Hello all,

The past year and a half have tested us all, but I am proud to have seen the many ways our social work warrior family came together to help one another and those in our community. As we forge ahead into the fall, we are elated to re-open our newly renovated building to students, faculty, staff and the community.

To ensure the ongoing safety of our warrior community, our Social Work building will continue to adhere to all current WSU campus safety measures. Below you will find additional details on our building policies and procedures. Should you have questions or concerns about entering the building, please feel free to call the Office of Admissions and Student Services at 313-577-4409 and press #1 or email at sswadmissions@wayne.edu.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we all adjust to the "new normal" and work together to refine the procedures, which will ensure we remain Warrior Safe and Warrior Strong. 

I look forward to seeing many of you on campus this fall!

Wishing continued good health to you and yours,

Sheryl Kubiak, Dean

Entering the building

We are excited to be re-opening our building to students and the public and look forward to seeing many of you in our new Community Engagement Lounge, classrooms and small group workspaces. Our building will be open Monday and Friday from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8:00 - 5:00 pm. 

Steps to Enter the Building:

1. To enter the building all visitors must complete the daily campus screener (guests - students/faculty/staff) prior to arriving on campus. Individuals will receive a QR code noting they are approved to be on campus and may enter buildings. You will need to show your QR code to enter the Social Work building. 
2. Current regulations also dictate that masks must be worn at all times while in the building.
3. You will have access to the building by ringing the doorbell which is located on the left side of the main double doors (if you are facing doors) along the driveway leading from Woodward Avenue. At that time, a staff person will buzz you in and confirm your green QR code to enter the building. Guests will also need to sign in at the front desk. 

We also recommend that you visit the parking website to know which lots and structures are open, and the status of campus shuttles. If you need to meet with faculty, staff, or advisors they will be available via telephone or Zoom. If you need a face-to-face meeting please work with that faculty or staff person to make necessary arrangements.

For questions regarding building entry or appointments contact the Office of Admissions and Student Services at sswadmissions@wayne.edu or 313-577-4409.

Supporting our Detroit area community

It is important to all of us as social workers that we contribute to the well-being of the community and support one another during this time. We have launched the following initiatives to assist our fellow Detroiters.

• Detroit Community Resource List  The SSW has compiled a list of resources (health, mental health counseling, unemployment, housing, energy, food, water, emergency financial assistance, transportation, child and youth learning, and internet and cell phone services) for Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties. 
• COVID-19 patient improvement and well-being initiative  Activities were organized with Detroit area hospital partners, local organizations and Social Work students to assemble care packages for those currently in the hospital experiencing loneliness and anxiety. Care packages included donated items such as books, cell phone chargers and iPads. We also partnered with local agencies to print and hang artwork in the rooms of those isolated in the hospital. 
• COVID-19 mobile testing sites - Social Work students and faculty have assisted in the phone case management portion of the WSU COVID-19 mobile testing site project to help individuals who test positive for COVID-19 manage barriers that arise when isolating themselves and family members. 
• COVID-19 Healthcare Provider Support Hotline  We partnered with the College of Nursing and additional WSU departments to offer a hotline service for healthcare workers in Metro Detroit. The goal of this project was to offer support and resources to these front-line healthcare providers to help them through these very demanding times. Hotline services were free, completely confidential, and anonymous. Learn about volunteer opportunities.
• Social Work Warriors In Action Support List - Amid the pandemic, we made efforts to support agencies and community partners challenged by the consequences of self-quarantine or with limited access to necessities. Our warrior family came together to support the needs of our community and its members. 

Social Work Warrior expertise

We have a plethora of experts within the School that can provide support to our community throughout this time. We have published the following COVID-19 related tip sheets to support our community and have additional resources in the pipeline. Please share these widely!

• Managing anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak (Sue Brown and Caitlin Brown)
• Impact of COVID-19 on children and families (Kristina Nikolova)
• Parenting tips for dads during the COVID-19 crisis (Carolyn Dayton)
• Tips and practices for providing telemental health services (Sue Brown and Faith Hopp)
• Social distancing and the increased risk of intimate partner violence during COVID-19 (Kristina Nikolova)
• Continuity of care for Opioid Use Disorder during COVID-19 (Center for Behavioral Health and Justice)
• Emergent Use of Remote Technologies in Jails and Prisons (CBHJ)
• Emergent Use of Remote Technologies in Secure Juvenile Justice Facilities (CBHJ)

Additional Resources:

• We can't forget Michigan's abused and neglected children during COVID-19 (via Detroit Free Press: April 27, 2020)
• Supporting children's emotional wellbeing during COVID-19
• COVID-19 prevention tips and symptoms (English, Arabic, Spanish) have been published by the Detroit Health Department

Self-care

This is an unprecedented time in everyone's lives and it is easy to put self-care on the back burner. I encourage you to take a moment and peruse some of the resources below. As Social Work Associate Professor Suzanne Brown and Part-time Faculty member and yoga instructor, Caitlin Brown noted in their recent blog Managing anxiety during the COVID 19 outbreak, "In the end, while we may have little control over our circumstances, we do have control over our responses. Compassion, presence in the moment, altruism, and action align with our social work values, and offer powerful responses to our present circumstances."

• NASW: Self-Care During the Coronavirus Pandemic
• USC: How Social Workers Can Prioritize Self-Care in High-Stress Working Environments

Stay connected

I encourage you to regularly check this page for updates on resource and volunteer opportunities. We have also created a Student Hub page to provide Social Work students with up-to-date information on our weekly virtual student town hall events, resources, field updates, student support and more. Wayne State has established a comprehensive COVID-19 resource page and NASW and NASW-MI have materials online specifically related to social work and COVID-19. We will continue to share information on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn pages please follow, like and share. 

Upcoming events

During this time, we are working on ways to stay connected with our community using virtual platforms and in-person events. Please stay tuned as we work to provide resources, information and ways to connect via virtual live events and online materials. I encourage you to visit the WSU Event Calendar, check our website, social media pages, and your email for information on new upcoming virtual events and the many opportunities available for you to stay in touch.