At the annual Social Work Month Celebration, National Association of Social Workers Florida (NASW-FL) Big Bend Unit celebrated this year’s leaders in the region. Among these honored social workers were NASW-FL President and FSU College of Social Work faculty member Carol Edwards, BSW student Kathryn Casello and FSU College of Social Work MSW Alumni Christine Didion.

Nominated by fellow faculty member Jane Dwyer Lee, Carol was acknowledged as the 2018 Social Work Educator of the Year for her impact on students and her colleagues at the FSU College of Social Work. Carol has taken the lead for the college’s Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) efforts with FSU students. Lee mentions in her nomination, that Edwards engages students in and out of the classroom as a teaching professor, mentor and role-model.

“Her positivity is contagious,” Lee wrote in her nomination letter. “She is a powerful woman of integrity and she embodies the ethical standards of our profession. I have great admiration for Carol Edwards both personally and professionally. She is an inspiration to her colleagues and her students.”

Kathryn Casello was named Social Work Student of the Year based on her nomination by College of Social Work faculty member Pam MacDill, director of both the BSW Program and Professional Development. MacDill acknowledges Casello’s extraordinary efforts as a student before even coming to Florida State University. Coming from Alaska, Casello founded the youth suicide prevention program You Are Not Alone that trained students on prevention and intervention techniques and created PSAs and marketing for the organization. At FSU, Casello has been a leader with the College of Social Work, within the University and at NASW-FL.

A double major in social work and political science, Casello is president of the FSU Student Association of Social Work, is the FSU student senate representative for the college, and is the student representative for NASW-FL. Among her many honors, she is a member of Garnet and Gold Scholars, Garnet and Gold Key Honors Society, Golden Key Honor Society, and Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society. She served as president of FSU Keep Guns off Campus (2017-2018) and is president of the FSU Keep Guns off Campus.

MacDill noted in her nomination letter that her description doesn’t do Casello justice as she “exemplifies all that we can be proud of when thinking about the next generation of social workers who are passionate about their work and the profession while adhering to the highest level of ethics.”

Christian Didion was unable to attend the event but received the Social Worker of the Year award for her work with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs running the Dementia Care and Cure Initiative (DCCI). Nominated by her then-coworker Tracey Aittama, Christine expanded the DCCI from one task force to ten, also developing start-up toolkits to make participation easier. Among her other accomplishments, Christine acted as a leader in the community through her work with local dementia agencies to promote their programs, services, and volunteers.  She recently started a new position in Hudson, Florida as a case manager at Community Management and Retirement Services (CARES). She specializes in serving adults with chronic mental illnesses including individuals living with and affected by Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. She enjoys weaving community interaction, education, engagement and awareness in all facets of her work.

"She exemplifies her social work values and isn't afraid to stand up for herself or other, "Aittama wrote about Christine in her nomination. "Christine makes sure each community member has a voice."

Edwards, Casello, and Didion were celebrated along with other Big Bend Unit award winners including Charles P. Rabaut, Jr., Public Citizen of the Year, and AARP-Tallahassee as Agency of the Year. Click below for a list of NASW-FL winners statewide.