Monthly Monitor: Exist // Resist
EXIST // RESIST
Guest Editor: Veronica Timbers, MSW, LCSW, MDIV, PhD Candidate
In this issue, we cover topics on resistance, writing, motivation, advisor relationships, and more!
Editorial: Exist // Resist
Reflections from Outgoing SSWR DSC Communications Co-Chairs
Publish or Perish?
Creating an Inclusive Classroom
Motivation: How I’ve Kept it Going for 5 Years
Mentorship in Doctoral Education
Social Work Snippets
Editorial: Exist // Resist
By: Veronica Timbers
I regularly talk to my social work students about how the reality of our profession and ethics leaves us at a point of tension to exist and resist.
Existing is wrapped up in maneuvering through systems that we know perpetuate toxic -isms and marginalization. Existing is based on needing a job to meet the basic needs of ourselves and our families (and also, optimistically, to take a vacation and buffer unexpected expenses). Many of us have student loans, requiring us to stay in non-profit sectors to earn loan forgiveness or just to meet the monthly requirement. Some of us need supervision to gain access to the next level of our career as clinicians. All of us want opportunities to apply our expertise to positively impact society and live out our unique passions for justice.
Resisting is pushing back on the systems under which we serve. We resist the broken parts of the system, speaking up for micro and macro change. We work to challenge those in authority who tout “Efficiency, Efficiency!” to avoid the time and work it takes to increase the diversity of our profession, our workforce, and to change policies that create barriers for marginalized groups. We advocate for better work conditions for ourselves while asking for more resources for clients. We do what we can in the moment to bring human-ness to clients and communities when the dehumanizing realities of our systems come crashing down on them.
The tension between our survival as professionals and our desire to see real change for equity continues when we move from practice into academia. As PhD students and, for many of us, as future academics, we must navigate the same exist and resist mentality in the White, Western, patriarchal traditions of the academy. Moreover, academia has harsher penalties for those that resist than is often the reality in community social work jobs that struggle to maintain their workforce. We are often seen as easily replaceable.
Below, I want to name just a few of the tensions that I have found in surviving academia, specifically around our struggle to resist:
· Retention and Promotion: When we are seeking tenure or living on from renewal to renewal on time-limited contracts, any act of resistance can lead to poor reviews and loss of a job. Not everyone has the ability or privilege to move their life and family if our pushback pushes us out of work. If we can go back into the academic job market, we have to figure out how to explain why we are leaving or failed to earn a promotion in the job search. Hence, how much can we resist if we want to have staying-power and access to research resources in this intellectual space?
· Shared Governance: The idea of shared governance is everything a social worker would want and support, right? Shared governance can and does protect the voices of the marginalized, but it can also slow change. Often, a new policy or curriculum change must be vetted by 1-3 committees or groups. If you are lucky, these entities meet once a month from August to April; thus, little progress is made each year. If something is carried to the next academic year, the first meeting is usually about figuring out where the group ended the previous year. Another reality is that shared governance can be a partner to implicit bias, preventing changes that acknowledge anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI). If the majority rules and the majority is following the traditions of the biased system, how does change happen? If leadership is not willing to prioritize the work, then shared governance becomes a barrier, and voices of progressive-resistance are silenced.
· Research: Grants are of high importance to many R1 and R2 schools; however, grants are often funded by state, regional, or federal agencies that have viewed problems narrowly and seek solutions that empirically enhance the best cost-benefit outcome. There are often not large grants or even any grants available for research that explores strengths and needs around intersectional identities or the nuanced impacts of social policy. There is also not much funding available for studies seeking to redefine problems from the perspective of those affected. We may need to move backwards before moving forward because our conceptualization of social needs and strengths today is knowledge based on Western, White, and male perspectives. Academics must research what is funded or return to the questions of existing and resisting. Can we reach retention and promotion goals without grants, or do we take positions at colleges and universities with less research emphasis but with higher teaching loads, limiting time for research? Can we dream of a system in which we don’t have to choose?
These are just a few areas from my limited perspective that I am struggling with as I seek to make a life of doing what I love- teaching, research, and social work- while also not becoming hopeless or unemployed. At this point, I need to acknowledge that I am White and Western, so I can exist more easily than others based on these two identities alone. Additionally, as a woman in social work, I have some access to authority in our immediate professional bubble. Still, I am committed to resisting and working for change in this space. I do not have answers for how we best balance resistance and staying power in the academy, but I hope this editorial furthers conversations about these realities.
I know that there are many of us in this space feeling similarly and those who are even more affected by these traditions. I wonder what it looks like for me to support you and for us to support each other. Somedays, I choose to exist and others, I choose to resist. I spend a significant amount of energy thinking about timing, strategy, and partnering with others as starting points, but I still second-guess myself and make missteps. I am committed to the realities of the often slow push for progress, but it can feel overwhelming, so I wonder, as early academics, how we continue to build more shared language and power on these topics? I wonder too how others are existing and resisting.
Reflections from Outgoing SSWR DSC Communications Co-Chairs
By: Alberto Cifuentes, Jr. & Pari Shah
Reflections from Alberto Cifuentes, Jr.:
Service has always been a deeply held value for me, and I thrive by being involved with different organizations and committees dedicated to furthering social justice. I’m very involved with my local NASW Connecticut chapter and serve on three committees, chairing two. I used to be a member of the GLSEN Connecticut Board of Directors for fifteen years, committed to making schools safer for all K-12 students regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Helping and empowering marginalized communities to fight for equity and inclusion excites me, and it’s one of the reasons I became a social worker. I see my time as a member and co-chair of the SSWR DSC Communications Committee as an extension of that dedication to helping others and mobilizing communities for social change.
Being part of this committee has been rewarding because I’ve been able to work with such a great group of doctoral students who juggle work, family, and school to emerge so welcoming and inspiring. It’s been a joy working with the team members on the Communications Committee! And I really mean it when I say we’re a team. We respect each other’s unique talents and contributions, work collectively towards common goals, and give each other grace when needed. Writing the different articles for the newsletter has been cathartic and healing for me. I appreciate the time and energy of committee members to produce a newsletter every two months that truly highlights and amplifies the voices of doctoral students. Posting for Facebook has been fun too, especially the funny memes that everybody can relate to on some level.
I’ve enjoyed working with Pari because she has a strong work ethic, and we’ve been able to see eye-to-eye when it comes to many aspects of the committee. Pari has been an invaluable contributor to the committee as she has formatted and edited the newsletter this past year and kept everyone on task. I will miss her reminders about deadlines and her compassion when we need to be flexible due to the workloads of our members. Tasha, the incoming Chair, has been a great team member too, and I’ve enjoyed reading her articles for the newsletter. I know she will succeed in the Chair role, and I’m excited about what the next team will bring to the newsletter and the DSC in the upcoming months!
Reflections from Pari Shah:
“Being in the flow of creativity is healing for our rapidly moving minds.”
As I move on from this two-year service position, I reflect back on how the SSWR DSC impacted me as a person and a scholar. Serving both on the DSC Communications Committee as a member and as a co-chair has left me with some inspirational lessons:
While getting a PhD feels isolating, it is not meant to be done in isolation. The PhD process has been mysterious and vastly different from the careers of my friends and family. Despite these intense feelings of isolation, being on the SSWR DSC normalized and validated my day-to-day experiences of PhD life. It reminded me that having support from people who “get it” or who are also going through the same things as you is helpful. This experience allowed me to be seen and heard in my experiences as a doctoral student.
People over publications. Serving on this committee never led to publications and was more important than a line on my CV, and more importantly, it led to time spent together with like-minded individuals. This is something that feels much more rare than another project opportunity. These peers will become my colleagues, and as long as we are in community together, we can evolve from the productivity environment of academia to a space filled with deep learning and relationship building.
Creativity is healing. Academia believes in innovation and creativity, and rarely is there curated time to be creative, or to learn how to be creative. Creativity has been upheld as an individual characteristic or skill rather than an experience that one can engage in with encouragement and collaboration from others. Being in the flow of creativity is healing for our rapidly moving minds.
Simply write, and write simply. While I have always loved writing, I used to be intimidated about the vulnerable experience of writing my thoughts in a way that the public eye could follow along. This committee challenged me to get my writing out there no matter what. Also, in supporting the development and implementation of the doctoral student newsletter, I was reminded of how important it is to write in accessible ways. Writing that others can read is always better than writing that turns readers away. Write simpler; it is always better.
Service is mutually beneficial. Often we think that we are engaging in service because we are helping someone or something else. Being on this committee reminded me that service can challenge me to grow as an individual, scholar, and leader. Looking at service opportunities as a way to challenge the walls of my current existence is exciting, and it made this experience more fulfilling and personal.
Throughout this experience with the SSWR DSC, I grew in dynamic ways. I met wonderful people who I may have not connected with for years to come or perhaps never. I am grateful to have been part of a process that let me have a lens on the narratives of peers going through the same experience as me. I appreciate the opportunity to have shared our stories collectively with each other and for the greater good.
Publish or Perish?
Within academia, it is frequently stated that publications are a form of currency. Publications are required for going on the job market, going up for tenure, showing credibility in an area, and remaining relevant in research. Rates of publication within an institution may also be looked upon to gauge the productivity and merit of a school or university. Publications are a key performance indicator across the board. Furthermore, one’s authorship order is considered in sussing out someone’s academic achievements, their merits, their abilities to lead, their abilities to work on a team, and many other components that may not actually be reflected in authorship order. The pressures to publish in order to succeed in academia come from an underlying principle: publish or perish.
Why is it that we have chosen to focus on publishing as the metric of choice when so many other efforts go into academic life? What are we leaving behind? Why do we accept the belief that this is an objective and acceptable gauge of one’s scholarly abilities and contributions? Publications are one of many pieces that feed into a larger puzzle of scholarship; however, they are most frequently discussed as the piece holding the most weight. Unfortunately, this often minimizes the work academics put into teaching, writing grants, doing presentations, writing op-eds, and doing community work, alongside other types of academic service that are also required to be seen as successful.
Each year, more and more individuals join the fields of academia, subtly adding to its already competitive nature. The capitalist nature of academia leads one to believe that more is better, whereas the increasing need for scholarly output may, in fact, be diminishing the work being produced as scholars work to publish as fast as possible, potentially neglecting other work that ought to be developed. Not to mention that it takes an average of 124 days for a manuscript to be published (Powell, 2016), with some journals taking a year or more to go from submission to publication, suggesting that scholars must be actively working on multiple projects at a time for a sufficient CV increase come the end of term. In a field that relies heavily on how we work with clients, social work academia does not always practice what it preaches. The emphasis on publications does not take into account nuances around identity, or how this may come into play when one is being selected or funded for a project, or the overarching pressures of holding a marginalized identity. Academia does not address privileges one may hold to be able to work overtime to reach high levels of productivity, whereas others may not have the financial, familial, societal, or neurotypical means to do so. It suggests an objective starting line and capacity that does not exist. We ask our social work students to make sure they think through these intricacies in their work with our communities, but we do not often afford these recognitions to our own colleagues.
Most published academic work will never reach the communities it speaks of, or for, due to gatekeeping paywalls from journals. As a former practicing social worker, I had zero access to anything that could not be procured from a Google search and download. Why then, do we continue to prioritize publishing scholarly work above all else? Academia ought to move towards a more holistic means of addressing productivity and performance and recognize how important these other components may be. We ought to re-engage in how critically important it is to serve our students and our communities. We should become more creative in assessing our varied strengths and contributions, respecting each other beyond what we produce. Doctoral students, junior, and senior faculty alike should be able to preserve their research time, investing in efforts they find worthwhile without fear of it taking away from their hire-ability.
Powell, K. (2016). Does it take too long to publish research?. Nature 530, 148–151. https://doi.org/10.1038/530148a
Creating an Inclusive Classroom
As we settle into mid-semester, we should reflect, “Do my students feel like they belong in my class?” This is something that we should be thinking about often, but with all the moving pieces that comes with teaching, it can slip out of our minds.
There are many aspects of creating an inclusive classroom. From fostering a sense of belonging to building rapport or updating classroom content, students notice the effort we put into our course.
These acts of care (Hurtado, 2003 in Locks, Hurtado, Bowman, & Oseguera, 2008) can make the difference between whether a student will complete their program successfully. several goals create a sense of belonging.
Ensuring that students of underrepresented populations have the support they need to be academically successful.
Building relationships and developing multicultural skills with members from diverse backgrounds.
Enhancing students’ ability to participate in the global community.
Increasing the participation of students of color in campus life.
Every aspect of our courses should be considered when thinking about an inclusive classroom.
Saunders and Kardia (1997) expanded on Hurtado’s list by sharing these five aspects:
Course content
Prior assumptions and awareness of potential multicultural issues in classroom situations
Planning of class sessions, including the ways students are grouped for learning
Knowledge about the diverse backgrounds of your students
Decisions, comments, and behaviors during the process of teaching.
When reading these goals, do you feel that you have implemented them into your class and the broader campus community? Think about some of the feelings that came about when you embarked on your collegiate journey. Did you feel prepared? Were you missing your family and friends at home? Did you feel confident in your abilities as a student? These are some of the feelings your students may have and continue to have while they navigate college life in a pandemic.
While this list is not exhaustive, creating an inclusive classroom takes a lot of work, but can reap greater reward. If you’re having difficulty figuring out where to start, you can begin by reviewing these resources:
Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching: Increasing Inclusivity in the Classroom
Book- What Inclusive Instructor Do: Principles and Practices for Excellence in College Teaching by Tracie Marcella Addy, Derek Dube, Khadijah A. Mitchell and Mallory SoRelle
Resources
An article from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan which addresses five aspects of teaching that influence the inclusivity of a classroom:
Greer, A. (2014). Increasing Inclusivity in the Classroom. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved September 2021 from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/increasing-inclusivity-in-the-classroom/
Saunders, S. and Kardia,D. (1997). Increasing Inclusivity in the Classroom. University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. Retrieved September 2021 from https://crlt.umich.edu/gsis/p3_1
Motivation: How I’ve Kept it Going for 5 Years
Motivation. Just the word itself is enough to give any doctoral student, especially a fifth year one like myself, a sense of dread and anxiety. I wish I woke up in the morning feeling motivated every day, but that’s far from reality. From setbacks in data collection for my dissertation to feelings of stagnancy and boredom at my new full-time job, I’ve had to deal with a host of situations that have left me feeling less motivated every time I think about completing my PhD.
Nevertheless, you shouldn’t beat yourself up for losing your motivation to complete your PhD. In fact, losing your motivation is totally normal. According to a study by The Council of Graduate Schools, 44% of doctoral students lose their motivation and do not complete their degree within 10 years. I don’t want to be part of this statistic (I don’t think anyone does), but since I feel eons away from completing my dissertation, I can get disconnected or detached from my sense of purpose.
And that’s the key to not losing your motivation: Being able to reconnect with your sense of purpose. Why am I even pursuing a PhD? What are the overall benefits of completing my degree? Why is getting a PhD so essential to my being? Why do I feel so far from the finish line when I have come this close to the end? I have defended my dissertation proposal and am in the data collection phase of my research. That has to count for something. This is when the motivation comes back, and I realize that I’m actually closer to accomplishing my goals than I think.
Here are my top ten tips (in no particular order of importance) for staying motivated:
Start with Baby Steps: Instead of saying, “I’m going to write 100 pages of my dissertation today,” say, “Let me write a paragraph of my Introduction.” Don’t get too ambitious. Start small and see where that takes you.
Make a Checklist: Sometimes, it’s great just to physically mark something off when it’s complete. I know it gives me a great feeling to write a list of tasks and see myself complete them one-by-one. Try forming a list of steps you need to take to finish your dissertation and check each one off as you complete them. You’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment and relief, even if the item is to write a paragraph of my introduction.
Set Yourself up to Succeed: Form goals that you know you can accomplish within a realistic timeframe. I’ve often intimidated myself with goals that leave me feeling overwhelmed and drained of energy. Set yourself up so you’ll succeed, even at the smallest task.
Create a Prompt: I’ll often form little prompts to get me into the mood for doing something that’s especially cumbersome. They’re sort of like anchors for taking action, especially for tasks I keep procrastinating. I might freewrite or meditate before I take on what seems like a gargantuan task of writing my Methods section for my dissertation. These prompts can help refresh your mind and give you some needed clarity.
Give Yourself Some Grace: You won’t always feel motivated, and that’s okay! Maybe you just need a break. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Pick yourself up and try again when you’re ready.
Reward Yourself for your Accomplishments: Positive reinforcement helps! Be sure to reward yourself for a job well done. This could be anything from a simple pat on the back to going out to dinner with friends. Treating yourself is being kind to yourself!
Eat and Sleep Well: Sounds cliche, but I’ve found that sleeping at least 7-8 hours a night and eating three meals a day keeps me energized. I’m not a big fruit and veggies person, so I make sure to watch my portions and eat very sugary foods sparingly (I unfortunately have a sweet tooth.)
Make What You Do as Meaningful as Possible: To maintain some of that necessary work-life balance, I find that I have to combine my PhD program activities with some volunteering and community organizing. I need to foster my relationships with my community and contribute to the well-being of others. That’s what I’m most passionate about, and it gives my life meaning.
Look at the Bigger Picture: Sometimes, it’s hard to see the forest from the trees. Try looking at the bigger picture of a situation rather than obsessing over the minute details. When I get a sense of my overarching goals, I feel more reassured that I can accomplish a specific task.
Don’t Lose Sight of your Overall Goals and Purpose: Keeping your life in perspective is the key to staying motivated. Know that you won’t feel motivated all the time, but there are things you can do to jumpstart your engine and reinvigorate yourself. Maybe it’s just going outside and taking a walk or going for a run. Maybe it’s talking with some friends or talking through your issues with your therapist. Where there’s a will, there’s a way- another cliche that rings true for getting yourself out of feelings of stuckness and into a steady momentum of progress.
For more tips and other perspectives on motivation and being a PhD student, I suggest visiting these websites:
“7 Ways to Successfully Keep Your Motivation During Your PhD”:
https://cheekyscientist.com/successfully-keep-your-motivation-during-phd/
“What to Do If You Lack Motivation in Your PhD”:
https://www.thephdproofreaders.com/writing/how-to-stay-motivated-during-your-phd/
3. “Finding Motivation While Working from Home as a PhD Student during the Coronavirus Pandemic”:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01292-x
4. “7 Motivational Tips for PhD Students”:
https://phdlife.warwick.ac.uk/2017/05/24/7-steps/
5. “How to Keep Yourself Motivated in the Middle of Your PhD”:
https://www.academictransfer.com/en/blog/how-to-keep-yourself-motivated-in-the-middle-of-your-phd/
Mentorship in Doctoral Education
Make or Break the Experience
In higher education, mentors can come from many avenues, graduate assistantships, work-study programs, service organizations, and various other intersections. At times, students may seek out a mentor to fulfill a specific need, in terms of skills, research interests, or general mentorship needs. However, in doctoral education, students are often matched with faculty based on their research interests. Though programs may match students differently, most use additional criteria or a pre-existing relationship to aim for a good fit.
The resulting mentor-mentee relationship can differ greatly between students, even within the same program or university. Good mentorship relationships are characterized by open communication, clear expectations, and a sense of mutual respect and support. Current doctoral students describe their relationship with their mentors as holistic, supporting, and recognizing one another as people beyond the academic institution. Others share that their mentor serves in a more formal capacity, approving projects and program next steps. Increasingly, programs urge students to seek multiple mentors to fulfill specific skill or professional development needs. Yet, most students described working with a single advisor in their program.
In a recent survey conducted by the SSWR DSC Communications Committee, students shared several important aspects of their advisor relationship that they appreciated, emphasizing timeliness, responsiveness to questions, writing supports, genuine care, and fostering a trusting relationship. Though there were aspects that could be improved with their mentor, such as helping students find additional mentors, balancing fostering independence and guidance, and adding praise in with areas of improvement,others described wanting to know more about additional research projects they were involved in and roles they held in addition to teaching and service in their college or department.
Here are three tips for improving your own mentor(s)-mentee relationships:
Try mapping out your mentors! Who are they? What roles do they serve? What specific skills or professional development opportunities do they support you with?
Set a time to meet regularly to discuss your professional development needs in addition to more task-oriented advising meetings! Try to talk once a month about where you are at in relation to your goals!
Talk openly about mentorship and how aspects are working or not in your current relationship, if possible!
Mentorship Resources:
Michigan State University (n.d.) Best Practices for Mentors and Mentees in Academic Settings. https://ofasd.msu.edu/mentoring/best-practices-for-mentors-and-mentees-in-academic-settings/
Montgomery, B. L. (2017). Mapping a Mentoring Roadmap and Developing a Supportive Network for Strategic Career Advancement. SAGE Open, 7(2), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017710288
SOCIAL WORK SNIPPETS
Grants and Fellowships:
Deadline: March 1, 2022
The fund supports “…activities related to the advancement and application of knowledge about gifted children.” Grants (i) enable and enhance development of identified gifted and talented children and adolescents and (ii) encourage promising psychologists to continue innovative research and programs in this area. Support will be provided for activities on the advancement and application of knowledge related to identified gifted and talented children and adolescents, such as: research, pilot projects, and research-based programs.
Eligibility: Applicants must hold a doctoral degree, or be a graduate student from, an accredited university for research proposals. Graduate students and early career psychologists (10 years or less postdoctoral) are encouraged to apply.
Amount: Up to $50,000
Health Policy Research Scholars
Deadline: March 16, 2022
Health Policy Research Scholars (HPRS) is a four-year national leadership development program for full-time doctoral students from nonclinical, research-focused disciplines in which policy is a key driver of change (e.g., urban planning; political science; economics; anthropology; education; social work; sociology; engineering; geography; and lab/bench sciences). HPRS is designed for students who want to improve health, well-being, and equity; challenge long-standing, entrenched systems; exhibit new ways of working; collaborate across disciplines and sectors; and bolster their leadership skills.
RWJF recognizes that the increasing diversity in the country’s population can best be served when research and researchers also reflect that diversity. To adequately address a disproportionate burden of poor health—an essential step is to include doctoral scholars from historically marginalized backgrounds and populations underrepresented in specific doctoral disciplines.
The goal of HPRS is to cultivate transformational leaders from diverse backgrounds with doctoral training—representing a wide range of research-focused disciplines—who will inform and influence policy. We strongly encourage applications from nonhealth-related disciplines; having scholars from diverse fields is critical to advancing a Culture of Health. Up to 40 scholars will be selected for the 2022 cohort.
Accepting Doctoral Applications: Minority Fellowship Program
CSWE's Minority Fellowship Program is accepting doctoral applications for the 2022–2023 academic year! Applicants can apply now until March 16, 2022.
The Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) is targeted to, but not limited to, racial/ethnic minority social work doctoral students who are preparing to provide leadership in practice, research, teaching, and policy promulgation in government and private organizations serving underrepresented and underserved persons with or at risk for mental health and/or substance abuse disorders, and provides professional development training, mentorship, and other supports.
Interested in applying for this fellowship opportunity? MFP doctoral fellows receive training, mentorship, a stipend of approximately $2,000/month, and other professional development support.
Join the upcoming information and application support sessions. View session dates and application information here: https://bit.ly/3HsLbPZ
The Social Justice Institute (SJI) at Case Western Reserve University is inviting applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in social justice. This position will be mentored by SJI’s faculty co-directors Ayesha Bell Hardaway, JD, and Mark Chupp, PhD. This fellowship will focus on developing the next generation of social justice leaders and will emphasize self-reflection and discernment, evidence-based research, mentoring, and community building.
Deadline: Open Until Filled
The Body Image, Sexuality, & Health (BISH) Lab in the Department of Psychology at San Diego State University will be hiring 1 full-time Postdoctoral Research Scholar (remote work possible; in-person preferred). We strive to make our lab a diverse, open-minded, non-judgmental, sex-positive academic space where folks from all backgrounds are welcome.
The postdoc will primarily be working on the Pride Body Project (under the direction of PI: Aaron J. Blashill, PhD, and Project Director: Jaclyn Siegel, PhD). This research project focuses on testing the efficacy of a group-based, peer co-led, eating disorder prevention program for young sexual minority men (e.g., men who are gay, bisexual, or sexually attracted to men). The Scholar will devote up to 20 hours/week as a clinical assessor on the Pride Body Project and the remaining 20 hours devoted to independent research. Experience conducting structured clinical interviews for eating disorders specifically, and psychiatric disorders more broadly, is highly desired, but not required. This is a one-year position, with opportunities for extension pending availability of funding. Start date is ASAP.
Postdoctoral Scholar - Child Clinical, Department of Psychology
Deadline: Open Until Filled
The Department of Psychology at the University of Washington invites applications for a postdoctoral scholar to work on a NIMH-funded Center grant, IMPACT, focused on optimizing mental health treatment for children and adolescents in under-resourced, publicly-funded settings (e.g., community mental health, schools). We seek applicants with research experience in children’s mental health and/or improving access and mental health care for BIPOC children and adolescents. We seek applicants with interests in building expertise and knowledge in implementation science as a means for optimizing treatment for children and adolescents. Applicants who value and are comfortable partnering with stakeholders (clinicians, supervisors, family members, youth) are encouraged. Our science is improved with diverse team members and perspectives. We welcome and encourage diverse applicants from backgrounds historically underrepresented in academia. The postdoctoral scholar will join a collaborative team led by internationally-recognized implementation scientists at the University of Washington and Kaiser Permanente (Shannon Dorsey, Cara Lewis, Bryan Weiner, Aaron Lyon, Michael Pullmann). The postdoc will also have the opportunity to develop their own projects, participate in mentoring, and other clinical or research-related training experiences based on the interests of the fellow (global mental health, trauma-focused CBT, etc.).
Calls for Proposals/Abstracts:
Notes from the Field: Narratives in Social Work - Call for Contributors
Deadline: Open Until Filled
For academics and practitioners who have social work direct practice experience with clients AND have experience with or are interested in writing creative non-fiction: Notes From the Field, contracted with the Council on Social Work Education Press, comprises essays (about 2,000 words) that encapsulate social problems through work (not office-based psychotherapy but other kinds of social work practice) with individuals, groups, families, or communities. Culturally diverse authors are particularly encouraged. If interested and to get more information, please contact Jacqueline Corcoran at cojacq@upenn.edu.
SSRC's The Mercury Project Research Proposals- Call for Proposals
LOI Deadline: Rolling Submissions
Evidence-based strategies to combat health mis- and disinformation and to increase the uptake of reliable health information are critical to an effective and equitable pandemic response.
The Mercury Project invites letters of inquiry for research projects that address one or more of the following goals:
1) Estimating the causal impacts of mis- and disinformation on online and offline outcomes in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, including health, economic, and/or social outcomes, differential impacts across sociodemographic groups, and quantifying the global costs of those impacts;
2) Estimating the causal impacts of online or offline interventions in the United States, Africa, Asia, and Latin America to increase uptake of Covid-19 vaccines and other recommended public health measures by countering mis- and disinformation, including interventions that target the producers or the consumers of mis- and disinformation, or that increase confidence in reliable information.
Journal of Human Rights and Social Work Articles on COVID-19- Call for Abstracts
Deadline: Rolling Submission
The Journal of Human Rights and Social Work has issued a rolling Call for Papers related to human rights and COVID 19. Everyone's well-being, livelihood, and human rights are at risk as a result of the pandemic, however it has exacerbated existing disparities experienced by traditionally oppressed groups. The co-editors of the Journal of Human Rights and Social Work expected that these human rights violations will not pass with the first wave of the disease but will rather continue to grow and/or come to light. As a result, rather than a one-time special issue of the journal, we invite authors to contribute relevant articles on a rolling basis for peer review in the journal, examining human rights issues including but not limited to violations of the human rights to health and medical care, education, free speech, and a fair trial.
All types of articles relating policies and practices around COVID 19 are encouraged that share knowledge about addressing human rights in practice, research, policy, and advocacy as well as teaching about the implications of COVID 19 on human rights from around the globe. Both standard articles and Human Rights in Action pieces are of interest.
The database spreadsheet BIPOC-Authored Social Work Papers- Call for Submissions
Deadline: Ongoing
The BIPOC-Authored Papers for Social Work database was created in an effort to amplify BIPOC voices and perspectives, and to increase the representation of BIPOC authors across social work curriculum. As faculty engage in critical analysis of their syllabi and curricula, the availability of BIPOC-authored materials is an essential element of dismantling the white supremacy embedded in social work and transforming social work education and practice.
As a crowd-sourced database, this collaborative endeavor has the potential to elevate academic excellence and enhance a diverse, inclusive, values-based learning environment. It is our hope that this database will contribute to transformational education as students are exposed to a diversity of ideas, people, and materials.
CSWE-APM 2022- Call for Reviewers
One way to ensure that we have plenty of community and organizational content at the next CSWE-APM, is to have abstract reviewers who know the content area. Please consider serving as a reviewer for the 2022 COSA track.
The call for reviewers for CSWE proposals is now out! Reviewers typically rate up to 20 proposals between February 28 and March 28. It would be great if we had more reviewers with a community practice and social justice lens!
Please consider applying here: https://cswe.org/Events-Meetings/2022-APM/Proposals/Call-for-Proposals-Reviewers
Job Announcements
Director of the Center for Social & Urban Research, University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, in consultation with Summit Search Solutions, Inc., will begin a confidential review of application materials immediately and continue until the position is filled; parties who apply by Friday, March 4, 2022 will be given first consideration. Applications should include a curriculum vitae, and a letter of interest that addresses the opportunities and qualifications described above. All applications and nominations will be held in confidence. To apply online, go to: https://theapplicantmanager.com/jobs?pos=su286
Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College (multiple positions)
Faculty Open Rank: The Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College-CUNY invites applicants for Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor positions. Duties include: Performs teaching, research and guidance duties in area(s) of expertise. Shares responsibility for committee and department assignments including administrative, supervisory, and other functions.
Events
The Power of Macro Social Work: Forging Pathways
A Webinar Series Produced by Leading Macro Social Work Organizations
Our first webinar of this new series, Social Workers and Bridge Builders, will be taking place on February 28th and it has a star-studded panel.
DATE: Monday, February 28, 2022
TIME: 12:30 pm — 1:30 pm CST/1:30 — 2:30pm EST
Over the last two years, the social work community and policy practice have been impacted by the intersection of the pandemic, increased incivility across our respective communities, and proliferation of misinformation. This webinar will discuss how social workers can show up as bridge builders in the midst of monumental challenges.
Panelists: Amy Murphy-Nugen (Western Carolina University), Amy Krings (Loyola University Chicago), Karen D'Angelo (Southern Connecticut State University, and Jan Ivery (Georgia State University)
Moderator: Jason Ostrander (Sacred Heart University)
ISP is proud to partner with ACOSA (Association for Community Organization & Social Action) and the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Thank you to all our great collaborators!
Recordings of all panels available on the Brown School Open Classroom YOUTUBE
Campaign School for Social Workers
WHEN: March 4 - 5, 2022
Does politics feel like an insider's game? Want to be more involved in your community but don't know where to start? Join us for two days, and we will convince you that we all belong in politics as volunteers, activists, staff, and elected officials! You will learn valuable skills; gain an appreciation of your own power; and have honest conversations with political social workers and experts about leadership, power, and ethics in these challenging times. It's also a great opportunity to network with students and leaders locally and nationally.
Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP)
Social Work Day On The Hill- Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM
THEME: Social Work and the Future of Democracy
Student Advocacy Day- WHEN: Thursday, March 10, 2022, 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM
COST: $25 Registration Fee; $15 Early Bird Registration until February 17
Resources:
Understanding Structural & Institutional Racism Online Module
Boston University School of Social Work's 3-hour online module on Structural and Institutional Racism is available to the public for FREE! Lead writers: Noor Toraif & Greer Hamilton!
How does structural and institutional racism affect your world? Learn more in BUSSW’s free 3-part course. https://thenetwork.bu.edu/.../understanding-structural.../
Other Opportunities:
People's Summit: Contribution Submission Deadline
The people’s summit invites you to share and advance your ideas and contributions to shape the Global Values Declaration for a new eco-social world. Individuals and community representatives, people of lived experiences, global organisations, students, health, social, education and economic professions, environmental campaigners, trade unions, policymakers, civil rights champions, spiritual and religious networks, and government leaders.
The summit provides spaces for engagement and global conversation across cultures, diverse lived experiences, professional groups, and perspectives. We invite you to contribute to the conversation in a variety of ways, including sharing your professional or cultural practices, academic experiences or indigenous knowledge. Your proposals will contribute to setting a shared of values that can help us co-build a new eco-social world.
The summit will run 24 hours for four days, June 2 – July 29. All contributions accepted will be recorded in advance and uploaded to the summit platform. Participants will have the possibility to interact with the presenters, ask questions and make comments throughout the summit, via the summit platform.
Please note that you need to be fully registered in order to submit your contributions.
Before submission read carefully the instructions HERE
Disclaimer: This newsletter is created as free service by SSWR Doctoral Student Committee Communications Subcommittee members:
Pari Shah
Alberto Cifuentes, Jr.
Veronica Timbers
Durrell Malik Washington, Sr.
Agnès Nzomene Kahouo Foda
Victoria Carter
Tasha Childs
Riley Hostetter
The opinions expressed in this newsletter are the opinions of the individuals listed above alone and do not claim to represent the opinions of SSWR or the SSWR Doctoral Student Committee.