SJSU School of Social Work Newsletter May 2022

Table of Contents

• Social Media Links
• Office Hours and Contact Information
• Congratulations Class of 2022
• Highlighting Imani Savage, MSW
• Highlighting Emmanual Pimentel, MSW
• Highlighting Mia Jaurigue, BASW
• Highlighting Jennifer Tai, MSW
• Highlighting Sue Robinson, MSW
• Thank you Graduation Chairs
• New Paid Internships
• Faculty Highlight: Dr. Timothy Nguyễn
• Farewell Professor Derek Wang
• Internship Reflection - Ashley McQuerter
• 2022 Celebration of Community Connections
• Celebrating Families! - Evaluation Research and Student 298 Projects
• Highlighting SCWK 204 Social Action Project - Student Homeless Alliance (SHA)
• Highlighting SCWK 204 Social Action Project - Students Against Mass Incarceration (SAMI)
• Highlighting SCWK 204 Social Action Project - Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA)
• SWGSA
• USWA
• A Final Thank You from Dr. Peter A. Lee
• End of Newsletter, Photo Collage

Social Media

We thrive to build a connection with our social work community by sharing resources, community events, and by shining a spotlight on our School, Students, Alumni, and Faculty! Follow us today!

Instagram @sjsusocialwork

Linkedin @SJSU School of Social Work

Youtube @SJSU School of Social Work

Office Hours and Contact Information

Office Telephone # 408-924-5800

Official Website: www.sjsu.edu/socialwork/

General Email Address: socialwork@sjsu.edu

Post Masters PPSC Email: socialwork-post-masters@sjsu.edu

On-Campus PPSC Program Coordinator: lissette.moore-guerra@sjsu.edu

Office Address: One Washington Square. WSQ Room 215 San Jose, CA 95192-0124

School of Social Work Evaluation, Suggestion, and Feedback Form (Anonymous): https://forms.gle/hBXzASpfNYHomWEt6

NEW PAID INTERNSHIPS

Growing the Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce Through Community Partnerships

By: Dr. Peter Allen Lee

Four community agency partners are paving the way to more paid internships for San José State University social work students. Community Solutions, Gardner Health Services, Momentum for Health and Rebekah Children’s Services were successfully funded through a grant from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Community Services Division. They will be offering financial support to social work students in our BASW bachelor’s and MSW master’s program in the 2022-2023 academic year for students interning at those agencies. Given the severe shortage of social workers and other professionals needed in mental and behavioral health services, this DHCS grant focuses on Behavioral Health Workforce Development (BHWD) through the Mentored Internship Program (MIP). This is a significant step regarding compensation for internships given that most social work internships are unpaid.

BASW and MSW students, as well as other Spartans at San José State University, are remarkable for their talent, abilities, and passion for education. Indeed, as the #1 Transformative College (according to Money Magazine in 2020), SJSU provides students with life-changing opportunities to earn a university degree and shape a successful professional and personal journey. Even more remarkable, many SJSU students are the first in their families to attend university, and must balance caring for family with working part-time or even full-time in addition to going to school.

We are very thankful to these four community agency partners for pursuing these opportunities to support student interns financially. They represent the over 250 dedicated agency partners networking with our School of Social Work who provide internship placements for over 425 social work students in field education locally and across California.

As part of accreditation standards and quality professional preparation, BASW social work students are required to complete 480 hours of internship as a senior major, and MSW students 1,200 hours across two years in internship. The internship is the cornerstone of educational and practical training, but typically without monetary compensation. As education and financial landscapes change, paid internships would help students succeed, especially in cases where students already have a difficult time affording college and managing numerous responsibilities outside of school. Hopefully, grants and partnered opportunities such as these will lead to more paid internships or models to provide resources to enable students to focus on their professional preparation, and relieve the financial pressures so that our students may thrive.

Faculty Highlight

Professor Timothy Nguyen is now...

Dr. Timothy Nguyen

Congratulations Dr. Nguyen for recently earning your Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) in March of 2022 from California Southern University.

Dr. Nguyen was recently interviewed. Learn more about his journey by reading some highlights below:

What are your current and past contributions to the school?: Dr. Nguyen is the Online/Hybrid MSW Coordinator and Online/Hybrid MSW Advisor for the School of Social Work. Previously, he worked as the Assistant Field Director and internship coordinator. Since 2018, over the span, he has worked with undergraduate and graduate students, oversee admissions, and even used to be an Actor in the Title IV-E Child Welfare simulation lab!

What made you want to pursue your Doctorate? After graduating from UCLA with his Master of Social Welfare (MSW), he began working in the prison system. And within the prison system, he quickly learned that psychologists were favored over Social Workers. Probation for Social Workers was 12 months, but for a psychologist, it was 6 months. For Social Workers there was 1 promotional position available, but for a psychologist, there were promotional positions such as specialist, chief, supervisor, and so much more. Soon, he was encouraged by some of his colleagues to go back to school to become a psychologist, so that he could return to the prison system. So that's what he did! He began the Doctorate program in 2017, and in the meantime, he was hired by the School of Social Work in 2018. He describes not having returned to work in the prison system, because he has enjoyed working for SJSU.

What is your long-term professional goal? "Private practice, I think is the ultimate goal. I've worked in communities and settings where most people would refuse to work. I've worked in areas where there is the most need, such as marginalized areas, for the majority of my career. So I think the ultimate goal after all of these experiences is to do private practice. I want to balance that with a caseload of people who I can do a sliding scale for and then for people who I don't need to do a sliding scale for. So ultimately, if I'm able to do more of a consultation, assessment, and contracted work, that would be my ultimate goal."

Currently, Dr. Nguyen has his own private practice that he just started last year. He just got credentialed for insurance and is excited to have begun this journey. https://balancehour.com

Can you describe your academic journey starting from High School till now?: "By the time I graduated High School, I had gone to 15 different schools (this includes 4 different high schools). So when I applied to college, I only applied to one college, because I didn't think I was going to get in. I was the first in my family to pursue college, I didn't know anyone who went to SJSU, and I let alone, didn't know anyone who went to a 4-year university. So I applied to SJSU, and I got in! I was super happy about it. In 2011, during my final year as an undergraduate student, I was in the Sociology department, and Dr. Claudio Vera Sanchez (who is still a current Justice Studies professor), said, "Hey Tim, have you ever thought about grad school?" And I had NEVER thought about grad school, nor did I have any idea about what grad school was about. I was just happy to get a bachelor's degree, but in my mind, I was thinking maybe I should consider it."

"So this was actually what led me to apply for graduate school. So when I saw him, later in 2018, when I got hired by SJSU, I told Dr. Sanchez, that he was the only one who had asked me about grad school, and the reason why I pursued graduate school. So now, I pay it forward, by doing the same. That's why when I meet bright students from our BASW program, I say, "Have you thought about grad school?" I would even try and go to the final year scwk 140 classes, and we would do a presentation about the MSW program. I would encourage students to consider grad school."

Can you tell us about your Research Dissertation?: Dr. Nguyen's research dissertation was a challenge to the current criteria and how Anti-Social Personality Disorder is conceptualized, coming from a social justice standpoint, where the disorder and the way it is diagnosed and how it is presented, and how in the field, it is used, is more damaging. How the risk of using this diagnosis has higher risks than benefits. For example, it labels people, changes the dynamics of how sentencing goes, parole board hearings, or if they recidivate, having this diagnosis and what it means to a jury. I successfully defended that to earn my Doctorate.

2021-2022 CHHS Outstanding Advisor Award

Our College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) has just announced our very own Dr. Timothy Nguyen as the recipient of the 2021-2022 Outstanding Adviser Award.

Dr. Nguyen's passionate and dedicated work and service have made a huge positive impact in many areas including student success, improvements in our programming especially the Online/Hybrid MSW Program, field education, and administrative systems such as managing admissions.

Thank you Dr. Nguyen for being an integral part of our School of Social Work, and for your amazing contributions. We are so proud of you!

Professor Derek Wang

Student Assistant Destiny Santana catches up with Professor Derek Wang one last time before he transitions out of his role as Field Education Director. Check out the interview down below!

A message from Professor Wang

Dear Students,

I hope you are all doing well. I would like to inform you that I have decided to transition from my role as the Field Education Director for the School of Social Work starting in June of 2022. The main reason for the decision is my desire to pursue a doctorate degree in Education. I have always been passionate about community organizing of parents of minority backgrounds to impact K-12 public education outcomes and hope that my doctoral studies can further research in this area. I hope to eventually share my experiences with community organizing in a teaching role. Additionally, this transition will also fit in well with my son starting in Kindergarten full-time in the Fall of 2022 and my continued care for my two year old daughter at home.

I want to express that I am humbled to serve as the Field Education Director since the 2018-2019 Academic Year. Field education is the signature pedagogy in social work education, and I am thankful for each of your contributions to this incredibly meaningful profession. Your dedication to your craft as future social workers also plays an important role in fulfilling the growing need for social workers throughout the state.

Before my transition, I will continue to work with our team at SJSU to support your practicum experience. I am also working closely with Dr. Peter Allen Lee, Director of the School of Social Work, to hire the School’s next Field Education Director.

It has been and continues to be an honor to work with and be of service to each of you. Thank you once again for your support.

Sincerely,

DEREK WANG, LCSW, PPSC

Field Education Director

As the semester comes to an end and students complete their internships, first-year MSW student, Ashley McQuerter, reflects on her journey

“I can’t believe it’s my last week at San Marcos Unified School District! My first-year internship in my MSW program flew by, culminating in this community project. This library display for Pride Month includes relevant handout resources for our middle school students, books with LGBTQIA+ main characters, and books written by LGBTQIA+ authors. The lovely “HUMAN” and pop-tab artwork was completed by student members of our school’s Pride Alliance that I co-led every week. The students, staff, and this school will always have a place in my heart”.

2022 Celebration of Community Connections

Thank you so very much for being part of our Annual School of Social Work Celebration of Community Connections hosted today, Wednesday May 25, 2022. Please see the link to the event recording below. You may share this link with anyone interested.

https://sjsu.zoom.us/rec/share/DQbk0oR4UR9X-oiE6LuKiJRMP9ValjP_8IEwLGi3h9rsx-K6KP8UoO5lYm_Rm4ey.xpIJ2mrreRVdqbnH

Access Passcode: SJSU1857!

Congratulations to those recognized for scholarships and field education achievements: outstanding interns, field instructors, community projects, and agencies.

Deborah Ann Greg Scholarship

• Erika Garcia
• Christy Ho

Helen S. Hansen Gerontology Scholarship

• Kelly Sydow

Stanley Lee Memorial Scholarship

• Nicole Verrett

Dorothy Miller Scholarship (Outstanding MSW Student in Field Education)

• Alethea Theonard
• Lisa Stead

Alicia Nájera Scholarship:

• Magdalena Lazaro

Helen Walsh Soderstrom Scholarship

• Gladys Perea

Outstanding BASW Student In Field Education

• Vanessa Garcia

Outstanding MSW Community Project

• Amber Romo
• Kyle Wojnar
• Natalie Coreas Bernal

Shaaron Gilson MSW Field Instructor of the Year

• Krystle Stringer - Contra Costa County, Employment and Human Services Department

Shaaron Gilson BASW Field Instructor of the Year

• Valarie Ikemoto - East Side Union High School District

BASW Field Agency of the Year

• Pivotal

MSW Field Agency of the Year

• Napa State Hospital

CELEBRATING FAMILIES!

Evaluation Research and Student 298 Projects

Dr. Ed Cohen heads up a multi-site evaluation of this family-based intervention designed to improve parenting and family relations, and reduce parental substance use problems that have been implicated in violence in the home. CF! has been implemented in many sites in California and other states – among them multi-service agencies, family treatment courts, child welfare agencies, domestic violence programs, residential treatment programs, and school districts. It has been adapted for Spanish-speaking families, and has been implemented by at least three Native American tribal authorities nationally. There are versions of CF! for families with children ages 0-3, 4-12, and 13-17.

Dr. Cohen has involved student research assistants in this project each year since 2016. This year in his 298 section there are six students pursuing research related to CF!. Mary Prado is studying the cultural adaptation of the program for California sites serving Latinx and Native American families. Cynthia Navarro and Yasmin Lara are monitoring new program implementations funded by a grant from the California Office of Child Abuse Prevention. Natalie Cline and Kristin Jones are assisting with the development and analysis of data from a survey of graduates of Parisi House, a residential program for women and their children where CF! is part of the milieu program. Jennifer Escalera is conducting a literature review summarizing how the theories supporting similar family-based interventions are translated into program curricula. Future plans include analysis of child welfare reunification and recidivism data, continued analysis of pre- and post-test outcome data, and the study of new CF! site implementations in the coming year.

MSW Students TAKE Social Action

HIGHLIGHTING SCWK 204 POLICY PROJECTS

Student Homeless Alliance (SHA)

MSW students Eric Garcia, Destiny Santana, Khadeja Tran, Christina Winn, and Jaslyn Abdul joined forces with a student organization known as SHA, in an effort to spread awareness of student homeless barriers currently being faced at SJSU.

SAN JOSE, CA -On Wednesday, April 20th, at 11:30 AM, the Student Homeless Alliance (SHA) held a march at the Tommie Smith and John Carlos Statues, followed by a 12-noon press conference at the same location. The purpose was to urge SJSU administration to fix fully implement the 2020 SJSU-SHA Agreement.

Media Coverage:

• ABC7 News Coverage
• San Jose Spotlight News Article
• Mercury News Article
• Spartan Daily News Article
• Senate Dave Cortese Releases a Statement in Support of Students

students against mass incarceration (sami)

First-year MSW students Jolyssa Lopez, Elena Jones, Anthony Contreras, Magdalena Lazaro, and Carina Lucas partnered with a student-led organization known as SAMI. On April 29th, they worked together to picket and hold a public hearing in front of the Santa Clara County Main Jail in an effort to overturn the 2/3 vote for the new jail scheduled to be built.

students against sexual assault (sasa)

MSW Students Alexandra Ferry, Jocelynn Esteban, and Karlie Eacock create a new student-led organization known as SASA. SASA advocates for the SJSU campus to become a safe and supportive space by ensuring Title IX protections.

On May 11, 2022, SASA held a community rally to demand that SJSU adequately staff the Title IX office, transparency, and demands accountability, and student safety!

Click here to learn more about what's happened since the rally held in May! Great Job SASA!

sOCIAL WORK GRADUATION STUDENT ORGANIZATION (SWGSA)

SWGSA is a student-led organization created by and for MSW students at SJSU. The School of Social Work would like to formally say THANK YOU to the SWGSA officers of 2021-2022. Your endless time, efforts, dedication, and hard work have not gone unnoticed.

Thank you SWGSA Officers of 2021-2022

• President: Desiree Schmidt
• Vice-President: Robert Rogers
• Treasurer: Margaret Boquet
• Secretary: Taylor Zavala
• Graduation Chair: Imani Savage
• Social Justice Chair: Kevin Gaytan
• Education/Empowerment Chair: Madison Johnson
• Student Representative Co-Chair: Gisselle Ayala
• Outreach Co-Chair: Naomi McCormick
• Online/Hybrid Outreach Co-Chair: Irene Reyes
• NASW Student Representative: Fahima Issack
• Online/Hybrid Student Representation Co-Chair: Daniel Tello
• First-Year MSW Student Representative: Allison Cospin

Undergraduate Social Work Association (USWA)

USWA is a student-led organization created by and for BASW students at SJSU. The School of Social Work would like to say THANK YOU to the USWA officers of 2021-2022. Your dedication, hard work, time, and commitment are being recognized.

Thank you USWA officers of 2021-2022

• President: Daniela Flores
• Vice President: Genesis Smith
• Secretary: Diana Morales
• Graduation Officer: Christina Marie Olivo & Marina Irenea Aguiar
• Merchandise Officer: Christina Marie Olivo
• Treasurer: Mimi Morales
• Member Relations: Diana Morales
• Social Events Coordinator: Viviane Pham
• Social Media Coordinator: Kaylin Trinh, Jennifer Vasquez, & Isabel Lopez
• Student Representative: Lesly Anguiano

THANK YOU AND BEST WISHES...

Dear School of Social Work,

A final THANK YOU as we close the semester and the 2021-2022 Academic Year!

To our fabulous faculty: your continued efforts to educate, mentor, and support our students are admirable, especially during the continuing pandemic situation as we pivoted quickly to an online format and then back to some in-person, managed crises, and dealt with ever-changing circumstances. You found ways to teach and encourage our students while we all faced challenges and struggles.

To our amazing staff: your dedicated, tireless work, mostly behind the scenes and unrecognized, makes it possible to run the School. You equip us to do our jobs and enjoy our experiences in teaching and learning. You are the backbone!

And of course to our remarkable students: your passion, persistence, and energy remind all of us why we are in social work. This past year and beyond have been incredibly hard. Thank you for being our "teachers" while also being our students. Congratulations to the graduates! Go into the world and change society for the better! We hope you all will consider yourselves part of the SJSU and Social Work family.

Please keep in touch with us. Use this link to provide your contact information to the School of Social Work (your sjsu email address will eventually end):

https://sjsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7Q9HD1IQWphynXw

We continue to experience difficulty, loss, and unrest. Tragedies are overwhelming, including the latest killings in Texas, New York, and locally, wars in Ukraine and other countries, continuing toll globally from the pandemic, and strife in society. Change is not easy, but change can happen. Remain thankful. Hold on to hope, take action, and know we can still do and be our best.

Peter Allen Lee, Ph.D., MSW

Director and Professor, School of Social Work

Chair, University Council of Chairs and Directors (UCCD)

Provost Fellow - Director, Academic Affairs Leadership Discovery Group (AALDG)

Thank you to our photographer Isaiah Robin Apostol for capturing these special moments of our graduates. Follow our photographer on Instagram @izayarobin