Faith Hopp, Associate Professor and Director of the Doctoral Program, has been actively involved in providing evaluation and research expertise as part of the Southeast Michigan Alliance to Transform Advanced Illness Care (SEMATAC) initiative. She is working with SEMATAC to plan grant initiatives relevant to advanced illness promotion in the Detroit area. As part of this effort, several WSU-SSW faculty and staff joined Dr. Hopp to participate in the “Call to Action Breakfast Summit” in late April at the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit. Dr. Hopp (below, far right) is pictured here with (left to right) Marilynn Knall, Cassandra Bowers, National AARP President-Elect Eric Schneidewind, and Ph.D.-SWAN student Caitlin Cassady.

From June 2-3, Dr. Hopp participated in the National Faith Community Person-Centered Care Workgroup at the New Shiloh Baptist Church in Baltimore. This workshop was partially funded through Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award EAIN-3051.The goals of the workgroup included a call to action for participation in a national movement of African American churches invested in leading PCOR through partnerships to transform care for those with advanced illness; identify the needs, gaps, and challenges African Americans have in receiving high-quality person-centered advanced illness care that respects a person’s values, wishes, and spirituality; and strategize about approaches and identify the opportunities to build partnerships with health, academic, and community partners to transform care for African Americans with advanced illness.

Poco Kernsmith and Joanne Smith-Darden recently returned from a faculty fellowship in Israel sponsored by the Jewish National Fund. The fellowship included educational meetings about the history and current events in Israel as well as meetings with faculty conducting research in their area from Bar Ilan University, Sapir College, Ben Gurion University, Hebrew University and Haifa University. From this, Dr. Kernsmith (below, far right) and Dr. Smith-Darden, pictured here with Rami Benbenishty of Bar Ilan University, have started developing potential international collaborations on violence prevention research.

The Transition to Independence Program is in gear to kick-off the 2016 Summer Youth Employment Program at Wayne State. This 6-week program (July 11-Aug 18, 2016 provides youth, ages 16-24, currently in foster care or with foster care history, paid summer employment in different colleges and departments on Wayne State's campus. In addition to employment skills, the youth will have six weekly, capacity-building, sessions that will promote personal and professional development in the areas of: employability, financial literacy, mental health, college readiness, entrepreneurship and advocacy. For more information contact Megan Pennefather at bm8040@wayne.edu.

These youth will also be trained in advocacy and legislative testimonies and participate in this year’s KidSpeak event.  This event gives the youth a voice in the public policy debate and by giving them the opportunity to speak directly to federal, state, and local decision makers about barriers that impede their successful transition from high school to college and employment. KidSpeak will be held on August 8th, from 10-12 p.m. at the Damon J. Keith Center. Registration begins at 9:30. Invitation only event.