Wellness Wednesday from the School of Social Work

On Friday, May 19, 2023 we will celebrate the graduation and accomplishments of the
Class of 2023. On that day, one of our proud alums, Gina Mirarchi Psenicska LCSW-C, MSW '93, will watch her son Todd Psenicska walk across the stage to become the third generation in his family to graduate from UMSSW. Gina's father and Todd's grandfather, Ralph Mirarchi, MSW '66 was the original UMSSW alum in the family.

Our School is proud of its rich tradition of graduating leaders, advocates, champions and changemakers who makes a positive impact on the social work profession. What an honor to have three come from one family.

Join us in congratulating and celebrating the Class of 2023 and welcome them into the UMSSW Alumni Association!

Self-Care: When Caring is Your Job

Date: Tuesday, May 23
Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Join the Positive School Center for an hour-long conversation about self-care and guided meditation. As the end of the school year approaches, take a moment to reflect with others about your self-care practices this year, how you are doing, and set goals for the future. The session will include the opportunity to practice guided meditation.

The workshop will be led by LaShonda Godwin and members of her team from Family Connections, the PSC's sister program who provide clinical and material supports for Baltimore families.

Challenges for Behavioral and Public Health Related to Tobacco/Nicotine Use

Location: Virtual
Dates: May 31, 2023
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Instructors: Fernando A. Wagner, PhD | Ana Maria Rule, PhD

This course is comprised of four modules, which are described in the following phrases. Module 1, will review the history of tobacco/nicotine use, and why its consumption is hazardous. Module 2 will review behavioral and public health challenges related to tobacco/nicotine use. Module 3 will be dedicated to the study of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). Finally, Module 4 will discuss how different disciplines address these issues. The course will employ a combination of learner-centered and teacher-led strategies, involving individual and group work. Evaluation will be based on quizzes at the end of each of the module.

CEs Available

Welcoming Immigrant and Refugee Children and Families in the United States

Location: Virtual
Dates: June 1, 2023
Time: 10:00 AM - 1:15 PM
Instructors: Isabella Suero-Stackl, LCSW

Immigrants have always been essential to the make-up of the United States and the percentage of immigrants has been steadily increasing. As of September 2022, the U.S foreign born population hit an all-time high of 48 million, which is almost 15% of the total U.S. population. The Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia area is a culturally rich hub for immigrants from many different countries, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia. Many migrants are forcibly displaced due to violence, war, poverty and hardship and experience trauma at several stages of their journey. As social workers, we have the opportunity to support immigrant families with a variety of challenges, including rebuilding their families, navigating a new culture and language, overcoming trauma, learning new systems such as immigration, health care and education, and achieving economic stability. In this interactive workshop, the presenter will provide general context about the populations that are migrating to the U.S., the journeys they endure to arrive in the United States, and the systems that they have to navigate once they get here. The presenter will outline the challenges and barriers to services and provide recommendations for trauma-informed and culturally-informed approaches to best support newcomers from around the world. The presenter will cover a variety of practice areas, including child welfare, mental health, and education.

CEs Available

The School of Social Work is undergoing the construction of a new website which will enhance our ability to share social work jobs within our student and alumni communities.

In the meantime, we are gathering available jobs via the following form: Post Your Social Work Job.

Jobs will be gathered into one email and sent to current students, recent graduates, and members of the alumni association on a bi-weekly basis until the new site is live.

Thank you for your ongoing interest in hiring our MSW graduates!

Center for Violence Protection Operations Director

The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) newly formed Center for Violence Prevention is hiring a Center for Violence Protection Operations Director (Director, Center Operations) to oversee all department operations.

The Center’s operational needs include fiscal management, human resources, administration, events, logistics and space. The selected candidate will also manage interactions with other University-wide departments including Human Resources, Community Engagement Center, University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation (UMBF), and Communications, as well as multiple units across the Schools of Law, Medicine, and Social Work. This position is second in the leadership hierarchy and leads the organization in the Executive Director's absence. They have responsibility for preparing contracts and grant reports, ensuring grant and contract compliance, developing, maintaining and tracking budgets, and managing financial and administrative staff.

Maryland Department of Aging

The Maryland Department of Aging seeks a creative and proactive professional to lead the Department’s cognitive and behavioral health initiatives. The position will primarily focus on expanding services that build the dementia capability of the aging services network in collaboration with local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), state partners, and diverse stakeholders.

The Specialist will work collaboratively with the Maryland Access Point to provide consultation, technical assistance and oversight for the establishment and ongoing delivery of dementia care navigation services delivered by AAAs.The Specialist will explore and address Maryland’s cognitive and behavioral health challenges that impact healthy aging and longevity. They will be asked to propose big, bold strategies to enhance the Department’s work across programs and with relevant stakeholders, including existing councils and committees.

Email resume and cover letter to Liz Woodward, Chief, Special Initiatives at
lize.woodward@maryland.gov.