Barry University School of Social Work
 November 2015 Issue

School of Social Work professors named among Top Black Educators in South Florida

Two members of Barry University’s School of Social Work faculty were recently named among the top Black educators in South Florida by Legacy Magazine. Sharon Singleton, DSW, associate professor and Tisa McGhee, PhD, assistant professor, represent Barry in Legacy Magazine’s list of South Florida’s 2015 Top Black Educators. Singleton earned a spot on the Legacy Miami listing while McGhee earned placement on the Legacy South Florida list.

Each year in September, Legacy Miami and Legacy South Florida release their lists of South Florida’s Top Black Educators. Recipients include teachers, professors, coaches who go above and beyond the call of duty to support their students and the organization they work for. South Florida’s Top Black Educators are highly respected by their peers, demonstrate an outstanding level of professional achievement, and are committed to civic engagement.

Previous recipients of Legacy’s Top Black Educators award include CCSI Director Glen Bowen in 2013 and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Chief Information Officer Yvette Brown in 2014.

Established in 2004, Legacy Magazine provides news and information to Florida’s Black affluencers and influencers. Legacy is a news/business publication serving Florida’s black professional community with insightful articles and information on business, careers, politics, lifestyle, culture and social commentary. Through a distribution partnership with The Miami Herald and The Sun Sentinel Legacy is circulated as a supplement and publishes bi-monthly.

Barry is among six colleges and universities in South Florida with faculty selected to the list of South Florida’s 2015 Top Black Educators. Other schools represented on the list include Miami-Dade College, University of Miami, Florida Memorial, Nova Southeastern University, Broward College, and Palm Beach State College.

To view the online editions of Legacy Miami and Legacy South Florida, visit the links below:

Legacy Miami
Legacy South Florida

Intergroup Dialogues: TRACKS Project

Beginning in the Fall of last year, under the auspices of The Tracks Project, the School of Social Work, the Department of Sociology and Criminology, and the Division of Mission and Student Engagement have co-sponsored intergroup dialogues for students, staff, and faculty who are interested in participating in "train the trainer" dialogues.

This semester the TRACKS Program is set to host multiple dialogues occurring on campus with the hopes of eventually integrating them with the surrounding community. Topics include:

  • Gender
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Haitian & Caribbean
  • Gender Identity
  • Race
  • Caribbean & African American

What are Intergroup Dialogues?

Intergroup dialogue [IGD] is an innovative and versatile non-therapeutic group work approach that social workers can use to reduce prejudice and conflict, improve communication and relationships, and promote social change.” (Dessel, 2009, p. 81) Drawing on Contact Theory as initially conceived by Gordon Allport and advanced by Pettigrew, it is believed that prejudice can be reduced if 5 conditions are met:

  1. participants have equal status
  2. seek a shared goal
  3. dialogue within the purview of a respected organization
  4. have the same interests and a “common humanity”
  5. have the potential to become friends with one another

For more information about the TRACKS Project

Contact Dr. Mitchell Rosenwald


Social Works students receive Fellowships to attend the 2015 Human Trafficking Summit

The Center for Human Rights and Social Justice in collaboration with Professor Sambra Zaoui at the BUSSW offered 12 fellowships to Social Work students to participate in the 2015 Human Trafficking Summit this past month. Students had the opportunity to learn about prevention, intervention, policy, and advocacy associated with human trafficking. Additionally, students engaged in discussion on how to integrate social work practice to Florida’s efforts of eradicating human trafficking and modern day slavery.

As a result of their attendance, fellowship recipients will be leading human rights activities that are focused on addressing human trafficking beginning in Spring 2016.


Conscience Under Fire: The link between Art and the practice of Social Work

On Tuesday Nov 3rd, a group of four veteran servicemen called The Combat Hippies- performed the Barry University debut of “Conscience Under Fire,” a series of monologues and spoken word. Among the performers was Barry University School of Social Work student Sgt. Anthony Torres. Currently, a first year MSW Student, Torres was integral in getting this riveting and emotionally charged project off the ground. He previously served as a mental health specialist in the Army where his job included assessing American soldiers to make sure they could manage the stresses of war. Upon his return from Iraq in 2005, Torres found poetry as an outlet to manage feelings of emptiness and loneliness.

“There are often these misconceptions and gaps in understanding the unique military culture and lifestyle. Reintegration for veterans proves difficult for most of us,” said Torres. “At the same time, many of our feelings are common to the human condition. Love. Loss. Pain. Loneliness. Detachment. Alienation.”

Written by the four veterans, “Conscience Under Fire” is an intensely personal show that offers a public peek into their lives, from childhood to combat to the post-military chapters. Torres hopes that offering honest stories will aid to help other veterans process traumatic combat experience. “One of the goals is to encourage the therapeutic value of reading, writing, performing and sharing stories about our combat experience,” said Torres. “This is a way of healing.”

Torres hopes to continue to work with the military and veteran communities as a clinical social worker with the Department of Veterans Affairs upon graduation. He sees “Conscience Under Fire” as a link between art and the practice of social work.

“I think our show definitely aligns with several of social work’s values,” said Torres. “Our goal is to advocate, inform, educate, and entertain about veterans issues including mental health, reintegration, and readjustment back into society after military service.”


CSWE Annual AMP Meeting

SSW Faculty and students presented workshops and poster sessions on various topics at this year’s conference CSWE APM Conference, held in Denver, Colorado. This year’s topic was Social Work on the Frontiers of Change. Some of the presentations were:

  • “Mindfulness and the Implicit: Curriculum Teaching Strategies for Self-Care” by Dr. Edmon Tucker and Jennifer Williams

  • “Human Rights Frameworks: Possibilities and the Precautions for Advocacy Practice in the U.S.” by Dr. Olga Osby

  • “Exploring Potential Variances Between Differing Dimensions of Religious Ideology and Orientation to Social Work Values Among Social Work Students” by Dr. Mabel Rodriguez.

  • “Actualizing New Generation of Social Workers: Exploring High School Service Learning Programs” by Cassandra Scott and Sarah Ingram-Herring

  • “Fighting for Survival: Experiences of LGBTQ Students in Religious Colleges and Universities” by Dr. Ashley Austin:


Title IV-E Child Welfare Stipend Program for BUSSW Students

Barry University School of Social Work will be partnering with the Department of Children and Families to educate qualified social work students to focus on the much needed area of child abuse and neglect in the state of Florida. This program is designed to ensure that students will be prepared to pass the test for certification and be employed as a case manager or child protective investigator, by-passing a portion of the required pre-service training.

  • Eligible students will receive a$6,000 stipend per year for up to two years.

  • Part time graduate students will receive $4,000 per year for up to three years.

  • Graduates will be prepared to take the Certification exam and earn a certificate in Child Welfare Practice if offered by the university they attend.

  • Stipend students will have access to faculty mentors with extensive childwelfare experience who are hired to work specifically with stipend students.

  • Students who receive a stipend will have fulfilled most of the pre-service employee training course required by DCF.

For more information on the Program Requirements contact:

Mitch Rosenwald, PhD, Program Coordinator
mrosenwald@barry.edu
305.899.3910


PRIDE WEEK Celebration

In the week of Oct 19-24th, the School of Social Work led the first-ever PRIDE WEEK at Barry University. The goals of the week were to showcase an atmosphere of inclusivity and acceptance to the LGBTQ Community- aligned with the University’s core commitments and to create awareness about LGBTQ Issues. Events included a “Lavender Reception”, Intergroup Dialogues Series on Sexual Orientation, Resource Tabling and a Happy Hour Celebration to close the week.

Photo Gallery

Alumni Spotlight

 Leonard Mckhan, MSW, ISW Leonard Mckhan, MSW, ISW

Leonard’s journey into social work first began with the inspiration of his mother. She was a social worker who displayed great attention and care to the mentally and physically handicapped clients she served. Her selfless display of care for others helped him realize at an early age that social work was his true career calling.

Fast forward to applications for colleges and universities lying before him and the stress of picking the perfect school to embark on his new project. Through extensive research and select on-campus visits, his quest brought him to Barry University’s School of Social Work. “Not only does its reputation precede it as a pillar in the nation for its renowned social work program, but its partnerships within the tri-county area of Dade, Broward and Palm Beach for internships prove the best education money can buy. From the moment I entered the doors the feeling was warm and inviting. When I entered the School of Social Work as an undergraduate, I quickly realized this was a family atmosphere. Students, staff and professors alike were always encouraging, supportive and expressed a deep caring that can likely not be matched.” Through hard work and determination, Leonard completed his undergraduate degree and decided to go full steam ahead into the Advanced Standing MSW program. It was in the master’s program that he also found great support, continued friendships and amazing professors who helped to mold, shape and frame his thinking and prepare him for a future as a social work clinician.

“Upon completion of my graduate studies, I felt, and continue to feel today that Barry University’s School of Social Work helped to establish a solid foundation. This foundation paired with a focused driven curriculum and internships, provided unquantifiable career related training.” It was only a short while after graduation that he was immediately hired with yet another pillar in the South Florida community; Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, FL. He was hired initially to work on the inpatient oncology unit and spent seven years here learning, growing and fulfilling a calling to work with a population of people who deserve the utmost care. “Utilizing the knowledge from Barry helped make that evolution smooth and seamless.” Transitioning next to outpatient oncology, he continued to grow in knowledge and experience in a field that is bursting at the seams with advancements, treatments and breakthrough medicines. Currently, he utilizes his skill-set to facilitate groups for prostate cancer, caregivers, general cancer support and a Buddy Up program which links newly diagnosed cancer patients with former cancer patients for support. His is a constant presence in the community for outreach on cancer awareness and education and speaks on various topics as a member of the Speakers Bureau. He also participate in many volunteer-based community service activities. He earned the Rising Star Award in 2014 and has assisted in multiple different organizational developments that have helped Memorial Cancer Institute better treat the not only the patients, but their families as well.

“I am a strong believer in the saying “It takes a village”. The village in this case is Barry University School of Social Work. For that I am and will always be eternally grateful for the opportunity to have attended such a stellar institution. Although small, the strength in numbers and wealth of overflowing support speaks volumes.

THANK YOU!!!”

Leonard Mckhan, MSW, ISW


Upcoming Events

  • Licensure Labyrinth & Career Development (Miami Campus)
    Nov 16th 9:00-2:00pm

  • Transgender Day of Remembrance
    Nov 20th 7:00-9:00pm

  • Licensure Labyrinth & Career Development (Fort Myers Campus)
    Nov 21st 10:30-3:30pm

  • Guest Speaker Angela Davis sponsored by Power U
    Dec 11th 6:00-10:00pm


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Barry University School of Social Work
11300 NE 2nd Ave, Miami Shores, FL 33161 Phone Number: 305-899-3919
Email: ssw-admissions@barry.edu

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