Panda Research Base, a beautiful green escape from<br />
city life. Here the air seemed fresher, the sun brighter and<br />
the trees bigger. Sam and I were fortunate to be given the<br />
opportunity to work at the Base daily, with wonderful staff,<br />
educating English-speaking visitors about giant pandas<br />
and their close relationship to conservation issues. Our<br />
education hut was directly across from the enclosure for the<br />
one-year-old pandas, and we found their cuteness completely<br />
intoxicating: their cub-to-cub play dates, constant eating <strong>of</strong><br />
bamboo and talent for sleeping high up in a tree.<br />
To our surprise, the most common question we were asked<br />
was not, “Why are pandas so darn cute?” but rather “What<br />
are two social work students from the United States doing on<br />
a Panda Base in China?” Our answer was always the same:<br />
conservation. By conserving our environment, we explained,<br />
we can directly increase positive mental health in humans.<br />
Think about it: Aren’t you happier on a beautiful day when<br />
you can walk down the street or hike up a mountain while<br />
breathing clean air? Yet climate change, overpopulation,<br />
pollution, and fragmentation and loss <strong>of</strong> wildlife habitats<br />
are having devastating effects on our planet. By educating<br />
ourselves, and understanding the importance <strong>of</strong> “living<br />
lightly,” we can help reduce these negative impacts and try to<br />
rehabilitate the world.<br />
Learning about these important issues in an environment<br />
like Chengdu was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for both<br />
Sam and me. Our knowledge will help us improve our world<br />
so the next generation can enjoy it as much as we do.<br />
where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>? spring 12 17
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Julie Laser at the<br />
Summer Palace in Beijing<br />
Ann Howie<br />
(standing in<br />
doorway at<br />
rear) with<br />
health care<br />
workers in<br />
Santiago,<br />
Chilé.<br />
Howie (right) at Japan’s<br />
Miyagi Prefecture South Nursery<br />
18 spring 12 where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
Research and Teaching in China<br />
by Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Julie Laser, PhD<br />
During my nine years at <strong>GSSW</strong>, I have worked on two distinct, but interrelated,<br />
projects in China. The first is a collaborative study <strong>of</strong> everyday resilience among<br />
Chinese youth, similar to research I previously conducted in Japan, Korea, Senegal<br />
and the United States. I also created and led an MSW course focused on social work<br />
in China. Both projects continue a research and academic collaboration between<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> and Beijing’s China Youth <strong>University</strong> that began more than 18 years ago.<br />
Everyday Resilience in Youth Projects<br />
My Everyday Resilience in Youth (ERY) projects investigate the concept <strong>of</strong><br />
resilience, by culture and gender, by researching the factors that protect or<br />
promote healthy development for youth, as well as the risk factors that are<br />
particularly deleterious to youth. To best understand these protective and risk<br />
factors for youth from each country, it is imperative that those<br />
who know youth best are partners in the research process.<br />
Therefore, my ERY projects are conducted in collaboration with<br />
youth experts in each host country.<br />
Researchers from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia<br />
and New Zealand have found a great deal <strong>of</strong> commonality in<br />
terms <strong>of</strong> protective factors and risk factors for youth. Yet, until<br />
recently, virtually nothing has been known about resilience from<br />
a “non-western” perspective.<br />
I have created the two base survey instruments that the ERY<br />
projects use. The Laser Ecological Protective Factors for Youth-<br />
Revised (LEPFY-R) is designed to assess potential protective<br />
factors and has 151 items, with responses provided on a fivepoint<br />
Likert scale. Questions include internal, family, peer,<br />
neighborhood and school protective factors that a youth may<br />
possess or have in her or his environment. The 114-item Life<br />
Events Survey <strong>of</strong> Youth-Revised (LESY-R) measures potential risk<br />
factors in the youth’s development, family, peer, neighborhood,<br />
school and media influences. Responses also are given on a five-point Likert scale.<br />
Both instruments are modified by knowledgeable people in the countries where the<br />
research is being conducted. The instruments, with culturally appropriate modifications,<br />
have been used by over 3,500 respondents in Ghana, Japan, China, Korea, Senegal and<br />
the United States. Both instruments have good reliability and validity. As part <strong>of</strong> the data<br />
analysis, male and female sub-samples are evaluated.<br />
Over time, having a base survey instrument that remains constant enables me to study<br />
resilience across cultures, by region and by gender. Modifying the instruments slightly<br />
in each culture allows me to better understand resilience in each specific country. This<br />
combination allows me to better understand both universal risk and protective factors<br />
and those that are most pertinent to a particular culture, region and gender.<br />
Everyday Resilience in Chinese Youth<br />
An investigation <strong>of</strong> youth resiliency in China has never been undertaken and is a<br />
fascinating new exploration into the mechanisms <strong>of</strong> protective and risk factors.<br />
Conducted in collaboration with Dr. Li Yan Ping at the China Youth<br />
<strong>University</strong> in Beijing, this study is a continuation <strong>of</strong> a collaborative<br />
relationship with <strong>GSSW</strong> that began in 1994.<br />
The sample consisted <strong>of</strong> 1,292 youth attending post-secondary schools<br />
in the Beijing area. The schools differed in prestige and academic focus;<br />
along with two vocational schools, there were two-year colleges, fouryear<br />
colleges and four-year universities. We evaluated the risk factors<br />
that contributed to outcomes <strong>of</strong> delinquency, internalizing behavior,<br />
substance abuse and sexual acting out, as well as protective factors<br />
that increased the likelihood <strong>of</strong> resiliency.<br />
Social Work from a Chinese Perspective<br />
Social work strives to understand the person in the environment.<br />
Similarly, as environments vary, so does social work practice.<br />
“Social Work from a Chinese Perspective,” the MSW course I<br />
developed and taught for the first time in 2006, provided students<br />
with an opportunity to learn in the classroom about China’s social,<br />
cultural, historical, political and economic characteristics, then<br />
see firsthand how these characteristics have made Chinese social<br />
work distinctive.<br />
In Beijing, students attended lectures given by faculty at China<br />
Youth <strong>University</strong> (CYU), participated in discussions with social<br />
work students, visited social work organizations and important<br />
cultural landmarks, and took part in a nightly synthesis <strong>of</strong> their<br />
new knowledge and experiences.<br />
After five years <strong>of</strong> teaching this course, I conducted a survey to<br />
determine its long-term outcomes. The survey focused on my<br />
former students’ knowledge about China, as well as how the<br />
course has influenced their personal growth, world outlook and<br />
development as social workers.<br />
The survey results were very encouraging. Eighty-five percent<br />
<strong>of</strong> the former students believed the course helped them better<br />
understand others, and 80 percent said they gained better insight<br />
into themselves. All <strong>of</strong> those surveyed believed the course<br />
increased their international awareness, nearly 90 percent said<br />
it changed their world-view, and more than 60 percent said it<br />
changed the way they understand their own nationality, as well<br />
as their level <strong>of</strong> responsibility as Americans and world citizens.<br />
Ninety-two percent <strong>of</strong> the students believed the course helped<br />
them become better social workers, and nearly three-quarters<br />
said their approach to social work was different because <strong>of</strong> their<br />
participation in the China program.<br />
As these survey results clearly illustrate, well-organized international<br />
experiences can greatly enhance social work education, deepen<br />
and sustain students’ commitment to social justice, and have an<br />
enduring effect on their future social work practice.<br />
Where in theWorld is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
cHina | Japan | cHilé<br />
Taking Animal-Assisted<br />
Interventions to Japan and Chilé<br />
by Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development Adjunct Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Ann R. Howie,<br />
LICSW, ACSW<br />
Principal, Human-Animal Solutions, LLC<br />
As an instructor in <strong>GSSW</strong>’s online Continuing Pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
Development Certificate, “Animals and Human Health,” I’ve taught<br />
a wide variety <strong>of</strong> human service pr<strong>of</strong>essionals how to incorporate<br />
animal-assisted interventions into their practice. Over the past<br />
six years, our more than 150 Certificate students have come from<br />
across the country and around the world. During the past year, I<br />
also had the pleasure <strong>of</strong> speaking on this topic before audiences<br />
in Japan and Chilé.<br />
At the end <strong>of</strong> August, I made four presentations at the Japan<br />
Association <strong>of</strong> Pet Dog Trainers (JAPDT) annual conference: Making<br />
Accommodations for People with Disabilities, Using Therapy Dog<br />
Classes to Prepare Animal-Assisted Interactions (AAI) Handlers,<br />
Handling Skills to Enhance AAI, and Motivational Training<br />
Methods. This was the first year JAPDT included training about<br />
therapy dogs, and I was the only foreign speaker. I also lectured<br />
on key AAI skills at the Kitasato <strong>University</strong> School <strong>of</strong> Veterinary<br />
Medicine, and on manifestations <strong>of</strong> grief at a meeting <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Veterinary Medical Association <strong>of</strong> Miyagi Prefecture. In addition, I<br />
participated in strategic meetings with Japanese leaders in the AAI<br />
and veterinary pr<strong>of</strong>essions.<br />
Out <strong>of</strong> respect for the efforts <strong>of</strong> the Japanese people to recover<br />
from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, I donated part<br />
<strong>of</strong> my lecture fee to replace damaged furniture and equipment<br />
at Miyagi Prefecture’s South Nursery. The child-care center and<br />
nursery school moved into a senior center after the tsunami<br />
destroyed their building.<br />
In January, I taught a three-day pr<strong>of</strong>essional development course<br />
at Universidad Santo Tomas in Santiago, Chilé. The course was<br />
designed to train human healthcare pr<strong>of</strong>essionals how to write<br />
AAI treatment plans and work with volunteers who provide<br />
AAI for their clients. As an advocate for therapy animal welfare<br />
and well-being, I also provided training on how to recognize<br />
behavioral signs <strong>of</strong> therapy animal stress, as well as strategies to<br />
mediate such stress during AAI. The course was sponsored by the<br />
veterinary school at Universidad Santo Tomas and by Corporacion<br />
dos Amigos, a local group <strong>of</strong> volunteers that provides pr<strong>of</strong>essionallevel<br />
AAI to various facilities in Santiago.<br />
Find more information about “Animals and Human Health” and<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong>’s other Continuing Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development options by<br />
clicking here.<br />
where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>? spring 12 19
Doctoral Program Draws Students<br />
from Around the Globe<br />
International students have been an integral part <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s<br />
doctoral program for many years, and several cohorts in the<br />
late 1990s were composed almost entirely <strong>of</strong> students from<br />
outside the U. S. Although the 9/11 terrorist attacks sharply<br />
reduced the number <strong>of</strong> international students applying to the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong> for several years, that number has since<br />
risen steadily. <strong>GSSW</strong>’s current PhD students include citizens <strong>of</strong><br />
China, Israel, South Africa and South Korea.<br />
Jie Feng<br />
Third-year PhD student Jie Feng focuses her research on<br />
multicultural-community practice, particularly women’s issues<br />
and empowerment, as well as international program development<br />
and management and social work administration. She earned<br />
her Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Social Work degree at China Women’s <strong>University</strong>,<br />
followed by an MSW from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Manitoba.<br />
“Although I was inspired by my study experience in Canada, I<br />
began to doubt that my passion for working with Chinese rural<br />
women was sufficient to truly help my oppressed sisters,” Feng<br />
explains. “Fortunately, I am now working with Dr. Jean East,<br />
whose expertise in empowerment theory and community practice<br />
has helped clarify a path toward achieving my goals.”<br />
Feng’s pr<strong>of</strong>essional experience includes two years as a trainer<br />
and supervisor at China Women’s Federation in Inner Mongolia,<br />
Sichuan and Shandong. With several scholarly publications and<br />
presentations to her credit, Feng is a recipient <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Enid O.<br />
Cox Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, as well as DU’s Doctoral Fellowship for<br />
Inclusive Excellence and Graduate Studies Doctoral Fellowship.<br />
“I hope my future expertise in international women’s<br />
development will benefit oppressed women throughout the<br />
world through participatory research, in both the academic arena<br />
and the field,” she says.<br />
20 spring 12 where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
cHina | isRael | soutH afRica | soutH KoRea<br />
First-year PhD student Lin Jiang completed her Bachelor’s degree<br />
at the Fudan <strong>University</strong>, one <strong>of</strong> China’s top three universities,<br />
then earned her MSW degree from the Chinese <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Hong<br />
Lin Jiang<br />
Kong. Prior to entering <strong>GSSW</strong>’s doctoral program, she worked as<br />
a registered social worker in Hong Kong and provided premarital<br />
counseling as a part-time bridal consultant in mainland China.<br />
Jiang’s doctoral research focuses on gerontology, comparing online<br />
activities and computer-based communication among Chinese<br />
older adults with that <strong>of</strong> their American counterparts. In addition<br />
to examining social support and communication among seniors,<br />
she’s also studying their civic engagement and online searches for<br />
health information.<br />
Jiang says she chose <strong>GSSW</strong> because <strong>of</strong> its excellent reputation,<br />
diversity and international focus. “Being one <strong>of</strong> the PhD students<br />
here is like adding wings to my dream <strong>of</strong> contributing to the<br />
gerontology area <strong>of</strong> social work,” she says. “In addition, <strong>GSSW</strong><br />
has focused on the social work pr<strong>of</strong>ession in China since 1994. A<br />
course like ‘Social Work from a Chinese Perspective’ [added to the<br />
MSW curriculum in 2006] is rare in the United States and proves<br />
that <strong>GSSW</strong> is familiar with Chinese society and issues.”<br />
After graduation, Jiang plans to seek a pr<strong>of</strong>essorship at a university<br />
in the United States where she can continue her research and<br />
teach doctoral courses on statistics and research methods.<br />
Second-year doctoral student Hagit Brandes is from Israel, where<br />
she earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Haifa <strong>University</strong>.<br />
She also did post-graduate work in animal-assisted emotional<br />
therapy at Oranim College in Kiryat Tivon.<br />
Brandes is conducting research on the human-animal connection<br />
and the human-environment connection, exploring how these<br />
relationships affect human well-being and how they can explain<br />
social problems. She’s also examining how interventions that<br />
facilitate human connection to, and relationships with, animals<br />
and the environment can <strong>of</strong>fer solutions to social problems. She<br />
plans to focus her doctoral dissertation on reducing children’s<br />
aggressive behavior through animal-assisted intervention.<br />
“As the field <strong>of</strong> animal-assisted practice is becoming more<br />
widespread, it is important to me that I work with pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
leaders in this field and contribute to the scientific rigor that<br />
validates our work with animals,” Brandes explains. “That led<br />
to my choice to come to <strong>GSSW</strong>. As far as I know, it is the only<br />
university that approaches animal-assisted work from the social<br />
science perspective. I also wanted to work with Dr. Frank Ascione<br />
and Philip Tedeschi in <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Institute for Human-Animal<br />
Connection.”<br />
Hagit Brandes<br />
South Africa’s Badiah Haffejee<br />
(MSW ’11) received the Jean<br />
Peart Sinnock Award at her<br />
MSW graduation last June for<br />
her overall contribution to<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong>, commitment to social<br />
justice and representation <strong>of</strong><br />
the social work pr<strong>of</strong>ession.<br />
Now a first-year PhD student,<br />
she serves as the doctoral<br />
student representative on<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong>’s Advisory Council on<br />
Racial Diversity and for the<br />
student organization, Shades<br />
<strong>of</strong> Brown Alliance.<br />
Once she completes<br />
her PhD, Brandes<br />
says she hopes to<br />
continue research<br />
and teaching in<br />
the animal-assisted<br />
field, contributing<br />
to the development<br />
<strong>of</strong> this new and<br />
exciting discipline.<br />
Haffejee’s primary research Badiah Haffejee<br />
interest is immigration policy<br />
and how it relates to refugee women. Currently, she’s is focusing on<br />
refugee educational disparities in the American public education<br />
system, particularly family culture/school culture conflicts. She’s<br />
also examining cross-cultural challenges parents face when<br />
interacting with the school system and supporting their child’s<br />
education in a new country.<br />
“I chose to pursue my doctoral education at <strong>GSSW</strong> because <strong>of</strong><br />
its excellent mentors and its commitment to local, national<br />
and international involvement,” Haffejee explains. “As an MSW<br />
Where in theWorld is <strong>GSSW</strong>?<br />
student, I met the most awe-inspiring members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>GSSW</strong><br />
community, whose unwavering support and insight provided me<br />
with a rich academic experience, including an intellectual and<br />
empowering personal journey. <strong>GSSW</strong>’s faculty and staff combine<br />
authenticity with kindness and compassion.”<br />
After completing her PhD, Haffejee plans to become a pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
<strong>of</strong> international social work, continue her research and establish<br />
a non-pr<strong>of</strong>it organization designed to “heal refugee women from<br />
within” by addressing resettled individuals’ emotional, physical<br />
and educational needs.<br />
Songmin Kim<br />
Before he joined <strong>GSSW</strong>’s doctoral program, second-year PhD<br />
student Songmin Kim earned a Bachelor’s degree in economics<br />
from Yeungnam <strong>University</strong> in South Korea, a graduate degree in<br />
counseling psychology from Keimyung <strong>University</strong>’s Graduate<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Education and a Master <strong>of</strong> Divinity in pastoral counseling<br />
from the <strong>Denver</strong> Seminary. His research centers on social<br />
service delivery at the community level through faith-based<br />
organizations, especially local Christian churches. He’s also<br />
interested in integrating elements <strong>of</strong> Christian spirituality into<br />
social work practice, and he’s exploring a community-based<br />
research model that emphasizes collaborative problem-solving<br />
by community members, academic faculty and practitioners.<br />
“<strong>GSSW</strong> is one <strong>of</strong> the few schools that welcomes students from<br />
other disciplinary backgrounds and provides an environment that<br />
encourages students to pursue their own academic interests,” says<br />
Kim, who is also a candidate for ordination in the Presbyterian<br />
Church <strong>of</strong> the United States <strong>of</strong> America.<br />
Kim’s pr<strong>of</strong>essional goals include teaching, conducting research on<br />
the role <strong>of</strong> religious organizations in delivering social services at the<br />
neighborhood level and working with local Christian churches to find<br />
more effective ways <strong>of</strong> meeting individual and community needs.<br />
where in the world is <strong>GSSW</strong>? spring 12 21
gssw faculty news<br />
reCent FaCuLty &<br />
DoCtoraL SChoLarShip<br />
Book Chapters<br />
Leversee, T. (2011). Understanding and applying typologies in the context <strong>of</strong> a<br />
holistic model for the treatment <strong>of</strong> sexually <strong>of</strong>fending juveniles. In Calder, M.<br />
(Ed.). Contemporary practice with young people who sexually abuse. Holyoke,<br />
MA: NEARI press.<br />
Anthony, E. & Nicotera, N. (2011). The role <strong>of</strong> neighborhoods in adolescent<br />
development. In R.J. Levesque (Ed.). Encyclopedia <strong>of</strong> adolescence (pp. 1869-<br />
1881). New York, NY: Springer.<br />
McCauley, S., Nicotera, N., Fretz, E., Nickels, S., Agnoletti, C., Goedert, H.,<br />
Neff, E., Rowe, T., Takeall, R. (2011). Civic leadership and public achievement<br />
at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong>’s Center for Community Engagement and Service<br />
Learning. In N. V. Longo & C. Gibson (Eds.). From command to community: A<br />
new approach to leadership education in colleges and universities (pp. 149-<br />
168). Medford, MA: Tufts <strong>University</strong> Press.<br />
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles<br />
Altschul, I. (2011). Parental involvement and the academic achievement <strong>of</strong><br />
Mexican American youths: What kinds <strong>of</strong> involvement in youths’ education<br />
matter most? Social Work Research, 35(3), 159-170.<br />
Altschul, I. & Lee, S. J. (2011). Direct and mediated effects <strong>of</strong> nativity and other<br />
indicators <strong>of</strong> acculturation on Hispanic mothers’ use <strong>of</strong> physical aggression.<br />
Child Maltreatment 16(4).<br />
Lee, S. J., Altschul, I., Shair, S., & Taylor, C. (2011). Hispanic fathers and risk for<br />
maltreatment in father involved families with young children. Journal <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Society for Social Work and Research 2(2), 125-142.<br />
Bender, K. A., Brisson, D., Jenson, J. M., Forrest-Bank, S. S., Lopez, A., & Yoder,<br />
J. (2011). Challenges and strategies for conducting program-based research in<br />
after-school settings. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 28, 319-334.<br />
Bender, K., Tripodi, S. J., Sarteschi, C., & Vaughn, M. G. (2011). A meta-analysis<br />
<strong>of</strong> interventions to reduce adolescent cannabis use. Research on Social Work<br />
Practice, 21, 153-164.<br />
Bender, K., Postlethwait, A., Thompson, S. J., & Springer, D. W. (2011). Internalizing<br />
symptoms linking youth’s maltreatment and delinquent behavior. Child<br />
Welfare, 90, 69-89.<br />
Ferguson, K.M., Bender, K., Thompson, S. J., Xie, B., & Pollio, D. (2011).<br />
Correlates <strong>of</strong> street-survival behaviors in homeless young adults in four U. S.<br />
cities. American Journal <strong>of</strong> Orthopsychiatry, 81(3), 401-409.<br />
Thompson, S. J., Bender, K., Cardoso, J. B., & Flynn, P. M. (2011). Experiential<br />
activities in family therapy: Perceptions <strong>of</strong> caregivers and youth. Journal <strong>of</strong><br />
Child and Family Studies.<br />
Thompson, S. J., Bender, K., Kim, J. (2011). Family factors as predictors <strong>of</strong><br />
depression among runaway youth: Do males and females differ? The Child<br />
and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 28, 35-48.<br />
Tripodi, S. & Bender, K. (2011). Substance abuse treatment for juvenile<br />
<strong>of</strong>fenders: A review <strong>of</strong> quasi-experimental and experimental research. The<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Criminal Justice, 39, 246-252.<br />
Brisson, D. & Altschul, I. (2011). Collective efficacy predicting experience <strong>of</strong> material<br />
hardship in low-income neighborhoods. Urban Affairs Review, 47(4), 541-563.<br />
Williford, A. P., Brisson, D., Bender, K. A., Jenson, J. M. & Forrest-Bank, S. (2011).<br />
Patterns <strong>of</strong> aggressive behavior and peer victimization from childhood to early<br />
adolescence: A latent class analysis. Journal <strong>of</strong> Youth and Adolescence, 40, 644-655.<br />
22 spring 12 gssw faculty news<br />
Dettlaff, A., Rivaux, S., Baumann, D. J., Fluke, J. D., & Rycraft, J. R. (2011),<br />
Disentangling substantiation: The influence <strong>of</strong> race, income, and risk on the<br />
substantiation decision in child welfare. Children and Youth Services Review,<br />
33 (9), 1630-1637.<br />
Gilbert, R., Fluke, J., O’Donnell, M., Gonzalez-Izquierdo, A., Brownell, M.,<br />
Gulliver, P., Janson, S., & Sidebotham, P. (December, 2011). Trends in child<br />
maltreatment in six developed countries. Lancet.<br />
Nicotera, N., Cutforth, N., Fretz, E. & Summers-Thompson, S. (2011). Dedication<br />
to the public good: A higher education conundrum? Journal <strong>of</strong> Community<br />
Engagement and Scholarship, 4(1), 37-49.<br />
Nickels, S. N., Walls, N. E., Laser, J., & Wisneski, H. (2011). Differences in<br />
motivations <strong>of</strong> cutting behavior among sexual minority youth. Journal <strong>of</strong> Child<br />
& Adolescent Social Work, 29, 41-59.<br />
Seelman, K. L., Walls, N. E., Hazel, C., & Wisneski, H. (2012). Student school<br />
engagement among sexual minority youth: Understanding the contributors to<br />
academic achievement. Journal <strong>of</strong> Social Service Research, 38, 3-17.<br />
Peer-Reviewed Presentations<br />
Lee, S. J., & Altschul, I. (2011, June). Risk and protective factors associated<br />
with spanking and other forms <strong>of</strong> aggressive parenting among Latino fathers.<br />
Poster presented at The Global Summit on Ending Corporal Punishment and<br />
Promoting Positive Discipline, Dallas, TX.<br />
Bexell, S. M., Xu, P. & Li, Y. (2011, November) Increasing success <strong>of</strong> reintroduction<br />
<strong>of</strong> wild animals through public education. Presentation at the Giant Panda<br />
Annual Meeting, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.<br />
Adams, R. A. & Bexell, S. M. (2011, October). Estimates <strong>of</strong> urban and rural bat<br />
species presence and educational outreach in Sichuan Province, China. Poster<br />
presentation at the North American Symposium for Bat Research, Toronto,<br />
Canada.<br />
Bexell, S. M., Tang, Y. F., Wang, Y. M., and Xu P. (2011, June). Overcoming<br />
psychological barriers to animal welfare and wildlife conservation through<br />
early childhood education. Presentation at the Asia for Animals Conference,<br />
Chengdu, P. R. China.<br />
Li Y., Bexell, S. M., Wang, J. P. & Xu P. (2011, June). Conservation education as a<br />
tool for protecting giant panda habitat and minority cultures in rural Southwest<br />
China. Presentation at the Asia for Animals Conference, Chengdu, P. R. China.<br />
Fluke, J., Casillas, K, & Cappa, C., (2011, October). Child disciplinary practices:<br />
Results from the MICS3. 9th ISPCAN Asia Pacific Conference on Child Abuse &<br />
Neglect. Delhi, India<br />
Boeckel, J. A., Ortega, D. M., Chifalo, M. (2011, September). Parenting for Latinos<br />
in same-gender love relationships. 1st annual Gender and Love conference.<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Oxford. Oxford, England.<br />
Longo, J., Walls, N. E., & Wisneski, H. (2011, August). Religious tradition<br />
and religiosity: Protective or risk factors for sexual minority youth. Paper<br />
accepted for presentation at the annual meeting <strong>of</strong> the American Psychological<br />
Association. Washington, DC.<br />
The following papers were presented in October 2011 at the Council on Social<br />
Work Education Annual Program Meeting in Atlanta, GA:<br />
Chifalo, M. J., Boeckel, J. A., Ortega, D. M. The experience <strong>of</strong> parenting for gay<br />
and lesbian Latinos.<br />
Petrila, A., Sienkiewicz, M. & Bensen, K. An integrated approach to field<br />
problem identification and resolution: From “cradle to grave.”<br />
Sienkiewicz, M. & Petrila, A. A field education database worth having: A state<strong>of</strong>-the-art<br />
web database that serves the field team, agencies, and students.<br />
Nickels, S. N., & Walls, N. E. Differences in motivations <strong>of</strong> cutting behavior<br />
among sexual minority youth.<br />
The following papers were presented in January 2012 at the Annual<br />
Conference <strong>of</strong> the Society for Social Work and Research in Washington, DC:<br />
Altschul, I., Clark, L., & Roybal, K. What it means to be a leader: Conceptions<br />
<strong>of</strong> leadership among low-income, urban adolescents.<br />
Lee, S., Altschul, I., & Gersh<strong>of</strong>f, L. The association <strong>of</strong> maternal physical<br />
punishment and warmth with children’s aggressive and positive behaviors.<br />
Altschul, I., Lee, S., & Gersh<strong>of</strong>f, L. Father’s physical punishment and child<br />
externalizing behavior: A longitudinal examination.<br />
Bender, K., Thompson, S., Ferguson, K., Komlo, C., Taylor, C., & Yoder, J.<br />
The relationship between trauma and substance use among street-involved<br />
young people.<br />
Ferguson, K., Bender, K., Thompson, S., Bin, X., & Pollio, D. E. Exploration <strong>of</strong><br />
arrest activity among homeless young adults in four U.S. cities.<br />
Lippman, A., Thompson, S., Ryan, T., Bender, K., & Ferguson, K. Resiliency<br />
among highly transient homeless young adults: An exploratory study.<br />
Brisson, D., Jenson, J. M., Bender, K. A., & Williford, A. Person-centered<br />
effects <strong>of</strong> the Youth Matters program: Results from a group-randomized<br />
trial.<br />
Dettlaff, A., Graham, J. C., Baumann, D., & Fluke, J. Factors that influence the<br />
removal decision in child protective services: Development <strong>of</strong> an instrument<br />
to understand the decision-making process.<br />
Gilbert, R., Fluke, J., O’Donnell, M., Gonzalez-Izquierdo, A., Brownell, M.,<br />
Gulliver, P., Janson, S., & Sidebotham, P. Trends in child maltreatment in six<br />
developed countries.<br />
Jenson, J. M. Promoting positive development in children, youth, and families.<br />
Jenson, J. M., Brisson, D., Bender, K. A., Williford, A., & Forrest-Bank, S. S.<br />
Effects <strong>of</strong> the Youth Matters prevention program on bullying and peer<br />
victimization among elementary and middle school students.<br />
Potter, C., Altschul, I., & Middleton, J. Using existing scales to assess child<br />
welfare workforce characteristics: How scales fail.<br />
Middleton, J., Potter, C., & Altschul, I. The relationship between vicarious<br />
traumatization and retention among child welfare pr<strong>of</strong>essionals.<br />
In addition to the <strong>GSSW</strong> doctoral students listed as co-authors and copresenters<br />
above, doctoral students Sarah Nickels and Jennifer Dickman<br />
Portz were co-presenters <strong>of</strong> the following recent presentations:<br />
Fairbrother, G., LeSueur, P., Nickels, S., & Ramos, M. (2011, June). CHIPRA:<br />
Demonstrating quality health care via school-based health centers.<br />
Workshop presented at the National School-Based Health Care Convention,<br />
Chicago, IL.<br />
Portz, J. D. (2012, January) Translating the NORC model to address health and<br />
social service gaps for GLBT senior population residing in and around Capitol<br />
Hill neighborhood, <strong>Denver</strong>, CO. Poster presented at the Sixteenth Annual<br />
Society for Social Work Research Conference, Washington, DC.<br />
gssw faculty news<br />
FaCuLty hiGhLiGhtS<br />
JenSon<br />
preSentS<br />
at oxForD<br />
Jeff Jenson, Philip D. and Eleanor G. Winn Pr<strong>of</strong>essor for Children<br />
and Youth at Risk, delivered a presentation at Oxford <strong>University</strong>’s<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Social Policy and Intervention in Oxford, England on<br />
November 30, 2011. His presentation was entitled Effects <strong>of</strong> a bully<br />
prevention program on patterns <strong>of</strong> bullying and victimization from<br />
elementary to middle school.<br />
WaLLS<br />
poDCaSt<br />
hiGhLiGhtS<br />
reSearCh<br />
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Eugene Walls<br />
was featured in the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Buffalo School <strong>of</strong> Social Work’s<br />
podcast series, Living Pro<strong>of</strong>, discussing<br />
research that he and his team<br />
<strong>of</strong> faculty, graduate students and<br />
community partners have been<br />
conducting on gay/straight alliances<br />
(GSAs) in schools and the impact the<br />
alliances have on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth.<br />
The podcast episode, School engagement among sexual minority students:<br />
Allies, alliances and academic outcomes, includes the implications<br />
<strong>of</strong> Walls’ research findings for school social workers, educators and<br />
other adult allies <strong>of</strong> LGBT youth. To access the podcast click here, then<br />
select Episode 89.<br />
gssw faculty news spring 12 23
gssw news<br />
FaCuLty & StaFF hiGhLiGhtS<br />
Bender<br />
24 spring 12 gssw news<br />
Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Kim Bender<br />
received a grant from Big Brothers<br />
Big Sisters <strong>of</strong> Colorado to fund an<br />
evaluation <strong>of</strong> the organization’s<br />
Student Success Initiative, which<br />
uses data-driven mentoring<br />
services in an effort to improve<br />
student success outcomes such as<br />
attendance, academics and school<br />
behavior. Big Brothers Big Sisters<br />
is creating a feedback system that<br />
collects data from public schools<br />
and shares it with program<br />
specialists and mentors, both to<br />
identify youth at risk <strong>of</strong> school<br />
trouble and to celebrate youth<br />
successes in school.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor William Cloud is<br />
conducting a grant-funded<br />
evaluation <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Denver</strong><br />
Housing Authority’s South<br />
Lincoln HOPE VI Program.<br />
Through demolition and<br />
reconstruction <strong>of</strong> the South<br />
Lincoln public housing<br />
development, along with<br />
various supportive services,<br />
the five-year project is<br />
intended to create a mixedincome<br />
community that<br />
decreases concentrated Cloud<br />
poverty and related social<br />
problems. Once construction is completed, the development<br />
will consist <strong>of</strong> housing units for those who qualify for<br />
low-income housing, affordable housing and market-rate<br />
housing.<br />
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jean East received a grant from DU’s<br />
Center for Teaching and Learning to support three curriculum<br />
development innovations: creation <strong>of</strong> a new curriculum<br />
delivery model for students in the foundation (first) year <strong>of</strong><br />
the MSW, development <strong>of</strong> new technologies to better integrate<br />
field internship and classroom learning experiences, and a<br />
proposed replication <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Durango-based Four Corners<br />
MSW program in another rural area <strong>of</strong> Colorado.<br />
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Michele<br />
Hanna received a Faculty<br />
Research Fund grant for a<br />
project entitled “Exploring<br />
Bias Bias in Child Welfare Family<br />
Assessments.”<br />
Hanna<br />
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Nicole<br />
Nicotera is conducting a grantfunded<br />
research study entitled<br />
“The Effects <strong>of</strong> Engaged Learning<br />
on Civic Development and Wellbeing.”<br />
The research focuses on<br />
first-year undergraduate students<br />
at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong>.<br />
Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Debora<br />
Ortega, Director <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong> Latino Center for<br />
Community Engagement and<br />
Scholarship, was a panelist at the<br />
Ortega<br />
2011 Latino Policy Symposium<br />
in September. Co-sponsored by the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Colorado<br />
Hispanic Alumni Association and DU’s Latino Alumni<br />
Association and Center for Multicultural Excellence (CME),<br />
the Symposium addressed education, health, economics, civil<br />
rights and immigration, and political engagement.<br />
Tedeschi<br />
In February, Ortega received<br />
a CME grant in<br />
support <strong>of</strong> her continued<br />
research with historically<br />
marginalized and underrepresented<br />
populations.<br />
Clinical Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Philip<br />
Tedeschi, Clinical Director<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Institute for<br />
Human Animal Connection,<br />
provided training for<br />
the Board <strong>of</strong> the Greater<br />
Littleton [CO] Youth Initiative<br />
in September 2011.<br />
Created soon after the<br />
shootings at Columbine High<br />
School in 1999, the Initiative<br />
sponsors only evidenced-based<br />
programs aimed at reducing<br />
youth violence. Among news<br />
media covering the September<br />
training event was the Los Angeles<br />
Bureau <strong>of</strong> the BBC.<br />
Tedeschi also appeared on<br />
<strong>Denver</strong>’s NBC affiliate, KUSA-<br />
TV, in February to discuss safe<br />
interactions with dogs, after<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the station’s morning<br />
news anchors was bitten by a<br />
rescued dog while interviewing<br />
the dog’s owner live on-theair.<br />
The bite incident, which received<br />
national publicity, has resulted in changes<br />
to the station’s animal interaction policies.<br />
Tedeschi also showed the video <strong>of</strong> the<br />
incident in his Animal-Assisted Social<br />
Work Certificate course to help students<br />
identify the ways human behavior can<br />
trigger aggressive behavior in dogs.<br />
gssw news<br />
Dean and Milton Morris Endowed Chair James Herbert Williams, pictured at far right, co-chairs<br />
the 36-member Behavioral Health Disparities Task Force <strong>of</strong> the National Association <strong>of</strong> Deans<br />
and Directors <strong>of</strong> Schools <strong>of</strong> Social Work (NADD). The goal <strong>of</strong> the task force is to strengthen the<br />
role, and advance national leadership, <strong>of</strong> schools and departments <strong>of</strong> social work in the effort to<br />
eliminate disparities in health care and health status. The group is currently conducting a survey<br />
<strong>of</strong> current health disparities curriculum content in social work programs, seeking funding for a<br />
proposal that would provide resources for strengthening that content, and sponsoring a NADD<br />
conference on health disparities.<br />
Williams is also chairing the committee seeking a new Dean for the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong>’s<br />
Graduate School <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Psychology. Former GSPP Dean Peter Buirski will step down next<br />
fall from the position he has held for 20 years and return to the school’s faculty.<br />
StaFF neWS<br />
Digital Instruction Specialist Ethan Crawford was re-elected to a two-year position on the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong>’s Sustainability Council last fall. He also chairs the Council’s Transportation<br />
Committee whose recent projects have included optimizing usage <strong>of</strong> DU’s BCycle bike-sharing<br />
program, publication <strong>of</strong> a campus bicycle report and analysis for DU and the City <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong>, and<br />
creation <strong>of</strong> WeCar, a car-sharing partnership between DU and Enterprise Rent-A-Car that provides<br />
shared rides to students and nearby community members.<br />
The Transportation Committee also spearheaded the addition <strong>of</strong> sharrows on South High Street<br />
along the western perimeter <strong>of</strong> the campus. The “shared arrows” are painted street symbols that<br />
protect bicyclists by showing them where to ride if there are cars parked along the street. Opening<br />
car doors can pose serious danger for bicyclists, and the symbols help them avoid accidents.<br />
Future committee projects may include the addition <strong>of</strong> a solar-powered electric vehicle charging<br />
station on the DU campus.<br />
gssw news spring 12 25
gssw student news gssw news<br />
StuDent neWS<br />
Students, faculty, staff<br />
and a very enthusiastic<br />
Dean Williams participated<br />
in <strong>GSSW</strong>’s fall 2011<br />
community service day.<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> Volunteers<br />
Lend a Hand<br />
What began as part <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s 80 th Anniversary<br />
Celebration in 2010 is now on its way to<br />
becoming an annual fall tradition. On September<br />
9, 2011, more than 100 student, faculty and staff<br />
volunteers gathered at two <strong>Denver</strong> locations for<br />
a day <strong>of</strong> community service. Designed mainly for<br />
entering MSW students the first time around,<br />
this year’s service day included returning<br />
concentration year students as well.<br />
A large contingent performed clean-up and<br />
maintenance tasks at Ruby Hill Park, a favorite<br />
spot for picnics and family gatherings in the<br />
southwest part <strong>of</strong> the city. Still more volunteers<br />
pitched in at the <strong>Denver</strong> Warehouse <strong>of</strong> Food<br />
Bank <strong>of</strong> the Rockies (FBR), Colorado’s largest<br />
private hunger-relief organization, helping to<br />
package donated food for distribution. FBR’s<br />
clients include the homeless, the working poor,<br />
children, seniors on fixed incomes and people<br />
with health issues.<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong>’s hard-working volunteers were rewarded<br />
afterward with a barbeque lunch on Craig Hall’s<br />
sunny Shramm Foundation Plaza.<br />
Student-<br />
Sponsored<br />
Event Explores<br />
Grief and Loss<br />
All six <strong>GSSW</strong> student organizations joined<br />
forces last fall to co-sponsor “El Dia de los<br />
Muertos (Day <strong>of</strong> the Dead)—a Mexican<br />
Celebratory Perspective on Grief and Loss.”<br />
Held on November 2 in Craig Hall’s Boettcher<br />
Foundation Community Room, the event<br />
was a continuation <strong>of</strong> the discussion series<br />
entitled “Faith, Religion, Spirituality and<br />
Social Work Conversations,” begun during<br />
the previous academic year.<br />
Day <strong>of</strong> the Dead co-sponsors included<br />
ECO (Environment + Conservation +<br />
Opportunity) Conscious, Graduate Student<br />
Association (GSA), Multicultural Social Justice<br />
Student Organization (MSJ), Phi Alpha (Xi<br />
Delta Chapter) honor society, Queer Equality<br />
Alliance (QEA) and Shades <strong>of</strong> Brown Alliance<br />
(SOBA). Each organization created an altar<br />
honoring and celebrating those who have<br />
died. Event participants visited the booths<br />
and, over dinner, shared their thoughts about<br />
grief and loss.<br />
(above) Clinical Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essors<br />
Stephen von Merz and Karen Bensen<br />
welcome guest speaker Julie Marino<br />
(center) from <strong>Denver</strong>’s Chicano<br />
Humanities & Arts Council. Von Merz,<br />
Coordinator <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Social Work<br />
with Latinos/as Certificate, and Bensen,<br />
Student Services Director, provided<br />
faculty support for the Day <strong>of</strong> the Dead<br />
event.<br />
(right) The altar created by the<br />
Multicultural Social Justice Student<br />
Organization honored “lives lost due<br />
to inhumane trade and immigration<br />
policy.” Pictured here with Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
von Merz are (L-R) MSJ members Briana<br />
Brower, Stephanie Noll, Gabriela Mohr<br />
and Megan Devenport.<br />
GSA Promotes Sustainability<br />
This spring, <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Graduate Student<br />
Association (GSA) voted to add a sustainable<br />
purchasing policy to the organization’s<br />
bylaws. The group hosted lunchtime<br />
information sessions and organized a<br />
petition that was signed by more than 225<br />
students, faculty and staff.<br />
The policy states, in part, that “prior to<br />
purchasing apparel, promotional items,<br />
catering or related items, GSA and other<br />
student organizations will investigate . . . where<br />
items were made, under what conditions and<br />
how it benefits people in their environment.<br />
Buyers for all <strong>GSSW</strong>-associated purchases will<br />
select a vendor using their best judgment in<br />
addition to a combination <strong>of</strong> as many <strong>of</strong> the<br />
following generally-trusted certifications as<br />
possible: fair trade, union made, made in the<br />
USA, organic, and locally owned/made.”<br />
Petition organizers (L-R) Brie Brower, Stephanie Noll, April Tuftee, Emily Weiss,<br />
Katie Wilberding Cross, Megan Devenport, Aaron Green and Kelly Ann Shinn<br />
celebrate the passage by GSA <strong>of</strong> a new sustainable purchasing policy.<br />
Students and<br />
faculty members<br />
celebrated lost<br />
loved ones, both<br />
human and canine,<br />
in this Shades <strong>of</strong><br />
Brown Alliance<br />
altar.<br />
Display<br />
Honors<br />
Black<br />
Social<br />
Workers<br />
In celebration <strong>of</strong> Black History Month in February, members <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s<br />
Shades <strong>of</strong> Brown Alliance created a photo display in the Craig Hall main<br />
lobby honoring Black social work pioneers. Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Michele<br />
Hanna and MSW student Angela Sanders took the lead in creating the<br />
concept and conducting the research. Rebecca Macey, a DU graduate<br />
student in museum studies, created the design and did the printing.<br />
“Our hope was to educate people about the long history <strong>of</strong> Blacks in<br />
social work, and also to highlight the role <strong>of</strong> Black women.” Hanna<br />
explains. “It was important to us that we show how far back in history<br />
Blacks have played an important role in our pr<strong>of</strong>ession.”<br />
26 spring 12 gssw student news gssw student news spring 12 27
gssw student news<br />
StuDent neWS<br />
Social Justice Events Create Dialogue<br />
Four events held during fall and winter quarters provided opportunities for members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>GSSW</strong> community to discuss<br />
their shared commitment to social justice.<br />
On October 20, DU’s Latino Center for Community Engagement and Scholarship (DULCCES ) presented a lecture by Kate<br />
Kendell, Executive Director <strong>of</strong> the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Entitled “Bullied to Death: Policy Responses to<br />
Bullying <strong>of</strong> LGBTQI Youth,” the lecture attracted an audience <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong> students and faculty, as well as a group <strong>of</strong> high<br />
school students seeking information on how to start a human rights club at their school. Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Deb Ortega,<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> DULCCES, was in charge <strong>of</strong> the event.<br />
The fourth annual “How to Be an Ally” workshop on January 5 brought together <strong>GSSW</strong> students, faculty, staff, alumni and community activists for an<br />
evening <strong>of</strong> introspection and dialogue on what being an ally really means. The workshop was co-sponsored by all six <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s student organizations.<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong>, the Graduate Student Association and Shades <strong>of</strong> Brown Alliance co-sponsored a program entitled “Anti-Oppressive Practice: Why It Matters<br />
and What It Looks Like” on January 11. Speakers and discussion leaders included Hadidja Nyiransekuye, PhD ’07, Visiting Assistant<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor at Metropolitan State College <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong> (MSCD); Matthew J. Taylor, PhD, Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Psychology at the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Missouri-St. Louis; Mary Lou Makepeace, MPA, Executive Director <strong>of</strong> the Gay & Lesbian Fund<br />
for Colorado; and Ramon Del Castillo, PhD, Chair <strong>of</strong> Chicano Studies at MSCD. Discussion topics ranged<br />
from inclusivity to microaggressions and social justice in the workplace.<br />
On February 7, DULCCES partnered with <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Social Work with Latinos/as Certificate program to present<br />
a screening <strong>of</strong> The Longoria Affair, an Emmy-nominated documentary film by John J. Valadez. The film tells<br />
the story <strong>of</strong> a funeral home in rural Three Rivers, Texas, that denied services to a soldier’s family because<br />
he was Mexican American. The event sparked civil rights protests, but divided the town forever. Dinner and discussion<br />
followed the film.<br />
Conference Provides Food for Thought<br />
Ever think that a key element <strong>of</strong> social justice might be what’s for dinner? That<br />
was the focus <strong>of</strong> a March 3 conference, co-sponsored by the ECO Conscious<br />
student organization and <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Insitute for Human-Animal Connection.<br />
Entitled “Food {In}Justice = Social {In}Justice: Social Work’s Dialogue with<br />
Community Partners,” the conference <strong>of</strong>fered a forum for more than 75<br />
participants to discuss multiple aspects <strong>of</strong> Food Justice, a movement aimed at<br />
reducing hunger and poor nutrition by addressing underlying issues <strong>of</strong> racial<br />
and class disparity.<br />
“Food Justice seeks to provide people with access to culturally appropriate<br />
and healthy food within a reasonable distance <strong>of</strong> their homes,” explains<br />
Kristi Roybal, who took the lead in planning the conference, along with<br />
MSW classmate Emily Vogl. Because inequities in the food system correlate<br />
to inequities in economic and political power, the movement is particularly<br />
geared toward people and communities <strong>of</strong> color.<br />
Conference guest speakers included Sara Tedeschi, Wisconsin Farm to School<br />
Program Director, and four Youth Agri/Cultural Interns from Greenleaf, a<br />
<strong>Denver</strong>-based non-pr<strong>of</strong>it organization that engages youth in farming on<br />
available lots in neighborhoods without access to fresh fruits and vegetables.<br />
28 spring 12 gssw student news<br />
Pictured at the Food {In}Justice event are (front row, L-R) Clinical Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Philip Tedeschi,<br />
Cori Noordyk, Emily Vogl and Greenleaf intern Dwone Cooper, (back row, L-R) Sam Rabins,<br />
Sarah Pellizzari, Sara Tedeschi, Schyler Lindekugel, Kristi Roybal and Jocelyn Durkay.<br />
Kendell<br />
MSW students Ali Lewis (left) and Katie<br />
Wilberding Cross founded “Social Work-<br />
It” last fall for <strong>GSSW</strong> students, faculty<br />
and staff who want to work out and<br />
practice a healthy lifestyle together. The<br />
group participated in free classes at DU’s<br />
Ritchie Center for Sports & Wellness and<br />
met at <strong>Denver</strong>’s Washington Park to run,<br />
jog and walk. Although attendance<br />
dropped over the winter months, Lewis<br />
says she and Cross hope to organize<br />
additional group activities this spring.<br />
Four Corners Program<br />
Offers<br />
Licensure<br />
Prep Class<br />
Sixteen Navajo Nation social workers<br />
attended a two-day social work licensure<br />
preparation class in Durango, Colorado, this<br />
February. The class is similar to those <strong>GSSW</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong>fers in <strong>Denver</strong> throughout the year, but<br />
marks the first time the class has been held<br />
at the school’s Four Corners MSW program<br />
in Durango.<br />
gssw four corners<br />
Nancy Lucero, MSW ’00, PhD ’09, LCSW, taught the class. An assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor in the School<br />
<strong>of</strong> Social Work at Colorado State <strong>University</strong>–Pueblo, Lucero also collaborates with <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Butler<br />
Institute for Families on research and evaluation involving tribal child welfare.<br />
The Four Corners Native Advisory<br />
Council initiated the plan to begin<br />
<strong>of</strong>fering licensure prep classes in<br />
Durango, where they would be<br />
accessible to social workers from<br />
a number <strong>of</strong> tribes in the Four<br />
Corners region.<br />
Four CornerS<br />
Lucero<br />
Lucinda Morris, Fort Defiance<br />
Division <strong>of</strong> Social Services Director,<br />
says she’s working toward having<br />
all <strong>of</strong> her MSW staff members obtain their social work licenses, as part <strong>of</strong> her Division’s strategic<br />
plan. Morris and her staff traveled from as far away as Dilkon in Navajo County, Arizona, to attend<br />
the class.<br />
“It’s rewarding to support such a large group <strong>of</strong> Native social workers in their commitment to be<br />
successful on the exam,” says Clinical Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Wanda Ellingson, Four Corners MSW<br />
Program Director.<br />
Lucero provided attendees with strategies for approaching the various types <strong>of</strong> questions found on<br />
state licensure exams, as well as an understanding <strong>of</strong> underlying practice perspectives. She also<br />
helped the students develop personalized plans for continued study and test preparation.<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong>’s licensure preparation course will be <strong>of</strong>fered again in Durango on July 13-14. For additional<br />
information about this and other continuing pr<strong>of</strong>essional development opportunities, please<br />
click here.<br />
gssw four corners spring 12 29
gssw butler institute<br />
30 spring 12 gssw butler institute<br />
gssw bridge project<br />
ButLer inStitute BriDGe proJeCt<br />
Stacie Hanson (L), MSW,<br />
and Robin Leake, PhD<br />
Supporting<br />
Military Families<br />
with Child Support<br />
Enforcement<br />
Cases<br />
by Robin Leake, PhD<br />
Director, Research and Evaluation,<br />
Butler Institute for Families<br />
A 2009 report by the Defense Department shows that<br />
the stress <strong>of</strong> multiple deployments, financial issues<br />
and relocations have caused the divorce rate for service<br />
members to increase by approximately 3.6 percent for<br />
all military branches. This increased risk <strong>of</strong> divorce also<br />
means increased risk <strong>of</strong> legal child support issues.<br />
Now the Colorado Division <strong>of</strong> Child Support Enforcement<br />
(CSE) is partnering with El Paso County, Colorado, and<br />
four Colorado military bases to help educate and support<br />
active duty military personnel and their families around<br />
child support issues. The project also seeks to streamline<br />
services for processing cases and handling changes <strong>of</strong><br />
custody reviews for military families. The three-year<br />
project is funded by a grant from the Health and Human<br />
Services Administration for Children and Families, Child<br />
Support Enforcement agency.<br />
There are almost 18,000 child support cases in El Paso<br />
County, and about 10 percent <strong>of</strong> these involve active duty,<br />
reservist or retired military members. El Paso County<br />
child support services are provided by Young Williams,<br />
a private agency located in Colorado Springs, which has<br />
traditionally had a large, transient military population.<br />
Four active military bases surround Colorado Springs: Fort<br />
Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force Base<br />
and the Air Force Academy.<br />
CSE has found that military personnel struggle to<br />
financially support their children, make custody and<br />
parenting decisions that fit with their job (particularly<br />
for those deployed overseas), and access critical legal<br />
advice concerning custody, child support payments and<br />
parenting time.<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong>’s Butler Institute for Families will evaluate the<br />
implementation and outcomes <strong>of</strong> this project, as well<br />
as conduct a needs assessment for military families<br />
to gain a better understanding <strong>of</strong> the unique needs <strong>of</strong><br />
these families and identify support services necessary to<br />
address these needs. I will co-lead this project, along with<br />
Research Associate Stacie Hanson, MSW.<br />
To read more about this and other Butler Institute projects<br />
online click here. Also, visit us on Facebook.<br />
Bridging Language Barriers<br />
The program model <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s non-pr<strong>of</strong>it Bridge Project views reading skills as one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the most significant keys to the healthy development and success <strong>of</strong> the children<br />
and youth it serves in <strong>Denver</strong>’s public housing neighborhoods. The fact that Bridge<br />
literacy programs and tutoring consistently raise reading scores year after year seems<br />
all the more remarkable considering the diversity <strong>of</strong> cultures and languages Bridge<br />
families represent.<br />
Currently, the Bridge Project serves children from 14 countries* outside the U. S.,<br />
many <strong>of</strong> them recent arrivals coping not only with an unfamiliar culture, but also<br />
with a significant language barrier. The kids’ native languages include Amaric, Arabic,<br />
Chinese/Cantonese, French, Karin, Khmer, Liberian Kreyo, Maay Maay, Mandarin,<br />
Spanish, Sudanese, Swahili, Thai, Tribal Somali and Vietnamese.<br />
“We have an extremely diverse population <strong>of</strong> participants and families,” says Bridge<br />
Executive Director Molly Calhoun. “In addition to promoting multiculturalism and<br />
mutual respect within the program, our staff works hard to find tutors or staff members<br />
who speak the appropriate languages to work one-on-one with students whose first<br />
language is something other than English.”<br />
Several Bridge staff members speak Spanish, and one speaks Vietnamese. Additionally,<br />
Bridge participants who receive college or trade school scholarships from the program<br />
are required to complete 40 hours <strong>of</strong> volunteer service per academic year. Because<br />
these scholarship students come from backgrounds very similar to those <strong>of</strong> current<br />
participants, they help bridge many <strong>of</strong> the cultural and language barriers these younger<br />
students face.<br />
To learn more about the Bridge Project click here.<br />
*Bridge presently serves children and youth from Burma, Cambodia, China, Congo,<br />
Ethiopia, Israel, Liberia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Thailand, Uganda and<br />
Vietnam, in addition to the United States.<br />
Bridge Project<br />
Case Study<br />
Late last year, the Center for Housing Policy,<br />
research affiliate <strong>of</strong> the National Housing<br />
Conference (NHC), chose <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Bridge Project to<br />
be the subject <strong>of</strong> a case study. The Center works<br />
to broaden understanding <strong>of</strong> the nation’s housing<br />
challenges and to examine the impact <strong>of</strong> policies<br />
and programs developed to address these needs.<br />
The case study, entitled Using Public Housing to<br />
Strengthen Children’s Education, was presented<br />
at the How Housing Matters Conference, held on<br />
November 2 in Washington, DC.<br />
The conference was a project <strong>of</strong> the National<br />
Building Museum, in partnership with the John D.<br />
and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the<br />
Office <strong>of</strong> Policy Development and Research, U. S.<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Housing and Urban Development.<br />
Bridge Executive Director Molly Calhoun, MSW<br />
’05, was a participant in the conference panel<br />
discussion entitled “Housing as a Platform for<br />
Education.”<br />
Bridge Receives<br />
United Way Grant<br />
In February, <strong>Denver</strong>’s Mile High Chapter <strong>of</strong> the<br />
United Way chose the Bridge Project as one <strong>of</strong> just<br />
11 organizations to receive a grant from its Social<br />
Innovation Fund. Bridge must raise approximately<br />
$120,000 to be matched by the Fund.<br />
The Social Innovation Fund grant will allow<br />
Bridge to increase both the quality and quantity<br />
<strong>of</strong> its early literacy services. It will also enable<br />
the program to expand research and evaluation<br />
<strong>of</strong> its services, including comparison <strong>of</strong> Bridge<br />
outcomes with those <strong>of</strong> children in public housing<br />
neighborhoods without a Bridge Project site.<br />
gssw bridge project spring 12 31
gssw development<br />
Donor SpotLiGhtS<br />
Kathleen Ohman<br />
Margaret Roath<br />
32 spring 12 gssw development<br />
Terri and Gary Yourtz<br />
<strong>University</strong> Matches New Endowed<br />
Scholarship Funds<br />
We hope you will consider following the lead <strong>of</strong> these generous donors who have created new endowed<br />
scholarship funds at <strong>GSSW</strong>. Their gifts will provide even more support for our students in the future,<br />
thanks to DU’s current matching program.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Kathleen Ohman, PhD, created an endowed scholarship fund to benefit incoming <strong>GSSW</strong><br />
students whose volunteer work prior to admission demonstrates their commitment to community service<br />
and social justice. The Ohman Endowed Scholarship Fund honors her parents, Clarice and David Ohman,<br />
and the many ways they supported her in her educational and career pursuits.<br />
“My parents evidenced their commitment to social justice in many ways, including volunteerism,” Ohman<br />
explains. “I want to assist students who have a similar commitment. I created the scholarship now for<br />
many reasons, including the matching program that adds to what is possible for me to do.”<br />
A member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>GSSW</strong> faculty since 1988, Ohman has been a generous supporter <strong>of</strong> the school for many<br />
years and co-chaired the faculty portion <strong>of</strong> the capital campaign that led to the construction <strong>of</strong><br />
Craig Hall. “As faculty, we contribute to our students’ futures in many ways,” she says. “Why<br />
not provide some scholarship support as we are able?”<br />
In addition to her private practice, Margaret Roath, MSW ’68, LCSW, is Associate Clinical Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Colorado Medical School, where she has taught in the psychiatry program<br />
since the year she earned her MSW. She established the Margaret Roath Endowed Scholarship<br />
Fund to benefit concentration year <strong>GSSW</strong> students with an interest in clinical social work.<br />
“I’m nearing the end <strong>of</strong> my career as a social worker, and it’s a huge concern to me that today’s<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> students will enter the workforce carrying so much debt,” Roath says. “If I can make a<br />
difference for these future social workers, even in a small way, I want to do it.”<br />
A staunch supporter <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong> for decades, Roath is a member <strong>of</strong> the Board <strong>of</strong> Visitors, Field<br />
Advisory Committee and Clinical Chair Campaign Committee. She received a Dean’s Award at<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong>’s 80th Anniversary Celebration in 2011.<br />
“When I learned about DU’s matching program, and also that my donation could be spread out over<br />
a number <strong>of</strong> years, I knew this was a great time to create an endowed scholarship,” says Roath. “I<br />
hope others realize just how important it is for us to support our students.”<br />
The Gary and Teresa Yourtz Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship Fund, established by Gary and<br />
Terri Yourtz, will provide scholarship support for concentration year students with an interest in<br />
social justice.<br />
Co-founder and longtime supporter <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Bridge Project, Gary chaired its Board <strong>of</strong> Directors for<br />
six years. He was named Chair <strong>of</strong> the <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Board <strong>of</strong> Visitors when it was created in 2010, and he<br />
received a <strong>GSSW</strong> Dean’s Award in 2011.<br />
“Terri and I fully understand the difficulty that the cost <strong>of</strong> this program creates for many students,”<br />
Gary explains, “and we also understand the financial challenges they’ll face once they graduate,<br />
especially in this economy. It’s our privilege to support <strong>GSSW</strong> and its students, and DU’s matching<br />
program made this the perfect time to do so in this way.”<br />
Gary and Terri are the proud parents <strong>of</strong> Erin Yourtz, who earned her MSW from <strong>GSSW</strong> in 2010.<br />
Dear Alumni and Friends:<br />
As this magazine’s cover story demonstrates, <strong>GSSW</strong> students<br />
and alumni are truly remarkable change agents, both here at<br />
home and in countries around the world. Yet more than 90%<br />
<strong>of</strong> our students have financial need that, if unmet, would<br />
prevent them from accessing the quality education and unique<br />
international opportunities our school <strong>of</strong>fers.<br />
Endowed scholarships are especially critical because they<br />
supply permanent funding that strengthens <strong>GSSW</strong>’s ability<br />
to compete for the most promising applicants year after year.<br />
These scholarships enable us to attract students who have<br />
demonstrated exceptional ability and dedication, and who<br />
possess the potential to become true social work leaders.<br />
With that in mind, the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong> has initiated<br />
a matching program to increase endowed scholarships for<br />
graduate students. The Board <strong>of</strong> Trustees has designated<br />
$10 million <strong>of</strong> DU’s strategic reserves to match substantial<br />
commitments to new and existing scholarship endowments<br />
dollar for dollar. By leveraging new scholarship commitments<br />
with <strong>University</strong> resources, this program enables <strong>GSSW</strong>’s<br />
most generous supporters to double the impact <strong>of</strong> their<br />
personal gifts, while establishing a lasting personal legacy at<br />
the school.<br />
The matching program is in effect until June 30, 2013, and<br />
there are many eligible giving and timing options available.<br />
Please feel free to contact me for additional information.<br />
Our students are counting on you, and they truly appreciate<br />
your generosity and support!<br />
Best regards,<br />
From the<br />
DireCtor oF<br />
DeVeLopment<br />
& aLumni GiVinG<br />
Lynda Ricketson<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> Development and Alumni Giving<br />
Click here for a complete list <strong>of</strong> giving opportunities.<br />
gssw development<br />
Erna Butler an Advocate for Child<br />
Welfare Research and Training<br />
When Erna Butler died on February 2 <strong>of</strong> recently diagnosed<br />
cancer, <strong>GSSW</strong> lost both a generous supporter and one <strong>of</strong> its<br />
most devoted friends.<br />
Born in 1922, Erna became a Marine Corps sergeant during<br />
World War II, shortly after meeting her future husband,<br />
Owen “Brad” Butler. The couple married in 1945. Brad<br />
became a salesman for Procter & Gamble, but re-enlisted in<br />
the Navy when the Korean War broke out in 1950. Over the<br />
next 13 years, the family moved 22 times before settling<br />
in Cincinnati. Brad rejoined Procter & Gamble, eventually<br />
becoming its chairman.<br />
When Brad retired in 1989, the Butlers moved to <strong>Denver</strong>,<br />
where they immersed themselves in philanthropic work.<br />
Erna served on the boards <strong>of</strong> the Colorado Symphony<br />
and the Central City Opera, volunteered at the Museum<br />
<strong>of</strong> Nature and Science, and helped establish the Touched<br />
by a Nurse Fund at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Colorado’s College <strong>of</strong><br />
Nursing.<br />
After Brad died in 1998, Erna continued to support a<br />
wide variety <strong>of</strong> non-pr<strong>of</strong>its, including <strong>GSSW</strong>. The school’s<br />
Child Welfare Training and Research Project was renamed<br />
the Erna and Brad Butler Institute for Families in 2005,<br />
reflecting a generous gift from the Butler Family Fund. The<br />
nationally renowned Institute currently manages projects<br />
totaling nearly $3 million, among the highest volume <strong>of</strong><br />
research, training and technical assistance for any group<br />
at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong>.<br />
In 2010, Erna created the Butler Scholars program to<br />
provide financial support for <strong>GSSW</strong> doctoral students<br />
during their third and fourth years <strong>of</strong> study, including<br />
support for their dissertation work. Erna received a Dean’s<br />
Award at <strong>GSSW</strong>’s 80th Anniversary Celebration in 2011,<br />
honoring her service to the school.<br />
gssw development spring 12 33
gssw alumni news<br />
2011 aLumni aWarDS<br />
Recipients <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s<br />
2011 Alumni Awards are<br />
(L-R) Councilwoman<br />
Judith Montero (MSW ’78),<br />
Robert Kelsall (MSW ’75),<br />
LCSW, AAMFT Approved<br />
Supervisor, and Youlon<br />
Savage (MSW ’64), ACSW.<br />
The awards were presented<br />
at the Colorado Social Work<br />
Month Annual Celebration<br />
on March 9.<br />
34 spring 12 gssw alumni news<br />
Robert L. Hawkins Social<br />
Work Achievement Award<br />
This award is presented to an alumnus/alumna who<br />
has demonstrated pr<strong>of</strong>essional achievement by being<br />
named executive director, manager, chairperson <strong>of</strong> the<br />
board, etc., <strong>of</strong> a social work agency or organization; or<br />
by reaching a level <strong>of</strong> prominence in education, practice<br />
or politics, etc.; or by receiving national recognition in<br />
the field <strong>of</strong> social work. This award is named in honor<br />
<strong>of</strong> Robert L. Hawkins, MSW ’67, who rose through<br />
the ranks at Colorado Psychiatric Institute in Pueblo,<br />
eventually becoming the first social worker appointed<br />
as its Superintendent. Under Hawkins’ leadership, the<br />
Institute became a model psychiatric treatment facility.<br />
The public service career <strong>of</strong> Councilwoman Judith Montero,<br />
MSW ’78, spans more than 30 years. She has served on<br />
the <strong>Denver</strong> City Council since 2003, representing one <strong>of</strong><br />
the most diverse districts in the city. Montero carried one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Council’s heaviest loads <strong>of</strong> committee work during<br />
her first term. Re-elected to a second term in 2007, she<br />
currently serves on Blueprint <strong>Denver</strong>, is Vice-Chair <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Neighborhood, Community & Business Revitalization<br />
Committee, and chairs FasTracks, which oversees efforts<br />
to balance transit needs with future regional growth.<br />
Montero is also a member <strong>of</strong> the Mayor’s South Platte<br />
River Commission and the Mayor’s Commission to End<br />
Homelessness.<br />
Montero was nominated for the Social Work Achievement<br />
Award by Stephanie Syner (MSW ’06), who served<br />
as Montero’s aide during Syner’s concentration year<br />
internship.<br />
Community Service Award<br />
This award is presented to an alumnus/alumna<br />
who has demonstrated significant and continuous<br />
volunteer involvement in major community<br />
activities and/or charitable causes, above and<br />
beyond his/her employed position.<br />
Robert Kelsall, MSW ’75, LCSW, AAMFT Approved<br />
Supervisor, has had an enormous impact on<br />
social work in Colorado, not only on the families<br />
he serves directly, but also on the therapists he<br />
trains to serve families in the future. He has been<br />
a long time volunteer for the Pro-Bono Project,<br />
providing mental health services to those who<br />
could not otherwise afford them. As co-owner and<br />
co-director <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Denver</strong> Family Therapy Center,<br />
Inc., Kelsall provides mental health and substance<br />
abuse services to individuals, groups and families,<br />
as well as training and supervising MSW students<br />
who begin work toward the Certificate in Couples<br />
and Family Therapy during their concentration<br />
year. Kelsall’s previous honors include being<br />
named “Supervisor <strong>of</strong> the Year” by the Colorado<br />
Association <strong>of</strong> Marriage and Family Therapists.<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> Service Award<br />
This award is presented to an alumnus/alumna<br />
who has contributed to, or served, the Graduate<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Social Work in a noteworthy and<br />
significant fashion, through personal effort and/<br />
or financial contribution.<br />
Youlon Savage, MSW ’64, ACSW, has served <strong>GSSW</strong><br />
in numerous ways over the years, most recently as<br />
a member <strong>of</strong> our Board <strong>of</strong> Visitors. He is a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Advisory Council on Racial Diversity,<br />
which advises the dean, faculty, staff and students<br />
on planning, implementing and evaluating efforts<br />
to improve the environment and climate <strong>of</strong> the<br />
school relative to racial diversity. Savage’s generous<br />
financial contributions include the endowed<br />
scholarship fund he created in 2000. Youlon D.<br />
Savage Scholarships are awarded to students<br />
annually based on academic merit and financial<br />
need.<br />
A respected leader in Colorado mental health<br />
care, Savage retired several years ago after a long<br />
career as Executive Director <strong>of</strong> Adams Community<br />
Mental Health Center. His previous honors include<br />
a <strong>GSSW</strong> Dean’s Award, presented at the school’s<br />
80th Anniversary Celebration last year.<br />
Dear Fellow Graduates:<br />
I don’t know about you, but when<br />
I read about the incredible accom-<br />
plishments <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong> students and<br />
alumni, both here and overseas,<br />
my excitement about the future <strong>of</strong> our pr<strong>of</strong>ession<br />
increases even more. Whether they’re MSW students<br />
enhancing their education through international<br />
classes and internships, PhD students discovering<br />
a wealth <strong>of</strong> new knowledge, or alumni making a<br />
positive difference every day for people and commu-<br />
nities around the world, their achievements make<br />
me proud to be a social worker and especially proud<br />
to say I graduated from <strong>GSSW</strong>!<br />
It’s also heartening to see our MSW program’s<br />
national reputation continue to grow, earning it a<br />
new ranking in the top 11% <strong>of</strong> all accredited programs<br />
in the country.<br />
If, like me, you’re inspired about <strong>GSSW</strong>’s future,<br />
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to complete our<br />
upcoming alumni survey to ensure that the Alumni<br />
Association moves forward in the direction you think<br />
it should. Look for the survey postcard to arrive in<br />
the mail soon. We’ll report the survey’s findings in<br />
the fall issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>GSSW</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>.<br />
Meanwhile, please drop us an email anytime with<br />
your ideas and suggestions, and also with Class<br />
Notes for future issues <strong>of</strong> this magazine. We’d love<br />
to hear from you!<br />
Sincerely,<br />
From the<br />
aLumni<br />
Jae McQueen (MSW ‘00)<br />
Alumni Association President<br />
aSSoCiation<br />
preSiDent<br />
CLaSS noteS<br />
gssw alumni news<br />
Patrick Pei Chwen Hu (MA, MSW ’69) <strong>of</strong> Ft. Collins, CO, sent<br />
<strong>GSSW</strong> an autographed copy <strong>of</strong> his autobiography, lovingly<br />
assembled by his three children as a gift for Hu’s 95 th birthday<br />
last year. The book paints an inspiring portrait <strong>of</strong> a man who<br />
overcame enormous obstacles to achieve his goals. Among<br />
Hu’s earliest memories were the years <strong>of</strong> famine and nearstarvation<br />
his family endured in China while his father tried<br />
to support the family by farming, then the 400-mile journey<br />
the family made on foot in the winter <strong>of</strong> 1922 so his father<br />
could find work at a coal factory.<br />
The kindness <strong>of</strong> American missionaries eventually led to Hu’s Christian baptism, and he<br />
has remained deeply religious throughout his life. After earning his BA, Hu served as an<br />
interpreter for the U. S. Army during World War II, a post that later qualified him to come to<br />
the U. S. for graduate education. He entered <strong>GSSW</strong> in 1948, shortly before the Communist<br />
takeover <strong>of</strong> mainland China made him literally a “man without a country”—cut <strong>of</strong>f from<br />
his family and unable to return home. Hu credits Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Dorothea Spellmann, another<br />
devout Christian, with helping him through this difficult time.<br />
Hu took a break from the MSW program, earning his MA in education from DU and<br />
holding several jobs in the U. S. and Taiwan before completing his degree at <strong>GSSW</strong> in<br />
1969. He served as Director/Coordinator <strong>of</strong> Family Life Enrichment for Lutheran Family<br />
Services <strong>of</strong> Iowa and as Director <strong>of</strong> St. Paul’s School for the Deaf in Macau, China, before<br />
retiring in Colorado with his wife, Edna. “Our lives are in God’s hands,” Hu writes. “He<br />
has plans for every one <strong>of</strong> us, even this beggar boy.”<br />
Mel Singer (MSW ’68), LCSW, received the Most Distinguished Clinician Award from<br />
the Colorado Society for Clinical Social Work at the Colorado Social Work Month Annual<br />
Celebration on March 9.<br />
Pamela Crouch (MSW ’79) retired last November after 41 years in the CO developmental<br />
disabilities field including, most recently, 32 years at Englewood-based Developmental<br />
Pathways, where she served as Placement Manager. Her jobs over the years included<br />
supervising a VISTA volunteer project in the early 1970s, school social worker when the<br />
community-centered boards provided school services for people with developmental<br />
disabilities in the public schools, case management services and, in recent years,<br />
management/administrative services. Crouch began at the state when the state home and<br />
training schools (now regional centers) were being de-institutionalized and the communitycentered<br />
services were developing. She says she enjoyed her jobs very much, but is glad to<br />
be retired and looks forward to doing other things with her time and energy.<br />
Patsy Hathaway (MSW ’74, MA) calls her social work story “From Jim Crow to Civil<br />
Rights Activist.” Having grown up in the segregated south, she remembers separate<br />
drinking fountains, segregated schools, blacks in the movie<br />
theater balcony and ushers stationed at the doors <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Methodist Church to keep the religious service “white.” By<br />
the time she attended college, Hathaway had a growing sense<br />
that this was wrong. After earning her MSW, she worked in<br />
child protection for <strong>Denver</strong> County, then in the <strong>University</strong><br />
Hospital system’s pediatric clinic, JFK Child Development<br />
Center and Kempe Center. An article she published in a<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional journal, Health and Social Work, marked the<br />
<strong>Denver</strong> Mayor<br />
Michael Hancock<br />
(left) with Patsy<br />
Hathaway’s son,<br />
Alex Landau<br />
beginning <strong>of</strong> her writing career.<br />
’60s<br />
’70s<br />
In her late 30s and early 40s, Hathaway adopted two mixed<br />
race children. By the time her son was in college, she’d<br />
earned a second master’s degree in elementary education<br />
and began teaching in inner city <strong>Denver</strong> schools. “Social<br />
gssw alumni news spring 12 35
gssw alumni news<br />
Class Notes<br />
Got News?<br />
Please email your<br />
personal and pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
updates. Be sure to<br />
include the degree(s) you<br />
earned at <strong>GSSW</strong> and the<br />
year(s) you graduated.<br />
Feel free to attach a<br />
digital photo if you’d<br />
like. Class Notes may<br />
be edited or held for a<br />
future issue due to space<br />
limitations.<br />
36 spring 12 gssw alumni news<br />
worker/teacher is a perfect combination for working with<br />
these students,” she says. “Now, I teach about Jim Crow and<br />
the wonderful lesson for children: Yes, it was terrible, but<br />
look what you can do. You can change things!”<br />
In 2009, Hathaway’s son was pulled over, without apparent<br />
cause, by <strong>Denver</strong> Police <strong>of</strong>ficers who beat him unconscious.<br />
Transformed that night into a civil rights activist, Hathaway<br />
began a blog on police brutality and racial pr<strong>of</strong>iling. After a<br />
long and highly publicized legal battle, Alex Landau received<br />
the fourth largest settlement in <strong>Denver</strong>’s history, and three<br />
police <strong>of</strong>ficers were fired (although one has since been<br />
rehired). Hathaway recently partnered with the ACLU and<br />
a family at the center <strong>of</strong> another high-pr<strong>of</strong>ile case <strong>of</strong> alleged<br />
police brutality in an effort to bring about lasting change.<br />
“Getting my MSW was a seminal step along my career path,”<br />
says Hathaway. “It is powerful to look back. None <strong>of</strong> it was<br />
easy. But I am no longer on the wrong side <strong>of</strong> Jim Crow,<br />
and I never have to wonder if my work is important. I am<br />
changing things.”<br />
Ron Langer (MSW ’79), LCSW, BCD, received the Community<br />
Service Award from the Colorado Society for Clinical Social<br />
Work at the Colorado Social Work Month Annual Celebration<br />
on March 9.<br />
Major Arthur P. Moser (MSW, PhD ’76),<br />
USAF (Ret.), took special interest in our<br />
Fall 2011 cover story on social work in<br />
the military. Because he already had<br />
been on active duty as an MSW social<br />
worker, Moser’s PhD studies were fully<br />
funded by the Air Force. He notes that<br />
Col. James L. Jenkins (PhD ’74), USAF<br />
(Ret.), was the only Air Force social<br />
worker to precede him in <strong>GSSW</strong>’s<br />
doctoral program.<br />
Moser helped establish the first tri-service alcohol and drug<br />
treatment center in Bethesda, MD, where he was primary<br />
therapist to a number <strong>of</strong> Congressmen and members <strong>of</strong><br />
Presidents’ families, as well as higher ranking active duty<br />
personnel. Moser went on to head the largest treatment center<br />
in the Air Force at Sheppard AFB, where he also wrote the<br />
primary regulations for treatment centers on behalf <strong>of</strong> the Air<br />
Force Surgeon General. Moser completed his military career by<br />
serving in Operation Desert Storm, where he headed a combat<br />
stress field medical unit in the United Arab Emirates.<br />
After retiring from the Air Force, Moser worked in the<br />
first private minimum-security prison in the western U.S.,<br />
which became a treatment model for correctional facilities.<br />
Subsequently he moved to Washington, DC, with his wife,<br />
an architect who headed the group rebuilding the wing <strong>of</strong><br />
the Pentagon that was destroyed in 9/11. Moser’s treatment<br />
program for drug-addicted inmates in Virginia’s Arlington<br />
County Jail has a one-year success rate that exceeds 75%,<br />
making the program a treatment model for jails across the U. S.<br />
“I have much to be grateful for from the military for the<br />
experiences and educational opportunities it afforded me,<br />
and I appreciate my education at DU in this regard,” says<br />
Moser. “I am available to any student who would like more<br />
information.”<br />
’80s<br />
Another graduate with strong military ties is Pat Davis-<br />
Hacker (MSW ’88), LCSW, <strong>of</strong> Yorktown, VA, whose career has<br />
included service to active duty personnel and their families<br />
in the area <strong>of</strong> domestic violence, and work with active duty<br />
Army personnel regarding pre- and post-deployment issues<br />
like PTSD. She’s also provided day treatment to adolescents<br />
in two inner-city school systems. Currently a doctoral<br />
candidate, Davis-Hacker achieved a 4.0 GPA in her coursework,<br />
successfully completed her comprehensive exams and hopes<br />
to finish her dissertation by fall. She returned home to South<br />
Dakota last summer to conduct part <strong>of</strong> her dissertation<br />
research.<br />
Davis-Hacker’s husband served in the U. S. Navy for 18 years,<br />
and the family lived in many locations throughout the U.<br />
S., as well as in Japan and Egypt. After her husband’s 2003<br />
suicide rocked the family to its core, Davis-Hacker and her<br />
three children had to deal not only with grief and loss, but<br />
also with the stigma associated with losing a loved one to<br />
suicide. Davis-Hacker says her pr<strong>of</strong>essional and personal goals<br />
are to continue working with other “survivors <strong>of</strong> suicide” and<br />
helping eradicate that stigma.<br />
Davis-Hacker says her most rewarding experience has been<br />
seeing both her daughters graduate from college with honors,<br />
Cassandra from DU in 2007 and Caryn from Durango’s Ft.<br />
Lewis College last April. Cassandra also served in the U. S.<br />
Army. Davis-Hacker’s son, Christopher, is a high school<br />
senior.<br />
“Being a Native American female raised with both<br />
contemporary and traditional values, the road to academic<br />
success and achievement has been difficult,” Davis-Hacker<br />
says. “However, with pride, perseverance, a love and<br />
appreciation for education, the rewards and blessings we have<br />
received have far outweighed the difficulties and challenges<br />
that life has thrown our family.”<br />
The U. S. Army sponsored the <strong>GSSW</strong> doctoral education <strong>of</strong><br />
T. Paul Furukawa (PhD ’81), whose studies focused on domestic<br />
violence prevention and intervention and multi-disciplinary<br />
responses to child maltreatment in military settings. In addition<br />
to co-creating and teaching courses on social work with Asian<br />
Americans and domestic violence, Furukawa co-chaired the<br />
student/faculty commission that recommended <strong>GSSW</strong> change<br />
its doctoral degree from DSW to PhD.<br />
After graduation, Furukawa served as an Army social work<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer for over 20 years. He headed part <strong>of</strong> a study by the<br />
Walter Reed Army Institute <strong>of</strong> Research that demonstrated<br />
that military units that train and remain together perform<br />
better and experience fewer stress casualties; these<br />
principles are now an accepted part <strong>of</strong> military planning<br />
in reservist and guard units. Furukawa’s most unusual<br />
assignment was to create and staff mental health services<br />
for Americans in Iran in the mid-1970s, including over 5,000<br />
family members. His intervention and prevention programs<br />
were so successful that there were no losses among dozens<br />
<strong>of</strong> potentially suicidal active duty and family members, a<br />
record unmatched in military Europe/Middle East social<br />
services.<br />
After retiring from the military, Furukawa joined the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Hawaii faculty. As a member <strong>of</strong> CSWE’s Board<br />
<strong>of</strong> Directors, he helped establish the organization’s first<br />
website and e-mail account, began online dissemination <strong>of</strong><br />
accreditation reports and helped initiate CSWE sponsorship<br />
<strong>of</strong> national conferences on services to minority Americans.<br />
Furukawa later developed police/civilian crisis response<br />
teams to follow up on domestic violence reports in San<br />
Antonio, TX, served as president <strong>of</strong> the state’s NASW<br />
chapter and has served on the Texas Department <strong>of</strong> Family<br />
and Protective Services Council since 2006. The author <strong>of</strong><br />
many peer-reviewed journal articles, Furukawa also serves<br />
on the Board <strong>of</strong> Directors <strong>of</strong> Crosspoint, a transitional living<br />
service for federal <strong>of</strong>fenders, and he’s Executive Director<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Children’s Association for Maximum Potential, a<br />
summer camp for fragile special needs children that has<br />
administrative <strong>of</strong>fices at Lackland Air Force Base.<br />
’90s<br />
John J. Bucholtz (MSW ’98) and<br />
his wife, Laura Owen (MSW<br />
’98), <strong>of</strong> San Diego, CA, say they<br />
were delighted to read the Fall<br />
2011 cover story, “Social Work<br />
in the Service,” and to learn<br />
that so many <strong>GSSW</strong> students<br />
are interested in pursuing social<br />
work careers supporting service<br />
members, veterans and their<br />
families. Bucholtz and Owen<br />
were both commissioned as<br />
military social workers with the U. S. Air Force immediately<br />
after graduation. After serving during a time <strong>of</strong> war, they<br />
went on to careers with the U. S. Department <strong>of</strong> Homeland<br />
Security and, most recently, have managed programs for<br />
the U. S. Department <strong>of</strong> Veterans Affairs. “I truly believe my<br />
success as a social worker is a direct result <strong>of</strong> the education I<br />
received at DU,” writes Bucholtz. “I am now teaching military<br />
social work and social work policy at <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Southern<br />
California’s School <strong>of</strong> Social Work and am trying to mimic<br />
everything Pr<strong>of</strong>essors Moran, Molidor and Tedeschi taught<br />
me!”<br />
Belina Nassi Fruitman (MSW ’95), LCSW, CACIII,<br />
continues to teach as an affiliate pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> social work<br />
at Metropolitan State College <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong>. She also runs a<br />
<strong>Denver</strong>-based program called A Woman’s Way to Recovery<br />
that specializes in gender-specific treatment and DUI<br />
programming for women. To learn more please click here.<br />
“Of course,” Fruitman says, “my most important job is<br />
raising my two awesome kids!”<br />
’00s<br />
Jamie Gulick (MSW ’07) is Pro Bono Outreach Program<br />
Manager at the <strong>Denver</strong>-based non-pr<strong>of</strong>it, Mental Health<br />
America <strong>of</strong> Colorado (MHAC), overseeing an effort<br />
to provide counseling to those who are uninsured or<br />
underinsured. The program works with volunteer Masters<br />
level therapists, both licensed and in licensure candidacy,<br />
who provide mental health services at the non-pr<strong>of</strong>it or<br />
at their own private practice. MHAC provides licensure<br />
candidates with a pro bono LCSW supervisor. For more<br />
information please click here.<br />
In Memoriam<br />
gssw alumni news<br />
Theodore Edward “Ted” Bauch (MSW ’68) <strong>of</strong> Sturgeon Bay, WI, died on December 11,<br />
2011, at the age <strong>of</strong> 76. He was employed at Wisconsin’s Brown County Mental Health<br />
Center, where his duties included outreach services to Door County. Later, Bauch became<br />
the full-time Mental Health Coordinator for the Door County Unified Board (now known<br />
as the Department <strong>of</strong> Community Services). He subsequently became the Program Director<br />
until his retirement in 1995.<br />
Daniel J. Gossert (MSW ’62), MPH, <strong>of</strong> Westminster, CO, died at his home on August<br />
10, 2011. He was 76. A polio survivor who used crutches or a wheelchair for 60 years,<br />
Gossert devoted his life to advocating for health aid for children with disabilities and for<br />
their families. As Director <strong>of</strong> the Family Services Division at the Colorado Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Public Health and Environment for 18 years, he was involved in women’s and infants’<br />
health programs for people with low incomes, family planning, newborn screening, and<br />
programs for children with special needs. Gossert testified before the CO legislature and<br />
the U. S. Congress, and he helped found the Rivendell School for children with disabilities. Pre-deceased by<br />
one brother and by his wife <strong>of</strong> 36 years, Virginia Gordon Gossert, Daniel Gossert is survived by two brothers,<br />
five sisters, his partner Marlene Wiske, her three children and four grandchildren.<br />
Ardis M. (Feye) Heine (MSW ’66) <strong>of</strong> Fresno, CA, died on August 24, 2011, at the age <strong>of</strong><br />
68. She began her pr<strong>of</strong>essional career as a social worker with Lutheran Social Services in<br />
Omaha, NE. She and her husband, Lyman H. Heine, Jr., moved to Fresno in 1968, where<br />
she worked in adoption services for Lutheran Social Services. In 1974, Heine accepted<br />
a clinical social work position with Fresno County Children’s Mental Health, where she<br />
worked for 30 years. After her retirement in 2004, she began a private practice that<br />
continued until 2010. Heine was a member <strong>of</strong> the Society <strong>of</strong> Clinical Social Workers and<br />
the National Association <strong>of</strong> Social Workers.<br />
Survivors include her mother, sister, brother-in-law and two nephews. The family requests that memorial<br />
donations be made to a charity <strong>of</strong> your choice.<br />
Mary Krane (MSW ’71) died on November 6, 2011, at age 66. As Executive Director <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>GSSW</strong>’s Bridge Project from 1997 to 2010, Krane dramatically increased the program’s<br />
presence in the lives <strong>of</strong> children and their families in <strong>Denver</strong>’s public housing neighborhoods,<br />
and Bridge expanded from one site to four sites under her leadership. Previously, Krane<br />
had a long career with the City and County <strong>of</strong> <strong>Denver</strong>, beginning as a caseworker in 1967<br />
and concluding with eight years as Manager <strong>of</strong> the Department <strong>of</strong> Social Services and<br />
member <strong>of</strong> then-Mayor Federico Peña’s cabinet. During the two years before she joined<br />
the Bridge Project, Krane served as Director <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Denver</strong> Ear Institute. A member <strong>of</strong> numerous non-pr<strong>of</strong>it<br />
boards, she chaired the Lions Club Social Services Committee, and she c<strong>of</strong>ounded the Colorado Alliance for<br />
the Mentally Ill, serving as its president for two years. Krane’s honors include the 2009 Wall <strong>of</strong> Fame Award<br />
from the <strong>Denver</strong> Housing Authority for her efforts to bring education resources to residents and encourage<br />
the attainment <strong>of</strong> a higher education. She also received <strong>GSSW</strong>’s 2009 Service Award.<br />
Pre-deceased by her parents and one brother, Krane is survived by two sisters, a brother and a niece, and by<br />
her lifelong companion, Sigmund Krane. A memorial service was held on November 12 on the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Denver</strong> campus. Memorial donations may be made to the Mary C. Krane Endowment Fund at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Denver</strong> Graduate School <strong>of</strong> Social Work Bridge Project, 2148 So. High Street, <strong>Denver</strong>, CO 80208.<br />
Felecia Mahaffie (MSW ’97) passed away July 26, 2011. She was 49. A longtime<br />
counselor for troubled youth, Mahaffie worked for 18 years at Mount St. Vincent Home,<br />
a <strong>Denver</strong> facility for children with mental illness and those who are victims <strong>of</strong> child<br />
abuse, neglect or trauma. Born with scoliosis (curvature <strong>of</strong> the spine), Mahaffie was just<br />
over four-and-a-half feet tall, making her shorter than many <strong>of</strong> the young people she<br />
counseled. Earlier in her career, she taught English in Japan and worked as a counselor at<br />
Samaritan House, a homeless shelter in downtown <strong>Denver</strong>.<br />
In 2007, Mahaffie earned the Animals and Human Health Certificate through <strong>GSSW</strong>’s Continuing<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development program and, at the time <strong>of</strong> her death, was in the process <strong>of</strong> establishing an<br />
equine-assisted therapy program. A fund for the support <strong>of</strong> animal-assisted therapy has been set up in her<br />
honor at Mount St. Vincent Home.<br />
Mahaffie is survived by her mother and two sisters.<br />
George Edward “Geordie” Pease (MSW ’84), MA, passed away on July 2, 2011, after a prolonged<br />
illness. He was 71. Born and raised in <strong>Denver</strong>, he completed his first master’s degree in urban and regional<br />
planning, and he served as chairman <strong>of</strong> the Greater Park Hill Community. Pease spent the remainder <strong>of</strong><br />
his career as an addictions social worker, which he found both rewarding and challenging. He appeared<br />
in <strong>Denver</strong> clubs and c<strong>of</strong>fee houses as a folksinger in the early 1960s, and his love <strong>of</strong> music continued<br />
throughout his life. Pease is survived by his wife <strong>of</strong> 41 years, Patricia, a son and two brothers.<br />
gssw alumni news spring 12 37
Graduate School<br />
<strong>of</strong> Social Work<br />
Craig Hall<br />
2148 South High Street<br />
<strong>Denver</strong>, CO 80208-7100<br />
The Last Word<br />
Flashmob<br />
(flæ∫_mäb) noun – <strong>GSSW</strong>’s best-kept secret<br />
The mysterious flyers began appearing around Craig Hall just<br />
before the holidays: “DWD 2.0,” they read, providing two dates<br />
in January when students, faculty and staff were to gather on the<br />
Schramm Foundation Plaza just outside Craig Hall’s main entrance.<br />
“What’s that all about?” people wondered aloud. It turns out that<br />
a good-sized (and very sneaky) contingent <strong>of</strong> them already knew!<br />
Those who assembled on the sunny plaza around lunchtime<br />
on January 6 found speakers blaring Lady Gaga while various<br />
camera-toting staff took up positions nearby. Once a crowd had<br />
gathered, the music abruptly switched to “Bing, Bang, Boom” by<br />
country music band, Highway 101. Four people immediately began<br />
to line-dance, oddly enough in perfect unison. Seconds later, two<br />
more joined in, and then another four. No sooner would someone<br />
ask the person beside them “What’s going on?” than that person<br />
would join the dance, too. Finally Dean Williams made a grand<br />
entrance through the door from the lobby, eliciting cheers as he<br />
fell right in step. The flashmob, onlookers finally learned, was<br />
a lavishly produced invitation to the second “Dancing with the<br />
Dean” event, to be held just over a month later.<br />
The mob, which repeated its performance four days later, was<br />
organized in early November by Associate Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Eugene<br />
Walls. Dance lessons and rehearsals took place in secret over the<br />
next two months—small groups meeting during lunch breaks,<br />
after work and even on weekends–all without a single leak<br />
to “outsiders” about what was to come. Amazingly enough,<br />
considering their stellar execution, the full group had never once<br />
performed together until–Bing, Bang, Boom!–the flashmob<br />
took over the plaza!<br />
Share the fun by watching the videos.<br />
Non-Pr<strong>of</strong>it Org.<br />
U.S. Postage<br />
PAID<br />
<strong>Denver</strong>, CO<br />
Permit No. 321