In November, the Florida State University College of Social Work held a virtual event focused on "Child Welfare in Native American Communities." The event marked November as Native American Heritage Month and was a significant opportunity for the College's social work community to familiarize itself with the needs and issues facing a highly marginalized part of the child welfare system.
Florida State University (FSU), a leader in innovation, is launching a new online professional development training on meeting the needs of neurodivergent clients. The Professional Certification in the Fundamentals of Neurodiversity was developed at the FSU College of Social Work by the Institute for Family Violence Studies in conjunction with the FSU Center for Academic and Professional Development.
As a first-generation American, Erika Cuffy calls Florida home after her parents immigrated to the United States from Cuba in the 1970s. She discovered at an early age how much she loved people and finding ways to connect and help them.
May is recognized as National Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, an opportunity to recognize the diverse people, cultures and communities of Asian American, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Island Americans making up an important part of American life.
This year, Kristel Avilus, a former “Pace girl,” was named the new associate executive director for the Pace Center for Girls Leon in Tallahassee, Florida. She is the first girl to become a director in the Pace Center for Girls 38 year history.
She is a licensed clinical social worker and earned her Master of Social Work degree (2018) from the FSU College of Social Work. She was previously the social services manager, representing the first Pace alumna to serve in a management role for the Leon Center.
With educational, research and social work practice experience across three continents, including Africa, Europe and North America, Gashaye (Gash) Melaku Tefera considers himself an international social work researcher with a mission to improve the lives and representation of underserved populations. His research addresses concerns of immigrant, refugee and indigenous populations, focusing on underserved women and older adults.
Years after Hurricane Michael devastated Florida’s Gulf Coast, residents of that area still struggle to overcome the trauma of the Category 5 storm.
In a recent study, FSU researchers found that trauma and a host of psychosocial and physical challenges caused by Hurricane Michael disproportionately affect the region’s Black communities.
Growing up in a military family, Tyron Slack, a doctoral candidate at FSU, traveled internationally at an early age and became familiar with fitting into new settings and cultures. His immediate family played a strong role in helping him feel stable and supported during these stressful transitions. He stayed close to home and family while completing his undergraduate degree at Southeastern Louisiana University in psychology, but with a sincere desire to understand and help people in a meaningful way.
In February 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson instituted the first weeklong celebration to educate and raise awareness about Black/African Americans’ contributions to American history. Prior to this time, very little information could be found regarding Black/African American history and important achievements were left out of history books. He chose February because it coincides with the birthdays of Fredrick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln, two people that successfully campaigned for the end of slavery.
FSU Institute for Justice Research and Development received a 2022 Florida TaxWatch Productivity Award. The awards recognize and reward state employees and work groups who find ways to improve services, increase efficiency and save Florida taxpayers money.
