“You have cancer.” One small phrase can change the life of someone who has been waiting anxiously since finding the first lump. The moments after a diagnosis are some of the hardest for breast cancer patients and their loved ones. And the health care system is not structured to make this time easier. Barbara Jones […]
Spring 2018
Socks for the sole
While volunteering at the student-run C.D. Doyle clinic, social work junior Lu Tran noticed that socks were frequently listed on donation requests. He decided to create Socks for the Sole, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds to purchase socks and donates them to organizations that serve Austin’s homeless community. “None of the nonprofits have […]
Bringing social justice in
Doctoral students Kasia Olcon and Jelena Todic were recognized by GADE (Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work) for their work on integrating social justice into the doctoral curriculum and making it an explicit priority in our school community.
LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes
Barbara Jones has been appointed associate director for social sciences and community-based research at the Dell Medical School’s LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes. She will lead research in areas such as psychosocial oncology and work with the community to determine best models of care that meet the needs of cancer patients and their caregivers.
Marijuana use and pregnancy
Although marijuana is known to have potential therapeutic benefits, it has also been found to have an impact on birth outcomes, including preterm delivery and fetal growth restrictions. In a recent study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, doctoral student Sehun Oh, professor Diana DiNitto and colleagues found that from 2005 to 2014, marijuana use […]
Harvey relief
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey last fall, social work faculty and students provided debriefing and brief counseling to United Way of Central Texas 2-1-1 staff. The Austin office was working 24/7 to handle emergency calls normally handled by operators in the hurricane-affected areas.
On migrant children
Doctoral student Amy Thompson and colleagues drew from 32 in-depth interviews with Mexican and Central American children held in Mexican immigration detention centers to understand how they express their agency as they try to navigate their way to the U.S.-Mexico border. The authors challenge popular narratives that cast migrant children as either victims or criminals, […]
Culturally competent health care
The Steve Hicks School of Social Work has received federal funding for a cross-college program to prepare social work, psychology and psychiatry students to deliver culturally and linguistically competent behavioral health care. This four-year award will allow the school to fund 12 master’s level social work students each year. The program is in collaboration with […]
GRACE program
The St. David’s Foundation has generously continued the funding of the GRACE program, which prepares master’s level students to work with older adults. The funds will be used to provide fellowships to 24 students in the GRACE program, fund a trip to the annual meeting of the American Society on Aging, and support outreach and […]
Achievement award
Yolanda Padilla is the recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Achievement Award from the Association of Latina and Latino Social Work Educators. She received her award at the 2017 CSWE annual meeting in Dallas.
