March 2020

From the Director Dear MFP Community, This year’s Social Work Month theme–Generations Strong–resonates with the CSWE MFP in many ways. First, as social workers we are connected across generations through supervision in practice. The profession is built on integrating practice wisdom and the best available evidence to improve client outcomes.   Second, as students we learn from our peers, professors, and mentors. This is a clear way that we see knowledge passed through generations of learners. Third, strengthening communities across generations is something we seek for racial/ethnic minority populations, who are our focus in the CSWE MFP. We honor the contributions of MFP leaders, including Carl A. Scott and Dr. Aracelis Francis, who laid and established the foundation for today’s MFP. Please share your thoughts on Generations Strong with us on social media! In response to recent events regarding COVID-19, please read the MFP master's March training update below and visit the CSWE website as updates continue to develop. In Fellowship, Duy Nguyen, PhD MFP Director

 

MFP Spotlight Luis O. Curiel, LCSW Luis O. Curiel is a student in the doctoral program in social work at the University of St. Thomas. Mr. Curiel is interested in preventing childhood trauma by examining the mental health needs of communities of color and reducing intergenerational trauma transmission. After completing his doctoral degree, Mr. Curiel intends to teach at the university level and dedicate his research to developing innovative teaching methods to improve education and training for social workers in mental health who focus on serving communities of color.

Michelle Kelli Laster Current master’s fellow Michelle Kelli Laster is an MSW student at East Carolina University. Mrs. Laster is passionate about increasing awareness about emerging neural protectant and analgesic medicines for racial/ethnic minority and veteran populations. Mrs. Laster provides substance use disorder services in her field placement at Durham VA Health Care System. After graduation she will continue working with racial/ethnic minority and veteran populations experiencing mental health and substance use disorders. Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn.

William Lopez Current master’s fellow William Lopez is an MSW student at Boston College. His interest is in providing bilingual psychotherapy to Latinx adults and older adult populations to reduce mental health disparities. At Mr. Lopez’s internship at Revere HealthCare Center he provides cognitive behavioral therapy to diverse populations. Mr. Lopez’s career goals include training in diverse clinical treatment modalities that can help Latinx populations with trauma, substance use, and mental health. Connect with William on LinkedIn.

Susan Klumpner, AM, LCSW-C Susan Klumpner is a PhD candidate in the school of social work at University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a 2019 MFP doctoral alumna. She is the co-founder and executive director of The Active Children Excel Project, a youth development organization that provides free afterschool programming to underresourced elementary schools in Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit. On February 10 the Professional Tennis Registry recognized her as its 2020 United States Tennis Association Service Award Recipient. Connect with Susan on LinkedIn.

2020 MFP Master's March Training

The MFP master’s March training program "Looking Back, Looking Forward" scheduled for March 22–24 in Alexandria, VA, has been postponed. The MFP staff evaluated and exhausted every possibility of continuing the training, but ultimately decided that health and safety are most important. For more information, please contact Duy Nguyen, MFP director, at [email protected].

2020–2021 MFP Doctoral Application Cycle Closing Soon

CSWE’s 2020–2021 doctoral MFP application cycle closes on March 24, 2020, at 5:00 pm (EDT). Application instructions are posted on the MFP’s How to Apply page.

Grant and Loan Repayment Opportunities

Katherine A. Kendall Institute for International Social Work Education Request for Proposals
CSWE’s Katherine A. Kendall Institute for International Social Work Education helps educators create innovative tools that bring a global context into U.S. social work classrooms and are transferable and sustainable across institutions. This 3-year grant cycle opens on February 12, 2020, and closes on March 27, 2020, at 5:00 pm (EDT). Up to five $10,000 grants will be awarded. Click here to view the request for proposals and additional resources.
 
Doctoral Dissertation and Faculty/Postdoctoral Research Grant Programs 
The Fahs-Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation is offering grants up to $5,000 for dissertation support expenses and $20,000 for faculty/postdoctoral research support in the United States and Canada. Grant applications are considered twice a year with deadlines of April 1 and November 1; learn more about eligibility here.
 
$10,000 Roy Scrivner Memorial Research Grant
The American Psychological Foundation’s Roy Scrivner Memorial Research Grant is offering a grant up to $10,000 for empirical and applied research focused on lesbian, gay, and bisexual family psychology and LGBT family therapy. The application deadline is Sunday, November 1, 2020; learn more about eligibility and program benefits here.
 
National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Programs Now Open
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s National Health Service Corps loan repayment programs offer up to $50,000 to licensed clinical social workers providing culturally competent services to underserved populations in designated communities of need for a period of 2 years. The application deadline is Thursday, April 23, 7:30 pm (EDT); learn more about eligibility here.
 
The State Loan Repayment Program varies in each state in eligible disciplines, practice sites, length of required service commitment, and amount of loan repayment assistance. Click here to learn more about eligibility and application requirements.

Workshops

University of Michigan Mixed Methods Workshops
The University of Michigan’s interdisciplinary mixed methods research program has upcoming workshops with open registration for the spring, summer, and fall. Click on a workshop title for more information:

• June 17–19, 2020, Designing & Conducting a Mixed Methods Dissertation or Thesis

• November 11–13, 2020, Designing Your Mixed Methods Research Project

 
Caring for People With Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care Settings
The Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders will host a 1-day public workshop in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2020, that will examine approaches to facilitate the delivery of essential components of care for people with mental health and substance use disorders in primary care settings. This free workshop is open to the public via in-person attendance and live webcast. Click here to learn more about this event.

Resources

A Blueprint to Reduce LGBTQ Youth Homelessness
LGBTQ youths who are experiencing homelessness are among the most vulnerable populations under attack. CSWE’s Center for Diversity and Social & Economic Justice showcases the voices of providers, advocates, and youths giving access to a systematically organized evidence base with regard to the needs and experiences of this vulnerable group. Click here to access this month’s Educator|Resource for strategies for engaging in best practices and recommendations for facilitating successful transitions to adulthood.
 
Free Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis ePrimer Course
Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network has launched a free and self-paced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Psychosis ePrimer course. The course covers psychosis education, CBT fundamentals, and the application of CBT to psychotic symptoms and experiences. Click here to access the course.

Webinar

Free Motivational Interviewing Learning Collaborative Webinar Series
Enhance your motivational interviewing skills with an interactive webinar for practitioners. Click here to join the next webinar on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, 9:00 am (EDT). The webinar’s title is Let Your Partner (Client, Consumer, Customer, Patient) Know You're Working Hard to Understand.