SSW Faculty and Program Features Spring 2022

U N I V E R SI T Y AT A L B A N Y SC H O O L O F SO C I A L W E L FA R E

FAC U LT Y A N D PRO G RA M F E AT U R E S SP R I N G 2 0 2 2

A M E SSA G E F R O M T H E D E A N SSW Professor Victoria Rizzo has graciously agreed to serve as Acting D ean beginning later this week through the end of August.

Lynn Warner will be on leave for a personal medical matter.

D r. Rizzo started her academic career at U Albany, where she held leadership positions in the School of Social Welfare including Assistant D ean for Student Services, Assistant D ean for Research and D irector of Graduate Admissions. D r. Rizzo also served as the Social Work D epartment Chairperson while on the faculty at Binghamton U niversity.

H er scholarly and research profile are equally impressive.

U Albany School of Social Welfare students at the N ew York State Capital on L egislative Education and Advocacy D ay.

R A C I A L E Q U I T Y I N H U M A N SE RV I C E O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

D r. Catherine L awrence Racial diversity, equity and inclusion are frequently stated goals in the social work profession. Yet how do we get from where we are now to a world that celebrates human diversity, practices social justice and reflects equity? Part of changing the status quo includes change within human service organizations. Organizations can work towards diversity, equity and inclusion not only in the programs and services they offer but also the workplaces they create: who they hire and promote, who they include in decisions, how they build a climate of inclusion and workplace support.

Yet organizational change takes time, not to mention vision, leadership, and sustained implementation. M y current research looks at the process of change within child welfare organizations, and the barriers and successes they experience.

Recent Research H ighlights -

L awrence, C.K., Zeitlin, W., Chakravarty, S., & Armendariz, S. (2020). Racial diversity and inclusive representation in urban public child welfare. Journal of Public Child Welfare.

14(1), 38-59.

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Chakravarty, S. & L awrence, C.K. (2022). ?Our agency doesn't like to use the word racism let alone talk about it:? First-hand stories of workplace racism in child welfare.Child Welfare. 100(1), 111-140.

Associate Professor Catherine L awrence, Ph.D . has been studying public human service systems for over 20 years. H er scholarship focuses on services to children and families, including policy implementation in cash assistance and workforce dynamics in child welfare. She is currently Senior Evaluator for the N ational Child Welfare Workforce Institute (N CW W I), funded by the U nited States D epartment of H ealth and H uman Services, where she studies implementation of change initiatives in child welfare.

L awrence, C.K., Chakravarty, S., W illiams-H eskel, C., Armendariz, S., Kollar, S. and W ilcox, C. (in press). Racial equity in the child welfare workforce. In Briar-L awson, K. and Anderson, G. (Eds). Agency-U niversity partnerships in child welfare. Child Welfare L eague of America.

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E C O N O M I C JU ST I C E

D r. Wonhyung L ee Economic justice is a critical part of the mission of social work. In fact, many of the core issues addressed by social work are closely related to economically deprived conditions, including poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to financial opportunities. W hile money is inseparable from maintaining our daily lives, discussions of money, profit, business, and economic development often stay distant or vague in the social work field. It is critical to understand the core concepts around financial asset building and the effectiveness of approaches that try to provide stepping stones for people to seek self-sufficiency.

Associate Professor Wonhyung L ee, Ph.D . has examined the opportunities and barriers to financial services in various contexts, from aspiring entrepreneurs with low credit scores to immigrants, refugees, and people experiencing homelesness. She studied various microfinance and support models for micro business development. She has also studied the process of creating economic opportunities with collective action approaches at a neighborhood level, through a mechanism known as business improvement districts. D r. L ee is currently conducting a pilot project that connects refugees and entrepreneurial opportunities in collaboration with local community-based organizations.

Recent Research H ighlights L ee, W. (2019). Character-based lending for micro business development: Empirical insights into conceptualizing character.

Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 1-16.

L ee, W., & Ferguson, K. M . (2019). T he role of local businesses in addressing multidimensional needs of homeless populations.Journal of H uman Behavior in the Social Environment,29(3), 389-402.

L ee, W., & W idyaningrum, N . (2019).

M ultidimensional access to financial services: Insights from Indonesia.Progress in D evelopment Studies, 19(1), 21-35.

L ee, W., & Black, S. L . (2017). Small business development: Immigrants? access to loan capital.Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 29(3), 193-209.

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PA RT I C I PAT O RY A N D A RT S- B A SE D R E SE A R C H

D r. Sarah M ountz Young people possess incredible power to act as organizers and advocates for their communities and for social justice.

U nfortunately, adultism and other forms of oppression in social service delivery, and society more broadly, can stifle this power.

T his has commonly resulted in the creation of systems that are not accountable to young people, and sometimes, have perpetrated harm. Social work practices and youth serving systems should center young people?s own perspectives on what they find supportive and empowering. T his can be achieved, in part, through use of participatory approaches to research that engage young people as co-researchers and stakeholders in generating knowledge to inform social work practice, policy, and program design.

Recent Research H ighlights -

M ountz, S., & Capous-D esyllas, M .

(2020). Exploring the families of origin of L GBT Q former foster youth and their trajectories throughout care.

Children and Youth Services Review, 109, 104622.

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M ountz, S. (2020). Remapping pipelines and pathways: L istening to queer and transgender young people?s trajectories through girls? juvenile justice facilities.Affilia, 35(2), 177-199.

D r. Sarah M ountz?s research focuses on the experiences of L GBT Q youth in child welfare and juvenile justice systems using an intersectional lens. D r. M ountz is particularly interested in youth activism and organizing, and issues of educational access for youth and young adults with foster care experience.

As a healing centered researcher, she uses participatory and arts-based research approaches and is particularly interested in generating research that can inform anti-oppressive social work practice. One of D r. M ountz?s recent collaborative research projects, 'From Our Perspectives,' utilized photovoice methodology and qualitative interviewing to explore the experiences of L GBT Q+ youth and young adults with foster care experience in L os Angeles.

Findings were disseminated via gallery shows, podcasts, and printed media, in addition to being featured in academic journals, book chapters, and at professional conferences.

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I N T E R N SH I P S I N A G I N G P R O JE C T

Gerontological Social Work T he number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to increase from 48 million to 88 million by 2050. T he rapid growth of the aging population in America has produced concern over whether the social work profession will be able to meet the needs of elders and their caregivers. Currently, a shortage of gerontological social workers trained specifically to work with this population exists, and based on projections, this shortage will become more critical over the next few decades. Fewer than 3% of social work students specialize in gerontology. ?IAP was one of the best experiences I had. T he scholarship and the care among my colleagues really got me through the program and opened my eyes to the needs of older adults. And it is so gratifying to be able to serve them.?

M aria, M SW /IAP '12

Our School of Social Welfare?s Internships in Aging Project (IAP) started in 2000 with a grant from the John A. H artford Foundation. IAP students receive financial assistance and have expanded internship opportunities (three days a week instead of the usual two), with rotations designed for students to learn macro and clinical interventions.

Since IAP?s inception, dozens of organizations around the Capital Region have hosted more than 250 students from our program in a collaborative effort that benefits the organization, the student, and most importantly, the seniors. We estimate two-thirds of IAP participants have gone on to work primarily in aging or have held aging-related positions.

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A L B A N Y I N T E R N SH I P S I N M E N T A L H E A L T H

Addressing M ental H ealth Since 2003, T he School of Social Welfare has played a key role in addressing statewide mental health workforce challenges through participation in N ew York State?s Schools of Social Work Project for Evidence-Based Practice in M ental H ealth. Funded by the N ew York State Office of M ental H ealth (N YSOM H ), it is a multi-site collaborative in which second-year M SW students from 14 different universities across the state are trained in the use of the most current mental health interventions which have been proven effective through clinical research.

"T he AIM H Program was an amazing opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and utilize evidence based practices in the field of mental health. T hese skills have been crucial in my success as a social worker across fields and in my current role".

Kevin O'Keefe, M SW '15 T he Albany I nternships in M ental H ealth (AI M H ) Program, run by faculty member D r.

Eric H ardiman, is the U Albany School of Social Welfare?s local implementation of the statewide project. U Albany also serves as the statewide coordinating center for the entire project, with leadership and coordination from D r. H ardiman and L inda M ertz.

Chosen through a highly competitive application process, AI M H students receive a certificate of completion of training in recovery-oriented evidence-based practices from N YSOM H . In addition to being placed in approved community-based field sites that offer cutting edge clinical training, the students also take a specialized advanced practice seminar in mental health interventions that is collaboratively designed and updated regularly by faculty experts at the 14 schools. Students also meet together regularly in a colloquia series where they integrate knowledge from the evidence-based practice coursework into their own field placement experiences. T he AI M H program has produced over 70 graduates who have gone on to serve in critically important positions within the mental health field across N ew York state.

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T H E SO C I A L W O R K E R S R A D I O T A L K SH O W

M edia Savvy Social Work T here is often a misunderstanding by those not in the social work field as to T he Social Workers Radio Show what it is social workers do. T he media coverage of social workers often occurs - Over 200 episodes recorded when there are negative reports about performance of those who use the name - 10+ years of being on air of social worker but are not in the - L istened to in over 10 countries profession. Although some social workers put themselves in front of the media to thesocialworkersradiotalkshow.simplecast.com advocate and raise awareness, many avoid the media or focus so much on their daily practice that they do not feel as if they have the time to take on yet another task. Social workers need to see the public as the client and use the media to reach individuals who may have never considered seeing or using a social worker.

"I believe that learning how to present the profession of social work, as well as how to effectively speak to the media and the public about social work issues, is crucial. In this class, I learned how to speak with clarity and authority about topics that I am passionate about and how to listen and successfully interview others about those topics."

Kathy Brundige, M SW '15, who took the M edia Savvy Social Work course

W ith help from distinguished alumna and Internet radio host, Kathryn Zox, U Albany created T he Social Workers Radio Talk Show on the U niversity?s student-run radio station, W CD B 90.9FM in 2011. Since that time, Alyssa L otmore and D r. Eric H ardiman have co-hosted the show and made it a platform for students, alumni, and community partners to share their expertise on social work related issued. A media course was also created for students to be able to learn and practice media skills to best get their message out to the public.

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FAC U LT Y F E AT U R E D I N 2021

V E T E R A N P E E R SU P P O RT

D r. Eric H ardiman Veterans often struggle with community reintegration following military service, facing a myriad of complex challenges.

Post-traumatic stress, social isolation, and suicide impact veterans at high rates.

Peer-to-peer interventions have been found to serve a protective function for veterans facing challenges. Peer support helps bind individuals together, fostering trust and building community. Peer support services offer a preventive, prosocial focus to engage veterans, rather than leaving them behind.

Associate Professor and M SW Program D irector Eric H ardiman has been studying peer support interventions in the mental health field for over 20 years. H is scholarship focuses on peer support, consumer-provided services, psychiatric recovery, and services for veterans. H e has also studied homelessness, communities dealing with disasters, urban violence, and services for veterans. H is research explores the use of peer support interventions to build community through shared lived experience. Funded by the N ew York State Senate and Assembly, D r.

H ardiman is currently conducting a statewide program evaluation of the Joseph P. D wyer Veterans Peer-to-Peer Initiative, which is operational in over 25 counties across the state.

Peer Support Research H ighlights -

H ardiman, ER, M atteson, A, & Turner, N . (2020). Veterans? voices: A qualitative study on veteran theories of suicide.

Society for Social Work and Research Conference. Washington, D C.

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H ardiman, ER, M atteson, A, Turner, N , & Seng, T. (2019). Suicide prevention and intervention strategies for veterans outside VA health care services. N ew York State Suicide Prevention Conference. Albany, N Y.

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H ardiman, ER, Fletcher, S, & M atteson, A. (2017). T he use of peer support interventions for veterans facing community reintegration challenges.

Society for Social Work and Research Conference. N ew Orleans, LA.

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H I V A N D SP I R I T U A L I T Y

D r. Robert L . M iller, Jr. Associate Professor Robert L . M iller, Jr. examines spirituality in the lives of Black gay men and transgender women managing H IV illness and prevention efforts.

D ifferentiated from religion, spirituality offers an inward perspective on purpose and meaning while helping clients to organize their self-efficacy in the service of their desired outcomes. H is scholarship reveals the utility of spirituality in adaptive coping efforts across the life course for those with H IV (i.e., increasing their ego strength as they experience various traumatic oppressions as well as H IV medication adherence), and its potential to promote long-term virus suppression.

Eight M SW students studying abroad in South Africa, Tanzania, and Zanzibar with D r. Shirley Jones (center) and D r. Robert M iller (back right).

H I V Research H ighlights -

M iller, RL , Jr. (2021). ?Agape love is justice?: Black clergies? public and theological support for Black gay men.

Culture, H ealth, & Sexuality.

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M iller, RL , Jr. (2015). H IV prevention decision-making among N ew York State H IV negative black men who have sex with men. N ew York State D epartment of H ealth, AID S Institute.

H ealth Research Inc.

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M iller, RL , Jr, & L insk, N L . (Special Issue Co-Editors). (2010). H IV Social Work in East Africa. Journal of H IV/AID S & Social Services, 9(3), 213-219.

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SO C I A L W O R K : I T T A K E S A T E A M

D r. Carmen M orano Social work practice and collaboration go together like the proverbial hand and glove.

Engaging in interprofessional collaboration across a wide array of service sectors, as well as between professionals and paraprofessionals with different education and training, requires knowledge and skills that are unique to social work. Facilitation of team development and processes, and ensuring the timely and accurate transfer of information across multiple settings, are key to effective interprofessional team development and ultimately positive client outcomes.

Professor and PhD Program D irector Carmen M orano has been engaged in developing and evaluating interprofessional education curriculum and interprofessional collaboration throughout his career. H e examines the intersection of interprofessional education and collaboration in areas that include health care, emergency medicine, elder abuse and most recently de-escalation. Funded by Albany County and the N YS D epartment of H ealth Foundation, D r. M orano is currently evaluating the Albany County Crisis Officials Responding and D iverting (ACCORD ) initiative which trains an interdisciplinary team of social workers and EM Ts to respond to non-violent emergency and mental health situations.

I nterprofessional Research H ighlights -

M orano, C, & D iamiani, G. (2019).

Interprofessional education at the meso level: T he next step in IPE. Gerontology and Geriatrics Education, 40(1), 43-54.

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Pascucci, D , Sassano, M , Cesare, M , Cicconi, M , Acampora, A, Park, D , M orano, C, & D amiani, G. (2021).

Impact of interprofessional collaboration on chronic disease management: Findings from a systematic review. H ealth Policy, 125(2), 191-202.

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M orano, C, & Berical, E. (2021).

Evaluating a multidisciplinary team approach to elder abuse. Gerontological Society of America Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ.

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H E A L I N G JU ST I C E R E SE A R C H

D r. L oretta Pyles Social workers, change agents, and other helping professionals face tremendous challenges in their work including moral injury, trauma, and burnout. T hese challenges are transpiring within a larger patriarchal, neoliberal, white supremacist context wherein change agents find themselves disconnected from their "bio-psycho-social-spiritual-ecological" selves. M ore than just "overcoming" these challenges, change makers deserve opportunities to explore and transform the conditions and patterns which perpetuate this disconnection.

Professor L oretta Pyles' early scholarship emerged out of her time in grassroots, feminist domestic violence/sexual assault organizations. Today her work focuses on community organizing, environmental justice and disasters, racial and economic justice, and integrative/holistic social work practice.

T hrough her work on healing justice, holistic engagement, and re-wilding, Pyles? research seeks to intervene on and understand how practitioners and organizations can support whole person change making through attention to organizational policies and culture, integrative body-mind-spirit practices, and narratives of liberation.

Research H ighlights -

Pyles, L . (2021). Progressive community organizing: Transformative practice in a globalizing world (3rd ed). N ew York: Routledge.

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Pyles, L , Cosgrove, D , Gardner, E, Raheim, S, Adam, G, Chakravarty, S, & Cooke, C. (2021). ?Could we just breathe for 30 seconds??: Social worker experiences of holistic engagement practice training. Social Work, 66(4), 285-296.

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Pyles, L . (2018). H ealing justice: H olistic self-care for change makers. N ew York: Oxford U niversity Press.

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Svistova, J, & Pyles, L . (2018).

Production of disaster and recovery in H aiti: D isaster industrial complex.

Routledge H umanitarian Studies Series.

Abingdon, U K: Routledge.

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O L D ER AD U LT CARE M AN AG EM EN T

D r. Victoria M . Rizzo Social care needs, also known as social determinants of health, include reliable transportation, stable housing, and food security. If unmet, they contribute to negative health outcomes and use of costly medical services for older adults. Research has shown that screening for and addressing social care needs can improve health outcomes and health care delivery efficiencies, and decrease health care costs.

H owever, the impact of social workers on interprofessional care management outcomes is not well-understood.

Social Care Research H ighlights Professor Victoria Rizzo has been studying the unique contributions of social work practice in health care settings and community-based organizations, with a focus on care management and social care needs for over 30 years. H er scholarship examines the impact of these contributions on health care utilization and outcomes for older adults coping with chronic illnesses, elder abuse, and care giving. She also examines the implications of study findings for health care policy and reimbursement for social work services to older adults and their caregivers.

Funded by the M other Cabrini H ealth Foundation, D r. Rizzo is currently conducting a workforce development initiative for students to screen, assess for, and address the unmet social care needs of older adults in the Capital Region.

Rowe, J, Yang, E, Rizzo, V, Kim, Y, Ewald, B, Vail, M , & D reschler, K. (2021).

M SW interns to address social needs in a rural free health care clinic: A pilot project.

Social Work in H ealth Care. [Online first].

Rowe, J, Rizzo, V, Kang, S, Kukowski, R, N ewman, M , Ewald, B, & Golden, R. (2019). T ime contribution of social workers in care management: Value for older adults.

Professional Case M anagement, 24(6), 306-316.

Rowe, J, Rizzo, V, Guthrie, D , Vail, M , Kang, S, & Golden, R. (2019). T he electronic heath record: D ocumenting the unique contributions of social workers.

H ealth & Social Work, 44(2), 123?128.

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W O M EN , I M M I G RAN T S & H EALT H

D r. Jildyz U rbaeva Assistant Professor Jildyz U rbaeva?s research focuses on Central Asian women?s status and agency in making decisions about their health and employment. She is currently co-principal investigator (with PI Jill M essing of Arizona State U niversity) on a World Bank-funded project to adapt a mobile application intervention for women in abusive relationships in Kyrgyzstan. She recently completed a mixed methods study of acculturation experiences, kinship structures, and Islamic identity among Central Asian M uslim immigrants in the U S.

Research H ighlights -

U rbaeva, J, Koo, J, & Childress, S. (2021). W hen families fail: Women?s responses to spousal violence in Central Asia. Social Work Research.

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U rbaeva, J. (2019). Opportunity, social mobility, and women?s views on gender roles in Central Asia. Social Work, 64(3), 207-215.

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U rbaeva, Z, L ee, E, & L ee, Y. (2019).

Reproductive decisions as mediators between education and employment of women in Kyrgyzstan. H ealth Care for Women International, 40(7-9):898-913.

D r. U rbaeva (front row center) with Jill M essing of ASU , meeting with stakeholders in Kyrgyzstan regarding a domestic violence intervention.

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