CSW General

“I did my initial field placement in gerontology and it was right after my dad died. He was an older gentleman and I really saw the need. Social workers are always talking about those personal experiences and I had that experience and decided that was the way I wanted to go,” Victoria (Vicky) Thomas reflected when seated at her desk at Elder Day Stay, a facility run by Elder Care Services, Inc. in Tallahassee, Florida.

The fall 2013 semester marked the beginning of a new tradition recognizing five distinguished graduates from the College of Social Work at the annual student scholarship dinner.  The College’s commitment to service lives on through its students and alumni, exemplified by the five special people acknowledged at this year’s dinner, including the Distinguished Emeritus Alumni Award (Joyce Laidlaw), Distinguished Young Alumni Award (Dana Morris-Brooks), Distinguished Field Educator Award (Sharon Maxwell-Ferguson), Distinguished Alumni in Social Work Practice Award (Jeanene J

Florida State’s Graduate School held its first Three Minute Thesis competition on February 25^th in front of a live audience on the main Tallahassee campus.  Developed by The University of Queensland in Australia, this research communication competition challenges doctoral student competitors to present a comprehensive and captivating oration on their dissertation topic and its significance in three minutes or less.  Popularity for the competition has spread across the globe and is held in numerous graduate schoo

Some doctors are too quick to prescribe antidepressants to parents who have suffered the death of a child either during pregnancy or within the first month of life, according to a study conducted by Florida State University researcher Jeffrey R. Lacasse.

In a study of 235 bereaved parents participating in an online support community, Lacasse found that 88 — or 37.4 percent — of them were prescribed a psychiatric medication to help them cope. Some women received prescriptions within a week of losing their children.

The Institute for Family Violence Studies in Florida State University’s College of Social Work has partnered with the Center for Public Safety Innovation at St. Petersburg College to create a Spanish-language version of an online training program to prevent domestic violence in the homes of law enforcement officers.

The Spanish-language online training went live March 17 and is free to all law enforcement agencies in Puerto Rico.

At the conclusion of the spring 2014 semester the College of Social Work will bid farewell to long-time faculty member Karen Keroack.  For over 28 years Karen has served as an invaluable member of the faculty, acting as an instructor and area coordinator for the Gainesville Part-Time MSW Program.

Dr. Maxine Thurston Fischer quietly made history at FSU in 1964 when she became the first African-American student to receive a degree from the University, graduating with her Master’s in Social Work.  But her contributions to the University and the College of Social Work didn’t stop there. Her degree was a catalyst for a lifetime dedication to social work and social activism.

Annually the College of Social Work joins NASW to celebrate March as Social Work Month and strives in acknowledge the occasion and the importance of social workers and their profession in several ways throughout the month.

This year’s FSU Great Give runs from Thursday, April 17 through Friday, April 18, 2014 and the College of Social Work focuses its efforts on raising funds to sustain its annual Arts & Athletics Summer Camp! 2014 marks the third summer the camp will run on Florida State’s campus, allowing under-resourced middle school youths to experience college life.

“It’s time to stop being politely angry,” said Leymah Gbowee, the Liberian social worker and peace activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. Leymah spent a weekend at Florida State this month, helping students and teachers learn how to harness their personal difficulties and anger at injustice into positive energy towards change.