Spring - 2015 Gordon College Social Work Dept.

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Social Work Student Advisory Committee

Dr. James Trent Program Director of Social Work

On His Current Work ——————————

At the moment, I’m working on two research/writing projects. The first is a new and revised edition of my 1994 book, Inventing the Feeble Mind: A History of Mental Retardation in the United States. The new edition of the book will have a new chapter 8 that will look at intellectual disability during the period after the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. There will also be new material in several other places in the book’s first seven chapters. I am delighted to be getting help in this research from two research assistants, Juwan Campbell and Emily Fink. The second project is an edited book tentatively entitled Act like a Man: Historical Constructions of Masculinity and Disability that I am doing with Kathleen Brian, a historian at the Smithsonian Institution. As now planned, the volume will have 16 essays from 20 contributors. One of these essays is an article that I am researching and writing with Ivy George entitled “Death on a Silver Platter: Masculinity, Disabilities, and the Noxon Murder Trials of 1944.” I am presenting a version of this paper at the annual meeting of the Society for Disability Studies in Atlanta in June. John F. Noxon was a prominent Pittsfield, Massachusetts attorney and polio

survivor, who in 1944 was tried and convicted of killing his six-month old son with Down syndrome. The trials (there were two) drew national attention to “mercy killing” just as Americans were becoming aware of the full horror of the Nazi Holocaust where “life not worth living” had been used to rationalize the extermination of Germans with developmental, physical, and psychiatric disabilities. Get to know Dr. Trent

Life After Gordon Reflections from graduated Social Work majors

Jenna Good ‘14 ——————————— It is my pleasure to write to you brilliant gems for

having journeyed into the social work community at Gordon! Whether you entered Gordon as a freshwoman(man) focused on pursuing social work as a career, or whether you, like me, only discovered what social work was when you had an enlightening conversation with Professor Coleman and found yourself in Intro a semester later; wherever you lie on the

Favorite Dessert: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Favorite Movie: Avalon Favorite Place: South Africa What I am looking most forward to this summer: Writing If I weren’t a professor, I would be a: Lawyer

spectrum, trust that you are in this place for a reason. You may pursue professional licensure and jump right into the field, or go abroad and assist a non-profit in organizing their internal structures, or return to your hometown and work at a local agency that you think has "nothing to do with social work." At baseline, it’s all social work! It is true: there is an incredible network of Gordon SW alumni out there! To give you a snapshot, thanks to a job recommendation from Professor Coleman, I currently work under and alongside Gordon graduates as the social worker for long-term care residents at a skilled nursing facility in Cambridge. I attained my LSW in the fall and will be attending a part-time advanced standing MSW program this fall while I continue to work full-time. It has been a busy last few months, but I love the residents and families that I advocate for! Realistically, this field is hard, as people are complex and unpredictable (wherever you go!) but it is also full and rich with incredible experience. It may be difficult to see right now, when you're buried in books (and snow) just trying to finish that paper or outlying assignment, but you are doing great work as you grow and adapt to the material you learn daily. You are valuable! Whatever experiences you have had or tugs on your heart the Lord has provided, know that social work is much broader than the title alone. Learning about the value of vulnerability, the approach to sensitive subject matter with others, the importance of a globally minded point of view (the list goes on...), will benefit you regardless of what is in store in your next role along the journey. Whether you intern with a marginalized group in a local city or across the globe, work with individuals in recovery, intern on a lobster boat, or sell some delicious coffee, I believe that the effort you

put into actively engaging with the universal core values of social work on your heart and mind, will in turn guide and inspire you continuously. I cannot help but be grateful for the guidance I received from Gordon's all-star Social Work/Sociology professors. Like my buddy Galileo once said, "We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it themselves." Advice: Take advantage of the resources available to you at Gordon, specifically your social work/sociology professors and other students in the major: you have a fantastic community!"

Molly McDermott ‘14 ———————————— Since graduating from Gordon in December, I have been working as a counselor

at Family Continuity, a private, non-profit mental health services agency in Peabody, MA. I am currently building my caseload of eleven clients and my roles within these cases vary from therapeutic mentoring with youth, in-home therapy with families, community support, and parent support. Over the last month, I have really enjoyed building relationships with the people I serve and working alongside them as they pursue their goals is extremely energizing. It’s also been humbling to work as a team with my coworkers, who are guiding me with the knowledge they’ve gained over the years. Gordon has definitely adequately prepared me to enter the field. Looking back on my experience in the Social Work department, I have so much gratitude toward my professors and peers who contributed to the quality education I’ve been utilizing here. I took so many skills from my practicum and senior seminar,

which was helpful in the transition from the lifestyle of a student to a full-time social worker. As some of you prepare to graduate, I want to empathize with the fears, uncertainties, and stresses you are experiencing. However, be encouraged – you will figure out where it is you’re supposed to be. Everything fell into place for me right when I felt like giving up! Practice patience and perseverance in the job-searching process and don’t hesitate to network. Ask your practicum supervisors and professors of anywhere they know that may be hiring – this was the most helpful to me! And of course, self-care is key J I pray that you are all thoroughly enjoying the rest of your time at Gordon as you pursue the social work field and I wish all of you the best of luck in your endeavors!

Jessica Hunkler ’14 —————————— World Peace: it is what I always asked for, for my

birthday and for Christmas, year after year. People would laugh and not take me seriously, when really, deep down I was serious, and still am. When I got to Gordon and declared a peace and conflict studies minor alongside my social work major freshman year, the general response was: Oh look, Jess is finally working towards her goal of world peace. Fast forward to senior year, I was confronted with the fact that I never knew what I wanted to do and now was supposed to find a job, start a career. Wanting to pursue a position in peacemaking, I was challenged in narrowing down areas within an extremely wide, dynamic and in a lot of ways ambiguous field. How would I ever be able to apply what I had learned in my peacemaking classes to a “real” job?

I am now beginning to see, the real question is how could I not apply what I have learned? True, the environment within which peace studies is applied is vast, but that is because the need for transformation, translation, reconciliation and healing interlaces everything. I am encouraged by having a broad interest and skill set and therefore being able to engage widely, open myself further to possibilities, and seek opportunities in which to respond & participate. In late November I was offered a job through the Gordon College Balkans Semester for the Study of War and Peace. I am currently working as their Director of Residence Life and Assistant Programs Coordinator in Zagreb, Croatia. Not having a solid idea of where I wanted to go after I graduated, allowed me to hold lightly to the few expectations I had and run with this opportunity when it came around. I am able to be in a geographic space that is deeply in need of continual healing. I am working with students as they reconcile their experiences here with their sense of familiar back home, as they practice life-styles of peace, all the while expanding their sense of self, their world views, their sense of consciousness. I am advocating systematically through program development and partnerships with various local NGOs. World Peace, I recognize, is an ideal, an ultimate, that will not be achieved in my lifetime by my power. According to scripture this idea of shalom will only be manifested when heaven and earth are united, when all is restored, when things are set right. For now, though, instead of simply wishing for world peace to come to me, I am taking my job, among other things, as a tangible way to work towards that goal.

Senior Practicum Placements ———————————————————————————— Field practicum is a full time (32 hours per week) opportunity for students to integrate theory with practice.

Students work under the supervision of a BSW or MSW in a community organization of their choice.

“A person can be completely non-verbal or have no range of motion, and after one lesson that individual has made sounds or made movements that haven't done before.”

Claire Brooks Farmington, CT Windrush Farm

Responsibilities: preparing & feeding the horses, cleaning the barn, giving oral medicine to horses, physically supporting the rider, walking horses during lessons

Stephanie Clark Gofftstown, NH The Food Project

Jennifer Coverdale Sunapee, NH

Beverly Bootstraps

Responsibilities: working in the refugee shelter with refugees applying for asylum in the EU, addressing their needs/informing them of their rights, working on an initiative to start partnering with different organizations to work in Roma communities around Zagreb.

“By working in a youth development program I am enjoying the opportunity to learn from individuals who are younger than I am, and am beginning to better understand how food systems effect race, class, & gender.”

“There are always a thousand new ways to grow, even if practicum starts out feeling "too easy!" Non-profits CAN be healthy, effective, well-loved by the community, and super fun to work at.”

Rianna Bazzinotti Lowell, MA

Center for Peace Studies, Zagreb

“So far, I am learning the place of international social work and the ways it differs from my US social work education. Work and client relationships are different here, and much more casual.”

Responsibilities: food pantry distribution, intakes, and deliveries; compost dozens of stale bagels, stack milk crates full of food, coordinate a cooking and nutrition class, tutor in the Bootstraps after-school programs.

Responsibilities: help prepare/facilitate youth programs on weekends, mentor youth, participate in team meetings, help with community partner networking and non-profit management, assist in hosting group visits to TFP, practice organic farming, learn more about urban agriculture & sustainable and local food systems.

Melissa Densmore Chicopee, MA

Emmanuel Gospel Center, Boston

“I met a survivor who works with our team and had the amazing privilege to hear her share some of her story and see her as a strong woman, advocate, mother, survivor, but not victim.”

Catherine Francis Trumbull, CT

The Open Door

“The amount of people that struggle to find good healthy food for themselves and their families on a daily basis is astonishing and it is such an honor to be a part of the solution for the community.”

Andrea Hein Bethlehem, PA

Essex County Juvenile Probation

“…the juvenile court doesn’t just convict criminals and take-away children-they work collaboratively with families, attorneys, service providers and teachers, taking into account every individual and their unique situation in order to best facilitate positive improvements in the life of every child.”

Elizabeth Hammerle Danvers, MA

SEEM Collaborative Assessment Center

“I have learned about how much family life effects a child. I have also learned to listen while thinking critically about what a child is saying and how environmental factors may be influencing the situation.”

Ashley Kang Wenham, MA

The Food Project, Lynn

“I've learned a lot about urban agriculture and food systems, which I've had very little exposure to up to this point…The capability and maturity of the TFP youth continues to surprise and impress me. “

Responsibilities: create materials that will be available to churches and leaders, create bridges with arriving refugees, put together an Exploitation Response Plan, equip church leaders to recognize and respond to possible trafficking, support the launch of a Massachusetts Coalition to End Human Trafficking (MCEHT) website.

Responsibilities: manage food stamp applications, assist clients in going through the application process, work with the nutrition office, assist in creating various meals for the four programs that the nutrition office managed, run the PowerSnack program after school for children who have low food security.

Responsibilities: work with elementary through high school students with social and emotional disabilities, lead social skills groups, do individual counseling with students, administer and score assessments to determine students’ struggles.

Responsibilities: conduct intake screenings for new cases with children and families, write reports for delinquency cases, go on school and home visits with probation officers, observe court proceedings, attend community round-tables related to juvenile justice.

Responsibilities: help prepare/facilitate youth programs on weekends, mentor youth, participate in team meetings, help with community partner networking and non-profit management, assist in hosting group visits to TFP, practice organic farming, learn more about urban agriculture & sustainable and local food systems.

Hannah Midwinter Barkhamsted, CT

Senior Care

“I am quickly learning the language, acronyms, and medical jargon that they speak in this field which has been extremely helpful. What I will gain and take away most from this experience however, is the passion for advocating for the elderly population that Senior Care has and works so hard at doing every single day.”

Moriah O’Neil Gloucester, MA Beverly Hospital

“The hospital is a very fast-paced environment, but I have learned so much. I have grown an even greater love for Social Work and for the authenticity of human existence.”

Abby Searles East Boston, MA Beverly Bootstraps

“I’ve learned more about taxes than I’ve ever known before! I’m also learning to appreciate how unique the needs of each client are, and how important it is to have a holistic approach to services in the classroom.”

Sarah Sessa Mahwah, NJ Paul Revere

Elementary School

“One of my biggest takeaways has been seeing firsthand how systems of race and class impact a child's life and ability to excel in school. I have also had the opportunity to practice a variety of counseling skills.”

Responsibilities: learn the ins and outs of this agency, may go out and visit as a type of emotional/social support, meet with and shadow everyone within each department to get a feel for what resources can be offered to consumers.  

Responsibilities: offer services and support to the patient and their families, make referrals to different rehabs or facilities, set up ambulances, fax medical records, update the patient’s note’s on the computer system.

Responsibilities: after-school tutoring for elementary and middle school students, prep for the HiSET, and teaching ESOL classes for adults, assist low-income clients in filing their taxes.

Responsibilities: facilitate one-on-one and group sessions with at-risk or traumatized students, utilize play therapy techniques, observe students in the classroom to complete behavioral assessments, attend IEP review meetings, work with DCF to keep students safe.

Danielle Slomka San Diego, CA

Center for Peace Studies Zagreb, Croatia

“I have learned a lot about the power and privilege of citizenship, and my American perspective and experience is challenged and transformed daily…things don’t come together overnight and there will always be a learning curve starting out (shout out to Margie DeWeese-Boyd for the encouragement!).”

Emily Plantinga Whitinsville, MA

North Shore Academy

“…what I have taken away through conversations with students, observing, and talking with other staff members is that the age of middle/high school is so vital for shaping what their life will look like.”

Anna Wondergem Elmhurst, IL Essex County Juvenile Court

SWSAC’s Helpful Hints for Planning Your Courses… • SWK221 (Power, Prestige, & Poverty) and SWK/SOC232 (Diversity in

U.S. Populations) has high emotional content. If you think you need extra time to process and digest, take these classes in different semesters

• SWK310 (Statistics of Social Research) needs to be taken before SWK311 (Research Methods)

• SWK322 (Social Policy and Institutions), SWK401 (Community and Sustainability), and SWK301 (Individuals and Families) are heavy work/reading wise. Plan accordingly.

• If you are interested in studying abroad or wish to do your practicum while simultaneously studying abroad, plan it into your four-year paradigm early. Meet with your advisor to discuss potential programs and which semester would be best to go abroad.

• Try and take NSM220 (Human Biology w/lab) earlier on. It is only offered in the spring semester usually, so be mindful of that. It does have a lab in addition to class, which is also can alter your scheduling. It is also offered in the summer on occasion.

• SWK202 (Human Behavior) is only offered in the fall semester • For double social work/sociology majors: SWK/SOC285 (Foundations

of Sociological Thought) is only offered in the fall. You must take this class before you can take SWK/SOC411 (Contemporary Social Thought), which is only offered in the spring.

Responsibilities: assess ways to meet refugee needs, making them aware of their rights as refugees, help integrate them into Croatian society, connect the organization to the Roma population, bridge the gaps and diminish the stigmas the neighboring community holds about refugees.

Responsibilities: meet one on one with students weekly, lead health and wellness small groups along with writing the lessons, co lead a girls lunch group, participate in individual education plan meetings, participate in a focus group on alcohol and drug awareness

Social Work Department Events

Upcoming

The Alumni Brunch on April 11 was a great time to enjoy each other’s company and to hear about what our grads are doing with their

social work degrees.

Social Work End of the Year Party May 8

5-7pm @ Dr. Oleson’s home