Hello Social Work Warrior Community,

The School of Social Work at WSU is ON THE MOVE!! As this newsletter demonstrates, our faculty, staff, students, and alumni continue to create positive social change in diverse and exciting ways! From initiatives like Carolyn Dayton's fatherhood programs and Tam Perry's project focused on older adults with hemophilia to Rebeccah Sokol's study illuminating the increase in purchasing firearms our faculty demonstrates their deep commitment to the community. This commitment directly influences our students. This can be seen at the BSW/MSW level (e.g. Kristen Prasiloski and Tina Zerilla working collaboratively to form the Social Work Queer Alliance) to doctoral student projects by Sarah Scantamburlo and Michael Broman. Leading by example impacts our students greatly and stays with them in their professional careers (read about Alyssa Gaggino advocating for pay equity for social workers in hospitals!). I continue to be so impressed and so proud of the work of all of the WSU SSW Community!

Our Holistic Defense program begins its second year now joining with law students to create educational and experiential opportunities for social work students interested in advocacy within the criminal/legal system. The additional training provides both social work and law students the skills to work collaboratively within and outside the courtroom to divert individuals to community treatment and services and away from confinement. Confinement exacerbates psychological distress and complicates family caregiving and employment situations. As you all know, this is something near and dear to my own heart, and as such, I have accepted an appointment to the state's Judicial Council. My goal with this appointment is to move toward more universal problem-solving courts, rather than various specialty courts. Most individuals involved in the criminal legal system have similar issues that are a result of economic and social isolation and a lack of community resources. Universal problem-solving across courts could decrease confinement and the collateral consequences associated with conviction.

Finally, as the fall semester gets underway we are all figuring out what this restart means for the SSW and our students. The dual vectors of the pandemic and increased emphasis on racial equity in our society, provide an opportunity for reflection, innovation, and change. What are the "signals" and how will we read these signals of these times and how will we respond? How will social workers engage in deep reflection about the role of our profession in systematic oppression? How does the virtual world change social work practice? Does social work education evolve? The jury is still out as the signals are still coming in but I do know one thing it will take our village to figure this out.

Wishing you a safe and relaxing end to summer,

Sheryl Kubiak, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Dean, School of Social Work