Hello Extended Members of the HSU Department of Social Work Family, Our Fall 2017 edition of the newsletter is ready for you. Are you ready to find out how our programs are involved on campus, in the local community, across the state, and elsewhere? Are you ready to be inspired with a little hopefulness in times when despair seems to prevail? I am reminded of Cornel West’s line, “you can’t talk about hope without wrestling with despair.” The department has recently formed a “crisis response team” to attend to acute events that affect our students, campus, and community. More about this in the next edition.
upcoming events HSU Campus Dialogue on Race October 30 - November 3, 2017 Inner Tribal Gathering & Elders Dinner November 11, 2017 HSU Department of Social Work Distributed Learning Campus Intensive January 11-13, 2018 HSU California Big Time & Social Gathering April 7, 2018
Meanwhile, check out what folks are up to.
HSU Department of Social Work Spring Colloquium April (TBD) 2018
Warmly, Ronnie Swartz Department Chair
HSU Department of Social Work 24th Annual Spring Field Reception May 4, 2018 HSU Commencement May 12, 2018
IMAGES: Jovonne Dempster
Jovonne Dempster, MSW Jovonne Dempster joined the Department of Social Work in the Fall of 2016. This Fall she teaches: • • • •
SW 340- Intro to SW Methods & Lab SW 540- Generalist SW Practice SW 559- Child Welfare Training Seminar SW 655- Advanced Year Internship
Jovonne is also the Social Work Student Association Club Advisor.
IMAGES: (row 1) Shannon Kissinger, (row 2) Spring Colloquium, (row 3) Jenny Quigley at ideaFest, (row 4) Jerry Tello, (row 5) ICWA Conference Shannon Kissinger - Swords to Plowshares On Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at the Department's weekly meeting, Shannon Kissinger, MSW Class of 2012, presented "Combat to Community - Veteran Cultural Competency" to better address veteran needs. Swords to Plowshares’ Combat to Community training is a series of accredited cultural competency curricula developed by our Institute for Veteran Policy team
I still can't believe that I wake up everyday and have the opportunity to be in the classroom with social work students. For me, this (social work education) is more than learning about social work practice models and intervention techniques. The classroom experience is more about the opportunity to learn more about ourselves, work through our "stuff" so that we can move forward intentionally and prevent causing further harm to clients and communities, and to be vulnerable in a space with others who will bare witness to that shift and transformation. Social Work education is a revolutionary movement and I am honored to be a part of it at HSU. I don't take this responsibility lightly. Jovonne
with the purpose of educating the community to address the challenges veterans face re-integrating into society and the unique skill sets they acquire in service. ABOUT SHANNON KISSINGER: Born and raised in San Francisco, CA, Shannon is a US Navy Seabee Veteran. He served from 19962001. He earned his MSW from Humboldt State University in 2012 and has since worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs, in the Eureka Vet Center, and HUD-VASH/HCHV/Medical Practice/Infectious Disease at SF VAMC Ft. Miley. He is currently the 2017 Veteran of the Year for CA State Assembly District 19 and works at Swords to Plowshares' Institute on Veteran Policy as a Community Education Coordinator/Policy Analyst. LEARN MORE HERE ABOUT SWORDS TO PLOWSHARES & the TRAINING HERE
HSU Department of Social Work & Child Development Colloquium Monday, April 17, 2017 - Chpurowok: Those Within Are Born Again - Youth from local tribes shared their experience with the Chpurowok Ceremony, a ceremony that supports young girls to transition into womanhood. Students also discussed the ways in which aspects of the ceremony relate and complement their respective fields of study. Presenters included: Youth - Princess Jintcon Kisdyante, Keyoh, Chucheesh, Maiya, Charlene, and Presley Child Development Student - Ellen Colegrove Social Work Student - Callista Ruiz Alumni of the Year - Althea Jones
NICWA Conference April 2-5, 2017 in San Diego, Michelle Rainer and Serenity Bowen attended the 35th Annual "Protecting Our Children National American Indian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect�.
Conference attendees included child welfare, mental health, and juvenile justice service providers, legal professionals, students, and tribal and federal leaders. Over 70 workshops were offered across four programmatic tracks: Child Welfare, Foster Care, and Adoption Services - Children's Mental Health - Judicial and Legal Affairs - Youth and Family Involvement. READ MORE HERE
ideaFest On Friday, April 21, 2017, more than 100 students, faculty, & staff from HSU showcased research, performances, and digital projects. This event was sponsored by the Office of Research, Economic and Community Development, Marketing & Communications, and the HSU Library in collaboration with the Colleges. "While I was talking to other students and faculty at Ideafest about opening the CR Food Pantry, it was inspiring to notice the commonalities in our work on social justice. It was meaningful to step back and reflect on why this work is important- so many projects are supporting individual empowerment, community building and positive change." - Jenny Quigley, MSW READ MORE about the ideaFest PRESENTERS from the Department of Social Work and their projects HERE
Jerry Tello On Thursday, April 27, 2017, in collaboration with the Trio Program, keynote speaker for Latinx Empowerment Day, Jerry Tello, spoke to Social Work students about family strengthening, therapeutic healing, and cross-cultural issues. As a noted therapist, author, performer and program developer, over the last 30 years Mr. Tello has incorporated his real life experience together with research based knowledge and indigenous cultural based teachings to engage all in a reality-based healing and growthinspiring experience. Mr. Tello has received numerous awards including the Ambassador of Peace Award and Presidential Crime Victims Service Award. LEARN MORE HERE
Scholars Without Borders: Center for Academic Excellence Social Work professor César Abarca spoke with the group of students at the MultiCultural Center about the struggles and successes to start Scholars without Borders. He said it wasn’t enough to support the students vocally but to also financially support them so that they could be successful. “We’ve been working on this project for the past four years, the students have been working for longer,” Arbaca said. “We needed it. It’s essential for us to understand that serving the undocumented population is important. Serving those who are most vulnerable shows a commitment of our university to serving all students.” For more information about Scholars Without Borders call 707.826 .3368 visit their website HERE.
2017 California ICWA Conference: Preserve & Protect Indian Children, Families & Tribes On June 6, 2017, in partnership with the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, California Tribal Family Coalition, CDSS, and California Indian Legal Services, the 2017 California ICWA Conference offered a training with CEU's: Preserve and Protect Indian Children, Families and Tribes - The Promise of ICWA. At this conference, the creation of the California Tribal Families Coalition was announced to a statewide audience. The California Tribal Families Coalition (CTFC) is a California tribal nonprofit public benefit corporation created to protect the health, safety, and welfare of tribal children and families. These values are at the core of tribal sovereignty and governance. CTFC is comprised of six of the seven co-chairs of the California ICWA Compliance Task Force and was formed to carry out the recommendations of the Task Force, to seek compliance of the ICWA, and to further the goals of Indian tribes as they relate to tribal families. Welcome and prayer was followed by these key topics: • • • • • • •
After the California ICWA Task Force Report Working to Achieve Compliance A Collaborative Approach to Child Welfare: The San Diego Example Legal Updates: BIA Regulations and BIA Guidelines and their Interaction with Cal-ICWA Engaging Indian Families and Children with Trauma Informed Care Strategies for Recruitment and Retention of Native Foster Homes Cultural Mentoring in Child Welfare The Impact of the Continuum of Care Reform/Resource Family Approvals on Tribes
SEE THE FULL AGENDA HERE
IMAGES: (row 1) Sasheen Raymond & Shaylynne Masten , (row 2) Ankita Mylatore reading to children that attended "Animal Tales". 2017 HSU California Big Time & Social Gathering HSU hosted its 10th Annual California Big Time & Social Gathering in the West Gym on April 1, 2017. This public celebration of American Indian culture includes sharing of songs and dance from throughout California, an Indian Card Game
DL 611 – Distributed Learning Community Seminar On September 21, the Distributed Learning Community Seminar course (DL 611) presented Elle Snow with GAME OVER. A survivor herself, Elle Snow is fighting sextrafficking through her nonprofit GAME OVER which provides advocacy, training, and education on the subject of sex trafficking. Elle is currently providing educational training to youth groups, community members, service providers, social workers, medical staff, foster parents, victim advocates, and law enforcement agencies throughout the nation.
Tournament, and cultural demonstrations. In an effort to strive develop their commitment to the community the staff, faculty and students of the HSU Department of Social Work contributed to the Annual California Big Time by hosting Animal Tales, a program to inspire Native youth to visualize themselves at a college campus. BASW and MSW students were given the opportunity to utilized their tools and strategies gained from Social Work courses to work with indigenous communities. They hosted 40 students, ranging from ages 6 months to 12 years, with culturally relevant curriculum and styles of engagement.
49 th Annual National NABSW Conference Faculty member Jovonne Dempster attended. She explains:
Tribal Justice On October 16, 2017, the HSU Department of Social Work, in partnership with our community, screened Tribal Justice. A panel following the film with Judge Abinanti, Judge Attebury, Judge Blake and Judge Hinrichs facilitated a discussion on models of cultural justice traditions utilized within local Tribal Court systems. About Tribal Justice: In Tribal Justice, two Native American judges, Judge Abby Abinanti and Judge Claudette White, reach back to traditional concepts of justice in order to reduce incarceration rates, foster greater safety for their communities and create a more positive future for youth. By addressing the root causes of crime, they are modeling restorative systems that are working. Mainstream courts across the country begin to take notice. Thank you: • • • • • • • • • •
Yurok Tribe Hoopa Valley Tribe Wiyot Tribe Karuk Tribe Trinidad Rancheria Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria Two Feathers Native American Family Services Indian Tribal & Educational Personnel Program (ITEPP) Humboldt County Probation Department Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services
In April 2017, I had the honor of attending the 49th Annual National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) Conference held in Washington D.C. The Conference theme was "Unmasking Politics & Policies: Strengthening the Black Family" and consisted of workshops, speakers, and a Heritage Tour of the Capital. Taking the Heritage Tour around Washington D.C. and standing at the Lincoln Memorial envisioning and feeling all of those who had walked before me on the very same ground was transformative. I looked up to the top of the stairs at the Lincoln Memorial and was overwhelmed with emotion thinking about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. standing at the top and reciting his "I have a dream" speech. This tour kicked off the conference and set the tone. At the Harambee Ceremony (the closing ceremony) I stood with a room full of Black social workers, including elders who created the NABSW, from all over the country and pledged to put the black family first and to work with authenticity and accountability to our greater community. LINK TO CONFERENCE WEBSITE
CASSW’s new Northern Regional Coordinator: Larissa Krause – MSW, PPSC, SSW, CWA
IMAGE: Judge Abinanti
HSU Celebrates Graduation of its Original IV-E Pathway Cohort Humboldt State University has a special reason to celebrate its Title IV-E Pathway Program graduates. Pathway Project Coordinator Michelle Rainer says, “This is a great accomplishment after eight years!” Humboldt’s graduates are Cindy Farren, Sheila Davis, Crystal Nielsen, and Deidra Ward. READ MORE HERE
The mission of the California Association of School Social Workers (CASSW) is to provide information to those who are exploring school social work as a potential career and to support current social workers by being responsive to their training needs and linking them to other regional, state and national efforts related to school social work. I support registered School Social Workers in Northern California with this board position. Once a year I will organize an event here in Humboldt that will bring together school social workers and counselors together to share knowledge about the latest issues in SSW, create networking opportunities, and sharing resources. My goal is to spread the word about what School Social Work is all about throughout the Superior Region! Schools are one of the most important opportunities we have as a community to support our children and families not only through education, but also to
support socio/emotional needs. School Social Workers are trained to work collaboratively in creating positive interventions and connection to resources for students, teachers, administrators, staff, parents and community members and support healthy learning environments. - Larissa READ MORE ABOUT CASSW HERE
IMAGE: (L-R) Professor Jen Maguire, Dr. Michael Yellowbird, Rebecca Cacciari On October 6, 2017, Professor Jen Maguire, Professor César Abara, and staff member Rebecca Cacciari attended the 2nd Annual Del Norte NOW Equity & Diversity Conference in Crescent City. Social Work Student Association The Humboldt State University Social Work Student Association is engaged in an academic year of: • • • • •
Community partnering Tabling Fundraising Preparing for Lobby Days The Peer Mentor Program
The mission of the HSU Social Work Peer Mentoring Program is to connect, guide, and empower prospective social workers in their journey through higher education and self-discovery. Our vision is to enable all social work students to reach their full potential by building lasting relationships with knowledgeable seniors who have insight into the experience of the social work program. Our hope is to build relationships within a bigger community and offer a support net for all students, especially underrepresented communities. Officers include: •Andrea: President- arr676@Humboldt.edu •Ana: Vice President- ad1912@Humboldt.edu •Taylor Towery: Peer Mentor Coordinatortnt299@Humboldt.edu For more information email swsa@humboldt.edu.
Sessions they attended included: •
•
• • • •
•
Del Norte School's American Indian Curriculum for grades 3,4,5 & 8 w/Sean Smith. Break the Silence, Begin the Healing”, Indian Boarding Schools & Missions w/Sarah Eagle Heart & Morning Star Restorative Practice w/Dr. Peter Stoll & Hailey Jones from HCOE The Hmong Story w/Khoue Vue Adverse Childhood Experiences w/Holly Wendt Improving Literacy through Radical Collaboration and Empathy w/Leslie Tergas & Karen McLean Foster Youth Student Panel
The evening ended with the Generations Indigenous
Dinner with Keynote speakers Dr. Michael Yellowbird and Sarah Eagle Heart.
IMAGE: Anna Anguiano, MSW class of 2014
IMAGES: (row 1) Social Work Students and Faculty at the Protest on Indian Island, Professor CĂŠsar Abarca at the DACA protest on the HSU Quad, (row 2) Title IV-E lunch, Hoopa Trip Spring 2017, (row 3 & 4) Ah Pah Trip Fall 2017
Featured in SPR14 enews, Anna now has accepted a position with DHHS as a Mental Health Clinician with the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS). She is joining Eureka Police Department (EPD) officers Cory Crnich and Wayne Rabang on regular ride-along patrols, building relationships with people living without shelter and making plans to get them housed.
IMAGE: Michelle Stephens, MSW Class of 2006
IMAGES: (row 1 & 2) Generations Indigenous Dinner - Dr. Michael Yellowbird, HSU Social Work Emeritus Faculty, presenting "Indigenous Lifecourse Framework"
Michele Stephens was named Department of Health & Human Services Director of the Public Health Branch on March 12, 2017. A graduate from the Humboldt State University MSW program in 2006, Stephens began working for DHHS that same year as a social worker. During her time with DHHS she has also served as a supervisor and manager in the department’s Child Welfare Services Division.
Please click on the image above to watch the video.