Fall 2014 e-‐Newsle.er
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Dear Students, Alumni and Community Members, Thank you for keeping up with our newsle=er. I was looking through some archival program documents last week and I reviewed the long, but intermi=ent, history of HSU Department of Social Work newsle=ers. We've always had more going on than we are able to share in a newsle=er. I hope you will subscribe to our Facebook page where news is shared quickly and consistently. This summer we bid farewell to Michael and Erin Yellow Bird. They've moved on to Fargo, ND where Michael is now direcLng North Dakota State University's Tribal and Indigenous Peoples' Studies Program. We hope to conLnue our five year relaLonship across the expanse of mountains, rivers, lakes, plains, and prairies. This semester's newsle=er includes highlights in relaLon to students, faculty, and the community. Check it out. Warmly, Ronnie Swartz Chair, Department of Social Work
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NaQonal & Community Partnerships
Semester Spotlights -‐ Fall 2015
SERVE Indigenous Social Workers for Change
Interview with Crystal Markytan Program Manager DN-‐DHHS, Social Services Branch
Formerly the AIR Program, SERVE's goal is to support the Title IV-‐E graduate and undergraduate social work programs currently operaLng within the CalSWEC consorLum by assisLng with capacity and relaLonship building with tribal enLLes and organizaLons within each region.
A Commitment to Community -‐ Del Norte DHHS and the Department of Social Work
Community Affairs Assistant for the Department of Social Work at HSU, Rebecca Cacciari, interviewed Crystal Markytan on the working relaLonship between the Department's Distributed Learning (DL) Program and Del Norte County Health and Human Services, Social Services Branch. R: What are the benefits of supporQng employee parQcipaQon in the DL BASW and MSW programs? C: These programs provide the opportunity to formally educate staff who are seasoned and commi=ed Child Welfare veterans. In the past, Del Norte County has hired MSW graduates unfamiliar with the county oWen resulLng in short term employment. This trend cost the county training resources, negaLvely impacted conLnuity of services to families and lowered staff morale.
(SERVE, cont.)
Eligible American Indian students can receive financial support as full-‐ or part-‐Lme social work students with an emphasis on children and families in the Title IV-‐E SLpend Program. SERVE’s goals are to:
• focus on decolonizing the social work curriculum and pedagogy; • create a more relevant program for Indigenous students by be=er understanding the history and needs of Indigenous populaLons; • strive to shape child welfare services to be=er serve Indigenous children and families. HSU Department of Social Work faculty member Michelle Rainer serves as the Northern Regional Project Coordinator for SERVE. Project Coordinators assist with capacity and relaLonship building with tribal enLLes and organizaLons within each region.
R: What are the benefits for the employee? C: Presently, Del Norte CWS has eight staff enrolled in the BASW/MSW programs at Humboldt State University with another starLng soon. The following is a synthesis of the responses given by enrolled staff:
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Be=er communicaLon and engagement skills Stronger wriLng skills Greater confidence in social work pracLce Greater confidence in relaLng to and working with fellow professionals in the community Belief that clients will benefit from increased knowledge Provides a forum for building relaLonships based on common goals and interests with other students Colleagues at work enrolled in the same program provides addiLonal support Ability to develop leadership skills Viewing pracLce in a more holisLc way Opportunity for conLnuous reflecLon on current pracLce and exposure to latest pracLce techniques Ability to access educaLonal funding makes entering the program possible Ability to complete their internship in their place of employment not only improves current pracLce but is logisLcally preferable
R: What are the benefits for the agency? C: Employees become cross-‐trained as part of an internship experience, parLcipate in administraLve and program related projects thus developing a higher level understanding of the administraLve aspects of Child Welfare Services. Succession planning within Child Welfare and Social Services is very posiLvely impacted. R: Have you found that the field experience broadens employee engagement and experience in agency? C: As staff engages in field experience, their interest expands beyond the direct services level. Moving through the educaLonal process, they begin to ask quesLons that are foundaLonal to the work they are doing thus gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the agency, the community and social issues in the US impacLng children and families. R: How have any of the Field and Project assignments proven to be a win/win? C: As a small county, our resources are limited. Assigning staff current child welfare projects as part of
(Star5ng Over Strong, cont.)
"I have the unique role of outreach to Tribes to develop social work internships and let tribal communi:es know about the s:pend program available," shares Michelle. "My goal is also to increase the curriculum relevant to Tribal Communi:es and increase future social worker's awareness of tradi:onal ways that support healthy families and communi:es.”
Read more about SERVE HERE.
their fieldwork or academic project has been a mutually beneficial pracLce adding to the agency’s limited administraLve resources and allowing the employee to fulfill a program requirement and gain a broader understanding of agency and community needs. This is truly a “win-‐win” process. Examples include an adopLons feasibility study, visitaLon policy and procedure, coordinaLon of MOU development with the Yurok Tribe, and assistance with the development of the County CWS/ProbaLon System Improvement Plan. R: Do you feel that DL offers otherwise unavailable educaQonal opportuniQes? Can you tell me more about this? C: Prior to Pathways and DL opLons through CalSWEC, employees wishing to further their educaLon had to travel on the weekends to universiLes as far away as Sacramento and Chico. The DL program has enabled staff wishing to parLcipate the opportunity, regardless of their ability to travel outside the county and/or pay for their tuiLon. R: What are the challenges of supporQng employee parQcipaQon in the DL programs? C: While full Lme employment and school can be overwhelming for students at Lmes, the overall impact has been posiLve. Many of them have family responsibiliLes as well; this creates a need to closely monitor producLvity at work and step in with assistance if things are not being done. This is a rare occurrence and most have made the adjustment to employee/student with few difficulLes. CoordinaLng mulLple internships at once has presented some challenges as accommodaLons are made internally for staff to intern in program areas they have not previously worked in. R: Have you noQced any benefits from or challenges in off-‐site Field InstrucQon? C: All staff in the Humboldt State Department of Social Work have been enormously helpful and accommodaLng. They have assisted in troubleshooLng all barriers and challenges. I cannot overstate how grateful we are for their dedicaLon and genuine concern for making this program work for both the employee and the agency. ** The Department of Social Work would like to give a warm thank you to Crystal for the interview and for her commitment to the Field of Social Work. Harmonious relaLonships such as this makes furthering educaLon possible! ** More about the partnership: The Department of Social Work at HSU works closely with agencies and tribal programs in rural counLes such as Del Norte that may not have the internal resources to provide on-‐site field instrucLon
StarQng Over Strong
The Role of Criminal Record Expungement for Equal Treatment of Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
On Sunday, October 12, 2014 at Humboldt State University, Sharon Darsey (ASW Founder and Clinical Program Director for StarLng
(educaLonal supervision) for students compleLng their field coursework. Off-‐site supervision for a student’s field experience is essenLal in such cases. The Department of Social Work at HSU is able to provide or arrange for qualified supervisors with at least two years post-‐graduate experience in the field. Ken Smith, MSW and Title IV-‐E Child Welfare Training Project, Coordinator, currently provides off-‐site supervision for two MSW students at DNHHS, Child Welfare Services. His role includes an hour-‐long weekly meeLng with each student to check in regarding their field experience, review work from the week, discuss specific cases and circumstances, and provide support in areas such as policy, theory, engagement, confidenLality, and pracLce behaviors. MSW students are required to complete 480 field hours per year, approximately 16 hours per week for two semesters. It requires concurrent enrollment in field seminar that guides and supports the field experience, integrates theory with pracLce, and allows students to culLvate and demonstrate their knowledge, values, and skills. The Faculty Liaison offers addiLonal support to the student and placement site through development of the student learning agreement, weekly field seminar, and meeLngs with the student, off-‐site supervisor, and agency/tribal program representaLves. Ken, along with the Director of Field EducaLon, the Distributed Learning Program Director, and the Assistant Coordinator of Distributed Learning and Field EducaLon, visit DN-‐DHHS each semester to build and foster relaLonships with the agency, problem solve and plan for the future. On-‐site Field OrientaLons are also part of the support for the students and supervisors in Del Norte. "I really enjoy providing off-‐site supervision because it helps keep me connected to students, to the agency, and to child welfare prac:ce," states Ken. "It is a way for me to share my experience and successes as a social worker. The opportunity to promote professional growth is a giH."
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(Star5ng Over Strong, cont.) Over Strong, Legal Clinic and Reentry Support IniLaLve) presented the vision and mission of StarLng Over Strong and the challenges formerly incarcerated individuals face in accessing social and economic jusLce. This event was sponsored by the HSU Department of Social Work and the HSU Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Darsey's presentaLon was followed by a hands-‐ on Criminal Record Expungement Workshop aimed at providing a walk-‐through of the general process regarding California Penal Code 1203.4 & 1203.4a and the expungement process. Read more about StarLng Over Strong HERE.
IMAGE: MeeQng of bilingual social work students with Laura Power and Dr. Cesar Abarca
Department PerspecQve
Bilingual Social Work at HSU
Laura Power LaQno Community Outreach Coordinator, Lecturer
This October, following requests from bilingual students in the Social Work Department, a small group met to talk about their experiences and discuss what type of support would help them as they learn to be bilingual social workers. Languages represented include Spanish, Hmong and ASL. The group discussed: • barriers to providing bilingual services • the movement towards providing appropriate services -‐ as a "process" • bilingual services expanding beyond just one translator per agency and bilingual brochures • the need for specific support in regards to issues that arise when asked to use their language skills in their internship placements "The students expressed the need in our community for more bilingual and bi-‐cultural professionals. As the demographics of our community and campus change, we have more and more students who are bilingual in our programs and in the field they are being asked to assist. We, and our local agencies, must now think about how to provide appropriate services to the community," says Power. "I really want to acknowledge the student voice here on campus," she con:nues. "This is powerful as they want to serve their communi:es. I celebrate their momentum and mo:va:on!”
WriQng Skills for Social Workers
WriQng Skills for Child Welfare Workers online pilot course
Professor of Social Work Margi Waller is the Project Lead at HSU for a “WriLng Skills for Child Welfare Workers” online pilot course. This pilot course was developed by the California Social Work EducaLon Center (CalSWEC), together with Title IV-‐E staff at UniversiLes and public child welfare agencies throughout California. Five CSU Schools of Social Work (Fresno, Humboldt, San Bernardino, San Jose, Stanislaus) are collaboraLng with CalSWEC to pilot the course.
The group plans to conLnue meeLng to support one another, learn more and share available resources, develop their skills, and prepare to be=er advocate for the communiLes they serve. 'My role as a bilingual individual and social worker is to make people visible and hold agencies accountable for providing services to all people in the community not just those that speak English," explains Carla Laermanns, MSW 2015 (pictured above -‐ far right). Hunter and Horst (2012) in their arLcle, Is Field Placement Ready for Bilingual Students?, state: Poten:al contribu:ons of bilingual students are recognized on mul:ple levels. As a profession, social work promotes cultural competency and supports second-‐language proficiency as one way of increasing access to services for clients. On a community level, these students will soon become social workers with the ability to reach out to underserved popula:ons. For agencies, the contribu:ons of social work students with foreign language skills can facilitate work with a wider variety of limited English proficiency (LEP) clients. For social work programs, students working with LEP popula:ons bring firsthand knowledge of non-‐English-‐speakers experiences, especially regarding the issue of immigra:on, into field seminars and prac:ce classes. Hunter, C. & Horst, A. (2012). Is Field Placement Ready for Bilingual Students?. Field Educator, 2.1, Spring. The Social Work Department at HSU is aware that the local community needs more bilingual and bi-‐ cultural professionals at all levels of service provision and conLnues to explore avenues to support our bilingual students in their educaLon and field placements.
IMAGE: Festejando Nuestra Salud
ParLcipaLng students represent a mix of undergrad and graduate students, part-‐Lme and full-‐Lme students, current child welfare workers, Title IV-‐E and non-‐Ltle IV-‐E students. Each student in this pilot course is assigned a WriLng Coach who will facilitate his/her progress. One of the goals of this pilot course is to gather student feedback to gain insight from their experience and therefore improve the educaLonal material within the course as needed. In 2015, the online course will be provided to all Title IV-‐E UniversiLes, Public Child Welfare Agencies and Regional Training Academies throughout the state. Read more HERE.
Anna's goal is to use her educaLon and experience to discover each and every person's unique potenLal, expanding on her belief in the power of advocacy and acLvism. She hopes to work towards social jusLce and the celebraLon of differences. IMAGES: The Department of Social Work students and celebraQon at Festejando Nuestra Salud ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________
Student Story
Cindy Farren BASW, Advanced Standing MSW Student
Cindy received her BASW from HSU in May 2014, and is in her first year of the Advanced Standing online MSW Program, with plans to graduate in May 2016. Cindy is a MSW Title IV-‐E Pathways SLpend Program recipient. She credits CalSWEC as the only way she could afford to a=end college and increase her educaLon and knowledge as a social worker.
“I chose the HSU program for a couple of reasons. First, it was online and I didn’t have to figure out how I was to get my degree while working and living in a rural area. Pursuing my educa:on online has allowed me to progress in my employment on a schedule that works for me. Second, was the CalSWEC Title IV-‐E Pathways program. I could not afford to go to school without assistance, as my income is the only income in my household. The CalSWEC programs are great as they encourage us to a^end school and get a higher educa:on to improve our life/income. In my current job I have reached the highest level of pay without obtaining a master’s degree.” Since starLng the program at HSU, Cindy feels her way of being a social worker has changed to include a more strength-‐based approach, allowing her to see changes in behaviors as success, to find new ways of thinking outside the box, and to learn more about how to work with Indigenous People. Having an established relaLonship with tribes in Del Norte County, she appreciates the way DN-‐HHS works with the tribes to respect their culture, values and history. She has seen firsthand how working with a strength-‐based perspecLve is much be=er for the families and for the children. Cindy graduated from high school in 1975 (“just a few years ago!” she jokes) and began working towards her AA degree in general studies in 1984. At that Lme, she was working for California State Parks and wanted to be a Park Ranger following her passion with the outdoors. Her goals changed and she found herself moving to Modoc County where she served as Deputy County Clerk for 9 years. Cindy also worked as Legal Secretary in the District A=orney’s Office (Nevada County), Child Support Officer (Nevada County), and AdministraLve Assistant for an alcohol and drug program (Northern Nevada CorrecLonal Facility). In 2005, she moved to Del Norte County to work for Del Norte County DHHS, Social Services Branch, Child Welfare Services, as a legal clerk. In 2007 she became a Social Worker for DNHHS. Her enLre Lme as a Social Worker has been in the on-‐going Court unit. She currently works with families aWer the children have been removed or when they become involved with the Court system. She provides guidance and resources to the families so that the children can safely be returned to their homes. “I have no inten:on of changing jobs again this late in life and enjoy working in child welfare. Even if I was younger I would s:ll do what I am doing as I believe we need more social workers that are dedicated to helping the families, so with the right funding available to obtain a higher educa:on I believe that will also provide us all with knowledgeable social workers that want to work with families and children.”
Cindy’s focus right now is her master’s project. Most of her current caseload includes working with teenagers and young adults, parLcularly those opLng to stay under the court’s jurisdicLon as non-‐ minor dependents. Reading over and reviewing areas of the AB12, (extended foster care wording) from the state and working with these young people has shown her that there are areas of the law that are in the gray area, leaving a lot of room for mistakes. Her hope is to make the AB12 laws she reviews clearer to her agency and the youth with which she works. “I see my community as a place where I live, work, and engage in both my clients and the different agencies I u:lize as a social worker. I am learning more ways to be an advocate for services that my clients need, not just because they are there. My community has a lot of homeless and unemployed people in it, and if we can work with the community to improve even one :ny li^le resource that helps maybe only one person, then I will feel like I have made the community be^er for the people that live there. I am commi^ed to helping get my community to a healthy place and then working with agencies and other businesses to keep the community healthy and able to help those in need.” ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________
Alumni Highlight
Heather Friedrich, MSW 2010
Heather grew up in Del Norte County as did her parents, grandparents, and some of her great grandparents. She is the first in her family to graduate from college. IniLally, Heather was unsure of what she wanted to do as a career and had li=le to no knowledge about social work. She decided to major in sociology aWer taking one class and discovering how fascinated she was by human behavior. While she enjoyed her sociology classes, finding a job in the field did not seem too pracLcal, especially since she had very li=le work experience. Shortly before Heather graduated with her bachelor’s degree, she saw a flyer for the CalSWEC program and subsequently a=ended an informaLonal meeLng. It was then explained to her that in social work, she could apply the theories and concepts she had learned in sociology at the individual level. The emphasis on working with the NaLve American populaLon was also of interest to her as she is a member of the Smith River Rancheria and had always been interested in working with the NaLve American community.
Heather completed her foundaLon year internship at a non-‐profit foster family agency, Environmental AlternaLves. There was an office in Crescent City and Eureka and she spent Lme interning at both. Over the summer, the agency hired her as a social worker, but she had to quit in order to finish her second year in the MSW program, a necessary step in order to complete her hours at Humboldt County Child Welfare. “Both internships were very posi:ve experiences in that they provided me with the hands on experience I needed to help prepare me for my career,” explains Heather. While in the graduate program, Heather also earned a minor in American Indian EducaLon. She graduated with her MSW in May of 2010. The Monday aWer graduaLon, she started working for Del Norte County Child Welfare and has conLnued to work there for the past four years. “Although the work is not easy, I have good support systems in both my personal life and at work. Del Norte County Child Welfare has a great sense of camaraderie amongst the workers. The supervisors are experienced and suppor:ve, which are a^ributes of a work environment that I believe are necessary for longevity. Working in the county where I grew up has its challenges. I feel great sa:sfac:on knowing that I am working to improve my community and hometown. However, juggling dual rela:onships can be difficult at :mes.” Heather is married to a HSU alum who works for the NaLonal Park Services. They share a one year old son. Right now Heather considers herself content with both her career and personal life. She is conLnually learning from her clients, her co-‐workers, and herself. She is fortunate to have been asked to provide on site supervision for a few of her co-‐workers who are furthering their educaLon through Humboldt State’s Distributed Learning Program. Heather has also sat on the interviewing board for the CalSWEC sLpend for the past two years. “One day, when I have more field experience, I may try to pursue social change on a larger scale, but for right now I am focusing on being happy with where I am at this point in my life. I am grateful for the opportunity to a^end the MSW Program at HSU. It gave me a solid founda:on for my career as a child welfare social worker in a rural community. Values such as self-‐determina:on and a strength-‐ based approach have not only helped with the work I do, but I feel the perspec:ves have also contributed to my own personal growth and have helped me to become more of the type of person I want to be in life.”
Fall Gallery
IMAGES: (top) Ah Pah Village OrientaQon, (bo.om) trip to Ah Pah
IMAGE: (top row L-‐R) WriQng Coaches Eve, Lindsey & Sage, (bo.om row) Social Work Student AssociaQon 2014-‐2015
Our mailing address is: Department of Social Work Humboldt State University 1 Harpst Street * Arcata, CA 95521
Contact us: (707) 826 -‐ 4448 socialwork@humboldt.edu www.humboldt.edu/socialwork