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Widener University Center for Social Work Education |
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VOL. 4, ISSUE 1
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SEPTEMBER 2014
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Upcoming Events
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PhD Research Symposium
with Dr. Linda Houser
Nov. 4, 6-9 p.m.,
University Center, Room C
Mandated Reporting
with Lydia DeBiase, LSW and Assistant Director of Field Education
Dec. 4, 5-8 p.m.,
University Center, Room C
2 CEUs, $25 for professionals; no cost to current field supervisors, Widener faculty and students, and Advisory Board members.
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Free Counseling Services for Students
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Part-time Widener MSW students can receive free counseling from Social Work Counseling Services. A Widener alum, Leighann Simmons, will provide the services. Hours are 4-8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday and 9-11 a.m. on Thursday and Friday at the SWCS building at 1700 Walnut. For an appointment or more information, contact Shanna Williams at 610-499-4684
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Quick Links
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Support the Center for Social Work Education
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Help us change lives.
Donate to Widener Social Work. Your financial support will help fund student scholarships and our pro bono clinics.
Check "All Designations" and then, under Academics, check "Center for Social Work Education".
You may also donate by sending your check made out to Widener University to:
Mary Ellen Ferkler, Social Work Development Fund, Center for Social Work Education, One University Place, Chester, PA, 19013.
Thank you for your support.
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Shanna Williams Appointed SWCS Director
For almost 15 years Widener's Social Work Counseling Services (SWCS) has dedicated itself to improving the lives of Chester citizens and providing quality internship experiences for Widener students. According to new SWCS Director Shanna Williams, a 2010 MSW/MEd alum, that excellence will continue with expanded services for Chester and Widener communities.
The hiring of Williams, formerly a therapist at Holcomb Behavioral Health, is one of several exciting changes. The clinic has also expanded it's MSW internship program, developed counseling services for part-time graduate students, and is creating a more impactful social media presence.
Williams comes to SWCS with extensive experience working with families who have experienced sexual trauma, families with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and child services agencies. Her first-year internship in the MSW program was at SWCS. She worked with the Circle for Change Program, providing weekly individual and group counseling for moms moving from welfare to work. She also did crisis counseling and spent her summers at Widener doing outpatient clinical work for SCWS.
"I came in not even wanting to be a therapist," Williams recalled. "But all of that shifted the more I was exposed to Widener Social Work. SWCS and Widener molded me and taught me how to be a clinician. I credit them for helping me realize that I could do this--and that I loved it."
The expanded SWCS internship program means that 14 current MSW students will enjoy similar exposure and experience. The bulk of the SWCS interns are placed at Widener Partnership Charter School. Students also intern at the Veteran's Law Clinic and at the College Access Center, a collaborative between area schools that provides assistance for high school students looking to go to college. SWCS interns participate in weekly individual supervision, bi-weekly clinical group supervision, and monthly professional development and staff meetings.
"SWCS interns get incredible experience," said Williams. "We train our interns to be systems-oriented, trauma-informed social workers. They are infused with this philosophy and then take it out into the community. Our interns are smart, active, and take initiative because they often go into environments where people are not sure what social workers do or how we fit into the system. Our interns make things happen."
Widener alum Leighann Simmons will provide counseling services for interested part-time graduate students in the MSW program. The Widener University Counseling Center is only available for full-time graduate students. Center for Social Work Education Director John Poulin saw a need to provide the same counseling services to our part-time graduate students as those available to full-time students. In addition to providing free counseling services, Leighann is providing clinical supervision to four SWCS interns placed at the Charter School and College Access Center.
Dolores Onorato, a Widener and SWCS alum, has also joined the SWCS team as a clinical supervisor. Onorato is supervising five SWCS interns placed at Widener Partnership Charter School. Onorato received her MSW in 2009 and also worked with the SWCS Circle for Change program. She brings experience with multi-systemic family therapy with adjudicated youth and is a therapist at Holcomb Behavioral Health.
According to Williams, it is not a coincidence that so many Widener Social Work alumni come back to make SWCS a part of their life's work. "There's something special about Widener Social Work, and SWCS is a gem. When you walk in, it's like a breath of fresh air. You realize how special it is and what social work can be. And the culture of an agency is critical because it determines how we work with our clients. It's what keeps people coming back. We all believe and want to continue the legacy and take it with us wherever we go."
You can follow SWCS on Twitter at twitter.com/swcswidener.
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Welcome and Welcome Back BSW, MSW, and PhD Students
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NEW TO WIDENER SOCIAL WORK
Clinical Services for Vulnerable Adults
 | | CSVA supervisors Dr. Ginny Focht-New, MSW Director Dr. Beth Barol, and Assistant MSW Director Dr. Jen Cullen. |
Widener Social Work MSW Program Director Beth Barol is picking up where she left off. Five years ago, as Director of the Harrisburg campus, Barol ran a free clinic for people with intellectual disabilities. She has recently created a similar concept--Clinical Services for Vulnerable Adults--on the Chester campus. CSVA offers free clinical, case management, and other support services for vulnerable populations including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, people who are homeless or at-risk for homelessness, and people with severe mental illness. The program is unique in that it also serves client families, support staff, and other caretakers.
"We want to help the disparing, those with nowhere to turn and no way to get funding," said Dr. Barol. "For some vulnerable populations it may be possible to get limited services through medical providers, but there is usually little support for families and caretakers who are living with serious issues related to caring for this person. As social workers, we believe in supporting the person in their environment, and this clinic represents that commitment."
First- and second-year Widener MSW students will help staff the program, and clinical supervision for interns will be provided by Dr. Barol, Assistant MSW Director Dr. Jenn Cullen, and current Harrisburg Director Dr. Ginny-Focht-New. Second-year interns will provide clinical interventions and therapy, while first-year interns will be paired with second-year students to provide case management and other support.
CSVA will provide clients with biographical timelines (a concept Barol is credited with popularizing internationally), trauma-informed individual and group therapy, and psychoeducational and support groups. Students will also attend community trainings offered by Barol with the goal of eventually facilitating trainings.
The program is partnering with Delaware County DHS Division of Adult and Family Services. This summer, Dr. Barol and students from her Spring 2014 Biographical Timelines course presented two trainings for the agency's support workers and case managers. Barol noted that the students "did a great job," and that all revenue went back to CSVA.
"We think this will provide our students with some experiences that people don't usually get in internships," said Barol. "We're also giving them opportunities to help build the clinic, to connect with area agencies and organizations, and to assess individual and community needs. They'll be helping people at all levels, and this will be great preparation for future practice."
 | | Dr. Barol with student interns (l-to-r) Julie Settle, Stephanie Balek, Sarah Jeblowski, and Courtney Asraf. Not pictured are Jessica Morrow and Patricia Hill. |
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Faculty Research and Service Highlights
Sachi Ando has been appointed to the CSWE Commission on Global Social Work Education. Dr. Ando also has five journal submissions currently under review.
Jen Cullen published an article in The Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability. Dr. Cullen also presented at the Postsecondary Disability Training Institute Conference in Philadelphia.
Ginny Focht-New gave four presentations at the Idaho Council on Domestic Violence Conference and an all-day trauma seminar for clinicians in Cumberland County.
Barbara Gilin submitted "Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Adult Development" for Carolyn Walter's Grief and Loss Across the Lifespan by Springer Publishing.
John Poulin and Linda Houser co-authored an article for China Journal of Social Work. Dr. Houser also published "A challenging fit: Employment, child care, and support in families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders" in Journal of Social Service Research.
Brent Satterly and Travis Ingersoll completed their book Sexuality Concepts for Social Workers. It will be released this fall through Cognella Publishers.
Jenny Wyatt, Shanna Williams, and John Poulin, in collaboration with the Delaware County OBH, co-authored a grant proposal for diverting veterans from the criminal justice system. Dr. Wyatt also co-authored grant applications for Project Safe Neighborhoods in North Philadelphia and for the Byrne Foundation for violence prevention in Chester.
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 | | Dr. Jenny Wyatt, Director of the Center for Violence Prevention |
Widener Social Work Committed to Civic Engagement
Civic engagement is an integral part of the Center for Social Work Education. Engaging in social work practice and community service reflects our value for social work education that is grounded in real-world experience, social justice, and service to vulnerable populations.
Widener Social Work civic engagement takes many forms, including faculty practice and scholarship, course-based experiences, student-led initiatives, and Center programs such as Social Work Counseling Services (SWCS), Clinical Services for Vulnerable Adults, and the Center for Violence Prevention (CVP).
According to CVP Director Dr. Jenny Wyatt, the Center collaborates with numerous agencies and programs in Delaware County to prevent violence in the community. These partnerships include criminal justice and social service agencies, faith-based services, county and school services, and community initiatives. Current projects include the monthly Violence Prevention Collaborative, research on prevention programming and collaboration, facilitating training for various professionals in violence prevention and professional police response, assessing gang activity in the county, assessing juvenile reentry resources and opportunities, assisting in adult reentry program development, and training in trauma-informed practices.
"Students at the Center for Social Work readily engage in service initiative beginning with an orientation that includes a day of service in the Chester community," said Dr. Wyatt. "All of our student organizations, including the MSWSO, National Association of Black Social Workers, Adelante Latino Student Organization, and BSW Club, develop initiatives that serve the community through fundraising, service projects and collaboration."
In addition to field internships, service learning projects are an integral part of undergraduate and graduate courses. In these courses, students perform community service activities as part of course requirements. For example, junior BSW students complete 15 hours of service learning as part of their practice and human behavior classes. They also assist with "Take Back the Night" in partnership with the BSW Club and Center for Violence Prevention. At the MSW level, the Communities and Organizations course involves students in collaborative projects with the Chester community.
Our faculty are consistently involved in social work practice and civic engagement. Faculty activities include clinical practice, volunteer work, consultation regarding program development and grant writing, asset mapping, policy development, research that informs programming, and training.
Dr. Wyatt also noted that the Center will soon be developing a section of the website highlighting civic engagement. This should be a valuable resource for alumni, community members, and current students who want to get involved with Center activities.
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 | | Dr. Linda Benavides |
Texas Native Dr. Linda Benavides Joins Widener Social Work Faculty
New full-time faculty member Dr. Linda Benavides was excited when she heard about a job opening at Widener. After meeting and interviewing with faculty at the CSWE Annual Program Meeting, she was so impressed with Widener Social Work that she gave up authentic Mexican food and warm San Antonio winters and moved east.
Dr. Benavides earned her MSW from UT-Austin in 1999 and her Ph.D. from UT-Arlington in 2009. After receiving her doctorate she began teaching at UT-San Antonio. She taught one BSW class and a variety of MSW courses while at UT-Arlington, and at UT-San Antonio she taught in the MSW program.
"As a social worker, it's good to be continuously challenged," Benavides said. "I loved UT-San Antonio and my colleagues there, but I decided it was time to grow and stretch myself. Widener is a place where I can teach BSW, MSW, and PhD courses. I also love the opportunities for research and service that Clinical Services for Vulnerable Adults and the Center for Violence Prevention offer."
Her most recent research focuses on resiliency and protective factors for adolescents who are exposed to domestic violence. She has a particular interest in understanding how spirituality develops from birth to adolescence and how traditional and nontraditional views of spirituality allow people to make meaning out of traumatic situations.
In addition to her teaching and research credentials, Dr. Benavides brings extensive clinical experience as a medical social worker in neonatal and pediatric ICUs and as an individual and family therapist with victims of domestic violence.
"I loved doing clinical work," she said. "When I first entered academia, I really missed working with clients. Medical social work with high-risk adolescents was one of the best experiences of my career. I loved the fast pace and I learned quite a bit."
So even though the Philadelphia area isn't known for San Antonio-style Mexican food, Dr. Benavides seems to be very happy with her East Coast move. "I'm so excited to be here. When I met the Widener faculty and I knew that I genuinely liked them. I was impressed with everything about the program. I feel at home here."
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Khalida Sethi, MSW '11, Joins Staff as Admissions Coordinator
Khalida Sethi knows Widener Social Work. Sethi received her MSW from Widener in 2011 and is a student in our doctoral program. In her new position as Admissions Coordinator, she manages MSW application and interview processes and helps newly accepted students orient to the program. She also creates marketing materials and promotes the program in area agencies, schools, and universities.
"I graduated from Widener with a good, solid education in how to help people. I really believe in the philosophy of this place. It's wonderful to be able to promote a program that I really believe in and help students carry on that mission."
Sethi brings a passion for community-based practice and working with vulnerable populations. After earning her MSW, she established a case management private practice in Center City Philadelphia. She provided case management and other supports for people whose income level made them ineligible for Medicaid services yet were not able to afford a private therapist.
"I saw a gap. There were a lot of people who couldn't afford or didn't want a private therapist, and felt uncomfortable going to agencies for services. I could help them locate the services that they needed and, in the process, we would often process feelings and open a dialogue. It allowed me to help people in more ways than structured managed care would allow."
Sethi's innovative approach to practice took many forms and allowed her to work with a variety of individuals and families. For example, she helped people find LGBT-friendly elder housing and locate free HIV medication, provided in-home therapy and caregiver support for children with autism, and even presented trainings for daycare staff and private nannies.
Sethi also brings a sensitivity to cultural diversity and people with trauma backgrounds. She was a young child in Afghanistan when the then Soviet Union invaded her country. Her family fled and lived in several countries before they immigrated to the U.S. when she was 6.
"I have vivid memories of all those places. That's what led me to social work. My parents went through a significant amount of war trauma and lost everything when coming to the United States. They lost their educational status, everything. It helped me understand the challenges that immigrant populations face and other people who have experienced trauma and loss."
You can contact her at Ksethi@widener.edu or stop by room 124 of Bruce Hall.
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Medication Advocacy Training for Second-Year MSW Students
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Dr. Ginny Focht-New, Clinical Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Harrisburg MSW program, led a workshop on medication advocacy. Dr. Focht-New used a person-in-environment perspective to frame her discussion of assessment, psychotropic classifications, and what it means to be a true advocate for our clients. |
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Ethical Issues in Field Instruction
 | Dr. Phyllis Black, PhD, ACSW, LSW, and Professor of Marywood University School of Social Work, provided lively discussion of ethical guidelines in the supervision of student interns. Dr. Black discussed supervision guidelines, instructor strategies, and the complexity of ethical issues in today's field placements.
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