CSW General

Florida State University’s Faculty Senate presented four honored members of the university community its annual Torch Award at dinner and reception on December 4th. Established in 1996, Torch Awards are bestowed on “those who have contributed to the university’s academic excellence.” Nominations are made by FSU faculty members to an award committee who then provide recommendations to the Faculty Senate Steering Committee.

The award is named for the torches displayed on FSU’s seal (Vires, Artes, Mores) and includes the categories of:

Florida State University College of Social Work in partnership with the U.S. Peace Corps will begin offering the Coverdell Fellowship in 2018 to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV) pursuing a Master of Social Work degree. It marks the first time the fellowship will be offered at Florida State in the field of social work.

The Barbour Scholarship is a signature program of the University of Michigan (UM). As a Barbour Scholar, FSU College of Social Work Professor Dr. Amy L. Ai and a small group of Barbour Scholars represent women of the highest academic and professional caliber from the countries encompassing the large region extending from Turkey in the west to Japan and the Philippines in the east.

Since the Florida State University (FSU) College of Social Work began its partnership with the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) in 2014, the FSU Operation Family Caregiver (OFC) site has demonstrated an excellent track record for reaching out to and assisting caregivers of military veterans and service members.

Florida State University College of Social Work honored its distinguished alumni and student scholarship recipients on Thursday, November 2^nd, at The Gathering in Tallahassee, Florida. Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Craig Stanley presided over the event, which included reflections by Dean Jim Clark, Development Director Colette Podgorski, and student speaker and scholarship recipient Julie Mishoe to an audience of current and former students, faculty, and staff. There were 57 students awarded scholarships totaling $62,000 for the fall 2017 semester.

Over the summer, the NASW Foundation came up with public service announcement videos to help the general public understand what kinds of services social workers provide.

At the 2017 CSWE Annual Program Meeting, many social work scholars were recognized for their contributions to the field, including FSU College of Social Work doctoral program alumna and Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work (VCU) Professor Dr. Kia J. Bentley. At the Journal of Social Work Education Reception, Dr.

Social work doctoral student Ruben Lane Forsman is no stranger to service. Forsman served as an intensive outpatient substance abuse counselor in New Orleans, Louisiana and as a member of the Florida Assertive Community Treatment Team in Leon County providing community-based mental and behavioral health services to individuals experiencing severe, persistent mental illness prior to entering the Doctoral Program at the FSU College of Social Work.

With the growth of online programs, a continuous challenge remains to constantly improve and innovate. A step in that direction for the FSU College of Social Work will include the establishment of a position to oversee field education for online programs. Associate Teaching Professor Rosalyn Deckerhoff will take on this role starting at the beginning of the spring 2018 semester.

In order to create positive change, conventional wisdom often needs to be reconsidered. Are low-carbohydrate diets an effective remedy for obesity? Do patients have a right to self-medicate? Are psychiatric drugs effective over the long term?

The Florida State University College of Social Work will host a daylong conference to explore these questions and more.