Simmons College School of Social Work Professor elected as the new President of the International Federation of Social Work

Simmons College School of Social Work Associate Professor Gary Bailey was elected as the new President of the International Federation of Social Work, at the end of their General Meeting in June in Hong Kong. Gary is the first American to hold this office in over 20 years, and the first person of color in the IFSW's 80-year history.


IFSW is the global federation of social work organizations from more than 80 countries, representing over 700,000 social workers.

This wonderful achievement builds on Gary's record of outstanding leadership within the social work profession over many years.

Bailey is the immediate past-president of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and current chair of its National Social Work Public Education Campaign. He also is the immediate past-president of the North American Region of the International Federation of Social Workers.

The Simmons School of Social Work was founded in 1904. It has a nationally acclaimed clinical social work program and is the oldest school of social work in the nation.

A Simmons College School of Social Work student wins National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) scholarship award

Kecia Lopes, a first year SSW student, has been awarded the Selena Danette Brown Book Scholarship. This distinguished award was presented at the 2010 National Association of Black Social Workers Conference, in Philadelphia. It honors the life and memory of Selena Danette Brown, a social work student from the University of Michigan who was tragically killed.

Before entering graduate school to seek her master’s degree, Kecia Lopes worked and volunteered in the human services field for many years. She is currently completing her Year I placement at Friends of the Children in Boston and is looking forward to her Year II placement at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Brockton, Massachusetts.

Simmons School of Social Work Student is 2009-2010 Boston Schweitzer Fellow

Amy Wong, a second year Simmons School of Social Work Student is 2009-2010 Boston Schweitzer Fellow.

The Boston Schweitzer Fellows Program is a one-year interdisciplinary fellowship program focused on community service and leadership development. It is a competitive program open to students obtaining professional degrees in health related fields, including degrees in social work. Fellows meet regularly during the academic year to discuss their health-related leadership projects, which require 200 community-service hours during the project. Fellows also learn how to address the impact of health disparities and health policies on local communities.

For her project Amy developed a meditation program at Maritime Apprentice Program (MAP) and at Street Potential, both of which are life skills/vocational programs for DYS-committed young men . Her project's aim is to help youth in these at-risk communities to develop awareness skills, recognize their strengths, and build their self-esteem. This approach arrives out of current research, which indicates that individuals who meditate can draw on their own mental health resources at difficult times with a regular practice.

Assistant Professor Dawn Belkin-Martinez wrote a chapter in the recently published book Social Work With Latinos

Assistant Professor Dawn Belkin-Martinez '92SW wrote the chapter "Solidaridad Y Justicia: Latinas, Community Organizing, and Empowerment" in the recently published book Social Work With Latinos.



Editors of the book wrote this about her chapter: "Chapter Seventeen, ‘Solidaridad y Justicia: Latinas Community Organizing, and Empowerment’ challenges the medical model’s blaming of social problems on Latinos, immigrants, and other at-risk groups. It also calls into question the artificial split between micro and macro practice."

SSW’s Simmons Suicide Prevention Education Initiative (SSPEI) presented the findings of their research projects

Prof. Ruth Dean, principal investigator, and Prof. Hugo Kamya, coprincipal investigator of the SSW’s Simmons Suicide Prevention Education Initiative (SSPEI) presented the findings of their research projects, "Trauma Work and Suicide Prevention with Homeless Youth" and "Suicide Among Somali Immigrant Populations" at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to Alan Holmlund, Director of the Suicide Prevention Program and his staff.

School of Social Work Action and Advocacy Project Presents "Very Young Girls" A Film Screening on Sexual Exploitation and panel discussion

School of Social Work Action and Advocacy Project Presents "Very Young Girls" A Film Screening on Sexual Exploitation
Monday, March 22, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.

A panel discussion will follow at 7:45 pm featuring:
· Megan Pulvermacher, Case Coordinator, My Life My Choice & SEEN
· Ann Wilkinson, A Survivor Mentor and Group Facilitator, My Life My Choice
· Paula Mignone, MEd, MSW, Clinician & Trafficking Advocate

Free and open to the public. Located in the Linda K. Paresky Conference Center at Simmons College

Faculty Colloquium presented by Professor Michael Melendez

Faculty Colloquium presented by Professor Michael Melendez
Spiritual Self Schema Therapy:Pilot study of adapting an Evidence -Based addictions therapy for Latinas.

Professor Melendez will discuss delivery of an evidence-based, 8 week intervention based on CBT and Buddhist principles for 13 Latina women with addiction and co-occurring mental health and PTSD. Friday, March 19th, 2010 from 5:00- 6:00 pm