Hello Humboldt State Social Work Community Members, We have another inspiring newsletter to share with you. I remember when Pam Brown re-invigorated our department newsletter 13 years ago. It was in hard copy of course (or what I like to think of as analog). When I look through my old emails of what electronic versions of organizational newsletters looked like in 2003, I see a whole lot of text and not much else. Things have changed in relation to the format of our newsletter over the years, but our commitment to serving rural and Indigenous communities has not changed. We continue to push for social work education, research, and practice that is affirming of multiple ways of knowing and being. One of our stated purposes as a department is to: "Offer students and community members opportunities to develop skills, leadership capacity, knowledge, practices, and methodologies for fostering change; bringing about social justice, environmental justice, and economic justice; and addressing and healing the ongoing effects of colonization." We're still working on it as you'll read in the stories below.
Warmly, Ronnie Swartz Department Chair
upcoming events HSU Department of Social Work – Speaker Series March 27, 2018 Legislative Lobby Days March 11 & 12, 2018 HSU Department of Social Work – Speaker Series March 27, 2018 HSU California Big Time & Social Gathering April 7, 2018 FILM SCREENING - Marianne: One Immigrant's Journey April 2018 date TBA Trip to Hoopa May 1, 2018 HSU Department of Social Work 24th Annual Spring Field Reception May 4, 2018 HSU Commencement & Commencement Reception May 12, 2018
The HSU Department of Social Work formed a Crisis Support Team in the Fall of 2017 with the purpose of attending and responding to acute events that affect our Social Work students, campus and community. Our Crisis Support Team has committed to actively nurturing a safe community for healing and resilience through the development of an internal support system.
Julie Simpson, MSW, LCSW, PPSC, joined the Department of Social Work in the Fall of 2017 as the Child Welfare Project Coordinator. Julie received her MSW in 2004, obtained her PPSC Credential in 2012, and her LCSW in 2015.
For more information, please contact Amy Cirincione O'Connor at ac3525@humboldt.edu.
"I am honored to serve in the role of Title IV-E Project
Coordinator here at Humboldt State University. I am passionate about community building and support, and have founded and directed Family Resource Centers in Petrolia and Arcata. I have worked in the field of child welfare as an Adoptions Specialist with the State of California, where I had the opportunity to support children and families through the adoption process. I have also worked as a School Social Worker for the Arcata Elementary School District, where I thoroughly enjoyed working with children and families."
On October 21, 2017, Ken Kaoru Nakamura was recognized for his commitment to the betterment of society and extraordinary leadership in the field of social work. Ken Nakamura, Professor Emeritus, HSU Department of Social Work, is currently the Project Coordinator at San Diego State’s School of Social Work Title IV-E Program. Pamela Brown, Professor Emeritus, HSU Department of Social Work, introduced Shaunna Oteka McCovey and her poem to honor Ken Nakamura at the ceremony. Shaunna Oteka McCovey graduated from the HSU Department of Social Work BASW Program in 1996 and is a current instructor for the Department. LINK TO VIEW THE CEREMONY (INCLUDING POEM BY SHAUNNA OTEKA McCOVEY)
Ken Smith joined the Department of Social Work in August 2008. "In my role as one of the Title IVE Coordinators, I have been inspired by Serenity Bowen and Jen Maguire, both earlier Title IV-E Project Coordinators, and from taking BASW and MSW interns for 15 years prior at Humboldt County Department of Social Services, Child Welfare and California of Social Services, Adoption Services . I loved my job, co-workers, students and agencies I partnered with. I am now freelancing and taking care of my 79 year old father who is on hospice."
Thank you, Ken, for your years with the HSU Department of Social Work.
On October 24 & 25, 2017, the 7th Northern California Tribal Healing Coalition Conference was hosted at the Blue Lake Casino. The Northern California Tribal Healing Coalition Members include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria Big Lagoon Rancheria Blue Lake Rancheria California Tribal TANF Partnership Cher-Ae Heights Trinidad Rancheria County of Humboldt District Attorney Victim Witness Karuk Tribe Northern California Indian Development Council Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Two Feathers Native American Family Services United Indian Health Services Community Fund UIHS Kol' Ha Koom' Ma Youth Suicide Prevention Wiyot Tribe Yurok Tribal Court
HSU Department of Social Work offered CEU's at this year's conference. Social Work interns Mickayla Matarazzo BASW '18 and Andrea Robinson BASW '18 (pictured above) were also present at the conference.
November 9-11, 2017, faculty member Serenity Bowen attended Seventh Generations' Keeping the Homefires Burning gathering. The theme for 2017 was Warrior Up. The gathering took place on the Yavapai Nation in Scottsdale, Arizona, and focused on advocacy, climate change, food sovereignty, and wellness, among other topics pertaining to sustainable and culturally
vibrant communities against the backdrop of contemporary ecological, economic and social distresses. Of the many presenters, Serenity Bowen attended: •
Margaret Lokawua Karimajong , United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues - “Reclaiming a world without violence against women and the earth.”
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Kanahus Freedom Manual - “Defending the land and protecting the water.”
The 2017 Regional Nonprofit Conference hosted at the Sequoia Conference Center in Eureka on
December 5, 2017, was an opportunity to network organizations, leaders and issues, to gain tools for effectively doing their work, to develop systems of support, and to have important conversations about how to strengthen our communities. HSU Department of Social Work Director of Field Education, Yvonne Doble, attended and presented Byrd Lochtie with the 2017 Nonprofit Leader of Achievement Award during the luncheon. Byrd has been a key partner and trainer for NorCAN fostering learning, mentoring, relationship building, and excellence in leadership through monthly Board Leadership Roundtables and Introduction to Board Service workshops for many years. READ MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE AND VIEW THE AGENDA HERE
READ MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE HERE
December 8, 2017, in partnership with the Latinx Center for Academic Excellence, the HSU Department of Social Work invited representatives from the Universidad de la Tierra (UT) (Earth University) from Oaxaca, Mexico. The presentation was titled "Land-Based Ways of Knowing." Mayan scholars Valiana Aguilar and Angel Ku discussed community, environment, healing and supporting one another through challenging political times. The scholars were also featured on KHSU's Charlando: Cultivando La Palabra del Corazon, Como Una Flor.
February 16, February 23, & March 27, 2018, the Department of Social Work in partnership with the Native American Studies, Child Development and Psychology present Richard Katz, Stephen MurphyShigematsu, and Bonnie Duran as part of their Speaker Series. •
Richard Katz, Ph.D. - Indigenous Healing Psychology: Honoring the Wisdom of the First Peoples. A clinical psychologist trained at Harvard where he taught for 20 years, Katz has worked worldwide with Indigenous elders and healers over the past 50 years, seeking to fulfill their request to re-vision psychology, and
The Housing Alternative Insights Summit took place on the HSU campus November 28, 29, and 30. The event included both student and community led organizations, such as the Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives, Inc. (AHHA), Homeless Student Advocate Alliance (HSSA), Engineers Without Boarders, United Indian Health Services (UIHS), Betty Kwan Chin Day Center, and The Sustainable Village. Social Work Professors Dr. Jen Maguire and Dr. Pam Powers presented the second day under theme Social Justice Insights: Destigmatization and Civil Rights. Their video presentation covered empirical data and statistics on college students who have been housing insecure at any point since starting college, discussed housing insecurity across the United States as well as locally with data from two pilot students at College of the Redwoods and HSU, and offered suggestions, resources and connections for further support. VIEW their presentation HERE LISTEN to the HSAA at the KHSU studio talk about the event HERE FOLLOW the HSU Homeless Student Advocate Alliance on facebook HERE.
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(cont.) writing 5 books on that work. He is professor emeritus at First Nations University of Canada, and adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Saskatchewan.
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Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu, Ed.D - From Mindfulness to Heartfulness: Transforming Self and Society with Compassion. A psychologist in Leadership Innovations and Wellness Education in the School of Medicine, and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity at Stanford University, Dr. Murphy-Shigematsu received a doctorate in psychology from Harvard University, and was professor at the University of Tokyo and Fielding Graduate University.
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Bonnie Duran, Ph.D. - Community Engaged Research with Indigenous Populations. Professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work and Director of the Center for Indigenous Health Research, Dr. Duran has over 27 years of experience working in public health research, education and practice with a focus on Native Americans & other communities of color.
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Joseph P. Gone, Ph.D. - Rethinking Mental Health Services for American Indian Communities: Postcolonial Perspectives & Possibilities. National expert in American Indian psychology and mental health, Dr. Gone, professor at the University of Michigan, has collaborated with tribal communities for over 20 years to harness traditional culture and spirituality for advancing indigenous well-being.
LISTEN HERE to the KHSU interview with Sasheen Raymond, Virgil Moorehead, and Dr. Joseph P. Gone about the Indigenous Knowledge Speaker Series.
Holly recently accepted a position at Open Door Community Health Center as the Health Resources Manager. Her new role involves operating as a systems-level social worker and supervisor - supporting the Case Managers and helping to make the Case Management program standardized and more robust while also working on various grants and other projects which increase the focus on the Social Determinants of Health for patients as well as our overall community.
"I feel very honored and excited to be in this role. I also feel really blessed to be acting as the social work support person at Wild Souls Ranch. I'm still teaching one Field Seminar class this semester and continuing my role as the CoDirector of the Humboldt Institute for Harm Reduction Research, Policy, and Practice at HSU.�
On March 3, 2018 at the HSU Social Justice Summit, MSW students Chelsea Trillo, Za Lo, Ankita Mylatore, and Allison Lundahl (pictured below) spoke at the Social Justice Summit at HSU on the topic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls #MMIW, continued and contemporary manifestations of colonization, laws and ideologies regarding Native peoples, and neurodecolonization. Our workshop entitled "Tri-Mindful: Resilience, (Re) Indigenizing, Renewal" took place from 1-2:30pm in Siemens Hall 120. Attending this summit last year was a highlight of my spring semester, and am excited to participate again this year. - Ankita Mylatore, MSW Social Work Candidate 2018
Professor Cesar Abarca also co-facilitated a workshop alongside Scholars Without Borders titled "Undocumented Student Ally Training."
Blair Kreuzer began as the Director of Two Feathers Native American Family Services on March 1, 2018. Blair is also currently the Tribal and Community Child Welfare Educator for the HSU Department of Social Work.
This year's DL Campus Intensive began on January 10th with a trip to Sumeg Village at Patrick's Point State Park. Redwood Parks Conservancy site explains that Sumeg Village "is a replica of a Yurok village site as would have been seen along the rivers and streams of coastal Northern California, between the Klamath River and Little River. This site is used on a regular basis by Yurok people as a cultural location for helping to teach the younger generation the culture of their ancestors. The village has three traditional houses, a sweat lodge and a traditional dance pit." READ MORE HERE
Friday, April 20th, as part of the 2018 Title IV-E Summit themed: Intersectionality Examining Systemic Inequities and Collaborating for Change, professor Heather Gough will present alongside MSW students Erin Youngblood-Smith and Suzanne Garrett. The title of their presentation is Intersectional Practice with Tribal Communities: Following the Spirit and the Law of the Indian Child Welfare Act.
Among cohort relationship building, and introduction to classes and professors, this years Intensive highlights included: Keynote Speaker Virgil Moorhead, Jr. on Native Youth Resiliency, ITEPP Open House, MSW Class of 2018 Community Project Presentations, and the Regional Community Meetings. HEART OF GOLDS Heart of golds are given to DL students in recognition of work in their communities. This year's recipients were: BASW 2019 - Dyanne Richardson-Hofstadt BASW 2018 - Tiffany Jensen MSW 2018 - Jennifer Dutton MSW 2019 - Crystal Rodriguez MSW 2020 - Allison Tans
The stated goals of the summit are to equip attendees with tools to "critically analyze and influence policies that compound systemic oppression, recognize the role of identity in social work practice and across systems, and reevaluate the physiological and psychological impact of systemic trauma experienced by individuals in the child welfare system.�
Thanks to all students, staff, faculty and community partners for your dedication and presence at the 2018 Distributed Learning Campus Intensive.
Dr. Marissa O’Neill and Dr. Pam Bowers, HSU Assistant Professors in Social Work talk to Danielle Orr on the KHSU Magazine about college students and homelessness. LISTEN HERE
Check out the November 2017 Tribal Star eNewsletter with a presentation about The Importance of ICWA Trained Staff developed by Lisa Williams, HSU MSW student and a Tribal STAR Intern. This presentation announced a new online resource page providing justification for counties to implement ICWA specialized staff in child welfare settings.
Social Work Student Association The Humboldt State University Social Work Student Association is engaged in an academic year of: •
Community partnering
Dinner with Keynote speakers Dr. Michael Yellowbird and Sarah Eagle Heart.
Pictured above is HSU’s debate team at the 38th annual World Universities Debating Championship Debate in Mexico City. From left to right: Debate team coach Aaron Donaldson, Brennen Rose, DaMon Thomas, team captain Devon Escoto, and Ruby AguirreGutierrez. Ruby joined the team two years ago as an undergraduate in the Social Work program at HSU. She will earn her MSW this Spring 2018. The debate team is guided to approach topics through then lens of social justice.
From the SWSA President, Andrea Robinson: The Social Work Student Association is prepared for 2018 Lobby Days in Sacramento March 10-12. We are all very excited to meet with fellow social work students from other California Universities. This is also a chance for Humboldt Social Work Students to learn more about the legislation process and social workers in policy/politics.
"Attacking arguments from a social justice perspective is very Humboldt,” she says. “Using this strategy has strengthened my advocacy and voice.” READ MORE HERE
The SWSA will be doing another round of ordering for this years shirt/sweater design at the end of March. If you were unable to purchase one previously you will have another chance. Be on the look out for the email. The SWSA will be doing a food drive in partnership with the Blue Lake Family Resource Center March 21st to support backpacks for kids. Time and place TBD. President- Andrea: arr676@humboldt.edu Vice President- Ana: ad1912@humboldt.edu Treasurer- Lorena: lr1038@humboldt.edu For more information email swsa@humboldt.edu. Check out Andrea Robinson, BASW Class of 2018, in the Student Spotlight of NASW-CA news.
Tahnee King currently resides in Oregon and is married to an active duty Coast Guardsman. Throughout her studies, her focus in school was directed towards the adult and elder population. As a BASW student at HSU,
Tahnee interned with Silvercrest, an affordable rental housing community located in Eureka, CA. She also volunteered at the Adult Day Care in Arcata. As an Advanced Standing MSW student, her internship was with Adult Protective Services (APS).
IMAGES: (row 1 & 2) Generations Indigenous Dinner - Dr. Michael Yellowbird, HSU Social Work Emeritus Faculty, presenting "Indigenous Lifecourse Framework"
I loved it and the team. They hired me and I worked with them two years until I met my now military husband and moved with him to Texas. In Texas I learned quickly that every state has different licensing requirements. I tested and passed the required LMSW exam and was then hired at a hospital in the in-patient geriatric and adult psych units. I worked intake/triage, ran counseling groups, and managed the court emergency hold paperwork for the involuntary patients. When I noticed my burn out level was high due to sometimes 1013 hour work days with no set schedule, I decided to take a position with the sister hospital as a medical social worker/case manager. There I made APS reports, worked with the county Public Guardians, and counseled people with newly diagnosed terminal illnesses. I also helped patients transition to dialysis, hospice, skilled nursing facilities, in-patient psych units, in-patient rehab units, etc. The position also allowed me to hold meetings with physicians and other staff to discuss patient needs and care plans for safe discharges.
When her Tahnee's husband received orders to move back to Alameda County in California, she secured a position as an Assistant Public Guardian with the county and renewed her ACSW to collect clinical hours. In this role she wrote court reports, appeared in court, and attended to client's needs including medical/psychological matters and decisions. Soon after the move to Alameda County, they relocated to Oregon where she again needed to comply to states rules to became a CSWA. The state accepted her CA and TX clinical hours and she secured a position in the rural county as the sole Hospice/Home Health/ Bereavement Social Worker. Here, I drive the county seeing clients, providing counseling, completing psycho-social assessments, connecting patients to community resources, and coordinating with the local APS office and DC planners at the hospital. My goal is to have my LCSW by 2019. All the moving has slowed this process down for me so I'm happy to say I'm almost done with collection of hours. I have been so lucky to see the full circle of services provided to our adult/geriatric populations and this experience has helped me secure positions
easily where ever we have moved. I plan on continuing to work with this population throughout my career. I may want to teach classes on it one day. For now I'm focusing on my life here in Oregon until the next orders come in and we start another new adventure.
Follow THIS LINK to view the HSU Department of Social Work eBrochure.