USC Hamovitch P.I., Volume 5, Issue 3 Fall 2015 by University of Southern California

Hamovitch PI

Fall 2015

A research publication of the Hamovitch Center for Science in the Human Services at the USC School of Social Work

Challenges remain for USC’s neighbors

A new report has revealed detailed information about the communities surrounding USC’s two main campuses.

Summer research experience helps master’s students build foundation for future careers

Relying on existing data and focus groups involving community residents and stakeholders, researchers explored social factors that influence health and well-being in the University Park Campus (UPC) and Health Sciences Campus (HSC) neighborhoods. Findings outlined in the USC State of the Neighborhood Report represent an in-depth examination of major issues such as crowded and low-quality housing, unemployment, and poor economic opportunities, in addition to strengths including lower truancy rates in middle school and more licensed child care seats compared to other areas of Los Angeles.

Student’s research delves into archive of video testimonies by genocide survivors

In addition to serving as a snapshot of socioeconomic conditions in these neighborhoods, the 180-page report is envisioned by USC officials and leaders in the community as blueprint for the university’s continued engagement with its neighbors. “As one of the world’s great private research universities, we are very privileged—but with great privilege comes great responsibility,” said Michael Quick, USC provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Part of that responsibility is working with our neighbors to make our city better.” Neighbors | continued on page 10

Master’s student seeks to bridge gap between research and practice in social work

Vol. 5, Issue 3 Fall 2015 From the Director Engagement of science-based social work in the community began about 150 years ago with the creation of the American Social Science Association in 1865. The first systematic community work was launched in 1889 at the Hull House settlement in Chicago under the leadership of one of our profession’s greatest pioneers, Jane Addams. At Hull House, all community work was supported by systematic mapping of social conditions in surrounding neighborhoods. USC and its School of Social Work are advancing this longstanding tradition via an excellent community initiative, the USC State of the Neighborhood Report. It is amazing to see how some of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods and one of the nation’s richest universities are jointly creating better living conditions for local populations. A separate article features the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement, a recent addition to the school’s centers and institutes. In a nation in which school violence and meaningless shootings are all too commonplace, the center has an important and unique mission to improve crisis response and recovery in schools throughout the nation and beyond. I am also excited to present several articles showcasing how our master’s program, the largest in the world, is linked to our research enterprise. Enjoy!

Haluk Soydan, PhD Director of the Hamovitch Center

Dean Marilyn Flynn Director Haluk Soydan Editor Eric Lindberg

Hamovitch PI is a research newsletter published quarterly by the Hamovitch Center for Science in the Human Services at the USC School of Social Work. Send questions, comments, and reprint requests to elindber@usc.edu

Front page: The Los Angeles skyline rises north of USC’s University Park Campus. A new report has shed light on the characteristics of neighborhoods surrounding the university’s two main locations. Photo/Eric Lindberg

Expert in school crisis and bereavement joins faculty of field education at the USC School of Social Work who met Schonfeld through her work on school crisis and recovery. “I remember his stories about being stuck at a train station somewhere outside in one of the far boroughs and having a real hard time getting back to his home,” she added. “When By the time they graduate from high he makes a promise, he keeps that promise.” school, 90% of children will have faced the In addition to his work in New York, death of a family member or friend. But Schonfeld has offered support to comsurprisingly few people who work closely munities affected by hurricanes, tornados, with children, including teachers and other and other natural disasters. He worked school personnel, know how to talk about with educators in Aurora, Colo.; Newtown, death and loss with their students. Conn.; and Marysville, Wash., following David Schonfeld wants to change that. mass shootings. “They say the main reason they don’t talk It’s a calling he fell into almost by accident. to kids or reach out to them after a death Schonfeld had earned his bachelor’s and is because they’ve never been trained,” he medical degrees at Boston University and said. “They are afraid they are going to do was midway through a residency in pediatthe wrong thing, say the wrong thing, or do rics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia something that makes it worse.” when he spoke with a supervisor about his A nationally recognized expert in career path. bereavement, school crisis, and develop- “I told him, I’ve learned how to take care mental and behavioral pediatrics, Schonfeld of children’s illnesses, but I didn’t go into has focused his career on pediatrics because I love exploring how children illnesses,” he said. “I went understand and adjust to into it because I am really Although 90 percent of illness and death. As the children will experience fascinated by kids. I like newest member of the the way they think and the death of a friend USC School of Social develop and grow, and I or family member by Work faculty, he plans didn’t know anything more the time they graduate to share that knowledge about that than when I from high school, only through the National started. He said, oh, you Center for School Crisis want behavioral pediatrics.” 7 percent of teachers and Bereavement, an At the suggestion of have received training his training supervisor, organization he founded in how to help a student as a resource for educators Schonfeld pursued a felgrieving the loss of a and school administrators. lowship in the top-ranked loved one. Schonfeld has plenty of developmental and behavexperience helping school ioral pediatrics program at the University of Maryland. personnel learn how to respond to a crisis. In the wake of the Sept. During his first year of fellowship training, 11 attacks in New York, the city’s depart- when administrators from a local elemenment of education asked him to coordinate tary school sought advice on helping several crisis response workshops for more than students who had lost a parent, he volun1,100 schools across the city. teered to talk with them. The school leaders “He worked for months, traveling from didn’t realize this was his first presentation New Haven by train, in a very concerted, and scheduled an assembly with students, targeted effort to make sure every single teachers, and parents and invited the media. crisis team in every single school and every After a local newspaper covdistrict was trained,” said Marleen Wong, ered the event, Schonfeld a clinical professor and associate dean was inundated with requests.

Experiencing the loss of a loved one is an inevitable part of life.

As the founder and director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement, David Schonfeld has trained tens of thousands of educators and school administrators in how to help grieving students.

Despite his full-time job at Yale University — and later as director of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and pediatrician-in-chief and chair of pediatrics at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children — Schonfeld said he felt obliged to respond to crisis events and offer his expertise. “There were few people that were prepared to meet that need, and I didn’t feel like I could walk away,” he said. He agreed to commit half of his time during several years to oversee training of school crisis teams throughout New York City public schools after the Sept. 11 attacks. Although he has witnessed an increased interest in preparing for school-based crises, Schonfeld said much more extensive outreach and training is needed. A survey of educators by the American Federation of Teachers revealed that only 7 percent of teachers had received any training related to bereavement. Only 3 percent of school districts even offered any training, he said. “Why aren’t teachers learning to do this before they get into the classroom?” Schonfeld said. “They are going to meet kids who have experienced loss and are dealing with difficult events in their lives.” In 2005, he received support from the September 11th Children’s Fund to establish the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement to prepare schools and other community groups to help children grieve and handle crises. Several years ago, he received additional funding from the New York Life Foundation to expand the center and establish the Coalition to “I just kept getting called,” he said. “If “During the meeting, the comment was Support Grieving Students. there was a student who was killed or there made that kids in New Haven were far Bringing together national organizawas a car accident or a staff member died, more impacted by the violence in New tions of teachers, administrators, supermy name got out and they would call me.” Haven than by the war,” he said. intendents, principals, and school social After his fellowship in Maryland, He began working with school systems workers, counselors, nurses, and psycholoSchonfeld joined the faculty at Yale in the region to help students dealing with gists, Schonfeld helped establish an online University. In 1991, he participated in a violence and death, much of it related to resource, www.grievingstudents.org, and meeting involving school professionals, gang activity. As his reputation developed, developed educational materials on grief elected officials, and faculty members at the Schonfeld began conducting trainings and bereavement for school personnel Yale Child Study Center to discuss how to throughout the state and country, ulti- and parents. help children cope with the Gulf War. mately leading to his work in New York. Schonfeld | continued on page 9 Photo/Eric Lindberg

Master’s students embrace research

Students find rewards in summer research

Photo/Eric Lindberg

Jack Lahey (right) speaks with Assistant Professor Benjamin Henwood about his summer research work and plans for the fall semester.

Research and practice are inextricably linked. That’s the message being emphasized in the master of social work program at the USC School of Social Work. “These are not two separate worlds,” said Marilyn Flynn, the school’s dean. “The work our students are doing is always informed by science. The less abstract and the more real that is to them, the better practitioners they will be.” Because the school features a large research enterprise, including a cumulative funding portfolio of more than $100 million during the previous 15 years, students have numerous opportunities to engage with faculty researchers and learn about the science of social work. Some master’s students are already embracing the integrated approach to research and practice in the school, seeking out summer research positions and proposing their own research initiatives. That encourages people like Suzanne Wenzel, the Richard M. and Ann L. Thor Professor in Urban Social Development and former chair of the school’s Research Council. “It’s important for all master’s students, even if they aren’t interested in an in-depth immersion, to have hands-on exposure to research,” she said. “It’s critical for them to be able to lead their profession and to have the best knowledge available in terms of practice.

Understanding what practices are most effective is a direct result of scientific research.” That sentiment is frequently reiterated by Harmony Rhoades, a research assistant professor who teaches a research methods class required for all master’s students in the program. She strives to impart the notion that research is not just a task or obstacle for students to overcome before they can graduate and enter clinical practice. “Research is the foundation of being an ethical practitioner and learning what’s really going on with the people you want to serve,” she said. “Otherwise you might get stuck in the same rut and you might be providing services that are not effective.” The following articles highlight several master’s students who have engaged wholeheartedly with the school’s research enterprise, including an adoptee from Texas who is exploring the effects of childhood trauma to inform her future work with international adoptees and children in foster care, a student whose experience shadowing formerly homeless individuals in supportive housing is giving him a new perspective on social services, and three scholars who are exploring varied topics of substance use, mental illness, physical activity, and mood as part of several summer research projects. t

What they discovered is a lesson Harmony Rhoades has been emphasizing in the classroom for years. “Probably the most important thing, beyond any research skills they learn, is learning to not be afraid of research and the research process,” said Rhoades, an assistant research professor who teaches research methods at the USC School of Social Work. “It’s important to know how to do a lit review, how to go through PubMed to read a research article when it’s first published in a peer reviewed journal instead of 17 years later when it becomes an accepted practice — just being able to keep abreast of all the advances in the field,” she said. “A huge part of that is taking away the fear around research.” The trio of students — Leanne Brotsky, Kate Santulli, and Andy Vogler — spent the summer working alongside Rhoades, Assistant Professor Benjamin Henwood, and other faculty researchers on several projects exploring physical activity among adults with serious mental illness and substance use among formerly homeless youth in supportive housing programs. They collected survey data and interviewed study participants, helped analyze data and build tables, and collaborated with the research team on how to present and disseminate their findings. That’s exactly the kind of experience Brotsky wanted when she decided to pursue an MSW, and she was surprised to learn that some students are not enthusiastic about research. “Research fundamentally influences anything we do as social workers,” she said. “It helps determine what programs get funding and what interventions are covered by insurance or can be reimbursed. It has always gone hand in hand with the work I’ve done.” While completing an undergraduate degree in clinical psychology at Tufts University, Brotsky did counseling and group work with victims of Chile’s military dictatorship during a semester abroad. She worked for the National Cancer Institute as part of its information service, responding to questions from patients about their diagnosis and available services. When she landed an internship in a law firm handling emotional support services and referrals for clients, she noticed many individuals were struggling with similar challenges.

Photo/Eric Lindberg

Inspired by a course on research methods, three master’s students sought positions on a research team for the summer.

“That inspired me, realizing so many people deal with similar issues,” she said. “It’s important to figure out why they have this problem and find ways to nip it in the bud.” Although Brotsky entered the MSW program interested in research, she had initially planned to specialize in clinical work with active-duty military personnel and veterans. After taking several research and policy classes, however, her focus shifted. “Now I’m interested in the policy side of research,” she said. “I’m interested in how research informs large-scale interventions.” Her summer research experience only bolstered Brotsky’s interest in pursuing a PhD in public policy or social work, possibly after a few years of clinical work. Summer | continued on page 7

Master’s students Andy Vogler, Kate Santulli, and Leanne Brotsky (left to right) sought out opportunities to contribute to several ongoing research projects during the summer after taking a course in research methods.

Photo/Eric Lindberg

Priscilla Hefley, a master’s student interested in international adoptions and the effects of childhood trauma, is conducting an original research study on survivors of genocide using video archives at the USC Shoah Foundation.

Student connects research with personal passion As an adoptee from Taiwan growing up in San Antonio, Texas, Priscilla Hefley struggled to find her identity.

To avoid being seen as an outsider, she embraced the mainstream culture. It wasn’t until college that she began to reconnect with her roots and what it meant to be a Chinese American. “Adoptees can have a sense of not really being American and not really being Chinese,” she said. “It was a real struggle. Where exactly do I fit?” That experience prompted Hefley to pursue a career path involving international adoptions, bringing her to the master’s program at the USC School of Social Work, where she is conducting research on the effects of childhood trauma. Specifically, Hefley is reviewing a collection of video testimonies of survivors of the Holocaust and genocides in Armenia,

Rwanda, and Nanjing, China, that is housed at the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education. She hopes to identify patterns of trauma across cultures that can be addressed in early life to avoid negative outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. After filtering the archival material by language, age at the time of trauma, and experience as an adoptee or orphan, Hefley has started searching for objective symptoms such as intrusive memories, hyperarousal, and numbing. “If we can identify some of the outcomes that are likely, certainly not inevitable but possible, we can prevent, for example, a lot of inappropriate placements for adoptees or foster children,” she said. “We can prevent being shuffled through the system, because that just imparts more trauma on the child.” Hefley has always had a fascination with how the human mind can adapt and handle traumatic events. As an undergraduate student beginning to reconnect with her own experience as an adoptee, she decided that she wanted to find a way to help others process childhood trauma. Initially planning to produce documentaries about adoptees to raise awareness, she

earned a degree in film and television production from University of Arizona. She went on to complete a master’s in business administration to complement her film skills, but found she enjoyed the interpersonal side of business more than operations, leading her to pursue an MSW at USC. Her long-term vision is to develop an international organization focused on helping orphans and adoptees deal with traumatic experiences. “Knowing I wanted to work with families, how can I be best prepared?” she said. “There is something within each person that can allow them to pull through, and I’m fascinated and wanted to know more about that. There was no way to do that without research.” Hefley approached Hazel Atuel, a research assistant professor who taught her first-year research methods class, for guidance on developing a research project related to the effects of childhood trauma on the brain. Atuel immediately thought of the Shoah Foundation archives, a rich collection of firsthand interview data with high relevance to Hefley’s interests and background. “My goal was to make this research experience meaningful for Priscilla,” Atuel said.

some of the limitations of knowledge. Summer | from page 5 In contrast, Santulli came to USC expecting “When you find a gap in knowledge, it can be to be challenged by the school’s emphasis on very frustrating,” he said. “Why hasn’t anyone research. Having majored in Spanish and religion asked this question? Why don’t we know the as an undergraduate, she entered the research answer? When you work in research yourself, you methods course with some trepidation. have a greater appreciation for why that is the case.” “I was bracing myself for some stuff I hadn’t Perhaps a certain topic has simply been done for a long time,” she said. “But it was Dr. neglected, he said. Maybe funding organizations Rhoades’ teaching style and her passion for what want to see pilot data that indicates that a parshe does that piqued my interest. She really ticular question is worth answering. wants her students to learn and understand what Vogler expects that having a stronger underthey are learning.” standing of those limitations will help him engage At the end of the semester, Santulli found with research when he enters the field as a clinician, herself approaching Rhoades to enquire about such as helping him determine how a new study summer research opportunities, viewing it as an applies to his work. He encouraged other students opportunity to enhance her abilities as a clinician. to embrace research as a fundamental component “What I realized through this research class is of social work and view courses on research as an you have to have the same skills to collect data “Probably the most opportunity to strengthen their professional skills. and be an effective researcher,” she said. “If I don’t important thing, beyond “Taking the class gave me a little more confihave the clinical skills, I won’t be able to sit down dence,” he said. “It made me realize this is someany research skills they with clients and ask them sensitive questions.” thing I could do. Any trained social worker can learn, is learning to not Although her short-term plans involve do research.” becoming licensed in clinical social work, Santulli be afraid of research and That sentiment is encouraging to Rhoades, who said she is open to the PhD path. Above all, she the research process.” strives to make her class engaging by sharing wants to work with marginalized populations to real-world examples from her experience as a help create healthy and sustainable communities. Harmony Rhoades researcher rather than relying solely on a textbook. She said her work this summer with Rhoades During one of the summer projects, for example, and other researchers gave her a new perspective she noticed that participants reported that they on social work. “It’s engaging me in a different way than I’m expe- were at home when completing pop-up surveys on their phone, riencing in the classroom,” Santulli said. “It’s been amazing, eye despite data indicating they were in other locations. Rhoades and opening, fascinating, and challenging.” her colleagues deduced that when a question was translated from As the third member of the trio, Vogler also entered the MSW pro- English to Spanish, the word home had been translated as casa, gram planning to focus on clinical work, potentially involving issues which to some participants simply meant a house, not their home. “It’s problem solving,” she said. “You are doing a bit of detecof substance abuse, mental illness, and trauma. However, he echoed his peers in noting how his experience as a research assistant opened tive work. There’s no substitute for working on an actual research his eyes to the importance of research, particularly understanding project in the real world.” t Photo/Courtesy of Harmony Rhoades

graduates from USC,” she said. “They After researching cognitive and understand the value of research and affective indicators of trauma, Hefley “It’s been this consistent thread how to use it to inform their practice.” began narrowing down the archives to throughout my life — being an adoptee, Although Hefley acknowledged that individuals who spoke English, were working with adoptees and advocating her inherent analytic mindset led her to between 5 and 11 years old at the time for them, and now researching for them.” embrace the step-by-step nature of the of the traumatic experience, and had research process, she said the human experience as an adoptee or orphan. component of her research project has Having reviewed only a handful of Priscilla Hefley sustained her excitement. She hopes to video testimonies, she has started to review approximately 15 to 20 testimoidentify common patterns across culnies for each historical event reflected in tures and is considering how that informa- her. It really has implications for her social the Shoah Foundation archives, with plans work practice and long-term goals.” tion could inform her future work, such Given the school’s revised curriculum that to present and publish her findings for acaas developing an educational program for emphasizes a strong connection between demic and clinical audiences. parents whose adoptive child begins withresearch and practice in social work, Atuel drawing socially or exhibiting other symp“It’s been this consistent thread throughout said students like Hefley can serve as ambas- my life—being an adoptee, working with toms of trauma. “She is already beginning to make links sadors to their classmates, highlighting how adoptees and advocating for them, and now between research and practice,” Atuel said. they can engage in research that is highly researching for them,” she said. “I think it’s “It’s very exciting to see that what we talk relevant to their personal interests. pretty cool that I can maybe make a differ“This is becoming a hallmark of MSW ence for these children in other countries.” t about in the classroom is becoming real to

MSW student brings insight to research team

Schonfeld | from page 3 “David has created this organization to provide consultation and training to schools that request this kind of assistance,” Wong said. “He has engendered a sense of trust and school districts know that he will do everything he can to resolve the trauma children have experienced and bring them back to a new normal of resuming their education and relationships with teachers.” As he transitions to his new role at the USC School of Social Work, Schonfeld hopes to significantly expand the national

The man wasn’t using drugs or relying on the emergency room for medical care. He had his own apartment and had severed negative ties from his days living on the streets of Los Angeles. But Jack Lahey could tell something wasn’t right. “He was low risk because he was completely isolated,” Lahey said. “We asked him, how do you like your life? He said, I don’t like it, but it’s OK. It was so beautifully sad.” It was a bit of a wake-up call for Lahey, a master’s student at the USC School of Social Work who spent several hours with the man as part of a research project exploring how people’s lives change after they enter permanent supportive housing after experiencing homelessness. As a clinician working in social services, he had similar clients who never left their apartment. He would do their grocery shopping and help them apply for benefits or access mental health care. “We just thought they were easy cases,” Lahey said. “As a researcher, you understand how detrimental it is and that it’s actually a very disturbing case.” Witnessing that insight is gratifying for Suzanne Wenzel, the Richard M. and Ann L. Thor Professor in Urban Social Development and lead investigator of the research project. Through a process known as ethnographic shadowing in which researchers spend time with study participants to see how they live their daily lives, she said Lahey is adding depth and richness to data on issues such as mental and physical health, substance use, access to care, and quality of life. “This is a unique way of blending research and practical skills for an MSW student that isn’t often done,” she said. “Jack is being immersed in a scientific project, an experience I think we need to afford to more of our master’s students.” The research team is also benefiting from Lahey’s clinical experience, said Benjamin Henwood, an assistant professor who is mentoring Lahey. The two had met during a previous project before Lahey decided to pursue his master’s degree at USC, and Henwood was impressed by his experience working at a permanent supportive housing agency. “Not only could we use the support, but he knows the population so well that it was a really good fit,” Henwood said. “To the extent that we want our research to be as translational as possible, having somebody who has worked in the field only enhances our study.”

Photo/Eric Lindberg

On the surface, he seemed like a major success.

In addition to working in homelessness services, Lahey has managed Social Security and disability benefits for individuals with serious mental illness, helped people find jobs as an employment specialist, worked as a union organizer in Washington, D.C., and conducted research for a transportation workers union. Describing himself as innately curious, Lahey said he majored in history as an undergraduate because he is interested in how people’s perceptions and experiences in the past inform their current lives. “Going into social work, I wanted to understand that in terms of theory,” he said. “I was learning a lot of techniques in the field and they were working, but I had no idea why. I really wanted to understanding the thinking behind some of these practices, like motivational interviewing.”

As a former social services worker, master’s student Jack Lahey is striving to bridge the gap between clinical practice and research in social work.

center, offering more training-oriented services and introducing research and evaluation components. He envisions conducting remote training sessions through the school’s Virtual Academic Center platform and involving students in the national center, potentially through field placements and research initiatives. “The strong national reputation of the university and its priority on academics and evidence-based practice made this a great opportunity to accomplish the goals of the center,” he said.

Marilyn Flynn, the school’s dean, said Schonfeld has an equally impressive reputation and a deep understanding of the need for interdisciplinary approaches to issues such as childhood trauma. “In the whole range of recent social catastrophes, school violence has been one of the most important,” she said. “We are just beginning to understand how profound and long-lasting the effects of trauma are not just on students and families, but on the community, on teachers. He’s bringing to us a different perspective on this kind of attack.” t

When his neighbor, current PhD candidate Liat Kriegel, learned responded to the content of a movie playing when the researchers that Lahey was interested in research and theory, she suggested visited his apartment. Several scenes involving graphic violence that he help out with a project being led by Henwood. had no evident effect on the man, but when a character began The experience turned out to be a major using drugs, he quickly turned it off. factor in his decision to enter the MSW “He brings unique insights from his expeprogram, and after taking a research riences,” Wenzel said. “He’s a full contribmethods class, his fate was sealed. utor to every meeting and it has been a real “The more I kept digging into writing joy to work with him. It’s not just a one-way research papers and understanding that training experience. He’s learning from us world, the more it clicked,” Lahey said. and we’re learning from him.” He now plans to pursue a doctorate and “He’s so eager,” Henwood added. “That’s is interested in specializing in older adult the best way to describe him. I don’t know populations, particularly individuals with how he keeps up with all of the things he is criminal records and a history of homelessinvolved in.” ness and mental illness. Few services are In addition to his work with Wenzel available for people in the community with and Henwood, which will extend from the that combination of factors, he said, and as summer into the fall as an ongoing interna researcher he envisions developing new ship, Lahey is collaborating with Bruce strategies and tools to meet that need. Jansson, the Margaret W. Driscoll/Louise Creating those sorts of connections M. Clevenger Professorship in Social Policy between research and practice is a major and Administration, who recruited Lahey emphasis at the USC School of Social Work, from a course he taught on policy to help although Lahey acknowledged that closing him develop a book on inequality as viewed the gap remains a significant challenge. from a social work perspective. “There’s the research side and the practice side, and Lahey also is working with fellow master’s stuthey kind of look at each other skeptically,” he said. “He brings unique dents Rebecca Ruben and Leanne Brotsky to “In practice, there’s such an emphasis on empathy and launch a student-led research journal, another insights from his meeting the client where they are, which is really effort to help bridge the gap between the MSW experiences. He’s a great because not a lot of other professions have program and the school’s research enterprise. full contributor to that. But at times it seems like there is a rejection of They envision the journal as a forum in which every meeting and it master’s students can promote their work and cutting-edge research and trying to remove yourself from the client to objectively see what’s happening.” has been a real joy receive feedback from their peers. Lahey admitted that it has been a challenge to to work with him. It’s “Maybe they did a really intensive research paper shift from a clinical practice mindset to being an they are really proud of, maybe a literature review,” not just a one-way observing researcher, particularly when he knows Lahey said. “We’re trying to do this in a way that training experience.” will get people involved in research.” about certain services or therapeutic approaches that might benefit a study participant. Lahey said he hopes sharing his experiences in “The first few interviews, I really wanted to jump in Suzanne Wenzel the field, both as a clinician and a researcher, will and empathize and discuss the issues they are facing, inspire other students to take a similar path. maybe do a bit of case management,” he said. “This is a “I feel like my skills are being utilized and I population I’m very used to working with, so I know all of the services.” definitely feel like I’m being challenged,” he said. “I would really That knowledge has benefited the research team in unex- encourage anybody who is interested to get involved, because I pected ways. For example, Lahey noticed how a study participant think there is a place in research for everybody.” t Photo/Courtesy of Suzanne Wenzel

Photo/Rich Schmitt

Hortensia Amaro (right), associate vice provost of community research initiatives and Dean’s Professor, speaks with an attendee at an event announcing the release of the USC State of the Neighborhood Report.

Neighbors | from page 1 Since 1992, when the university developed its Good Neighbors Campaign and other activities to enhance its engagement in the community, there had not been an extensive analysis of neighborhood conditions. Hortensia Amaro, associate vice provost for community research and Dean’s Professor at the USC School of Social Work, said a major goal of the report was to determine whether the university’s programs were on target and if new priorities had emerged. “We also wanted to identify opportunities for more in-depth research that could improve our understanding of current conditions or needs and identify targets for interventions to address those needs,” said Amaro, the report’s lead author. The 18-month project — conducted in collaboration with Advancement Project California, a community advisory group, and a USC faculty task force — explored five broad domains of health and well-being, namely economic stability, education, health and health care, neighborhood and built environment, and social capital. Researchers compared data at the

census tract level in each neighborhood and for the city of Los Angeles. Focus groups with community residents, local neighborhood organizations, USC faculty and staff members, and other stakeholders added depth to the data-based findings, Amaro said, in addition to highlighting perceptions of issues such as crime and unemployment. A member of the community advisory group that offered input and feedback throughout the research process, Alex Morales said the report represents a statement by the university that it is committed to supporting its neighbors. Morales is the president and CEO of the nonprofit Children’s Bureau of Southern California, which focuses on issues related to education, health, poverty, and parenting in neighborhoods around USC through its Magnolia Community Initiative. “Especially around the main campus, USC represents the oldest, most mature, largest anchor in this community for the past 130 years,” he said. “One could easily say that the South L.A. community really struggles with poverty and crime and poor education and health concerns.

On the other hand, if USC were not present, then where would we be? It really has been a stability point.” He is optimistic that the report will serve as a catalyst for community groups to work together to address critical problems outlined in the document, with the university representing a valuable partner. “The points that have been raised are visionary and they make a lot of good sense,” he said, “especially if USC continues to step forward.” Although the report is wide ranging and revealed numerous similarities and differences in the UPC and HSC communities, Amaro highlighted several distinct results involving child welfare and educational and employment opportunities. Data on allegations of child abuse and neglect revealed high rates in both areas that had increased over time. That finding is particularly concerning, Amaro said, because it may represent only the tip of the iceberg. Many cases of abuse and neglect go unreported and often occur in tandem with other forms of family violence. “More research is needed to understand

specifically among families that live in community, but many are not. This prescommunities surrounding our campuses, ents a challenge and opportunity for USC what are the conditions are that con- to strengthen existing community outtribute to violence and what interventions reach, engagement, and communication would be most helpful?” she said. strategies and develop new ones that lead Major economic concerns include high to greater awareness of and participation poverty rates and limited opportunities in our programs among local residents. for educational and professional advance- We also need to actively seek strategies to ment. Nearly half of the families with take the strongest programs to scale.” children younger than 18 in the UPC University officials also cautioned neighborhood were living in poverty against painting these communities with between 2008 and 2012, almost double too broad a brush. Similar to the refrain the rate in the city of Los Angeles and of “all politics is local,” Quick said findincreasing from 35.8 percent in 2000. ings in the report made it clear that “all In addition, fewer adults in the UPC neighborhoods are local.” community had a college education and “By that I mean that the challenges our students had lower levels of third-grade neighbors face around UPC are quite reading proficiency than different than the chaltheir peers in the Los lenges our neighbors Angeles Unified School “Trying to find solutions around HSC face,” he District as a whole. said. “So as we work that can address “Third-grade reading together to address these complex problems in a level is a major predictor challenges, we need to community like this is of the trajectory of edukeep that in mind — our cational performance, going to force you into solutions need to be local such as reading ability transformative thinking as well.” in middle school, high Amaro is hopeful that that can be part of a school graduation and the report will help greater set of solutions college enrollment, and the university tailor to benefit the world.” its approach to comother outcomes such as delinquency,” Amaro munity engagement in said. “There is also a critAlex Morales general and develop ical need for workforce strategies to enhance development and coneconomic opportunities necting kids who are finishing high school in surrounding neighborhoods, such as to job opportunities or further education increasing efforts to hire more local resiopportunities.” dents and contract with local businesses. Although the report identified The report also outlines topics in need of numerous existing resources in the com- further study that can generate increased munity, researchers found that many interest in place-based research among residents were only aware of a small faculty members and students. Amaro percentage of those sources of support. said academic leaders on both campuses During focus groups, common themes have already indicated that they plan to included a need for afterschool programs use the report as inspiration for their for children, educational enrichment teaching and research initiatives. opportunities, and workforce training. Another critical issue is ensuring One idea Amaro is already considering that new development such as the to improve awareness of community pro- USC Village project, a 1.25-milliongrams is developing technology that can square-foot retail and residential center, help residents connect with resources. enhances opportunities for community Many community members don’t have members rather than squeezing out lowcomputers but do have smartphones, she income residents. said, and an application that outlines ser- “At USC, we strive to be number one, vices in their neighborhood is one option so we could also strive to be very creative to improve access to systems of support. and take the lead in developing win-win “USC has a very rich set of pro- models that integrate the needs of current grams for the community,” Amaro said. residents and result in positive changes in “Some of those are well known in the Community | continued on page 12

New book explores legacy of leading social work scholar

Photo/Eric Lindberg

A new book outlining the intellectual legacy of an illustrious social work scholar is now available. In Social Work Practice to the Benefit of Our Clients: Scholarly Legacy of Edward J. Mullen, contributors highlight the work of the Columbia University professor known for promoting an evidence-based approach to research and practice in social work. However, the volume is not a simple endorsement of Mullen’s career, said Haluk Soydan (pictured), associate dean of research and director of the Hamovitch Center for Science in the Human Services at the USC School of Social Work. “It occurred to me that this material goes beyond one scholar’s input,” said Soydan, who edited the book and penned an introductory chapter. “I saw a certain historical perspective on the evolution of social work as a scientific profession, mainly in the United States. Because those who contributed come from diverse countries, it also acquired an international flavor.” Drawn from a seminar on social work practice hosted in 2014 by the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano in Italy, which published the book, the chapters highlight an ongoing tension in the profession regarding evidence-based practice. Contributors include Dorian Traube, an associate professor at the USC School of Social Work who benefited from Mullen’s mentorship while completing her doctorate in social work at Columbia University. t

Community | from page 11 our neighboring communities without displacement,” she said. She envisions revisiting the data in three to five years to determine whether indicators of health and well-being have improved. If so, did they improve because people who currently reside in these neighborhoods were forced out by increased housing prices and cost of living? Having grown up in the Los Angeles area before spending much of her professional career in Boston, Amaro returned to Southern California in 2012 and said she feels a personal connection to the community. “I’m committed to trying to shift the focus, which has been solely focused on individual-level programs that don’t address underlying conditions that contribute to a lack of opportunity, to strategies that can promote equity and population health for an entire community,” she said. That emphasis on building capacity and engaging with community groups is a visionary aspect of the report, Morales said. He acknowledged that the traditional approach to addressing social ills, by providing services at a grassroots level, remains extremely critical. However, given the

Photo/Gus Ruelas

“It would be a failure if we think that the report is the end of a dialogue and not the beginning of one. The hard work is in front of us.” Michael Quick

Photo/Brian Goodman

The National Institute of Drug Abuse has awarded approximately $3 million in funding over five years to Alice Cepeda, associate professor at the USC School of Social Work. Her study will focus on how patterns of intimate partner violence and drug use affected the physical and mental development of a group of Mexican American women that Cepeda first identified in a research project 15 years ago. The research is expected to generate knowledge about The Interdisciplinary Research Training critical points in young adulthood that Institute, led by Professor Avelardo Valdez, could be targeted for intervention to prehas received renewed funding of $1.7 million vent or reduce negative outcomes. from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for an additional five years. The institute proA new grant from the U.S. Department of Defense will enable motes the career development of predoctoral Carl Castro, director of the USC School of Social Work’s Center and early career clinicians and scientists inter- for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families, and ested in conducting drug research relevant to Jeremy Goldbach, assistant professor, to explore the adaptation Hispanic populations. The renewal extends and integration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) the program to include international fellows individuals into the military. The researchers, along with former from Mexico. Participants have gone on to doctoral student Ian Holloway, now an assistant professor at develop successful research careers, secure competitive federal funding, UCLA, will receive $1.89 million over two years. The goal is to and produce groundbreaking publications. The institute is expected to assess LGBT issues in the military and generate findings to inform future changes to policies and intervention strategies. continue to contribute to diversity in research at the national level. Photo/Brian Goodman

Vern Bengtson, faculty research associate with the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging, has received the 2015 American Sociological Association Distinguished Scholarly Book Award for his publication Families and Faith: How Religion is Passed Down across Generations. The award is presented annually to the best book published by an association member during the two calendar years preceding the award year. Drawing on data collected from more than 350 families across nearly four decades, Bengtson explored issues of faith, religion, and family ties across generations.

limited financial resources and massive scale of socioeconomic issues in these communities, he said building relationships and harnessing nontraditional assets such as residents themselves to develop solutions is an approach that is often overlooked. A graduate of the USC School of Social Work, Morales said he is encouraged by the university’s commitment to its neighbors and sees its community engagement efforts as contributing to society on a much broader scale. “Trying to find solutions that can address complex problems in a community like this is going to force you into transformative thinking that can be part of a greater set of solutions to benefit the world,” he said. In the coming months, Amaro and other university officials plan to engage with community leaders, politicians, and other stakeholders to ensure that the report informs ongoing efforts to build stronger and more vibrant neighborhoods around USC. “It would be a failure if we think that the report is the end of a dialogue and not the beginning of one,” Quick said. “The hard work is in front of us. The report gave us the starting data, but now let’s redouble our efforts to partner with our communities.” t