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Olive Musoni Completes Milestone Internship with Carter Center

PHD STUDENT NEWS

Taylor Ellis UA School of Social Work, Outstanding Contributions to Research Award

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Two Ph.D. incoming students received UA Graduate Council Fellowships: Haley Beech and Violet Nkwanzi

Incoming Ph.D. student Amber Sutton received a UA National Alumni Association Fellowship

Yuqi Guo received a dissertation grant from the American Cancer Society for her study: A Longitudinal Analysis of Factors Associated with Adherence to Preventive Pap Test Recommendations among MiddleAge Chinese-American Women

Many Ph.D. students presented research at academic conferences. In 2018-2019, with the UA Graduate School, the SSW supported conference travel for 14 Ph.D. students. The SSW supported 8 additional trips.

OLIVE MUSONI COMPLETES MILESTONE INTERNSHIP 61 students participate in D.C. Fly-In’s third year

MSW student Olive Musoni was placed with The Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia in spring 2019. The Carter Center is an internationally renowned organization founded by former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalyn Carter.

Musoni is the first UA student to be placed with The Carter Center and was instrumental in securing her placement. Not only was she selected from among applicants across the country and the world, and from multiple disciplines such as public health, law, and political science, she was the first-ever Carter Center intern to be requested to work for two programs: the Human Rights Program and the Mental Health Program.

A highlight of her field placement was traveling to Ghana and Nigeria, where she led focus groups on gender roles and equality to inform the development of a new strategy to promote women’s empowerment.

The Center requested that Musoni continue her internship throughout the summer. Musoni’s field instructor shared that Musoni is dedicated to her passions to serve domestic and international women and to find solutions to the many challenges that they experience in navigating health care and resources.

WASHINGTON, D.C. FLY-IN COMPLETES ITS THIRD YEAR Sixty-one students participated in the third-annual Washington, D.C. Fly-In in March 2019.

The Fly-In is a unique in-depth policy practice and advocacy experience created by Carroll Phelps, field coordinator for the School’s Washington, D.C. internship programs, and Allison Curington, director of field education, in 2017.

This year’s Fly-In included 19 BSW students; 38 MSW students, including 14 serving internships in D.C.; and four students from political science, African-American

MSW student Olive Musoni poses for a picture with former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalyn Carter.

studies, criminal justice, public relations and accounting.

Students advocated for four bills while on Capitol Hill, including HR 2938, the “Road to Recovery Act.” The purpose of HR 2938 is to make obtaining substance abuse treatment easier under both Medicaid and CHIP by removing the Institutions for Mental Diseases exclusion for community-based residential treatment.

This year’s Fly-In also included five students from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama in Huntsville, creating a true UA System-wide experience. Students represented 16 states.

Twenty students from Ohio State participated in the first Fly-In. In 2018, the Fly-In expanded to include UAB and UAH students (political science and public affairs) as well as Ohio State students (20) for a total of 70 students participating. Five Indiana University students will join the 2020 Fly-In.

Fly-In participants are selected through a competitive application and interview process in the fall and if selected, may apply through the Associate Dean’s office for a stipend to attend.

CHAMPIONS FOR CHILDREN

Field Education Partners with the Child Welfare Policy and Practice Group

Executive Director Freida S. Baker, left, and Rachael Stinson, represented CWG at the recent Social Work Hall of Fame induction ceremony for founder and long-time director Paul Vincent.

Last summer, the Child Welfare Policy and Practice Group (CWG) and The School of Social Work’s Field Education Program celebrated an innovative placement partnership for Montgomery-based students with a passion for child welfare and macro-level social work.

A tenacious and visionary advocate for the strengths and needs-based model of individualized child welfare practice, CWG continues to build on the enduring legacy of founder and UA SSW alumnus, Paul Vincent, who created the organization in 1996 to champion child welfare reform throughout Alabama. His and CWG’s research and services, however, have reached far beyond the state’s 67 counties.

From its headquarters in Montgomery, CWG has now collaborated with nearly 40 child welfare or behavioral health systems to refine and expand their services, and its positive impact has been prodigious; frontline agencies from Los Angeles to Miami have adopted best practices developed by CWG, improving outcomes for tens of thousands of children across the country.

Now, UA MSW candidates can take part in that transformation, too, as both students and developing social workers. Placements with CWG provide interns with the opportunity to take part not just in the daily operation of a nationally-recognized nonprofit organization, but to contribute to policy and curriculum development, ongoing dialogue with large child welfare systems, and research on evidence-based practice and services. MSW candidate Rachael Stinson has done just that after CWG welcomed her as an intern in August. Throughout her first semester of placement, Stinson has conducted in-depth research on case planning as an evidence-based process for families involved in any child welfare system.

Her current project focuses on CWG’s response to the sweeping Family First legislation and explores the evidence-based premises for case planning upon which CWG’s Child and Family Team Meeting (CFTM) model is built. Harnessing what she’s already learned, Stinson has begun preparing an important case planning narrative for CWG to utilize as service systems determine how to best implement Family First in their communities.

The Field Education Program and CWG are excited to grow their partnership in the coming semesters and provide more students with the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the organization’s impactful and evolving service to children and their families.

NASW ADVOCACY

“This was a wonderful experience, and I am thankful I took part in it. As a distance student I try to take part in activities as I am able. This and the Grand Opening of Little Hall will be two of my favorite UA memories!” - Melissa Evans

Graduate Social Work Organization (GSWO), Phi Alpha Honor Society, and Undergraduate Social Work Organization (USWO) students attended the 2019 NASW-Alabama Chapter Advocacy Day held at the Capitol Auditorium in Montgomery on April 11, 2019. The theme was “Elevate Your Mind: Advocacy Matters.” Dawn Ellis-Murray, Executive Director of NASW-AL Chapter, organized the event to highlight the detrimental effects of the current policies on Medicaid expansion. Speaker, Mildred “Mitt” Joyner, introduced the concept of Social Work Reinvestment and its implications for personal and professional development.

Following the speaking engagements, students progressed to advocate at the State House. Carol Gundlauch,

Alabama Arise, and Henry Davis, Director of Governmental Affairs for the State of Alabama Medicaid Agency, graciously provided a student informational forum to discuss the breakdown of the legislative process. Talking points included:

1. Talk to representative back home. Get to know him/her and share your ideas.

2. Be consistent with your ask.

3. Be simple. You don’t have to be an expert. Ask for what you need.

4. It matters to be nice and say, “Thank You!” even if the representative does not support your bill. Don’t burn bridges.

5. Practice a 60-second elevator speech. If you have a full minute, you are lucky. Ask for what you want succinctly.

6. Get other people to advocate with you. Ask for a commitment. Vote Yes or No! Be specific. Again, don’t burn bridges. 7. Refine your message. Know their interest. Tell real stories; it makes a difference.

Legislative 101 by Gundlach Davis left students with three words to remember: integrity; intellegence; energy. “If we don’t get the first one right (Integrity), forget about the other two as it relates to advocacy.”

At the conclusion of the day, students observed the legislative session in progress and were recognized by state representatives for attending the session.

“Thank you! What a wonderful day of learning and support. Thank you all for putting this together. I look forward to next year! I am so thankful for the University of Alabama School of Social Work and my cohort.” - December Guzzo

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