CSW General

Undergraduate student Kaylyn Thigpen has always been one to stand up for herself Faced with several personal health issues, open conversations about them became a necessary reality. Since November 2017, Kaylyn approached each of her professors on the first day of class to inform them of her brain aneurysm diagnosis and how to respond in an emergency situation. “This led to a lot more conversations with my professors, particularly with Carol Edwards,” she explained. “We talked about health insurance and how hard it is to get quality care.”

Florida’s Fostering Success Program launched this year with the Florida State University Success Institute, a week-long overnight professional development and employment readiness training from June 17-22, 2018. The Institute, which is only one component of the Fostering Success program, is a collaboration between the FSU College of Social Work and the Florida Department of Children and Families, along with participating local child welfare experts, social work faculty members, and former Fostering Success participants.

As Florida State University prepares to welcome more than 6,000 freshmen this fall, the university is offering a new online tool to help students adjust to campus, improve mental health, increase resilience and reduce stress.

“I love helping people ---and there’s nothing more special than giving yourself to a little being,” College of Social Work Alumna Patricia (Pat) Grise says about her role as a volunteer “baby cuddler.” For more than twenty years, Pat has been cuddling, bathing and bottle feeding premature and newborn babies at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare (TMH) to help them thrive.

Amy L. Ai, Ph.D., Professor in Florida State University’s College of Social Work and a Faculty Affiliate with the Institute for Successful Longevity, was honored by the International Association of Applied Psychology for her long and distinguished history of scientific contributions to health psychology.

IAAP’s Division 8: Health Psychology gave Ai its Distinguished Health Psychology Contribution Award for 2018.

This year was the seventh annual College of Social Work Arts & Athletics Camp. The Camp utilizes arts and athletics to introduce local middle school aged youth, ages 11-14, to the university environment and encourage them to pursue higher education. This program aims to enhance leadership development, grow confidence in academic achievement, socialization, and other life skills for young adults living in the local community, including those with limited social and economic opportunity.

Information Technology Support Specialist May Bolden was honored with a 2018 Prudential Productivity award in a ceremony on June 5th, along with other dedicated state employees, including four additional teams from Florida State University. Recipients of this award are recognized for making significant contributions to productivity and promoting innovation that enhances the delivery of state services while saving Florida taxpayers and businesses money.

International Programs at the FSU College of Social Work began with efforts of one faculty member, Patricia (Pat) Lager (MSW, 1983, BA 1967). Pat transitioned from work in the areas of mental health and child welfare education, teaching at Florida A&M University before being hired by [then] Dean Ray Bardill. “I graduated from FSU, so I’ve always loved this university and the College of Social Work. It’s a passionate program,” Pat related about taking on her first academic role at FSU as a part-time field faculty placing students in their internships.

William (Bill) Anderson came out of the U.S. Army in 1972 looking for a social work MSW degree program. He had three to choose from, and it was the financial support FSU offered that first brought him to Tallahassee. It would be his experiences in the program and faculty support that made him stay.

FSU College of Social Work students proceeded into the FSU Ballrooms at the Oglesby Union wearing their regalia surrounded by proud family and friends and cameras clicking. The College’s annual Spring Graduation Reception started early Friday morning, May 4^th with more than 650 people in attendance to watch FSU social work students graduate among their peers.