April 2022

From the Director Happy April!     In this season, we are reminded of new growth, new opportunities, new revelations about our purpose, and new reasons to reflect upon our own journeys. Despite some persisting challenges, this time of year reminds me that there is newness ahead.   Within MFP, we are excited to share that the MFP team has expanded with the addition of Dr. Carl Algood. Carl will serve as our new senior project specialist with primary responsibility for oversight of our Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Program. In this role he will help us grow our partnerships with other professional organizations through a focus on interdisciplinary professional preparation for social workers. He started at CSWE on March 28, 2022, and comes to us from the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Carl has a PhD from Howard University School of Social Work and an MSW from New York University. Best of all, he is an MFP alumnus. Please help me welcome him.  We are also excited that we have launched our MFP MSW program application. Several MFP MSW information sessions and Q&A sessions have been scheduled for applicants to learn more about the program and best practices related to applying.  In addition, we continue our initiatives to engage MFP alumni and MFP volunteers. We are looking for MFP alumni to provide informal group mentoring talks and more formal Lunch-and-Learn sessions for our current MFP fellows. We are also looking for MFP alumni to record short videos about the impact of MFP on their lives. And, yes, we are always seeking MFP alumni and volunteers to serve on the Advisory Board, newly formed Alumni Committee, Application Review Committee, and as MFP mentors. If you are willing to serve in any of these capacities, please email me.  And finally, this season brings us one step closer to celebrating MFP’s 50th Anniversary. As celebratory plans are being made, we will continue to keep you updated. In the meanwhile, thank you for remaining an active member of the MFP family. In the spirit of sankofa and harambee,  Kesslyn Brade Stennis, PhD  Director, Minority Fellowship Program

 

2022 MFP Fellows Viewbook

The MFP is pleased to share our 2021–2022 Fellows Viewbook. This booklet highlights 54 stand-out MFP master’s and doctoral fellows, many of whom are currently on the job market. Please review their biographies to learn more about their practice, research, and teaching expertise; passions; and career goals. It is our hope that you will view the individual bios of our fellows in the context of employment opportunities and consider the multitude of ways MFP fellows can enhance your agency, organization, university, and community.  

Master's Application Cycle Open!

• Information Session Three: April 14, 2:00 PM (ET) 

Application Support Sessions (Q&A) 

• April 18 at 1:00 PM (ET) 
• May 4 at 7:00 PM (ET) 
• May 18 at 3:00 PM (ET)—This session is exclusively available to people who have applications in progress.

The application deadline is Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at 5:00 PM (ET). Learn more and apply here. 

Featured Fellow: Angel Ramos

My time as a master’s MFP fellow has been a truly fulfilling experience. Through the educational requirement, field experience, trainings, and the mentorship opportunities that are core components of the program, I have been well-positioned to build on my passion to provide direct level mental health services to diverse and underserved communities after graduating. In fact, I am proud to announce that, following the MFP fellowship period, I will be joining the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine as a post-MSW fellow in acute psychiatric services. This July I will be relocating to Connecticut for their 2022–2023 fellowship term to join their mobile crisis response team—carrying out my duties at the Connecticut Mental Health Center in New Haven, CT. New Haven is a diverse community with many African American and other BIPOC groups, which means that I will be part of the team’s work in providing direct services to diverse and underserved individuals, specifically those experiencing acute psychological crisis. I am truly grateful to the School of Social Work at California State University, Long Beach, and the CSWE master’s MFP fellowship program. I look forward to the next leg of my social work journey!      

 

Upcoming Event Featuring Dr. Kathy G. Purnell, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.S.

At 3:00 PM (ET) on April 15, MFP staff are pleased to welcome Dr. Kathy Purnell for a discussion on ""Social Work; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI); and Technology." Dr. Kathy is a Caribbean native with origins in London, England. She's a strategist, consultant, educator, visual storyteller, and learning experience designer specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has a Ph.D. in Education, an undergraduate and graduate degree in Social Work from two Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and a master's degree in Online Instructional Design and Technology. Dr. Kathy is now a student at M.I.T., where she is researching immersive technologies. She is passionate about connecting her core areas of interest: Social Work Education, D.E.I. Consultation, Technology, and Immersive Learning. Learn more about Dr. Purnell and register here for the April 15th session.

Join the Exclusive Online Community for MFP Fellows and Alumni 

• have real time conversations with daily or weekly notices of new posts; 
• upload documents and materials;   
• keep track of meeting minutes;   
• share ideas or generate collaboration among members; and  
• organize notes and discussion points.  

National Association of Social Workers’ National Conference

Registration is now open for the 2022 National Association of Social Workers’ National Conference. Attend in person or virtually June 22–25, 2022, for “unparalleled opportunities in professional development, continuing education, and networking.”  Find more information on the program schedule, speakers, hotel and travel, and exhibitors here and register today.  

Update Your Contact Information 

Have you changed jobs in the last few years? Changed your primary email address? The MFP relies on current contact information for our internal database, which we use to contact alumni and help us prepare our reports for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Please use this link to share your updated contact information. Additionally, you are encouraged to reach out to MFP alumni you are connected with and request that they share their updated information too. Thank you in advance for supporting MFP staff efforts to enhance connectedness in the MFP community.  

International Social Work Education Grant Cycle Closing Soon

CSWE’s Katherine A. Kendall Institute for International Social Work Education (Kendall Institute) is excited to announce that the 2022 grant cycle is now open. 

The Kendall Institute awards grants for the development of projects to create international social work education materials and curricula that bring the global context into social work classrooms in the United States. These projects combine creativity and innovation with existing knowledge and practice to influence the future of international social work education nationwide. 

The 2022 grant cycle spans 3 years, from July 2022 to June 2025. Proposals must be submitted to CSWE by Monday, April 18, 2022, at 11:59 PM (EDT). Read the request for proposals for more information on how to apply.  

Job Announcements 

The Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College has several academic, tenure-track postings available and invites applicants to apply for assistant, associate, or full professor positions. See the full posting to learn more, and apply online here.  

The School of Social Work at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, invites applications for an assistant professor of social work position. Find more information on this 9-month tenure-track position here. All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site. 

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CSWE Diversity Center’s April Educator|Resource

Visit CSWE’s Center for Diversity and Social & Economic Justice to view the April Educator|Resource.