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SJSU School of Social Work Newsletter end of fall 2022 semester

This newsletter was created by Student Assistant Destiny Santana, on behalf of the School of Social Work. For any accessibility or broken links, please email destiny.santana@sjsu.edu

⭐️LETS RECAP THIS SEMESTER⭐️

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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!

Check out our newest TikTok!

@sjsusocialwork

Why did you chose the MSW program at SJSU?

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

In Reflection and Appreciation from Director and Professor, Dr. Peter A. Lee

Dear School of Social Work Community,

We are still in the midst of significant challenges and stress: almost 3 years of COVID, ongoing political and social division, growing inflation and economic decline, violence and war, and a bleak environmental future. Where is our hope?

Our purpose and passion to be social workers, especially during these extraordinarily trying times, are my sources for inspiration. We must recognize that our profession has contributed to social and systemic problems and injustice, and we must also realize that we can be strong, positive forces to create necessary changes. Difficult times are still when we need social work even more! Thank you for who you are and what you do to make lives, communities, and society better.

As we approach 2023, our University faces problems with enrollment, budget, and resources that affect student success. However, we still have much to be thankful for. I have great appreciation for you all. Our faculty continues to do an outstanding job of teaching and mentoring. Their solid work and commitment keep classes going and students on-track to graduate. Remember that the faculty and staff have their own challenges too. Our staff and student assistants, largely unseen and unrecognized, remain our backbone. We often do not recognize how much they do to run the School! Our agency and community partnerships are growing, and support our hundreds of students in internships. I am particularly thankful for our student leaders and student body as they contribute to the profession and bring ideas and accountability to our social justice emphases. There are high levels of stress and responsibility, and students remain engaged in education and learning while working and caring for families and loved ones. Our alumni and recent graduates are representing us through their work and impact locally, throughout the state, and across the nation. Our countless agency and organizational partners are invaluable in serving others. I am grateful for everyone’s efforts to promote the success and well-being of our students, School, and communities.

Our national accreditation body (the Council on Social Work Education) will be visiting us in February 2023 to review our bachelors and masters programs. This is part of the usual reaccreditation process that happens about every 8 years. Our social work programs have been continually accredited since their founding over 50 years ago. Reaccreditation is one of our chances to reflect on accomplishments and areas for growth. Our programs are doing well in the larger context of many students, staff, and faculty leaving SJSU due to the economy or personal circumstances. The BASW program has slightly lower enrollment recently, but is still very strong and with potential expansion in the next few years. The MSW and post-masters programs are fully-enrolled and impacted. We expect to grow our Online/Hybrid MSW Program to meet the demand for distance education. Our School remains the largest by enrollment in the Bay Area and one of the largest social work graduate programs in California.

Our School of Social Work continues to offer a range of specialization and training programs. We have one of the best Title IV-E Child Welfare Training and Stipend Programs in the state, including a leader in piloting an option for Online/Hybrid MSW students. IV-E will also be exploring a new area integrating juvenile justice with child welfare. We are among the few programs to benefit from an Integrated Behavioral Health Program, which offers training and stipends for final-year MSW students to grow the behavioral health workforce. In addition, our School helped pilot the Adult Protective Services Training Grant, which will soon be unveiled as a statewide program. Our unique partnership with Santa Clara County’s Behavioral Health Services continues with the county’s generous sponsorship of the BASW Mental Health Scholarship: funding specifically to encourage undergraduate social work majors towards a career in mental health. And this year, four long-time partner agencies offered new stipend-supported internships for our students.

As part of our cycle of accreditation, we will also have the formal opportunity to refresh our curriculum. In addition, the School and faculty remain committed and involved on the journey exploring anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Although the walk might be slow at times, we are being intentional in building a foundation and strategy. I am looking forward to implementing ideas and initiatives that will strengthen our School's ability to fulfill our mission and vision.

Dr. Nayoun Lee has joined Drs. Yoli Anyon, Ruvani Fonseka, Moctezuma Garcia, and Jennifer Wolf as our most recent tenure-line faculty hires. We have added five new full-time professors in the last three years. Professor Stephanie Ruiz is our new Field Education Director. They contribute to our diversity and bring a range of expertise consistent with the School’s emphasis on our Transcultural Perspective.

Achievements and awards are important. Also consider that marks of success are the lasting and quality impact we have on others and those we serve. Our terrible struggles, horrible days, and profound losses seem insurmountable. Each day is a new day; each moment is an opportunity to change or make a difference. Remember your goals, embody your purpose, and embrace those around you for encouragement and to encourage.

Social work is a professional identity, and it can guide us in our life attitudes and values. Stand-up, stand-proud, stand together. Stand-up for those in need. Stand proud for who you are as a social worker and as a person of worth able to use your talents, knowledge, and power to improve well-being. Stand together: no one succeeds alone in anything we do or in who we are.

It is a privilege for me to be in a position where I can exercise servant leadership. I am so glad to be here with you. Take the time to cherish what you have and to strive for what can be. Here's wishing you all good health and a joyful holiday season. Have a successful conclusion to the year, and see you in 2023.

Dr. Peter Allen Lee

Director and Professor, School of Social Work

SWGSA

The Social Work Graduate Student Association or SWGSA is a student organization created by and for MSW students at SJSU. All students in the MSW program at SJSU are automatically enrolled as members. ​SWGSA thrives to build connections and enact social change on every level as well as be a voice for the students.

Contact Information

General Email: Swgsaboard@gmail.com

Merchandise: swgsamerch@gmail.com

Graduation Committee: swgsa.graduationchair@gmail.com

Website: https://sjsuswgsa.godaddysites.com/home

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SJSU.SWGSA/

Instagram: @sjsuswgsa

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oRy5zXMCE_-eURYseFqxTLTqyCQcjsv1pqpvAB1HxJ0/edit?usp=sharing

Zoom Link: Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://sjsu.zoom.us/j/84728558377

Updates regarding the Class of 2023 Convocation can be found here: https://express.adobe.com/page/TOGrNomKpALgh/

FALL 2022 Photos

Thank you to everyone who has participated in a SWGSA related event or workshop! We are proud to build connections amongst Students, Faculty and School! We hope to continue to create more memories during the spring semester!

USWA

The Undergraduate Social Work Association (USWA) is a student-led organization created by and for BASW students at SJSU. All BASW students are automatically registered as members of USWA. Follow USWA on social media today!

Contact Information

Instagram @uswasjsu

Facebook Group: Undergraduate Social Work Association

Email Address: uswasjsuofficers@gmail.com

College of Health and Human Sciences Faculty Highlight

By the Office of Faculty Success

September 2022

Nayoun Lee

Assistant Professor, Social Work

Prior to joining SJSU, Nayoun Lee was an assistant professor of social work at the University of Mississippi. She received her PhD in Social Work and Political Science from the University of Michigan and a Master of Social Work and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University. Her research focuses on how marginalization of groups and communities along the axes of stratification, including race, ethnicity, class, and region impacts people’s sense of identity, political and self-efficacy, and attitudes towards outgroups.

-Written by the Office of Faculty Success

Dr. Nayoun Lee has joined Drs. Yoli Anyon, Ruvani Fonseka, Moctezuma Garcia, and Jennifer Wolf as our most recent tenure-line faculty hires.

The Social Work Experience Podcast

The School of Social Work and Social Work Graduate Student Association (SWGSA) are excited to present

⭐️The Social Work Experience Podcast⭐️

Listen today on Apple or Spotify

Apple: https://lnkd.in/g2WcyH-4

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gdCeXcfK

A special shout-out to the founders of the podcast, Mr. Eric Garcia, MSW Student and Dr. Peter A. Lee, Director of School of Social Work.

We also want to thank Francisco “Pancho” Garcia, MSW Student, for joining the team as Podcast Chair! 🎧👏🏽

Alumni and Program Highlight

SJSU MSW Program Reflection by Susannah Folcik, LCSW

Susannah Folcik, MSW, LCSW, Social Work Supervisor at Santa Clara County shares her experiences when working with Social Workers from SJSU! 💙💛

Thank you Santa Clara County for your ongoing support to the School of Social Work! Your dedication to our Students and Alumni is invaluable. 🙏🏽

SJSU Alumni Highlight: Carlos Bejarano - Social Work

Today we highlight one of our very own, Carlos Bejarano, MSW Alumni. Carlos shares his experience and how he believes the SJSU social work program prepared him to be a professional social worker 👏🏽

Transcultural Perspective (TCP)

Situated in dynamic and diverse Silicon Valley, the School of Social Work at San Jose State University has almost 200 undergraduates and 250 graduate students in its programs at any one time. Students can select from a variety of fully-accredited program models—full-time, part-time, and hybrid/online— and pursue credentials and certificates beyond the BSW or MSW degree. Using its transcultural model as a lens through which academic and field education is experienced, the School of Social Work provides a unique and exceptional learning experience.

✊🏽Cielo Lopez, MSW, Imani Savage, MSW, Dr. Moctezuma Garcia, and Dr. Peter A. Lee share their experiences using TCP and the importance it has on the work they do as Social Workers.

To learn more about the program, please visit the website, https://www.sjsu.edu/socialwork/

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

RALLY FOR TITLE IX

Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA)

MSW Students created a student-led organization called Students Against Sexual Assault (SASA) beginning in the Spring of 2022. Since then, their student organization has grown, and undergraduate sociology students have joined their efforts. SASA recently held a rally on campus. Read more about their recent efforts below!

SASA members outside of Tower Hall on October 12, 2022
SASA members outside of Tower Hall on October 12, 2022
SASA members outside of Tower Hall on October 12, 2022

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/south-bay/san-jose-state-students-sex-abuse-scandal/3028721/

Eva Bernal Campos (she/her)

MSW Part-time Program (Class of 2024)

While Eva was an undergraduate student at CSU, Monterey Bay she worked as a research assistant for the Support Young People Project with Dr. Shannon Snapp. She was also selected by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) to receive funding to conduct research and also receive the competitive title of "UROC Researcher". During her time as a research assistant, she worked on a qualitative research study in collaboration with Dr. Shannon Snapp at CSU, Monterey Bay, CSU, Monterey Bay Alumni Xochitl Saldana, Dr. Ryan Watson at the University of Connecticut, and Ph.D. student at the University of Connecticut Veronica Hanna-Walker. The study examined sexual identity development among LGBTQ+ young adults. The study titled "This is Real, This is the Way that Things are": Hooking Up as a Pathway for Sexual Identity Development Among SGM Emerging Adults" was recently published in the Journal of Emerging Adulthood.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21676968221117410

2022–2023 Minority Fellowship Program Master's Fellows

An Bùi

she/her/hers

As a part of the Minority Fellowship (MFP) staff team at the Council on Social Work Education, they recently announce that one of our master’s students, An Bùi, will receive a prestigious fellowship for the 2022-2023 year!

This year, the program welcomes 34 final-year MSW students. During the next twelve months, they will have the opportunity to learn from experts in the field, gather meaningful skills and insights, and network with like-minded students. Please find a full listing of fellowship recipients pursing MSW’s nationwide here!

The CSWE MFP is an incredible training and professional development opportunity supported by grant funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The fellowship award is for master’s social work students who demonstrate a strong commitment to addressing the mental health needs of BIPOC individuals, groups, and communities. The MFP offers fellows access to an ever-growing network of fellowship participants and alumni, specialized training, a quarterly stipend, mentorship, and professional development support.

Congratulations An!!

SJSU Social Work Professor Dr. Migdalia Reyes was interviewed by SJSU news back in September 2022 regarding the Puerto Rico hurricane.

Check out the feature below!

SJSU professors discuss Puerto Rico hurricane

September 22, 2022

by Nick Zamora

https://sjsunews.com/article/sjsu-professors-discuss-puerto-rico-hurricane

Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, is in the midst of a humanitarian and natural disaster.

Hurricane Fiona, a Category 1 storm, made landfall Monday, knocking out power to almost the entire island and dumped more than 30 inches of rain in some areas of the island, according to a Monday Politico article.

“Just so [Spartan Daily] readers know, we are talking about a full blown disaster in Puerto Rico,” said William Armaline, San Jose State sociology associate professor and director of the Human Rights Institute, an SJSU research and policy program.

The hurricane came almost five years to the anniversary of Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 hurricane that made landfall on Sept. 20, 2017 and left 3,000 people dead and damaged 80% of the power grid, according to a Monday New York Times article.

Hurricane Maria decimated Puerto Rico’s power, water and healthcare systems, which have never fully recovered, according to the Politico article.

As of Wednesday night, more than a million Puerto Rican homes were without power, according to PowerOutage.us, a website that says it collects, records and aggregates live power outages across the U.S.

In June 2021, a private consortium known as LUMA Energy took over distribution and transmission of power to every single home in Puerto Rico with the awardment of a 15-year contract. LUMA has initiated 225 projects with FEMA totaling more than $5 billion in public funded projects according to the same Politico article.

LUMA’s ability to effectively distribute power to Puerto Rico has left much to be desired by locals. Ever since LUMA took over, it has had new and old appliances broken or made unusable by brown-outs and power surges, according to a 2021 New York Times article.

Migdalia Reyes, SJSU social work professor and former director of Puerto Rican Studies at the University of Connecticut, said power outages cause major problems on the island of Puerto Rico.

“It's a huge epidemic,” Reyes said in a phone call. “There’s a lot of demonstrations taking place because, Puerto Rican people, if anything, [they] are very resilient.”

She said there are demonstrations constantly in Puerto Rico, in which residents have recently begun leaving broken appliances in front of Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi’s mansion and on the capitol building steps.

Reyes said Puerto Rico residents have been doing that as a means of protest against unfair representation and no decision-making power in their infrastructures.

Puerto Rico has no voting representation in the senate and only a non-voting representative in Congress, according to the Monday Politico article.

“There's just basically this dynamic, your typical system of power and oppression,” Reyes said.

Reyes said the question of independence for the island or statehood is a question most Puerto Ricans have been trying to grapple with for the past 50 years.

“There is no easy answer when you have a country that is colonized and people have a colonized mentality and there are very little resources and the entire economy is based on this other external system,” Reyes said. “It's practically impossible to survive as an independent country.”

William Armaline said Puerto Ricans are powerless within the context of being represented by the U.S.

“I think we're not really doing ourselves any favors and avoiding the obvious, which is Puerto Rico remains a colony, they’re U.S. citizens without full citizenship or the full rights of U.S. citizens,” Armaline said.

The newly created congressional Financial Oversight and Management Board is the only political entity responsible for managing Puerto Rico’s fiscal budget as well as the only oversight for LUMA Energy.

The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico was created under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act of 2016. The Board consists of seven members appointed by the President of the United States and one ex officio member designated by the Governor of Puerto Rico according to the boards about web page.

The oversight board has been criticized for imposing austerity measures in a September 2021 report by the Action Center on Race and the Economy and the Center for Popular Democracy, nonprofit organizations that both say they strive for political change and collective action, according to their respective websites.

The September 2021 report states that the Financial Oversight and Management Board has imposed austerity measures that have been devastating in Puerto Rico, while negotiating unsustainable debt restructuring plans that enrich Wall Street and “hurt Puerto Ricans.”

“These are consequences of policy decisions to favor capital and privatization over the absolute civil and human rights of actual human beings and populations, who are all U.S. citizens,” Armaline said. “So it's extremely concerning.”

-by Nick Zamora

Student Internship Reflection and Highlight

Megan Aikawa (They/She)

MSW, Online/Hybrid - Class of 2023

San Marcos Unified School District

Field Instructor (FI): Michelle Santiago

Megan shines a light on their internship placement and FI for providing such a enriched experience. They share the following statement:

"San Marcos Unified School District has been such an amazing experience so far. Not only is Michelle so focused on making sure that my internship experience is meaningful, overall I think that I really see social work values of human dignity and worth, human rights, and social justice reflected in this program. Of course, no agency is perfect, but I really feel like they have a commitment to improvement that I find inspiring. I'm really enjoying my internship so far, and I really look forward to my internship this year.

In general, I really feel supported by my FI Michelle. I feel like she is very accessible when I need help with anything, and more than that, I feel like we are on the same team when finding ways to support the students of the district. I feel like she trusts me, which gives me a lot of confidence, and I feel like she also challenges me and encourages me to grow, which also makes me feel confident in this position. I think this is a great placement because you are given really relevant trainings that tie in our theoretical knowledge and you are given a lot of room to grow and practice, so that you feel comfortable and confident after graduation." - Megan Aikawa

VMC Interns

(Left to right) Cynthia Gomez, Karina Vazquez, Sarah Kenny, Yajaira Gutierrez, Mia Jaurigue, Joanna Arzate, Huma Ali, Amanda Gipson, Karina Cerqueda, and Sun Lim

MSW Students are excited to complete the fall semester of internship with VMC. Everyone in this photo is interning with VMC; some are interning at O'Connor hospital, Downtown Clinic, and St. Louise Regional Hospital. Congratulations to you all for getting one step closer to completing your hours!

National Adoption Day 2022

SJSU MSW Interns, SJSU MSW Alumni, and Adoptee attend County of Santa Clara National Adoption Day on November 18, 2022
Hon. Shawna Schwarz giving the Adoptive Parent Oath.
Hon. Amber Rosen with a new family.
Judge Schwarz watches over a new adoptee in the stuffed animals

All photos were retrieved from The Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara (Scccourt.org and Sccgov.org)

SAN JOSÉ, California (November 18, 2022): Today Santa Clara Superior Court judicial officers and staff, along with the Santa Clara Department of Family and Children’s Services, gathered at the Family Justice Center Courthouse to celebrate National Adoption Day by formalizing 13 adoptions and celebrating the concept of family.

“Each adoption story is unique and although children and families come to adoption through diverse paths, they all endure the process with open hearts,” said Presiding Judge Theodore C. Zayner. “It takes patience, flexibility, and a willingness to learn as an adoptive parent and an adoptee. We are grateful for all those who play a role in finding permanency for children in need of a family.”

On National Adoption Day, courts and communities throughout the United States collaborate to finalize thousands of adoptions of children and honor adopting families. Numerous community events are held each year to celebrate the adoption of foster care children by loving families. “Given all the recent challenges in the world, it is critical for children to receive the nurturing stability of being part of permanent families,” expressed Alicia Vojnik, the Court’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

Locally, Adoption Day is an opportunity to increase public awareness of the need for adoptive parents, educate would-be parents about the adoption process, and celebrate the local families who have opened their lives to children in need of permanent homes.

Retrieved from:

County of Santa Clara, Post Release: Adoption Day 2022

Learn more by visiting:

County of Santa Clara Office of Communications and Public Affairs

https://www.facebook.com/SCSCOURT

LCSW Speaker Presentation

Sponsored by SWGSA | November 9, 2022

Were you not able to attend SWGSA's recent LCSW Speaker Event? No worries, we recorded it just for you!

https://lnkd.in/gtGY6k7A

Thank you, Professor Ellen Ostergren, LCSW, Professor Lissette Moore-Guerra, LCSW, PPSC, and Gabriella Rinaldi, LCSW for being guest speakers! And a big thank you to everyone who was available to attend!

THANK YOU

Thank you to all of our faculty and staff for everything you have done for our students and program. Your hard work, time and dedication is invaluable!

Congratulations to all of our students for making it through another semester. We hope you enjoy this winter break, because you truly deserve it!

Do you have stories you want to share with the school, such as accomplishments, publications, or highlights? Please send them to Student Assistant Destiny.Santana@sjsu.edu for review!

Created By
DESTINY SANTANA
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