Social Welfare Newsletter | Fall 2011

FALL 2011 Newsletter

Inside this Issue Dept. News and Events Jorja Leap Los Angeles’ Action Hero Doctoral Student Wins 2012 SSWR Doctoral Fellows Award Wong named NASW California Social Worker of the Year Joseph A. Nunn Social Welfare Alumnus of the Year Award Reception Abrams Nominated to the Los Angeles Juvenile Justice Reentry Task Force United Way’s HomeWalk

It gives me great pleasure to present the first of what I expect to be regular updates on the Department's activities via our new Social Welfare Newsletter. I am proud and excited to be the incoming Chair of this great Department and to follow in the footsteps of a long line of exemplary chairs: Robert Schilling, Ted Benjamin, and Stuart Kirk.

This year promises to be a momentous one: we are in the midst of several faculty recruitments, and our department shares the good fortune of the Luskin gift to the School. Both will add to our renowned faculty and provide us crucial resources. And we build on the successes of the past, including major curricular revisions which continue to be implemented this year; great success in the placement of our doctoral students in major research universities; continued high pass rates for our MSW program graduates taking the LCSW Exam; the significant impact of our training grants on the delivery of Public Child Welfare services; a rejuvenated alumni organization; and record levels of applicants for our MSW program.

Chair’s Message

I look forward to working closely with our faculty in developing new goals for this academic year and relying on our exceptional staff to continue the efficient management of our Department. In addition, I plan to seek creative avenues for elevating the visibility and prestige of “Social Welfare at UCLA” and the tremendous scholarship, research, teaching and public service accomplishments of our faculty and students. Because we, as social workers, social policy analysts and public leaders recognize that no social problem can be addressed unilaterally, we will build closer partnerships with our sister departments: Urban Planning and Public Policy. Already, faculty from the Departments of Urban Planning and Social Welfare have developed joint professional development programs for our doctoral students. And on a more practical level - that of the physical plant in which all of these activities are taking place - we look forward to the completion of extension renovations in our building and the addition of high tech classrooms, appealing facilities and amenities for our students.

Welcome to the new academic year and here’s to great achievements in Social Welfare at UCLA.

Fernando Torres-Gil Department Chair and Professor of Social Welfare and Public Policy

Meet Meyer and Renee Luskin A Generous Gift Brings Public Affairs into a New Era A $50 million gift from two generous UCLA alumni has now set the stage for a transformation of the UCLA School of Public Affairs. In recognition of this tremendous donation, the School has been re-named The UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Meyer Luskin, a Los Angeles business leader who once commuted from Boyle Heights to the UCLA campus to earn his degree in economics, and his wife Renee, have given UCLA the second-largest gift in the university’s history, a total of $100 million.

To read the full article, visit: http://bit.ly/fOv2vt

Dean Frank Gilliam, Renee and Meyer Luskin

Social Welfare Doctoral Student Megan Holmes is 2012 SSWR Doctoral Fellows Award Winner UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Social Welfare doctoral candidate Megan Holmes (MSW '08) has been selected to receive the 2012 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Doctoral Fellows Award for her dissertation proposal research titled, “Effects of Maternal Parenting Quality on the Development of Social Behavior for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence.”

The Society for Social Work and Research established the award “to recognize and support doctoral students who proposed dissertation research reflects innovative ideas and rigorous methodologies related to social work research, policy, or practice.”

The award committee commended Holmes’ research for the “significance of the problem, the rigor of the analysis, and the contribution to knowledge in social work and social welfare,” said Laura Abrams, associate professor of Social Welfare and Doctoral Program Chair.

Megan Holmes MSW ’08

The award will be conferred to her at the SSWR annual program meeting in Washington, D.C., in January 2012. All recipients receive a $3,000 award to support the completion of their dissertation research, data analysis and the preparation of their final dissertation document.

2011 Doctoral Placements Yunkyung Jung, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, UCLA Center on Aging Rachel Kaplan, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, UC Berkeley Mack Center of Mental Health and Social Conflict Bum Jung Kim, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Hawaii School of Social Work Marcus Lam, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Columbia University School of Social Work

Jennifer Shepard Payne, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois, Chicago Susan Snyder, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Liane Urada, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, UC San Diego Division of Global Public Health

Los Angeles’ Action Hero Her generosity is boundless and her belief in a better world unshakable.

Jorja Leap is one of five who make a difference Jorja Leap, adjunct professor of social welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, is featured prominently in the October issue of Los Angeles Magazine. Thirty years ago she was a skinny young social worker roaming MLK Hospital. She is now halfway into a five-

year study that has her evaluating Homeboy Industries, she’s convinced that jobs are the answer. To read more on Jorja, visit: http://bit.ly/ofn8Yw

Policy Brief Award Recipients MSW students Brandy Barta, Luis Quintanilla, Tanya Trumbull, and former faculty Michelle Johnson (center) aim to affect policy change The UCLA Center for the Study of Women initiated a new series of publications to address policy issues. Three of our students received awards for their policy brief submissions in the area of “Food In/Security: Local, National, or Global Problems and Solutions.” They will have their briefs posted with the California Digital Library (CDL) and sent out to various legislators, agencies, and other interested parties. To view or download these briefs, visit: http://bit.ly/tPxAue

HES-SO Awards Fellowships to Four UCLA MSW Students

JoAnn Damron MSW ’88, Ph.D. ’90, Heather Elliott, Erika Rivas, Stephanie Hair, Brandy Barta, and Rob Schilling

Four fellowships were awarded to UCLA MSW students Heather Elliott, Erika Rivas, Stephanie Hair, and Brandy Barta to participate in a two week intensive social work program in Lausanne, Switzerland. The “2011 Summer University” program was sponsored by the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), School of Social Work. International faculty and students gathered to discuss the theme of “Gender, Intergenerational Relationships and Social Work”. UCLA social work faculty presenting were Robert Schilling, Ph.D. and JoAnn Damron-Rodriguez, LCSW, Ph.D. UCLA students responded with their increased appreciation of the varying perspectives from Africa, Malaysia, Greece, Australia and other countries on issues that impact practice in the USA as well as their countries.

2011-2012 Social Welfare Lecturers Mark Abelsson MSW '91 Jennifer Chen-Speckman Tracy Colunga MSW '01 Patricia Costales Rebecca Danelski MSW '93 Ronit Davidyan Katrina Dornig Ph.D. '09 Scott Ferguson MSW '01

Melanie Gironda MSW '88, Ph.D. '95 Linh Huynh MSW '06 Javier Iribarren MSW '94 Miriam Krinsky Natalie Levine Barrie Levy Jacklyn Louie Margarita Luna MSW '03

For more on this year’s lecturers, visit: http://bit.ly/t41rPF

Monica McCurdy Richard Miyake Wayne Morrow Allison Perks Stefanie Pettaway MSW '01 Ulises Ramirez MSW '96 Ava Rose MSW '99 Adrianne Sears

Marshall Wong, MSW ’86 is NASW California Social Worker of the Year Marshall Wong, MSW ’86 is NASW California Social Worker of the Year for all of California. This honor follows his recognition as Social Worker of the Year for the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Region H, this past Spring. Wong, who currently provides field instruction for Luskin School MSW students at the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations was honored in San Francisco at the organization’s state-wide conference and awards celebration. Wong remarked, “I want to thank NASW for recognizing the amazing work of the constellation of stars around me, who struggle daily to realize the dream of a more just, democratic and compassionate society. In the end, hope and knowledge trump fear and ignorance. And I have never been prouder to be a part of this profession.”

Rob Schilling Inducted into American Academy for Social Work and Social Welfare The board of the American Academy for Social Work and Social Welfare has announced its list of 2011 inductees into the organization; among this select group is UCLA Social Welfare professor and chair Robert Schilling. In his research, Rob Schilling seeks to develop, adapt, and test sociobehavioral interventions designed to ameliorate social problems of low income populations. The bulk of Schilling's research is focused on substance abuse and HIV transmission, and his studies have been conducted in sites as disparate a small soup kitchen, street outreach programs, sexually transmitted disease clinics, emergency departments, and primary care, detoxification and methadone clinics. To read more on Rob Schilling’s induction, visit: http://bit.ly/tUPDik

During a time of increasing anti-immigrant sentiment in several states around the nation, California recently took a different stand by saying “let’s invest on the future of this state". The long battle to pass the California Dream Act, a state legislation that provides financial aid opportunities to out-of-state citizens and undocumented students, has finally risen victorious. For many of us that have been part of the immigrant rights movement this has been a long overdue victory. For future generations of undocumented immigrant youth this is a light of hope on the long journey of equal access to higher education and the American Dream.

Today I look back and remember previous California Dream Act campaigns, most of

which ended on a Veto from our former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. I remember the coalitions being built during those times and the attempts to touch the minds and hearts of legislators, California's voters and other organizations and corporations. As undocumented immigrant students, we took on the streets and educated our community members, rode to Sacramento to meet and educate state legislators on the issues facing undocumented students. We decided to show our faces and share our stories with the public and remind them that our dreams are not so different from theirs. In 2008, my first California Dream Act campaign, I was on route to obtain my Bachelor's in Human Services at California State University, Fullerton. That year we came closer than ever from passing the California Dream Act but those hopes were once again shattered by a Veto letter that came

from

the

Governor's

office.

The coalition building for immigrant youth and access to higher education continued and the movement grew larger year after year. Through the continuous organizing by immigrant youth across the state more organizations joined the fight for equal access to higher education in California. In 2011, the National Association of Social Workers - California Chapter adopted the California Dream Act as part of its Legislative Day 2011 agenda; I was a Masters student at UCLA Social Welfare program. As part of our Legislative Days trip to Sacramento we took a bus full of UCLA MSW students to attempt to tackle some of the most pressing social work-related issues in the state.

To read the full article, visit:

http://bit.ly/scFsTn

by Carlos Amador, MSW ’11

Our California Dream Becomes a Reality

Dr. Nelba Chavez, MSW ’71 is UCLA Luskin Social Welfare’s 2011 Joseph A. Nunn Alumnus of the Year On April 16, 2011, over 75 Social Welfare alumni were in attendance, accounting for a little more than half of those attended.

Alumni, faculty, and esteemed guests all reunited for an enjoyable evening that featured live music, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, and the opportunity to network and reminisce with fellow alumni. This informal yet prestigious affair kicked off with a warm welcome from Frank Gilliam, dean of the Luskin School of Public Affairs, and was flanked by a short program honoring 2011's Joseph A. Nunn Social Welfare Alumnus of the Year and the Department's inaugural Social Welfare Community Service Award.

Joseph Nunn MSW ’70, Ph.D. ’90, Nelba Chavez MSW ’71, and Rob Schilling

Ahmanise Sanati MSW ’10, Joy Crumpton MSW ’80, Jolene Hui MSW ’11

Social Welfare’s inaugural Social Welfare Community Service Award could not have been bestowed upon anyone more deserving than Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries. For over 25 years, Fr. Greg has been an advocate for at-risk and gang-involved youth in Los Angeles and around the world. Homeboy Industries traces its roots to “Jobs For A Future” when he saw the need to address the escalating problems and unmet needs of gang-involved youth, and has since then, developed positive alternatives, including establishing an elementary school, a day care program and finding legitimate employment for young people, amongst many other programs and intervention approaches.

Fr. Greg will be inducted into the California Hall of Fame in December 2011.

Dr. Nelba Chavez MSW ’71 was honored as the 2011 Joseph A. Nunn Social Welfare Alumnus of the Year for her tireless dedication to mental health advocacy and believing the importance of ensuring that those who are affected the most by government policies have a voice in their creation. The Joseph A. Nunn Social Welfare Alumnus of the Year Award promotes contributions towards social welfare by honoring a member of the alumni community who has been impactful through community service, public service, University service, and professional achievement. By recognizing alumni in social welfare, the Joseph A. Nunn Social Welfare Alumnus of the Year Award hopes to inspire others to participate in a charitable cause, humanitarian efforts, and become the change they want to see in a better world.

The Alumnus of the Year Award is named in honor of Dr. Joseph A. Nunn, alumnus and former vice chair and director of Field Education for the Department of Social Welfare whose principle goal is strengthening ties between the department and the community.

Gerry Lavina MSW ’88, Linh Huynh MSW ’06

The 2012 Joseph A. Nunn Social Welfare Alumnus of the Year Award Reception will be held on April 26, 2012. For more information or to nominate 2012’s Alumnus of the Year, visit: http://bit.ly/gFMeGJ

Upcoming Events

January 19, 2012 | Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times Columnist January 24, 2012 | Former CA Senator Sheila Kuehl, founder of Kuehl Consulting February 7, 2012 | Brad Sears, founding director and current executive director of the Williams Institute, and an Adjunct Professor at UCLA School of Law February 16, 2012 | Charles Ogletree, professor of Law at Harvard Law School (Inaugural event in the Luskin Lecture Series)

February 23, 2012 | Jonathan Metzl, director of Vanderbilt’s Center for Medicine, Health and Society April 26, 2012 | Joseph A. Nunn Alumnus of the Year Award Reception For more on upcoming events, visit: http://bit.ly/rv23M0

Faculty News

Alumni News

Dr. Laura Abrams recently published an article in the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, entitled: Envisioning life “on the outs”: Exit narratives of incarcerated young men. http://bit.ly/tUkAgw

Stephen Cheung, MSW ’06 was recently promoted to Managing Director of the International Trade & Clean Tech Sector for the Office of Economic & Business Policy with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa.

Dr. Abrams also co-edited (with Kirsi Juhila in Finland) the current special issue edition of Qualitative Social Work focusing on “Constructing Identities in Social Work Settings.” http://bit.ly/uRGwTC

Tracy Colunga, MSW ’01 just accepted a new position with the City of Long Beach and will be in charge of developing the city's Violence Prevention Plan.

Dr. Steven Clark’s article “Integration of Supportive psychotherapy with case management for older adults with Borderline Personality Disorder” was published in the Journal of Gerontological Social Work.

The article attempts to demonstrate how supportive psychotherapy can serve as a companion therapeutic approach for case management activities with older adults suffering with borderline personality disorder. Justification for this approach is provided and techniques and interventions are identified.

Bridget Freisthler, Ph.D. was awarded a five-year $2.7 million grant research grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse to study for a grant entitled "Evaluating the Geography of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries on Crime, Price, and Use." The aim of this study is to understand how regulations designed to reduce densities of cannabis dispensaries affects crime and use and to determine whether types of medical cannabis users cluster in dispensaries within communities, and whether clustering is increased in areas with many dispensaries, leading to increased problems. The short-term goal of the proposed research is to provide information about clients who use dispensaries, characteristics of the dispensaries themselves, and their relationship to crime and cannabis abuse and dependence. The long-term goal is to provide communities with specific guidance to regulatory processes that may ameliorate neighborhood problems related to cannabis dispensaries.

Dr. Freisthler also organized a symposium at the Society for Prevention Research annual meeting in Washington D.C. (May 31 - June 3, 2011) on "Drug Market Activities and Social Problems: Emerging Topics and Avenues for Prevention Activities." She also presented a paper on "The Geography of Drug Market Activities and Child Maltreatment" at the same conference.

Rachel Gannon, MSW ’11 was awarded second place in the Lewis Center GIS Award Contest for her work, “Mental Health Professional Shortage Designation Tool.”

Megan Holmes, MSW ’08 will be presenting a paper entitled “Aggressive Behavior of Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: An Examination of Maternal Mental Health, Maternal Warmth and Child Maltreatment In Three Age Groups” during the 2012 Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research to be held in Washington, DC from January 11-15, 2012.

Linh Huynh, MSW ’06 accepted a new position in Oakland as Chief of Staff at College Track .

Nancy Williams, MSW ’07 presented a paper entitled "A Study of the Ecological Relationship between Medical Cannabis Dispensaries and Crime" at the Society for Prevention Research annual meeting in Washington, D.C. on May 31June 3, 2011. Nancy also presented a poster entitled "Rethinking local neighborhood indicators of child maltreatment: Ethnic Heterogeneity and Economic Isolation" at the 16th International Conference on Violence, Abuse & Trauma, San Diego, CA. on September 11 - 13, 2011. Nancy was awarded a National Institute of Drug Abuse predoctoral fellowship with UCLA's Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP).

Have you made a recent career move or have any news?

We would love to hear from you!

2011 Doctoral Accomplishments Lin Chen | Chen, L. (2011). Elderly Residents? Perspectives on Filial Piety and Institutionalization. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 9(1): 53?68.

Megan Holmes | Holmes, M.R. Aggressive Behavior of Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: An Examination of Maternal Mental Health, Maternal Warmth and Child Maltreatment In Three Age Groups. Oral paper presented at Society for Social Work Research 16th Annual Conference, Washington, DC, January 2012.

AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND HONORS 2012 Society for Social Work and Research Doctoral Fellows Award Awarded for my dissertation research by the Society for Social Work and Research in recognizing the significance of the problem addressed, the rigor of analyses, and the contribution to knowledge in social work and social welfare.

2010-2012 National Quality Improvement Center on Early Childhood Dissertation Fellowship Funded by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children, Youth and Families, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (Cooperative Agreement 90CA1763). Total funding award $50,000.

2011 Collegium of University Teaching Fellows Awarded fellowship to design and teach an undergraduate general education course based on dissertation topic. Considered a “capstone” to teaching apprenticeship for UCLA’s most promising advanced graduate students. Funded by the University of California Los Angeles.

Casey MacGregor | MacGregor, C., Hamilton, A., Oishi, S., & Yano, E. (2011). Description, Development, and Philosophies of Mental Health Service Delivery for Female Veterans in VA: A Qualitative Study. Women’s Health Issues, 21(4 Suppl), S138-44.

Oishi, S., Rose, D, Washington, D., MacGregor, C, Bean-Mayberry, B, & Yano, E. (2011). National Variations in VA Mental Health Care for Women Veterans. Women’s Health Issues, 21(4 Suppl), S130-7.

PRESENTATIONS MacGregor, C., Wyte, T., & Mittman, B. (2011, May). Coordination of Primary Care and Specialty Services for OEF/OIF/OND Veterans. Poster session presented at the annual AcademyHealth, Seattle.

MacGregor, C., Wyte, T., & Mittman, B. (2011, February). Evaluating the Implementation of Models for Delivering Post-Deployment Integrated Care. Oral session presented at the annual meeting of Health Services Research and Development Service (HSR&D), Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington DC. Hannah Nguyen | Sorkin, D., Nguyen, H. & Ngo-Metzger, Q. (2011). Assessing the Mental Health Needs and Barriers to Care among a Diverse Sample of Asian American Older Adults. Journal of General Internal Medicine. doi 10.1007/s11606-010-1612-6. Epublication ahead of print.

Nguyen, H., Yamada, A.M., & Dinh, T.Q. (2011). Understanding How Vietnamese American Buddhist Leaders Assess and Attribute the Causes of Mental Illness. Mental Health, Religion, and Culture, 1-17. Doi 10.1080/13674676.2011.594037. Epublication ahead of print.

August, K., Nguyen, H., Ngo-Metzger, Q., & Sorkin, D. (in press). Language Concordance and Physician-Patient Communication around Mental Health Needs of Hispanic and Asian Americans. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

PRESENTATIONS August, K.J., Nguyen, H., Ngo-Meztger, Q., & Sorkin, D. (2011, February). “Language Concordance and Physician-Patient Communication around Mental Health Needs.” Poster presented at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Conference: Health Disparities, Access & Aging: Using the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). Newport Beach, CA. Winner of the "Best Non-student Poster" award.

AWARDS 2011 Council on Social Work Education- Minority Fellowship Program 2011 UCLA Institute on American Culture Research Grant

Constitutional rights to equal protection and due process?

Mim Ochsenbein, Abbey J. Hudson, Chris D. Dusseault, Frank Gilliam

On Tuesday, October 4th, the Luskin School of Public Affairs was proud to kick off the 2011-2012 Social Welfare Lecture Series with “Perry v. Schwarzenegger: The Constitutional Challenge to Proposition 8” to a packed audience in one of the Luskin School’s newly renovated 2nd floor “smart” classrooms. Christopher D. Dusseault (Partner) and Abbey J. Hudson (Associate) of the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, who represented who represented Perry and the other plaintiffs,

walked the attendees through the lawsuit brought in federal court to overturn Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to prohibit samesex marriage. The overview included background of Prop. 8, the lawsuit and argument that Prop. 8 denies gay men and lesbians due process and equal protection under the law, an overview of the evidence presented at trial, how the plaintiffs countered that defense, the District Court’s ruling and reasoning for holding Prop. 8 unconstitutional; and the developments since that ruling last summer, including the pending appeal before the Ninth Circuit Court of

2011 Doctoral Accomplishments

Appeals. The presenters went into great depth about the expert testimony (provided, in part, by 2 current UCLA faculty members) regarding the sameness of gay and straight relationships, the harm of discrimination against gay men and lesbians, and parenting issues.

The presenters then answered questions from the floor. The presentation and following questions demonstrated to all present the continued need for Social Justice awareness and action to address the ongoing issues of second class citizenship and discrimination that still permeates our institutional and individual l ives.

by Mim Ochsenbein, MSW ’12

Challenging the Constitutionality of California’s Prop 8

(continued…)

Cindy Sangalang | PRESENTATIONS Sangalang, C.C. (2012). Effects of Racial Discrimination and Ethnic Identity on Depression among Cambodian American Adolescents.

Paper presentation, Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference, Washington, DC. Sangalang, C.C. & Stokes, C. (2011). Critical Race Theory: Looking Back and Moving Forward. Paper presentation, Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia.

HONORS UCLA Graduate Division Dissertation Year Fellowship, 2011-2012 CSWE Minority Fellowship Program, 2011-2012 Diane Terry | Abrams, L. S., Terry, D., & Franke, T. (In press). Community-based juvenile reentry services: The effects of service dosage on juvenile and adult recidivism. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation.

Jorja Leap Book Launch | March 15, 2012 “Jumped In: What Gangs Taught Me about Violence, Drugs, Love and Redemption” Published by Beacon Press Stay tuned for more details…

Faculty Spotlight

Karen Lee | Associate Director of MSW Education Karen joined the Department of Social Welfare as a member of the Field Education Faculty in 2001. As the Department's first Associate Director of MSW Education, she is working closely with the Chair and faculty in planning and implementing educational revisions. She is also involved in admissions, student affairs, alumni relations, field education, and special projects. Her history and knowledge of the Department add significantly to the expertise she brings to her new position. Her prior experiences include geriatric social work positions with Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles and LivHome, a for-profit senior care agency, and a private psychotherapy practice. Before beginning her career as a social worker, Karen was a secondary school English and ESL teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District. While living in New York City, she was a founding partner of a special applications computer software business. Karen received her undergraduate degree from Temple University and her MSW from the University of Southern California. Karen embraces her new position with excitement and looks forward to working with alumni. She can be reached by email at klee@publicaffairs.ucla.edu.

"My ten years in the Department have been the most rewarding of my career: working with students in both the field and the classroom, and staying connected to them after they graduate, is a privilege. Although my role in the department has changed, supporting students and alumni will remain my first priority."

United Way’s 2011 HomeWalk to End Homelessness November 19th, Exposition Park - 30 Luskin team members raised over $5,000 for the United Way's HomeWalk 2011 - a 5K run/walk to end homelessness. Social Welfare students, staff, and faculty joined with other Luskin members to do their part by fundraising and spreading the word that homelessness is a solvable problem. To view the Daily Bruin coverage on the event, visit: http://bit.ly/sMSNNv Cornell Williams MSW ’12, Baron Davis, Frank Gilliam, and Waiyi Tse

Save the Date | 4.26.12 2012 Joseph A. Nunn Social Welfare Alumnus of the Year Award Reception James West Alumni Center, UCLA April 26, 2012 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Nominations for Alumnus of the Year are now being accepted!

Click the following to download the nomination form: http://bit.ly/rv7j6N

Constitutional rights to equal protection and due process?

Recapping Social Welfare’s "GANGS: Strategies to Break the Cycle of Violence" Social Welfare was proud to present "GANGS: Strategies to Break the Cycle of Violence," a 2010-2011 speaker series to address gang issues—both in Los Angeles and on a national scale—with special focus on current knowledge of gang operations, intervention strategies, effective support services and policy recommendations.

"Why is L.A. Stuck on Stupid When It Comes to Gangs?" Connie Rice Addresses the Gang Epidemic November 18, 2010 To read a full recap, visit http://bit.ly/s07Ptj

Father Greg Boyle Touts Infusion of Hope and Help as Means to Turn Youth from Gangs February 3, 2011 To read a full recap, visit http://bit.ly/vpNf7G

Sheriff Lee Baca Sees Adult Mentors, Positive Attitude as Key to Gang Intervention March 31, 2011 To read a full recap, visit http://bit.ly/tQnhRK

For a complete list of speakers, video, and more on the “Gangs” Speaker Series, visit http://bit.ly/d9Votn

Senior Fellow Policy Briefing March 8, 2012 | Deputy Mayor Guillermo Cespedes, L.A.'s Go-to Guy on Gangs His Gang Reduction and Youth Development program is hailed as 'one of the best things this city has done in the last 10 years.'

To read about Jim Newton, Los Angeles Times Editor-at-Large and Luskin Senior Fellow, on Cespedes, visit http://lat.ms/swlloa

Laura Abrams Nominated to the Los Angeles Juvenile Justice Reentry Task Force This year, Dr. Laura Abrams was the Principal Investigator for the Los Angeles County Young Offender Reentry Blueprint, commissioned by Los Angeles County Department of Community and Senior Services and funded by the US Department of Labor. Along with Dr. Bridget Freisthler, the blueprint laid out a series of countywide as well as district-based recommendations for improving and coordinating reentry services for youth and young adults exiting the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. On account of this work, Los Angeles County CEOs office recently initiated a Los Angeles Juvenile Justice Reentry Task Force, and nominated me (Laura) to be a part of the group. For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/guk7E2

Fernando Torres-Gil Hosted Special Congressional Briefing in DC On July 7th, chair of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and Director of the UCLA-USC Latinos & Economic Security Project (LES), Dr. Fernando Torres-Gil, and his team of colleagues hosted a Special Congressional Briefing in Washington D.C. titled "Re-Framing the Generational Divide: Baby Boomers vs. Young Latinos. This event featured an all-star cast of panelists that addressed a major inter-generational and inter-ethnic challenge of the 21st century: the potential economic clash of Baby Boomers and a rapidly growing population of young Latinos. Panel members included Robert Greenstein, the president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Ronald Brownstein, the political director of Atlantic Media and a columnist for the National Journal; Dr. Kathleen Wilber, professor at USC’s Davis School of Gerontology; Dr. Chon Noriega, professor at UCLA; Dr. Max Benavidez, chief consultant for LES; and Zachary Gassoumis, researcher at USC’s Davis School. Welcoming remarks were made by Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard and convening remarks by Dr. Kilolo Kijakazi of the Ford Foundation.

The briefing took place at the Congressional Visitors Center in the Congressional Meeting Room South in the Capitol. The research of the LES team and this briefing were made possible by support from the Ford Foundation. To watch a video recording and to learn more about policy research on aging, please visit LES's website: http://www.latinoeconomicsecurity.org/.

Contact Us Social Welfare at UCLA 337 Charles E. Young Drive East Los Angeles, CA 90095 (310) 825-2892 http://publicaffairs.ucla.edu/social-welfare EDITOR Paul Phootrakul, Alumni Relations and Events Coordinator