2019-2020 Year in Review - UNC Charlotte School of Social Work

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

School of Social Work Year In Review 2019-2020

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK VISION OF THE UNC CHARLOTTE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

The vision of the School of Social Work is to foster optimal health and well-being, equal human rights and a just society.

The UNC Charlotte Master of Social Work Program is ranked by US News and World Report in the top 20% of programs.

A Message from the Director

459

Students

23

Full Time Faculty

3

Staff

16

Part Time Faculty

Dear UNC Charlotte School of Social Work Community, I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to provide School of Social Work updates from Academic Year 2019- 2020, including the period the University transitioned to remote operations and learning during the spring.

We are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and weathering the storm of the unknown as we try to prepare for the projected second wave. We continue to address the reality that COVID-19 can be spread to anyone across the globe yet a disproportionate burden of illness and death are among racial and ethnic minority groups.

Additionally, last spring, released videos of acts of violence against Black lives- Black men, Black women, Black children- currently have the nation's attention...again, providing a focus on racism, white privilege, and white supremacy. And, there is now a greater awareness of the importance of voting in a democracy and how voting is directly related to how all levels of government and the legislative process determine most policies that benefit and empower our clients in general.

The School of Social Work faculty, staff, students, and alumni continue to lean into the possible during these challenging times. We are creating positive, synergistic responses and experiences for those living within the intersections of these pandemics and injustices. Prevailingly, we have continued to keep our social work values and ethics at the forefront of the service we provide to the community, on and off campus.

I am extraordinarily proud of what our team has accomplished over the last year and hope you enjoy browsing our annual publication.

All the best, Schnavia Smith Hatcher, PhD, MSW, LCSW Director of the School of Social Work

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UNDERGRADUATE

GRADUATE

Bachelor of Social Work Program

Master of Social Work Program Early Childhood Mental Health Certificate

Number of Students

Number of Students

275

Total Undergraduate Students

184

Total Graduate Students

FIELD EDUCATION The Field Office is responsible for administering the social work field education program which includes placing students and overseeing the compliance process. In addition, the field office develops field policies and seminar material, manages recruitment and retention of affiliated agencies, and host community events.

464

Field Hours Per Student Each Year

200+

Students in Field Each Year

150+

Partnered Community Agencies

2019-2020 School of Social Work Year In Review 2019 Fall Forum & Field Fair The School of Social Work and the Race and Social Equity (RASE) Academy held their 2019 Fall Forum & Field Fair on Social Equity and Safety in October 2019.

Our Fall Forum panelists included Jacquelyn Garcia, MSW, LCSW, Andrew Case, Ph.D., Tehia Starker Glass, Ph.D., and Kevin Edwards-Knight, MSW, LCSW. Don M. Thomas Jr., M.A. for provided a stimulating discussion as the facilitator on social equity and safety. The Field Fair continued after the forum, with many community partners in attendance!

MSW Open House 2019 The Fall 2019 MSW Open House welcomed 42 prospective applicants at this event, which featured School of Social Work faculty, current students, Admissions staff and other campus partners!

Film Screenings This past fall and summer saw two free film screenings and panel discussions of the first two installments of a documentary trilogy that follows the life of filmmaker Jason DaSilva as he deals with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The screening of the first installment, "When I Walk," was held on campus in November 2019. The screening of the second installment, "When We Walk," was held in June 2020 virtually.

This film screening was hosted by Associate Professor Suzanne Boyd, with co-hosts Shelby Veri, 2nd-year Health Services Research doctoral student and Suzanne Jones, Charlotte Research Scholar 2020, 4th year BSW senior. These films were generously funded by the Chancellor's Diversity Mini-Grant and co-sponsored by the UNC Charlotte School of Social Work. The film screenings were both followed by a panel discussion (pictured) including persons with MS, health care providers, social workers and MS organizational representatives.

An Evening of S.T.A.R.S. 2020 The second Evening of S.T.A.R.S. awards took place virtually this year. Dr. Ticola Ross, Clinical Assistant Professor and Field Director coordinated these awards. The S.T.A.R.S. Awards each represents a different aspect of the School of Social Work to honor; Students, Teaching & Field Education, Alumni, Research & Scholarship, and Service, Advocacy & Outreach.

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In Early 2020, Dr. Dante Bryant was invited to be part of a two part podcast, “In the Trenches” by Andrew Taylor. The topic of discussion was “Understanding Privilege, Discrimination and Oppression.”

Dr. Travis Hales represented the School of Social Work with the Mecklenburg County Substance Use Disorder Task Force at the UNC School of Government Forum 4 on February 25, 2020.

School of Social Work Professor Dr. Annelise Mennicke will use a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate the effectiveness of a national violence prevention program while receiving valuable mentorship and professional development in the process. Dr. Mennicke’s research will focus on the Green Dot bystander intervention program, one among several approaches to training people who witness problematic situations to safely intervene to help prevent violence.

Spring 2020 Graduation Graduation ceremonies were not able to be held inperson for May 2020 graduates due to the university's transition to remote operations and learning. The School of Social Work created graduation videos honoring our BSW and MSW graduates.

2019-2020 School of Social Work CSWE Annual Program Meeting 2019 The Council for Social Work Education 65th Annual Program Meeting was held in Denver, Colorado from October 24-27, 2019. Many of our School of Social Work faculty attended, those who presented were Dr. Ticola Ross & Frances Ferrante (bottom right image), Roger Suclupe, and Dr. Yuqi Guo (right image).

SSWR Annual Conference 2019 The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 2020 Annual Conference featured Reducing Racial and Economic Inequality. Many of our School of Social Work faculty presented duirng this conference from January 15-19, 2020, including Dante Bryant, Yuqi Guo, Travis Hales, Shanti Kulkarni, Othelia Lee, Susan McCarter, and Annelise Mennicke.

MSW student James Granberry presented with Dr. Susan McCarter (left image) on Using Diversity Trainings to Reduce Racial Inequality: Are They Effective or Just a CYA Technique? MSW alum Laura Swan presented with Dr. Annelise Mennicke (right image) on Reproductive Coercion and Interpersonal Violence Victimization Experiences Among College Students.

Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Three Charlotte universities are banding together to support racial healing and transformation. As the Charlotte Racial Justice Consortium, UNC Charlotte, Johnson C. Smith University, and Queens University of Charlotte will collaborate to listen to Charlotte’s many racial truths, encourage a community that understands its history of race and racism, and develop student, university, and community leaders who work across our region towards truth, racial healing, and equity.

Initial Consortium representatives include: LeAnna Rice, Associate Dean of Students at Queens University, Cindy Kistenberg, associate professor of communication and theatre at Johnson C. Smith University, Dr. Susan McCarter, Associate Professor at UNC Charlotte School of Social Work, Dr. Tehia Starker Glass, an education professor at UNC Charlotte, and Judy Schindler, a philosophy and religion professor at Queens.

Democracy, Voting, and Social Work Dr. Jim Dudley, Professor Emeritus, and current 3-Year MSW student D'Atra Davis collaborated on a project to help students and their clients gain greater awareness of the importance of voting in the general election this fall from a social work perspective. As part of a new field placement for graduate students, Dr. Dudley and D'Atra Davis are working together to increase voter registration and raise awareness around voting for students and their clients. The project is a non-partisan effort.

Behavioral Healthcare Leadership Academy

Faculty Appointments Assistant Director and Senior Lecturer Amy Peters appointed as MSW Coordinator for Distance Education.

Dr. Sonyia Richardson appointed as Assistant Professor for Fall 2020.

Clinical Assistant Professor Roger Suclupe appointed as BSW Program Director starting in the 2020-2021 academic year.

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The UNC Charlotte School of Social Work and Cardinal Innovations Healthcare have teamed up to launch the Behavioral Healthcare Leadership Academy, a program for students at UNC Charlotte interested in pursuing leadership-based careers in behavioral healthcare. The Behavioral Healthcare Leadership Academy is a seven month program that empowers students to understand and apply management strategies in behavioral healthcare. Twenty graduate students from various degree programs will be selected. Students will receive a $500 stipend for their participation, network with behavioral healthcare management and executives, and receive a Behavioral Healthcare Leadership Academy Certificate awarded by Cardinal Innovations Healthcare upon completion of the Academy.

SCHOLARSHIPS

HRSA SDS 2016-2020 The Health Resources and Services Administration Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students successfully completed its funding cycle in the 20192020 academic year. The scholarship funded a total of 100 MSW students over a four year period with the nearly $2 million grant.

Graduate School Awards Recognition Congratulations to our School of Social Work Honorees at the Graduate School Awards Recognition Reception on October 29, 2019!

Image from left to right: Professor Sonyia Richardson, Lucille P. and Edward C. Giles Dissertation-Year Graduate Fellowship, Curriculum and Instruction; Cody Walker, Commander F.M. (Mike) Reynolds Veterans Scholarship, MSW Student; Laura Jackson, Zonta Club Scholarship, MSW Student; Dr. Diana Rowan, MSW Program Director, School of Social Work

IBH PROGRAM 2017-2021 The Integrated Behavioral Health Program continued through the 20192020 academic year with its $1.8 million award to offer seventeen students stipends, enhanced training and community education. The IBH program will be using their last year of funding in the 2020-2021 academic year to fund students with a desire to work in medical and behavioral health.

OASES Scholarships Congratulations to the following BSW and MSW Students for being recipients of 2019-2020 scholarships from the Office of Adult Students and Evening Services (OASES)!

OASES is committed to assisting adult students develop and implement a plan for achieving their academic and career goals. UNC Charlotte College of Health and Human Services Social Work recipients include: Michelle Bolick; Lydiah Nyamisoa; Katherine O'Reilly; Diane Richardson; Jason Scianno.

Response to COVID-19 iNationMedia Chats: Together While We're Apart In May 2020, BSW Director and Clinical Assistant Professor Roger Suclupe participated in Instagram live with iNationMedia Chats: Together While We’re Apart. Professor Suclupe participated in a live chat on Mental Health and Wellness: Overcoming the stigma and healing our LatinX communities. The chat was hosted by Luis Corneijo of PsychoSocial Media. Special guests included Roger Suclupe, MSW, LCSW; Araceli A. Aguirre, Psychology Student at Cal Lutheran University, and Dr. Michael J. Consuelos, mental health advocate.

Mental Distress Amid Pandemic The partnership between UNCC SSW and Cardinal Innovations was featured in a May 2020 WBTV On Your Side Tonight interview about mental distress. Dr. Sonia Richardson (upper left of image) represented our School of Social Work and Ashley Conger represented Cardinal Innovations Healthcare!

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COVID-19 Recovery & Renewal Task Force

COVID-19 Statewide Task Force

UNC Charlotte Professor Cheryl Waites Spellman, Ed.D., was appointed by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners over the summer to serve on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioner’s COVID-19 Recovery and Renewal Task Force.

Over the summer, Governor Roy Cooper appointed UNC Charlotte social work professor Sonyia Richardson, Ph.D., to a statewide task force on health inequities. The move comes as part of an executive order aimed at addressing the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities of color.

Richardson will serve on a subcommittee focused on education. Subcommittees are also in place that will recommendations on access to healthcare, economic opportunity and business development, environmental justice and patient engagement

Continued Efforts Our faculty and students have continued to contribute positively as social workers to this ongoing pandemic throughout the fall months.

Response to Racial Injustice Race Matters for Juvenile Justice Race Matters for Juvenile Justice presented a webinar on COVID-19 Racial Equity Rapid Response in May 2020. Dr. Susan McCarter, our SSW Faculty Member and RMJJ Collaborative Leadership Member presented during this webinar. This presentation explored racially equitable decision making in times of crisis. In July 2020, Race Matters for Juvenile Justice hosted an event on A Multisystemic Approach to Antiracism Organizing.

Featured speakers included our own Dr. Susan McCarter.

Let's Get Real About Race Dr. Schnavia Hatcher participated in An Open Conversation on QC@3 - Let’s Get Real About Race in early June 2020. The panelists included Spencer B. Merriweather III – Mecklenburg County District Attorney, Tripp Helms – Chief District Court Judge, Union County District 20B, Schnavia Hatcher, Ph.D., LCSW – Director and Professor, School of Social Work, UNC Charlotte, Willie J. Griffin, Ph.D. – Staff Historian, Levine Museum of the New South.

Diversity and Inclusion UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber has appointed UNC Charlotte Professor Cheryl Waites Spellman, Ed.D., to the role of interim special assistant to the chancellor for diversity and inclusion, effective Sept. 16, 2020. A proven leader in higher education administration and leading expert in social work policy and research, Waites Spellman will coordinate with staff, faculty and students to build on the University’s diversity and inclusion efforts to create an accessible, inclusive and equitable climate. This is the first senior appointment for Gaber since she started in July 2020 and reinforces diversity as a key priority in her vision for UNC Charlotte. Currently, UNC Charlotte enrolls and graduates one of the most diverse student bodies in the UNC System. Approximately one-third (33%) of UNC Charlotte students identify as a racial or ethnic minority, 37% are first-generation college students, nearly half (49%) are women and more than 1,800 students come from nearly 100 countries.

The Voice of the Black Community

NAMI Charlotte: A Conversation about Racism & Mental Health National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) Charlotte hosted an event on July 17, 2020: A Conversation About Racism & Mental Health. NAMI Charlotte discussed racism and mental health, highlighting its complexities and paths for healing. Justin Perry, LCSW, activist, columnist and mental health therapist gave the opening remarks. The panel represented the government, activism, education and mental health community. Those on the panel were Sheriff Garry McFadden, Dr. LaTonya Summers, Roger Suclupe, MSW, LCSW, Dr. Larry Jones, Ryan Atkins.

Race and Social Equity Academy The RASE Academy is collaborating with School of Social Work faculty to create a series of steps to help further establish and institutionalize a set of practices and procedures that will not only continue to strengthen racial equity within the School of Social Work, but further aid in securing our School of Social Work as a preeminent university and community leader on race equity.

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The Charlotte Post featured an article by Dr. Dante Bryant in The Voice of the Black Community in June 2020. Dr. Bryant, Assistant Professor in the UNC Charlotte School of Social Work, shared his perspective on social injustice in a perspective piece with the Charlotte Post. The feature was titled: Why are we at the intersection of race and oppression? America has yet to atone for original sin.

NH Wellness Webinar: The impact of racism on health On June 17, 2020, Novant Health's SVP & Chief Equity Officer Dr. Chere Gregory, Heal Charlotte Founder and Executive Director Greg Jackson, and UNCC's School of Social Work Director Dr. Schnavia Smith Hatcher (bottom right) share insight into the physical and mental health impacts of enduring systemic racism, particularly in the Black/African American community.

School of Social Work Vision The vision of the School of Social Work is to foster optimal health and well-being, equal human rights and a just society.

School of Social Work Mission To prepare future social work professionals for leadership in areas of culturally-informed community-engaged practice, policy and research, with a particular emphasis on persistent and emerging social problems in rapidly diversifying urban areas locally, nationally and globally.

Stay Connected Our School of Social Work faculty, staff, students and alumni continue to positively respond to these pandemics and injustices.

Please follow our social media for current updates on what our team continues to accomplish.

UNC Charlotte College of Health and Human Services School of Social Work 9201 University City Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28223-0001 Email: sswadmissions@uncc.edu Telephone: (704) 687-7924 / (704) 687-7931 Fax: (704) 687-1658