April 2020

From the Director

Dear MFP Community

As you may have noticed, we have shifted MFP activities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We postponed our master’s in-person training last month and are working to identify ways to deliver the training content and process. I have been holding periodic check-ins with current doctoral and master’s fellows to help everyone stay connected. For the first time in many years, we have extended the deadline for doctoral fellowship applications. Now we are working with the master’s advisory committee to ensure current master’s students have sufficient time to complete the application components.   
 
This pandemic has affected us in many ways. We are adjusting to “telebehavioral” health, with its legal and ethical issues. Campuses have cleared out, with students and educators adapting to remote roles. We try to maintain physical distancing with hygienic practices as best we can in our social, economic, and physical environment. CSWE, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Association of Social Work Boards distribute great resources to help us navigate the pandemic.
 
With the added stress of these various factors, we continue to seek ways to stay connected with our families, institutions, and to each other. So make sure to conduct wellness checks with your friends and colleagues, your family members, your community, and—most important—yourself!  
 
Be well, 
Dr. Duy Nguyen 
 

  MFP Spotlight

Francisco J. Lozornio, LCSW

Francisco J. Lozornio is a doctoral student at the University of Southern California. His area of behavioral health services includes family violence, poverty, trauma, and decarceration. Mr. Lozornio teaches at Northeastern Illinois University and delivers mental health services to returning citizens at a reentry program in Chicago. After completing his doctoral degree, Mr. Lozornio will continue teaching and working toward helping organizations adopt holistic models that improve mental health and wellness service delivery to individuals returning from prison to decrease community trauma and reduce recidivism. Connect with Francisco on LinkedIn.

Kyra Russell

Master’s fellow Kyra Russell is an MSW student at Columbia University. Ms. Russell applies trauma-based social work to clients who have experienced domestic violence and assault. She provides clinical services to witnesses at her field placement in the Witness Aid Services Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Ms. Russell is eager to begin her career working in mental health and forensic settings to serve survivors of trauma by combining her criminal justice knowledge and passion for serving the mental health needs of communities of color. Connect with Kyra on LinkedIn.

Kyliah Thompson

Master’s fellow Kyliah Thompson is an MSW student at Washington University in St. Louis. Ms. Thompson’s behavioral health interest is the impact of intergenerational trauma and toxic stress on communities of color. She currently provides academic and counseling support to students in her internship program at Parkway School District. Ms. Thompson’s career goal is to work in a clinical setting using cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and drama therapy to help people who have experienced trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder. Connect with Kyliah on LinkedIn.

Krystal Hays, PhD, LCSW 

Dr. Krystal Hays, 2017 MFP doctoral alumna, has been named director of California Baptist University’s new doctor of social work (DSW) program. She is excited to bring her community organizing, research, and clinical experience to this new role. Connect with Krystal on LinkedIn.
 
California Baptist University is accepting applications for their DSW program; contact Dr. Hays for more information about applying to the program.

Master's Minority Fellowship Program

2020–2021 MFP Master’s Fellowship Application Cycle Opens Soon

CSWE’s 2020–2021 master’s Minority Fellowship Program application cycle opens Thursday, April 23, 2020, and closes on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, at 5:00 pm (EDT). MFP Director Dr. Duy Nguyen will host live Q&A sessions about the fellowship program. Click here to find program eligibility requirements, application instructions, and how to join a Q&A session.

CSWE Awards 

2020 CSWE Commission and Council Awards
CSWE commissions and councils honor, recognize, and celebrate exceptional individuals who help advance social work and social work education. Depending on criteria, the awards are open to CSWE members, nonmembers, or presenters at the Annual Program Meeting in Denver, CO, November 12–15, 2020. The Violence Against Women and Children Manuscript Award is a new award that recognizes outstanding scholarship of early career social work educators. Click here to learn more about each award’s criteria and deadline.

Nominate 2020 Annual Program Meeting Plenary Lecturers
CSWE needs your help to nominate social work leaders who exemplify Carl A. Scott’s dedication to diversity in social work education to be the 2020 Carl A. Scott Memorial lecturer. Nominate an international social work leader who promotes standards of excellence for international social work and a vision of social work education to be the next Hokenstad International lecturer. Click here to nominate a Carl A. Scott Memorial lecturer. Click here to nominate a Hokenstad International lecturer. Both nomination applications are due by Monday, May 18.

Resources

Cultural Adaptation of Behavioral Interventions 
Research consistently shows that culture and social context influence almost every aspect of assessment and treatment. CSWE's Center for Diversity and Social & Economic Justice is pleased to announce a research database of cultural adaptions of behavioral health interventions as part of the Center’s curriculum resources in practice with diverse communities. Click here to access the Center’s Educator|Resource to support teaching in social work practice grounded in the lived experiences of communities, including their cultural backgrounds.

Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America
The Congressional Black Caucus launched the Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health to address the increased suicide rates of Black youths. The group’s report, Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America, expands on prior research by exploring suicide and suicidal behaviors among Black youths, risk and protective factors, mental health use, treatment interventions, and recommendations. Click here to read the report.
 
COVID-19 Telehealth: Providing Mental Health Support Safely, Ethically, and Competently
The COVID-19 crisis presents a new opportunity for social workers to safely, ethically, and competently use a variety of technologies to provide a broad range of social and health services. Click here to learn how CSWE, the Association of Social Work Boards, and the National Association of Social Workers are working together to serve the everchanging COVID-19 pandemic affecting the social work profession.
 
Self-Care for Social Workers During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Kristen Lee, EdD, LICSW, shared with the National Association of Social Workers how social workers can practice self-care during the coronavirus pandemic. Click here to listen to her burnout prevention tips during the coronavirus pandemic.
 
Assessing and Addressing Implicit Bias Webinar
Although unintended, our unconscious attitudes, stereotypes, and judgments in favor of or against a social group can affect our actions and decisions. Click here to watch the Minority Fellowship Program Coordinating Center’s webinar recording.

CSWE Publications

JSWE Special Issue: Pandemic/Disaster Manuscripts
The Journal of Social Work Education (JSWE) invites submissions for a special issue titled "Teaching, Field Instruction, and Administration in the Time of Pandemic or Natural Disaster" to be published in spring 2021. The issue will be co-edited by Dr. Danielle Parrish (Baylor University; JSWE editor-in-chief) and Dr. Cristina Mogro-Wilson (University of Connecticut). Accepted articles will illustrate best practices and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and prior natural disasters to help inform social work education when faced with similar educational disruptions. For more information, read the call for submissions or contact Dr. Danielle Parrish, JSWE editor-in-chief. Manuscripts are due via online submission by August 3, 2020.