Social Work News

Donna Aguiniga, Matthew Cuellar and Mary Dallas Allen smiling, standing in front of trees Read More

UAA’s School of Social Work $1.2 million Department of Education grant will fill school social worker shortage in Alaska

 |  Catalina Myers  |  , , , ,

UAA's School of Social Work received a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to address the need for Alaska social workers in a K-12 setting. The School-Based Social Work Education and Network Development program (SSWEND) aims to graduate a cohort of 31 fellows by 2026 who will increase the amount of school-based mental health service providers in high-needs schools.

Amana Mbise, Ph.D., closing out his presentation during the Alaska Black Caucus town hall event Read More

Groundbreaking report sheds light on health disparities experienced by Black Alaskans

 |  Anchorage Daily News  |  , ,

On June 30, the Alaska Black Caucus held the Covid & Beyond: Black Health & Wellness Town Hall at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Amana Mbise, Ph.D., an assistant professor with the School of Social Work under the College of Health, presented eye-opening findings from the first-ever Black Alaskans Health Status report.

An adult holds the hand of a child Read More

Talk of Alaska: Breaking the cycle of removal for Black and Indigenous children

 |  Alaska Public Media  | 

School of Social Work assistant professor Dr. Jessica Ullrich and Dept. of Human Services associate professor Dr. Yvonne Chase were guests on Talk of Alaska on March 8 to talk about breaking the cycle of removing for Black and Indigenous children.⁠

Kids playing with fallen leaves during fall season Read More

UAA researchers hope to move child welfare away from separation and toward community building

 |  Alaska Public Media  | 

Social Work Assistant Professor Dr. Jessica Ullrich and Human Services Professor Dr. Yvonne Chase were featured in an Alaska Public Media article about a study they co-authored in the International Journal on Child Maltreatment, titled "A Connectedness Framework: Breaking the Cycle of Child Removal for Black and Indigenous Children." The study explores alternative child welfare strategies to limit family separation.

Photo of Vanessa Salmon Read More

MSW alumna Vanessa Salmon publishes article about the challenges rural women experience delivering babies

 |  Ahliil Saitanan  |  ,

Vanessa Salmon, a 2019 MSW program graduate, published an article in the Journal of Rural Mental Health, titled "When delivery means departure: Describing the practice and impacts of mandated maternal transport in Alaska," which was her capstone project for the program. This research is about the challenges rural women experience delivering babies and the demands of having to move into hub communities to await delivery. Salmon was the lead author, alongside UAA School of Social Work professor Dr. Heidi Brocious and UAF Dept. of Social Work associate professor Dr. Laverne Demientieff.