PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Dear Friends & Supporters:

I’m excited to present you with the 2022 Annual Report for the Institute for Clinical Social Work. This past year was filled with excitement as well as challenges. The state of the Institute for Clinical Social Work has been shaped by what is happening nationally in the areas of mental health as well as in higher education. In the area of mental health, an increase in attention to personal well-being, support for trauma-informed practice, and commitments to increasing the numbers of mental health care providers made national headlines. While in higher education, institutions across the country experienced enrollment challenges due to changes in personal priorities, economic challenges, and ongoing political debates about the value of higher education. Despite the somewhat tepid educational environment, we excitedly welcomed, in-person, a geographically diverse cohort of students from eleven different states including: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Amongst this year’s cohort included scholarship recipients like Andrew Petersen who has worked in the foster care system and is committed to increasing access to quality mental health therapy in rural New York. Additionally, Xochitl Ramirez, a first-generation Chicagoan whose family is from El Salvador received the Presidential Scholarship. While we have not been immune to the societal challenges facing higher education institutions, it is because of your generous contributions that we are able to continue advancing our mission as a leader in psychodynamic graduate education. I am incredibly proud of the work and commitment of our board of trustees, faculty, staff, and alumni, and I consider it a privilege to work in partnership with our community in advancing the mission of psychodynamic graduate education. I hope that you enjoy the highlights included in this report for our 2021-2022 Fiscal Year.