Taylor Thomas

We are at a critical moment in time: we must reshape mental health policy in the US

mthomp7 — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 17:59:26 +0000

We are at a critical moment in time: we must reshape mental health policy in the US mthomp7 Wed, 11/13/2024 - 12:59

In This Story

Stigmatized attitudes toward mental health have contributed to decades of harmful policies. Evelyn Tomaszewski, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work, advocates for a human rights-based approach to address outdated and harmful policy practices.

Evelyn Tomaszewski, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work, advocates for a human rights-based approach to address outdated and harmful policy practices.

Public policy plays a critical role in the protection and promotion of mental health. Research by Assistant Professor of Social Work Evelyn Tomaszewski analyzes over 80 years of national and global mental health policy trends. The study is the first comprehensive review of policy, noting the historical and ongoing impacts of stigma, discrimination, and the structural barriers to reaching mental health equity. The aim of the article is to shift perceptions of mental health care and advocate for future policy to be built upon a human rights-based approach.

“We are at a critical moment in time. Comprehensive, culturally relevant and engaged community-driven public health policy is being undermined, defunded, and devalued. Advocates for comprehensive mental health policies are committed to mitigating stigma and discrimination and reshaping the mental health landscape to focus on communities, prevention, and inclusion. Yet, major gaps still exist. This requires a call to action,” said Tomaszewski, MSW program director.

“Efforts to reform mental health policy require interdisciplinary and community-driven policies and practice initiatives that can promote and commit to mental health equity in the US,” said Tomaszewski.

The paper calls for commitment at the government level to address political determinants of health by developing legislation from an equity lens, and outlines action items for national and international governance, research, education, and outreach. Tomaszewski suggests expanding essential ACA services to include behavioral health into primary care, for the US to ratify several United Nations Conventions, including the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and engaging people with relevant lived experiences in program and policy development.

“Eighty Years of National Mental Health Policy: Exploring the Inclusion of a Human Rights Approach” was published in September in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry as a part of a special issue in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice.

Topics

Mental Health

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

United Nations

George Mason students travel to Japan to learn about international approaches to supporting older adults

tthoma8 — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 13:25:23 +0000

George Mason students travel to Japan to learn about international approaches to supporting older adults tthoma8 Mon, 08/26/2024 - 09:25

In This Story

Megumi Inoue, PhD

Across the globe, the number of older adults is rapidly increasing and health care systems around the world are adapting to the needs of this population. This summer, a group of George Mason University graduate and undergraduate students, led by Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work Megumi Inoue, participated in the study-abroad program in Japan—Rise of the Super-Aged Society.

Students explored policies, programs, and services to meet the unique needs of an aging global population. During the program, students visited governmental and nonprofit agencies working with the older population and interacted with local older adults in community settings.

“Study-abroad programs offer students experiential learning opportunities in different cultures that go beyond traditional classroom education. By immersing themselves in new environments, students gain practical skills in cross-cultural communication, adaptability, and problem-solving while they are studying a specific topic. They also develop a deeper understanding of local issues and perspectives, enriching their academic knowledge and broadening their worldview,” said Inoue.

Samiah Clark, a bachelor of social work student set to graduate in May of 2025, attests to how students gained valuable, firsthand knowledge that can only be accomplished through immersing oneself in the culture.

"The trip enhanced my education and observational skills surrounding the cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan,” Clark said. "Additionally, I learned about their customs of respecting older adults and traditions families partake in when caring for their parents. If I had the chance, I would go again."

The course is designed to introduce and examine strategies implemented in Japan in response to issues and challenges surrounding its rapidly aging population. Students explore the strengths and limitations of strategies that Japan has incorporated expanding their perspectives on interventions for other aging countries, including the United States.

“Taking students on study-abroad trips is important for their educational and personal development,” said Inoue. "It enriches their academic experience, enhances cultural competence, and prepares them for the globalized world. After the program, students often express how cultural exposure facilitated personal growth, professional development, and self-reflection."

Learn more about the Japan - Rise of the Super-Aged Society Mason-led study abroad.

Topics

study abroad

International Health Policy

Older Adults

healthy aging

Social Work Faculty

experiential learning

Students

MSW graduate addresses the needs of older adults susceptible to food insecurity

tthoma8 — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 13:27:49 +0000

MSW graduate addresses the needs of older adults susceptible to food insecurity tthoma8 Fri, 07/19/2024 - 09:27

While completing his practicum at Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), Master of Social Work (MSW) graduate Troy Fontenot created a novel intervention to reduce the number of older residents experiencing food insecurity and loneliness. While dispensing groceries to the residents, he was alarmed by the number of older adult residents living without a consistent food supply. After reviewing APAH’s documentation, Fontenot confirmed the severe scope of the problem.

“While analyzing the most recent dataset, I observed that many residents self-reported mobility, transportation, and feelings of isolation, factors that are common co-occurrences to food insecurity,” Fontenot said.

To address this phenomenon, Fontenot organized a program to simultaneously combat food insecurity and isolation.

“Older adults are particularly susceptible to food insecurity, so the pilot program I proposed was specifically aimed at older adults,” Fontenot said.

Feeding America estimates approximately 10 percent of people aged 60 and older are food insecure, a problem that has increased over the past 20 years. Food insecurity is greatest among Black and Hispanic seniors, seniors with lower incomes, seniors who are younger (ages 60-69), seniors in households with someone with a disability, and seniors who are renters. Fontenot was unsettled to see the demographics of APAH’s senior residents very closely resemble these statistics.

Groceries delivered to older adult residents by Fontenot and the APAH team.

His observations inspired him to provide a list of groceries available that week to the older residents at one of APAH’s properties. With the assistance of the resident service coordinator at the property, residents could indicate their grocery needs for the week, and each Friday, Fontenot would assemble APAH residents’ orders and deliver them to their doors.

Fontenot graduated May 2024 specializing in Adults and Healthy Aging. It was his education at the College of Public Health that equipped him to design and implement the grocery delivery program.

“During my studies at Mason, I became aware of the unique needs senior adults have, especially with issues of nutrition, access to food, access to affordable housing, social isolation, chronic health conditions, and systemic racism and discrimination. Other factors affecting older adult’s food security include access to reliable transportation, their own personal mobility, and cultural stigmas. Understanding these myriad factors was important because any proposed solution must be able to counter each of those constraints,” said Fontenot.

In addition to earning his MSW from Mason, Fontenot has a MA in Acquisition and Procurement from Webster University from his time serving as an Army Engineer Officer, and a BS in Biological Science from Southeastern Louisiana University. He is currently continuing his education at Mason through the Carter School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Fontenot also intends to apply for PhD in public health program to study climate change and the cascading impacts to human physical and behavioral health.

The MSW practicum provides students with world experience under the supervision of trained professionals. APAH, Fontenot’s practicum site, is a nonprofit affordable housing developer whose mission is to provide quality affordable housing and resident-centered programming to help individuals in the Arlington and DC metro region.

Topics

master of social work

food insecurity

healthy aging

Older Adults

College of Public Health faculty awarded 2024 Mason Impact Grants

Mary Cunningham — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 21:28:19 +0000

College of Public Health faculty awarded 2024 Mason Impact Grants Mary Cunningham Thu, 04/04/2024 - 17:28

In This Story

Li-Mei Chen, PhD

Kyeung Mi Oh, PhD, MSN, RN

Melissa L. Villodas, PhD, LMSW, LCSW-A

Anna Parisi, PhD

Assistant Professor Melissa Villodas

Congratulations to College of Public Health faculty Assistant Professors Melissa Villodas, Anna Parisi, and Li-Mei Chen, and Associate Professor Kyeung Mi Oh on earning 2024 Mason Impact Grants. Awards go toward funding Summer Team Impact Projects, part of the Mason Impact (MI) program. Researchers identified a central theme, research question, or a community-identified problem to explore over the course of 10 weeks.

Assistant Professor Anna Parisi

“We’re not only deeply proud, but also incredibly excited for our awardees within the College. The Mason Impact Grant opens a new avenue for our faculty and students to be on the forefront of public health innovation and is another opportunity to showcase their expertise serves to uplift population health,” said Alison Cuellar, associate dean of research in the College of Public Health.

During the multidisciplinary Summer Team Impact projects, faculty, with a team of undergraduate students, address a topic of their choosing. At the conclusion of the grant, faculty and students present their findings and prototype solutions.

Assistant Professor Li-Mei Chen

Chen and Oh from the Department of Social Work and School of Nursing, respectively, will study civic engagement among older adults of color in Fairfax County. Jung Yeon (Ellie) Park from the College of Education and Human Development Division of Educational Psychology and Research Methods is also on the research team.

Villodas and Parisi, both from the Department of Social Work, will contribute to reducing rates of suicide among youth in Fairfax and Prince William County public schools.

MI prepares students to tackle global challenges by investigating meaningful questions, engaging in multiple perspectives, and creating new knowledge. MI grants foster faculty-student partnerships and facilitate putting research into action for social well-being.

More details on College of Public Health faculty research projects are below.

Associate Professor Kyeung Mi Oh

Investigating the link between civic engagement, E-health, and health outcomes of older immigrants

Limei Chen (Social Work), Jung Yeon (Ellie) Park (Division of Educational Psychology and Research Methods), Kyeung Mi Oh (Nursing)

Exclusion from civic engagement and finding meaningful roles in society can have strong implications for older adults’ health and well-being. Civic engagement has been conceptualized as a part of the broader construct of social capital and has been identified as a pathway for accessing important health information through personal networks, and public and community organizations. However, there is a paucity of research examining how health, race, ethnicity, and gender facilitate or impede civic engagement in late life. The purpose of this proposed interdisciplinary project is to investigate the state of civic engagement among older adults of color in Fairfax County. This project will provide students with a rich experiential learning in community-based participatory research with communities of color in Fairfax County such as skills in cultural adaptation of measures and cultural humility when working with older adults of color. The results of this study will be shared as a student-led workshop to promote and educate the communities on older adults' civic engagement in tandem with digital literacy for positive health behavior.

Assessing supports to address suicidality among northern Virginian middle- and high- schoolers

Melissa Villodas (Social Work), Anna Parisi (Social Work)

Suicidality and non-suicidal self-injury among youth continue to grow as serious public health concerns in the United States (U.S.) and globally. With alarming rates of suicide trending in the wrong direction across the world, researchers are committed to bending the curve of suicide and reducing rates by 2025. Research and published reports have consistently brought attention to the alarming need to intervene and address mental health at a much earlier time point than previously anticipated. Indeed, improving access to mental health resources early in life can facilitate lifesaving connections for youth. Therefore, the proposed project will contribute to national efforts to reduce suicide by focusing on our local communities within Fairfax and Prince William County public schools. We seek to investigate what resources, programs, interventions, and services are available for middle- and high-school students in this region. The goal of this project is to highlight interventions, programs, or initiatives in place within Fairfax and Prince William County Public middle- and high- schools that offer support to students who express thoughts of suicide. Additionally, we aim to identify specific factors within each high school that contribute to enhanced student support, such as family involvement efforts or training for school staff.

Topics

Associate Professor Denise Hines educates FBI personnel on the realities of male victims of domestic violence

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 17:34:43 +0000

Associate Professor Denise Hines educates FBI personnel on the realities of male victims of domestic violence Mary Cunningham Wed, 01/31/2024 - 12:34

In This Story

Denise Hines, PhD

Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work Denise Hines was the keynote speaker for an FBI event for Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October) dedicated to bringing awareness to male victims of intimate partner violence (IPV), a historically under-recognized population of IPV victims. The event, “Men: An Underrepresented Victim,” shed light on the statistics and lived experiences of male IPV victims. Hines’s speech, which included evidence supported by her research, provided key insights on the physical, psychological, sexual, and legal/administrative abuse men can experience at the hands of their partners.

For example, Hines discredited some often-discussed myths about IPV against men. “People think men can’t be victims of sexual assault: That’s not true. Our data shows that they often are and that when sexual abuse is part of the IPV, the relationships are more dangerous,” Hines said. “People then ask: Does it really hurt them? Yes, it does. The majority of male victims have been injured, often severely enough to need medical attention, and sometimes, they are too embarrassed to seek medical care.”

Despite women traditionally being portrayed as the demographic most in need of IPV support resources, more and more evidence is showing that all genders and sexual orientations are in need of supports and resources. For example, data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) reveals that an estimated 1 in 10 men in the U.S. have experienced sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.

Hines is hopeful that the social narrative is shifting to be more inclusive and representative of all victims.

“I was recently leaving from a swim lesson for my child when I noticed a poster on the wall. The poster was about domestic abuse victimization, with photos of men,” Hines said. “This was a sign to me that the message is starting to get through.”

Hines is an expert on the causes, consequences, and prevention of family violence and sexual assault, specifically focusing on under-recognized victims of IPV. She has conducted extensive research on partner violence and specializes in translating university-based research for policymakers to create legislation supporting IPV victims.

Attendees described Hines’s words as representing the importance of gender inclusivity in IPV conversations and relatable to the real-life experiences of men who have survived IPV.

The event also featured well-known spoken word artist Breeze the Poet, who recited two poems recounting the confusion and complexities he felt as a male victim of IPV.

Mason’s Student Support and Advocacy Center provides confidential supportive services to student victims and survivors of all forms of sexual and interpersonal violence as well as serving as a link to campus and community resources.

Topics

Intimate Partner Violence

Social Work

Social Work Faculty

Bachelor of Social Work alumna recognized as Graduate of the Last Decade

tthoma8 — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 15:12:07 +0000

Bachelor of Social Work alumna recognized as Graduate of the Last Decade tthoma8 Thu, 10/19/2023 - 11:12

As the founder and CEO of her own non-profit, Mason alumna Cordelia Cranshaw Skeete (BSW ‘14) devotes her career to increasing opportunities for at-risk youth to succeed. Since graduating from Mason and earning her Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Maryland Baltimore, Skeete has led numerous initiatives. She is the CEO and founder of Acts of Random Kindness (ARK), a nonprofit with the mission of creating programs and providing resources for youth, their families and those who support them.

In addition to serving as ARK’s CEO, Skeete continues to practice therapeutic services as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for individuals, children and families. She is a motivational speaker and regularly consults with organizations on child welfare matters.

For her excellence and contributions to the field of social work, Skeete has been named the Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD).

“Words can barely describe the honor I feel being recognized by Mason. When I first chose Mason, I knew there was something special, but each step of the way it has been confirmed from the feelings I felt sitting in my first class engaging with the students and professor to receiving this award and being recognized for the work I do,” said Skeete about being honored with the GOLD Award.

The GOLD Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated significant contributions to their profession, community, and shown significant promise for continued leadership, service, and future career success.

Skeete’s story is one of success and beating the odds. After growing up in the foster system, Skeete was inspired to become a social worker to help children overcome the barriers she faced, using her lived experiences to connect with those she works with.

“I am proud because my younger self would have never believed this to be true. I’ve worked really hard to overcome statistics,” said Skeete. “I work really hard every day as a social worker to help others succeed.”

Skeete was also crowned Miss DC USA in 2019 and continues to use her platform to reach more children and families, spreading hope to communities in need.

Currently, Skeete is excited to keep ARK’s momentum moving forward in its endeavors to improve the lives of youth facing challenges. ARK’s latest initiative is Survivor to Thriver (STT), a healing toolkit for those who have experienced trauma.

“STT provides seven strategies for youth and young adults to implement in their daily lives to guide their healing journey and learn to build relationships with those who support them. We are working on getting STT in the hands of every youth and young adult in the state of Virginia who is experiencing foster care,” said Skeete.

She continues to be a part of the Mason community, inspiring future generations of social workers. During a career panel connecting social work alumni and students, Skeete encouraged students to get an accelerated advanced degree in social work if they have the option to and to form networks with peers while still in school.

Skeete is grateful for Mason’s role in her achievements.

“I am glad I have gained the confidence to use my story, experiences and professional knowledge to guide others in doing the same and Mason built that foundation for me,” said Skeete.

Skeete will be formally awarded Friday, October 20, from 6-10 p.m. at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner to celebrate all 2023 Distinguished Alumni.

Topics

Bachelor of Social Work

Three newly Certified Healthcare Simulation Educators advance College toward offering VR-enhanced curriculum to every student

tthoma8 — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 14:24:35 +0000

Three newly Certified Healthcare Simulation Educators advance College toward offering VR-enhanced curriculum to every student tthoma8 Fri, 09/22/2023 - 10:24

In This Story

Bethany Cieslowski, DNP

The College of Public Health proudly introduces three newly credentialed Certified Healthcare Simulation Educators (CHSE) Sindhu Mallala, Debra Derner, and Virginia Cronin.

“The CHSE credential sets the industry standard for simulation training and our VR Sim Lab now has four certified educators working directly with students to turn information into experience,” says Bethany Cieslowski, Chief Innovation Officer for Immersive Technologies for the College of Public Health, who also holds CHSE certification. “This certification demonstrates expertise and excellence in high-quality simulation and learning practices that sets apart the education delivered here at the College of Public Health.”

Cieslowski, who joined the College in 2021 as the Simulation Coordinator in the School of Nursing, was recently named the Chief Innovation Officer for Immersive Technologies for the College. Cieslowski envisions that the College will play an integral role in expanding Mason’s VR capabilities on all its campuses, including having a robust presence at Fuse at Mason Square. The first milestone in achieving that goal is deepening the College’s bench of simulation-certified faculty.

CHSE certification signifies the unique skillsets facilitators possess to accelerate student learning using simulation-based education such as VR. Bethany Cieslowski, Sindhu Mallala, Debra Derner, and Virginia Cronin, all CHSE certified, are leading initiatives to expand access to virtual reality (VR) across all Mason campuses.

Cronin, an adjunct faculty member for the School of Nursing and an instructor in the Simulation Center, and Derner, who is the clinical assistant and facilitator in VR and Simulation, also received their CHSE certifications this past summer. Mallala serves as the Simulation and Data Integration Specialist and earned CHSE certification this past August.

“Gaining the CHSE certification has been quite meaningful. It pushed me to dig deeper into the world of educational strategies and best practices in simulation learning and opened doors to connect and collaborate with fellow simulation educators. Ultimately, CHSE has empowered me to contribute more effectively to the field of healthcare simulation education,” said Mallala.

Students across the College experience VR as a way to enrich the public health curriculum. For example, nursing students can practice various bedside scenarios while Health Administration and Policy students train in the intersections of public health and information technology.

“Virtual reality can be shared with all departments to foster collaboration among various disciplines and to learn from each other” said Derner.

“This was evident in recent events within the College of Public Health where faculty from departments of Social Work and Nutrition joined the nursing simulation team to create VR experiences for their students,” said Cronin

“Mason consistently embraces technological advancements in education, providing a solid foundation exploration of innovative ideas and approaches aimed at making learning more engaging and informative for our students,” Mallala said.

Topics

Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP)

TTIP

Tech Talent Investment Program

Trauma-informed fellowship prepares Master of Social Work students to become more effective at supporting clients

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 15 May 2023 14:13:29 +0000

Trauma-informed fellowship prepares Master of Social Work students to become more effective at supporting clients Mary Cunningham Mon, 05/15/2023 - 10:13

In This Story

Vicki Kirsch, PhD, MSW, MA

Seeing a need for more trauma-informed social workers, Mason’s College of Public Health began a summer fellowship to provide the workforce training that graduate students were looking for.

In June of 2022, a group of Master of Social Work (MSW) Advanced Level students began a fellowship to receive training and diversify their clinical skills. Through this initiative, participants learn how to recognize distressing experiences that may have occurred in a client’s past and how to provide specific treatments based on their individual needs.

The fellowship is grounded in the core principles of ethical and social justice-oriented clinical social work practice in a health setting using an integrative model of therapeutic and community-based interventions at the individual and small group levels.

Frankie Keesee, MSW, participant in the trauma-informed fellowship

“It is important for social work students to be trauma-informed so they can meet all clients with care and empathy and establish trust,” said Frankie Keesee, a participant in the trauma-informed fellowship. “You never know who has experienced trauma, so learning trauma-informed strategies is a good foundational skillset for all social work practice.”

Trauma-informed care is an approach that trains social work practitioners to proactively address traumatic experiences in clients and provide treatment appropriate for trauma-related behavioral health problems.

The fellowship prepares clinicians to work with various populations such as veterans, immigrants, sexual and emotional abuse survivors, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community with the goal of using trauma-informed care and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help clients reach their goals.

“This fellowship has supported my capacity to serve underserved populations because I have practiced how to meet people where they are, how to introduce DBT to folks who have never heard of it before, and how to modify sessions to meet the needs of clients,” said Keesee. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based treatment to teach life skills including mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness skills, emotion regulation skills, and distress tolerance skills.

Vicki Kirsch, associate professor of Social Work in the College of Public Health, leads the fellowship and utilizes her expertise in DBT to mold the next generation of well-rounded social work clinicians.

Participants note how the experience has made their job search easier and given them greater confidence to serve clients. Keese, who currently works with veterans, values the skills she has learned and intends to implement them as a full-time case manager with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center after graduation.

“I was able to lead a DBT group for veterans in a residential treatment setting,” Keesee said. “My confidence to lead this group was rooted in the skills I learned during the trauma-informed fellowship.”

The Social Work Department will be offering this Summer Trauma-Informed Fellowship for advanced MSW students this Summer 2023.

Additional reporting by Brandon Cantrell.

Topics

Social Work

master of social work

College of Public Health

trauma-informed care

social work students

Can your neighborhood affect your mental health? According to Villodas’s research, yes!

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 22:51:42 +0000

Can your neighborhood affect your mental health? According to Villodas’s research, yes! Mary Cunningham Mon, 01/09/2023 - 17:51

In This Story

Melissa L. Villodas, PhD, LMSW, LCSW-A

Assistant Professor of Social Work Melissa Villodas shares her research on the impact neighborhood environments have on mental health

Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work Melissa Villodas is ardent about fostering connectedness within communities. Her research has included investigating depression among black youth living in public housing and how they experience connection with their neighborhood. Villodas has studied the effects of one’s structural environment and perceived environment in relation to mental health. She is also motivated by her time spent as a clinician at a foster care agency in New York City. Villodas is trained in intervention research, a methodology that seeks to learn what treatments and strategies produce the best outcomes. She hopes her work on neighborhood cohesion will help address systematic gaps social work service and delivery.

“In my work, I have found that connectedness, or how we feel connected or interrelated with our peers, community, and schools, really buffers against mental health challenges that may be associated with the neighborhood environment,” said Villodas. “If you have a very disordered neighborhood, but you feel connected to these key social systems that can greatly help your mental health.”

She uses her research to uplift disadvantaged populations.

“I want to influence policies to create safe places to live for marginalized communities that improve neighborhood environments without resulting in displacement or gentrification,” said Villodas.

Villodas recently presented at the Council on Social Work Education. With doctoral students at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, she presented a paper entitled “Unequal Beginnings” that details the experiences of PhD students in social work who are racial minorities with intersecting identities. The presentation explored the experiences of first-generation students. The purpose of the presentation was to guide social work educators on how they can improve their programs for first-generation students.

As a first-generation Afro-Latina who has earned her PhD, Villodas understands what it is like to feel out of place while pursuing an advanced degree.

“I’ve walked into rooms where I felt like everyone else knew what was going on and I was the only one lost,” said Villodas, PhD, LMSW, LCSW-A. “The truth is that even if you don’t realize it, people with different identities are needed to bring diversity and representation into educational spaces.”

The ambition to advance social work practice follows her into her role as an educator here at Mason.

Last semester, Villodas taught Foundations for Direct Practice, an introduction to social work course where students learn the values, skills, and theories important for all new social work students to understand. This semester, she will be teaching Community Practice Over the Life Course, which focuses on how environmental factors impact social work, such as how poverty and oppression influence clients. She is always excited to impart her knowledge and experiences to her students.

“As a social worker, it is important to have what I like to call critical consciousness. We need to be attuned with our own thoughts, emotions, and histories,” Villodas said. “I want my students to leave my course with the confidence and competence to go out and be conscious social workers who center clients in direct practice.”

Villodas’s appreciation for cultural connectedness is not limited to her research pursuit and is a staple her personal life. She has been training in Afro-Latin dances for seven years and experiences the benefits of engaging with one’s community.

“I believe engaging culture improves mental health,” said Villodas. “By realizing that you belong to or engage with a rich history of resilience and expression can be very empowering.”

Villodas will be presenting her dissertation paper “Testing the Stress Process Model: The Influence of Perceived Neighborhood Environment and Connectedness on Mental Health Symptoms of Justice-Involved Black Youth Society” at the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) conference in January.

Topics

Social Work

Social Work Faculty

Social Work Research

How Pop Culture Ignited a Career in Social Work

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 12:44:51 +0000

How Pop Culture Ignited a Career in Social Work Mary Cunningham Mon, 06/06/2022 - 08:44

Bachelor of Social Work student Alondra Ortega speaks about how her personal values to help children integrate with her career aspirations.

May 2022 Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) graduate Alondra Ortega’s motivation to pursue a career as a social worker was ignited after watching an episode of the popular crime fiction television show Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Ortega has always been aware of her desire to aid vulnerable populations and the depiction of an overwhelmed child welfare system solidified her decision to enter the field.

“The episode touched on the reality of burnout among child welfare workers and emphasized the need for workers who are committed to making a change and helping children in need,” Ortega said. “The message of that episode resonated deeply with me.”

Ortega’s drive to help underserved communities has allowed her to collaborate with others who share her commitment.

No Stranger to Advocacy

Ortega is an active member of Corazones Unidos Siempre Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc., an organization that is devoted to improving the unique obstacles minority women in our communities face and to working toward the betterment of all women. In partnership with FACETS, a Fairfax County non-profit dedicated to ending poverty, Chi Upsilon Sigma created care packages and hosted a feminine hygiene drive. At the institution where she was previously an intern, Ortega also created a diversity, equity, and inclusion team to encourage cultural competency.

“I enjoy giving back to the community because I believe it is important to take care of the community that shaped us as individuals whether that be organizing a donation drive, doing a small clean up with my family, or advocating for a social justice issue,” said Ortega.

Ortega models how Mason’s BSW prepares future social work professionals to be leaders in their field by providing a range of opportunities to develop broad knowledge and skills. Because of her efforts, Ortega recently won the BSW Advocacy Award.

“I am dedicated to being an influential member of society by supporting and advocating on behalf of those who make up the future of our communities, children. I am honored to have been recognized, among other talented students, by the faculty and staff of the BSW program,” Ortega said.

For her practicum, Ortega worked as a Family Services Specialist Intern at a local department of social services where she assisted in foster care cases, home visits, family assessments, documentation, client referrals, interpretation, and translation. After graduating she plans to continue working at her practicum placement full-time as a Family Services Specialist.

“Children are perhaps the most innocent beings in this life, and it is our duty to protect that innocence and promote their well-being. I am committed to working toward the betterment of the social conditions that increase the risk of child abuse and neglect,” said Ortega.

Topics