Exploring the Benefits of Group Work in the School Setting

Rachel West-Balling, MSWRegister Now for CE programs
Saturday, March 2, 2024
In-person
9:30 am – 4:00 pm
5 CECs

Location: UConn Hartford Times Building, Room 220, 10 Prospect St, Hartford, CT – use Front St entrance
Directions will be included in your confirmation email

Registration Fee: $125
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

Group Work in the school setting serves as a dynamic platform for students to develop essential and social emotional skills. Using a Group Work model creates a space where students can connect, share, and support one another, foster a sense of belonging, and reduce feelings of isolation. Group interventions can address various challenges students may face, including behavioral issues and academic stress. By providing targeted support, school social workers can contribute to a more positive and conducive learning environment.

This workshop will highlight ways in which group work can enhance social and emotional well-being, foster a sense of community, and contribute to overall academic success. Through interactive activities and shared experiences, participants will explore how group interventions provide a structured yet flexible environment for fostering empathy, communication, and conflict resolution skills

Participants in this seminar will:

  • explore the connection between group work and positive behavioral outcomes, academic improvement, and emotional resilience
  • learn how group interventions can address challenges students may face, including behavioral issues and academic stress
  • discover how to maximize your impact by efficiently addressing the needs of multiple students within a group setting and making your services more accessible to a larger student population
  • explore the role of group work in promoting cultural competence and inclusivity by fostering an environment where every student feels valued and understood

Greetings from Dean Laura Curran

Dear Alumni Colleagues,

It’s hard to believe that I completed my first semester as Dean at the UConn School of Social Work. I’ve become increasingly familiar with the work and impact of our outstanding faculty and their research as well as our students who are engaged with some of our most pressing social welfare issues, child and adolescent behavioral health, substance use disorder, juvenile justice reform, LGBTQ+ health, and supporting immigrants and refugees.

In the short time I have been here, we’ve successfully launched our CT Health Horizons Scholarship programs that support MSW students studying to become school social workers as well as our CT Adelante program that trains bilingual social workers to meet the mental health needs of the Latine community. We also just announced the development of our fully online MSW program which is flexibly designed to meet the needs of our busy students. We’ll be enrolling our first fully online MSW class in Fall 2024!!

The faculty and I continue to actively work on our Strategic Plan Goals. Given current events and in keeping with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Anti-Racism Strategic Focal Area, we will be hosting trainings on Islamophobia and antisemitism this spring for our students. Our faculty continue to revise our curriculum and coursework to ensure that it reflects an anti-oppressive approach to social work practice.

Finally, it has been a great pleasure meeting alumni. I’ve met many of you when visiting local social service organizations as well as at our alumni gatherings and coffee hours. Learning about the work and influence of the UConn SSW is truly inspiring. I welcome the opportunity to get to know more of you. I encourage everyone to keep in touch with the school through attending events, joining our Alumni Board, engaging in continuing education, or simply reaching out to me or our Alumni Director.

My best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!

 

Warmly,

Laura

Headshot of Dean Laura Curran

Alumni Spotlight: Christine L. Limone PhD, LCSW, ACC, MSW ’96

Name: Christine L. Limone PhD, LCSW, ACC

Profession/Field: Social Work Education and Certified Professional Coach

Bio and Key Accomplishments:  I am a social work educator as well as a certified professional coach. Seeing former students who excelled in the classroom and field placements - unable to pass the ASWB licensing exams, led me to add tutoring services to my coaching business. No one should have their career stunted by a test score. I tutor individuals and groups over Zoom. I also offer free exam preparation webinars that focus on proven test taking strategies to increase the likelihood of passing the ASWB exam. UConn alumni interested in my tutoring or career coaching services can email me at chris@drchristinelimone.com.

Memorable Moment at UConn SSW: Designing the Community Organizing sequence T-shirt with other students from the CO sequence to show our pride in Macro Practice. Years later when I was adjuncting in the SSW I brought my t-shirt in (yes, I still have it) to show my class.

Lasting Lessons from UConn SSW: Possessing dual competencies in both clinical and macro social work skills set me up powerfully for an amazing career that spanned community based clinical practice to using my clinical skills as the former Political Director of NASW/CT. Motivational Interviewing comes in handy when lobbying state legislators!

Important Influence from UConn SSW: My academic adviser Kathy Havens taught me the importance of self care and making professional choices that resonate with my values and integrity. I apply the concept of value driven decisions to all domains of my life.

Alumna Christine L. Limone PhD, LCSW, ACC, MSW '96

Faculty Presented at First-Ever Reimagining Refugee Resettlement Research Conference

SSW Associate Professor and Director of the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute Kathryn Libal and Professor Megan Berthold presented research at the first-of-its-kind conference on refugee resettlement that brought together practitioners, researchers and public officials to explore “Reimaging Refugee Services in the United States.” The conference was cohosted by Arizona State University and Switchboard and funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), an office of the Administration for Children and Families.

Libal and Berthold were among a small number of academics engaged in refugee resettlement research, presenting their work before officials from the ORR and the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the U.S. Department of State. Their plenary panel presentation, “Assessing the Promise and Challenges of Community-Based Approaches to U.S. Refugee Resettlement through a Qualitative Study” explored the opportunities and challenges of different models of refugee resettlement, including community and private sponsorship. These models gained support during the Biden Administration’s rapid resettlement of more than 70,000 Afghan evacuees and have been further enhanced by the recent launch of the Administration’s Welcome Corps program.

Their research is part of a broader team effort that has included Associate Professor Scott Harding and a number of doctoral students from the School of Social Work. The presentation, based on interviews with community and private sponsorship volunteers, service providers, and advocates, found that “greater resources must be devoted to local volunteers to help ensure sustainable outcomes for refugees, particularly in the arenas of accessing health care; social benefits; affordable, stable housing; and work paying an adequate wage.” The researchers also emphasized the need for training and support for community and private sponsorship group volunteers.

“Given how new the federal government’s support of private and community sponsorship of refugees is, this research provides critical insights for practitioners and those supporting Biden’s initiative,” said Libal. She added, “We expect that this research will help community and private sponsor groups to better understand the needs and interests of newcomers as well as the challenges of establishing stable lives in a context where the social safety net is relatively limited.”

Berthold added that it will support the “better preparation of social work students and social work and allied practitioners to understand the greatest challenges reported by refugees and asylum seekers in transitioning to the United States and how to meet their health, mental health, and social service needs.”

Researchers who attended the conference continue to meet and have formed an interdisciplinary working group. They plan to organize a workshop next year at UConn.

Libal, Berthold, Harding, and several Ph.D. students involved in the research are preparing to launch the next phase of the project, which will include interviews with refugees and asylum seekers to learn more about their experiences while being supported by community sponsorship groups.

Associate Professor Kathryn Libal

Associate Professor Kathryn Libal

Megan Berthold

Professor Megan Berthold

SSW Faculty and Students Present at 2024 SSWR Annual Conference

Twenty-five School of Social Work faculty, Ph.D. students, and MSW students will share their collective research through 27 oral and ePoster presentations and two symposia at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 28th Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. from January 10 to 14. The theme of the Conference is “Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science.” The research presented by the SSW community comprises a variety of topics, including foster care, LGBTQIA+ youth, substance abuse treatment, mindfulness-based intervention, and gender-affirming care, among many others.
 

Thursday, January 11

Time: 1:30 – 3:00 PM
Symposium: Integrating Participatory Methods with Intervention Science: Unlocking Community Power to Co-Create Health Solutions
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 14, ML 2
Organizer and Author(s): Caitlin Elsaesser, PhD

  • Time: 1:30 – 3:00 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Co-Designing a Mindfulness Based Intervention with Street Outreach Workers and Youth: The Power of Participatory Action Research to Drive Solutions
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 14, ML 2
    Author(s): Caitlin Elsaesser, PhD; Jolaade Kalinowski, Ed.D; Jeffrey Proulx, PhD; Kim Gans, PhD, MPH; Jacquelyn Santiago Nazario.
  • Time: 1:30 – 3:00 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Building Political Power with "Third Citizens:" A Participatory Pilot Project to Co-Transform and Implement the Voter Engagement Model with Formerly Incarcerated Peoples
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 14, ML 2
    Author(s): Sukhmani Singh, PhD; Joshua Adler; Tanya Rhodes Smith, MSW; James Jeter; Urania Petit*; Fernando Valenzuela*.
  • Time: 1:30 – 3:00 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Community-Based Participatory Action Research with LGBTQIA+ Youth in the Time of COVID-19: Findings from a Collaborative Autoethnography
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 14, ML 2
    Author(s): Gio Iacono, PhD; Leah Holle, MAR, LCSW, CEDS; Emily Loveland, MSW; Breana Bietsch, MSW; Jamie Smith, MSW, LCSW-C; Shelley Craig, PhD; Evan Horton*.

Time: 3:15– 4:45 PM
Symposium: From Calyouth to Tay-Hub: Advancing Research and Support for Transition-Age Youth in Foster Care
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 13, ML 2
Organizer and Author(s): Andrea Eastman, PhD; Mark Courtney, PhD.

  • Time: 3:15– 4:45 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Does Transition Planning Increase Service Use Among Older Adolescents in Foster Care?
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 13, ML 2
    Author(s): Nathanael Okpych, PhD; Justin Harty, PhD; Mark Courtney, PhD; Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD.
  • Time: 3:15– 4:45 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Distinct Subgroups of Care-Experienced Youth and Their Outcomes in Early Adulthood: Results from a Latent Class Analysis
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 13, ML 2
    Author(s): Nathanael Okpych, PhD; Mark Courtney, PhD; Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD; Justin Harty, PhD; Keunhye Park, PhD.
  • Time: 3:15– 4:45 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Risks of Incarceration: Impact of Social Support Networks in the Transition to Adulthood
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 13, ML 2
    Author(s): Keunhye Park, PhD; Mark Courtney, PhD; Andrea Eastman, PhD; Nathanael Okpych, PhD.
  • Time: 3:15– 4:45 PM
    Symposium Presentation: Examining Parenting Foster Youth Status and Outcomes at Different Ages: Implications for Tailored Interventions and Support for Parents in State Care
    Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 13, ML 2
    Author(s): Justin Harty, PhD; Nathanael Okpych, PhD; Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD; Mark Courtney, PhD.

 

Friday, January 12

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
ePoster Presentation: Collective Trauma, Resilience, and Healing: Violence Street Outreach Workers and Black and Brown Youth Moving through a Healing Justice Framework
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Maritza Vasquez Reyes, MA, LCSW, CCM; Caitlin Elsaesser, PhD; Emory Fairchild, MSW*.

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
Presentation: Creating Institutional Infrastructure to Advance Health Equity through Community Engagement
Location: Independence Ballroom RM: H, ML 4
Author(s): Linda Sprague Martinez, PhD; Rebecca Lobb, ScD, MPH; Jennifer Pamphile, MPH; Deborah Chassler, MSW; Melanie Rocco, MSW, MPH.

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
Presentation: Assessing the Impact of a Blended Payment Model on Client Termination from Substance Use Treatment
Location: Liberty Ballroom RM: I, ML 4
Author(s): Daniel Baslock, MSW, PhD; Yuanyuan Hu, MSW; Patrick del Giudice-Walsh; Jennifer Manuel, PhD.

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
Presentation: Relationships between Disordered Eating and Family, School, and Community Contexts Among LGBTQ+ Youth in Kansas
Location: Liberty Ballroom RM: O, ML 4
Author(s): Meg Paceley, PhD; Briana McGeough, PhD, MSW; Jennifer Ananda, JD, MSW; Michael Riquino, PhD, MSW; Jennifer Pearson, PhD; Liz Hamor.

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
ePoster Presentation: The Negotiation and Resistance of Stigma Among Online Male Sex Workers
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Alberto Cifuentes, Jr., MSW

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
ePoster Presentation: Using Mobile Phone Technology to Assess Substance Use Outcomes and Promote Recovery
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Jennifer Manuel, PhD

Time: 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Presentation: Writing and Reviewing for Refereed Journals: Discussion with Editorial Advisory Board Members
Location: Independence BR RM: H, ML 4
Author(s): Cristina Mogro-Wilson, PhD; Kristina Lovato, PhD; Kess Ballentine, PhD; Jeremiah Jaggers, PhD.

Time: 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Presentation: Promoting Mental Health and Coping Among LGBTQIA+ Youth during COVID-19: A Pilot Study of an Affirmative Mindfulness-Based Group Intervention
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: Monument, ML 4
Author(s): Gio Iacono, PhD

Time: 3:45 – 5:15 PM
Presentation: Invited Journal Editors Workshop II: Forum on Publishing Qualitative Research
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 12, ML 2
Author(s): Cristina Mogro-Wilson, PhD; Robert Hawkins, PhD; Lissette Piedra, PhD; Susan Robbins, PhD; Jennifer Zelnick, ScD; Sara Goodkind, PhD; Mimi Kim, PhD.

Time: 3:45 – 5:15 PM
Presentation: Critical Analyzing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): An Analysis of State Policy Options and State Participation Rates
Location: Liberty Ballroom RM: N, ML 4
Author(s): Emily Loveland, MSW

Time: 3:45 – 5:15 PM
ePoster Presentation: Psychosocial Interventions for Individuals Living with the Psychosocial Effects of Long-COVID: A Qualitative Interpretative Meta-Synthesis
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Laura Moynihan, LICSW, OSW-C, APHSW-C; Doreek Charles, MSW; Kelsi Carolan, PhD, LICSW.

Time: 3:45 – 5:15 PM
ePoster Presentation: Gender Transportation-Related Differences Among Older Vietnamese Immigrants
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Rebecca Mauldin, PhD; Jill Theresa Messing, PhD; Rupal Parekh, PhD; Priyanjali Chakraborty, MA.
 

Saturday, January 13

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
ePoster Presentation: Unpacking Neutrality Discourse in Social Work: Exploring Twitter Responses to Anti-Trans Legislation
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Gio Iacono, PhD; Jemel Aguilar, PhD, LCSW, MPH; Leah Holle, MAR, LCSW, CEDS.

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
Presentation: Community-Driven Research and Action
Location: Independence BR RM: A, ML 4
Author(s): Linda Sprague Martinez, PhD

Time: 12:30 – 1:30 PM
Presentation: Creating Safe Spaces in Academic Environments
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: A, ML 4
Author(s): Flor Avellaneda, MSW; Gabriela Mohr-Avita, MSW; Danielle Parrish, PhD; Leila Wood, PhD; Cristina Mogro-Wilson, PhD.
 

Sunday, January 14

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
Presentation: The Personal Is Professional Is Political: A Roundtable of Transgender and Gender Expansive Scholars on Integrating Research, Organizing, and Advocacy to Promote Trans Justice
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 8, ML 2
Author(s): Meg Paceley, PhD; Trey Jenkins, MSW; Leo Kattari, PhD, MSW; LB Klein, PhD, MSW; Shanna Kattari, PhD; Candace Christensen, PhD, MSW.

Time: 8:00 – 9:30 AM
ePoster Presentation: Understanding Overeating Patterns Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth: An Exploratory Analysis of Factors
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 6, ML 2
Author(s): Gio Iacono, PhD; Ryan Watson, PhD; Hsiu-Ju Lin, PhD; Breana Bietsch, MSW; Jamie Smith, MSW, LCSW-C; Leah Holle, MAR, LCSW, CEDS.

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
Presentation: “I Had to Fight for This!” Implications for Youth, Caregivers, and Providers amidst Attacks on Gender-Affirming Care
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 9, ML 2
Author(s): Sarah Gzesh, MSW; Meg Paceley, PhD; Jama Shelton, PhD; Dana Prince, PhD; Shanna Kattari, PhD; Amy Hillier, PhD.

Time: 9:45 – 11:15 AM
Presentation: Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing Evidence-Based Practices in Substance Use Treatment
Location: Marquis BR Salon RM: 7, ML 2
Author(s): Jennifer Manuel, PhD

*Current SSW student or alum

Interpreting Data Collected from an FBA and Formulating Recommendations for Treatment

Solandy Forte, PhD, LCSW, BCBA-DRegister Now for CE programs now

Dr. Forte is an approved ACE provider and is authorized by the Behavioral Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to provide Learning CE events for BCBA and BCaBA certificants.

Monday, March 18, 2024
11 am – 1 pm

2 CECs

Registration Fee: $50
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

Link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

Data. Data. And more data. It all must be analyzed and analyzed well. The clinician must take every single piece of data collected and interpret it in order to confidently identify the function(s) of behavior. The information gathered through the collection data may or may not support your original hypothesis but will definitely inform treatment. You have gathered the information you need to make treatment recommendations, now learn how to put it all together.

Participants will learn to:

  • interpret data collected
  • identify functions of behavior
  • formulate function-based recommendations

Structuring Direct Observations and Maximizing Data Collection Methods when Conducting an FBA

Solandy Forte, PhD, LCSW, BCBA-DRegister Now for CE programs now

Dr. Forte is an approved ACE provider and is authorized by the Behavioral Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to provide Learning CE events for BCBA and BCaBA certificants.

Mon, March 11, 2024
11 am – 1 pm

2 CECs

Registration Fee: $50
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

Link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

The clinical interview will help to structure when and how you will conduct your direct observations. Identifying the most useful data collection method(s) for your particular assessment case can be a bit overwhelming particularly if time is not on your side. Choosing the appropriate data collection method is critical in order to capture data in real-time that is representative of what is occurring most of the time when you most likely are not present. It is important not to rely on just one data collection method or capturing one dimension of behavior. The observer must rely on multiple data sources.

Participants will learn to:

  • use the information they have gathered from clinical interviews to identify the most appropriate settings/times to observe
  • identify what dimensions or type of data must be collected
  • collect Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence data

Conducting a Functional Behavior Assessment: The Clinical Interview

Solandy Forte, PhD, LCSW, BCBA-D

Register Now for CE programs now

Dr. Forte is an approved ACE provider and is authorized by the Behavioral Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to provide Learning CE events for BCBA and BCaBA certificants.

Monday, March 4, 2024
11 am – 1 pm

2 CECs

Registration Fee: $50
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

Link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

Gathering the most relevant information from your clinical interview is critical. Information gathered will help to determine your steps when conducting a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA). We will discuss the importance of setting events and how they contribute to understanding behavior function. There are structured and semi-structured tools that can be used to guide clinicians through the interview process. The pros and cons of each will be reviewed.

Participants will learn to:

  • define and identify setting events
  • use a semi-structured assessment tool
  • define the purpose of a clinical interview

Strategies for Preventing and Managing Challenging Behavior in School-Aged Children

Solandy Forte, PhD, LCSW, BCBA-DRegister Now for CE programs now

Dr. Forte is an approved ACE provider and is authorized by the Behavioral Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to provide Learning CE events for BCBA and BCaBA certificants.

Monday, March 25, 2024
11 am – 1 pm

2 CECs

Registration Fee: $50
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

Link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

In this webinar the presenter will review the most effective antecedent and management strategies that are support by evidence to deal with challenging behavior. Discussions will be had regarding barriers that may prevent treatment teams from carrying out what “on paper” looks like a good plan. Establishing training objectives, timelines, and methods will be reviewed to promote treatment fidelity. If external resources are needed how treatment teams advocate for support will make a difference in the execution of a comprehensive plan for complex cases.

Participants will learn to:

  • identify evidence-based interventions
  • learn how to establish data tracking systems
  • set up treatment fidelity checks

Providing Inclusive, Affirming Care to Trans and Gender Expansive

This program provides at least 1 hour of content on cultural competence.Register for CE programs now

Sarah A. Gilbert, LCSW

Thurs, February 22, 2024
8:30 am – 12:30 pm
4 CECs

Registration Fee: $100
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

Link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

The goal of this webinar is to increase participants’ cultural competence in serving gender diverse clients by gaining a greater understanding of the unique micro and macro issues this population experiences. Sarah Gilbert LCSW, founder of Transitions Therapy LLC; will share her practice experience and passion for creating more trans-affirming clinical spaces for trans and gender-questioning teens, adults, and the people who love them.

Ample time will be provided for questions and answers.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand gender identity, expression as existing on spectrum rather than a binary
  • Clarity on diagnostic DSM 5 Diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria for kids, adults
  • Understanding the concepts of cisnormativity and implicit bias as they pertain to personal, societal challenges including barriers to treatment and access to resources
  • Exploration of transition options and our role as providers in supporting clients through the options