WSU School of Social Work welcomes four lecturers to faculty

A school social worker, a political and community organizer, a policy and community change expert, and a minority health researcher have joined the full-time faculty of the Wayne State School of Social Work.

In response to a steady increase in enrollment across its degree programs, the school has added four lecturers to teach in the areas of research methods, group work, school social work, social justice, and social welfare policy.

An attorney-turned-social worker, Susan Lebold represented U.S. soldiers facing criminal charges, troubled youth, and birth parents involved in the foster care system before earning her Master of Social Work in 2000. Since that time, she has developed and overseen programs to serve vulnerable populations, worked in the area of organizational leadership, accreditation and training, and contributed to Michigan child welfare reform efforts. As a member of the Michigan Race Equity Coalition, she recently authored a toolkit of best practices to guide collaborative efforts of community leaders and policymakers charged with examining racial disproportionality in child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

"I'm always looking for interesting research and community-based projects that align with my goal of bringing diverse groups together to address thorny community problems," Lebold said. "I believe that Detroit is on the verge of a breakthrough, and social workers can help drive that change through the interrelation of micro and macro practice."

Kim Rich-Rice comes to Wayne State from the Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, where she was an assistant professor of social work for five years and worked on a variety of university and student-sponsored committees. In addition to her university teaching experience, Kim possesses more than eight years of direct practice experience from the VA North Texas Healthcare System, where she worked providing mental health services to veterans and homeless veterans. Drawn to the Wayne State School of Social Work for the diversity of its faculty, staff and students, Rich-Rice also has research experience with African Americans in the antebellum era.

"The School of Social Work at Wayne State has a reputable record of teaching and research, and I am excited to have the opportunity to join the school," Rich-Rice said. "I am passionate about teaching, and find that my real-world practice experience has been integral in providing quality education to future social work practitioners."

A school social worker with Southfield Public Schools for 39 years, Karen Weiner has worked with parents, teachers, and administrators to identify community-based resources promoting strong parenting, peer mentoring and student success. She has extensive experience working with children both individually and in groups and has been a member of the School of Social Work's part-time faculty since 2000. She has taught macro, mezzo and micro social work, seminar, and served as a field supervisor and faculty advisor for the school's Office of Field Education. Karen serves as the temporary approval coordinator for the school of social work, overseeing and granting approval for social workers to work in a school setting. Weiner was named the 1990-91 Michigan School Social Worker of the Year and won the 2001-02 Wayne State University School of Social Work Excellence In Teaching Award.

"I love bringing my direct practice experience to the classroom to show students how the code of ethics and competencies governing the social work curriculum play out in the real world," said Weiner. "I draw from my undergraduate degree in education and decades of work in school settings to employ evidence-based best practices to support student learning."

A Detroit native, Judith Wineman worked in New York City and nationally as a political and community organizer for nearly 30 years after earning her M.S.S.W. at Columbia University. She held leadership positions at ILGWU (now UNITE) Retiree Service Department from 1978 to 1999, then worked as director of AFL-CIO Department of Older and Retired Workers until 2002. Since returning to the Motor City in 2006, she has served as development director for the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation and taught B.S.W. courses at Marygrove College. She currently teaches English as a Second Language, Developmental English and Spanish courses at Henry Ford Community College.

"I particularly love introducing undergraduate social work students to the world of political and community organizing," Wineman said. "Many students initially associate social work with interpersonal practice, and it's rewarding to capture their attention early with the opportunities that come from macro practice."

For more information on these and other members of the Wayne State School of Social Work faculty, visit us online at socialwork.wayne.edu/faculty/profiles.php.