Mission
Our vision is to create a better society through individual and social change.
We seek to develop a more equitable, caring and socially just society. Such a society meets basic human needs, eliminates social and economic inequities and empowers individuals, their communities and institutions to reach their aspirations and potential.
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Learn how your gift has helped our students.
Your gift strengthens our ability to reach out, raise hope and change society.
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Alumni Board of Governors
Randy Ross, '94, President Jonathan Stern, '84, Secretary
Summer Berman, '04
Rhea Braslow, '76
Cynthia Bridgman, '02 Francine Farmer, '99 Stephanie Francois, '07 Jennifer Gardner, '04 Thaddeus Jabzanka, '11
Norm Lancit, '98
Judy Levick, '82
Alan McBroom, '77
Joseph Mole, '01
Kelly Pearson, '12
Vicki Poleni, '91
Will Sherry, '07
Tracy Thomas, '98
A
nne Walker, '92
MeShon Watkins, '08 Clifford Yee, '05
School of Social Work Representatives
Lynn Videka, Dean
(ex officio)
Berit Ingersoll-Dayton, Faculty (ex officio)
Susan Himle-Wills
(ex officio)
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Watkins Appointed Doctoral Director
Associate Professor Daphne Watkins was selected as the new director of the Joint Doctoral Program. Her appointment will begin on January 1, 2017 following the successful tenure of Professor Berit Ingersoll-Dayton who has served in this position since January 1, 2010.
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Faculty Openings at SSW
The U-M SSW has seven faculty positions available with an
easy web application.
If you, or someone you know, would like to join the top ranked School of Social Work, please consider applying today, or share with your colleagues.
Our current job postings include:
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Winkelman Memorial Lecture: Families, Religion and Aging: Results from a 35-year Study
How different are millennials from their grandparents in religion? How are religious values passed down across generations in America today, if at all? The 2016 Leon and Josephine Winkelman Memorial Lecture keynote speaker, Professor Vern L. Bengtson, Ph.D., addressed these questions and much more from his 35-year study of 400 multi-generation families.
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New Cooperative Headquartered at SSW Will Improve Quality of Cancer Care
Professor Brad Zebrack is leading a new Patient-Centered Research Cooperative Group for Psychosocial Oncology headquartered at SSW. The cooperative group will develop a sustainable community of cancer patients and survivors, oncology care providers and researchers devoted to the delivery of psychosocial care for cancer patients.
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2016-2017 PhD Curricula Vitae and Research Summaries
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Luke Shaefer Leads New U-M Multidisciplinary Poverty Solutions Program
U-M President Mark Schlissel announced a new multidisciplinary program,
Poverty Solutions headed by Associate Professor Luke Shaefer. Poverty Solutions aims to become a leader in informing, identifying and testing new strategies for the prevention and alleviation of poverty in Michigan, the nation and the world.
Schlissel stated, "One out of eight Americans live in poverty, and some Michigan cities are sometimes three times higher than that. The aim is to translate research into actionable interventions and rigorously assess their effectiveness."
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CONTACT US
(734) 763-9534
University of Michigan
School of Social Work
1080 South University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Letter from the Dean
Dear Colleagues:
In my first few months as the new dean at the School of Social Work, I've been busy trekking across campus visiting the other 18 schools and colleges - meeting with deans, department chairs and U-M administrators. I also have been listening. Faculty, alumni, donors, students and staff have shared with me what makes SSW such a dynamic graduate school. I'm still learning and would love to hear from you.
To highlight one crucial area, I've been heartened by the involvement of students, faculty and staff in creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment at SSW. The focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is President Schlissel's top priority for the entire U-M campus. Over the past year the School of Social Work developed its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) plan which will help our community improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the context of our social work heritage, and the School's vision, mission and goals. I am delighted to let you know that Professor Lorraine GutiƩrrez has been appointed the new director of SSW's DEI initiative.
I hope you will join us and commit to actively promoting greater equity at SSW and U-M. You can learn more and contribute to this important work by any of the following actions:
In my first semester I have witnessed a spirit of goodwill, and the ability to turn challenges into opportunities for positive change. I am lookin
g forward to working hard to advance the school.
Go Blue,
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President Schlissel has made enhancing diversity and creating an inclusive climate at the University of Michigan a cornerstone of his presidency. This includes,
a five-year strategic plan for creating a vibrant, diverse and inclusive campus in which every individual has the opportunity to be heard, to contribute and to excel.
In response, the
School of Social Work unveiled its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion plan developed by the SSW community. SSW engaged in a year-long process and developed a plan to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the context of our social work heritage, as expressed in our vision, mission and goals.
- We invite you to the many events scheduled.
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Congratulations 2016 Teacher of the Year, Distinguished Faculty and Lecturer
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Lorraine GutiƩrrez 2016 Distinguished Faculty of the Year
This award reflects longevity of excellence in contributions to the school, national recognition in service and scholarship, excellence in teaching/mentoring faculty and students, and considerable contribution to the professional community.
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Susan Crabb 2016 Distinguished Lecturer of the Year
Criteria for the distinguished lecturer include longevity of service to the school, excellence in teaching/ mentoring students and originality and intellectual rigor.
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Barb Hiltz 2016 Teacher of the Year
This is a student-selected award, which honors teachers who have been particularly powerful in their teaching and who students hold as the model for an educator in the U-M School of Social Work. |
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Maynard
Believes Social Work is the Mindset, Social Justice is the Issue
Olivia (Libby) Maynard, MSW '71, has had considerable achievements throughout her career, particularly in education and politics, and has consistently helped the underserved and overlooked, especially children, women, minorities and older adults."The great thing about social work is it's similar to law, you can really work anywhere," Maynard explained. "Social work opens us up to the view of what life should be, if it could be. Social justice is the issue, and social work is the mindset," Maynard said.
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Hernandez Helps Clarify Latina/o Family Needs
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| Elise Hernandez, PhD candidate |
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El
ise Hernandez, MSW '14, left her hometown of Miami to begin her education at the U-M in 2011. She came to Ann Arbor with the purpose to better understand intergeneratinal family
relationships, social support and well being among marginalized older
adults. As with many researchers, she has a personal connection to her area of study.
"I was drawn to this topic while
v
isiting my great-grandmother in the hospital," Her
nandez
explained. "
We would pack t
hree generations of family members
in the hospital to visit her and
would
often
get kicked out because there were too many of us, but
I noticed so many other
patients were alone
. "
Since then, Hernandez has focused her research on how values and circumstances shape social
support for older adults, and more specifically how the quality of that support
impacts
formal
social service seeking patterns
.
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Luqmaan Builds Relationships with Expectant Mothers to Decrease Infant Mortality
"Childbirth is the most joyous experience in a woman's life, but it can
 also be one of the most terrifying. I love hearing their stories and feel so honored to be a part of their process."
Madinah Luqmaan, MSW '16, is talking about her field placement at UMHS, where she works with expectant and new mothers and their infants who participate in the Maternal Infant Health Program. It's a prenatal and infant hospital- and home-visit program offered to all Medicaid-eligible women by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services that aims to decrease infant mortality rates.
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| SSW Launches Social Work: Practice, Policy and Research MicroMasters certificate
This is the first social work massive open online course (MOOC) in the U.S. and one of three MOOCs offered by U-M.
The MicroMasters is equipping learners from around the world with a framework to understand social work core theories and practices. The social work MicroMasters includes six courses that cover practice, policy, research, diversity, social justice and work with individuals, families, small groups and community organizations.
"The University of Michigan is pleased to host the first-ever MicroMasters in social work," said Lynn Videka, dean of the School of Social Work. "The courses will provide a strong introduction to basic social work skills and knowledge for working social services workers and others who want to learn about the profession."
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Contested Border
Alternative Spring Break
Associate Professor Sherrie Kossoudji led an alternative spring break with to the U.S./Mexico border to witness, experience and reflect upon U.S. border enforcement in the Tucson/Nogales area. The goal of Contested Borders: Policy on the Ground is to understand the nuances of our policy by observing the day-to-day activities that constitute the minutiae of a policy's impact on the people who migrate, the people who enforce the policy and the communities that surround the border.
"Seeing the U.S.-Mexico border firsthand convinced me of the inhumanity and injustice of excluding certain groups of people from our country, which ultimately harms our economy, social well-beingand future." -Rebecca Dean, MSW student
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Some Black Men Face Discrimination on a Weekly Basis
I
nstances of everyday discrimination are experienced by a broad cross-section of black men. Everyday discrimination might include others being afraid of you as you walk by because of the color of your skin, or shopping in a store and being followed by an employee. According to the study, black men who have had contact with the criminal justice system are especially likely to report these events.
Everyday discrimination, in contrast, represents less overt forms of intolerance and unfair treatment (e.g., being treated with less respect) that occur during commonplace social encounters.
"Everyday discrimination represents less serious forms of discrimination but are still common and impactful on individuals,"
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