Honoring George Floyd: There’s still work to be done
As we mark the two-year anniversary this week of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, social workers everywhere are continuing to fight systemic racism. The VCU School of Social work and professional organizations like NASW and NASW-Virginia support greater racial equity and multicultural competence among social work students, practicing social workers and their clients. […]
Discussion explores intersection of developmental disabilities, child welfare
VCU’s Child Welfare Stipend Program and Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Va-LEND) presented a panel discussion, Developmental Disability and Child Welfare: What Do You Need to Know?, on May 24, 2022. The discussion focused on the ABCs of development disability and what child welfare workers need to know when working with children and caregivers […]
Message from the interim dean regarding Uvalde, Texas, shooting
Dear School of Social Work community, My heart is heavy today as I try to process the lives lost in Uvalde, Texas, as well as those forever changed. Many of you know that the place I consider home is an hour and a half from Uvalde, and I love and am deeply connected to this […]
Message from interim dean, President Rao on racially motivated violence
Dear SSW Community, It is heartbreaking to be writing to you again so soon, after the confirmation that the shooting Sunday in Laguna Woods, California, is being investigated as a “politically motivated hate incident,” according to authorities. We grieve for the Taiwanese community, and for the five victims, including John Cheng, who was fatally shot […]
Interim dean’s message: Race-based mass shooting in Buffalo
Dear School of Social Work Community, This weekend while our community celebrated new graduates and change makers, we were also faced with unspeakable violence. We join the world in grieving for the families of 10 victims who lost their life in a racially motivated hate crime. I write to express my grief and anger, as […]
Rebecca Gomez, Ph.D., LCSW, to serve as interim social work dean
Rebecca Gomez, Ph.D., LCSW, comes by her passion for the transformative power of higher education naturally – it’s in her genes. Gomez assumes leadership as interim dean of the VCU School of Social Work on May 16, 2022, after serving for nearly two years as associate dean of academic and student affairs. Dr. Gomez succeeds […]
Social work alum participates in White House child care roundtable
VCU School of Social Work alum Allison Gilbreath (B.S.’11/GPA; M.S.W.’16/SW) participated in a White House roundtable on Feb. 22, representing Virginia parents and discussing child care and the Biden administration’s Build Back Better plan. Gilbreath, whose then 3-year-old son, Perry, joined her, is the policy and programs director at Voices for Virginia’s Children. Also participating […]
Dean Angell announces departure from VCU, new position at Michigan
Beth Angell, Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Social Work since 2018, has accepted the position of dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan effective July 1. “Leading this school has been a tremendous honor and privilege, even during challenging times,” says Angell, the ninth full-time dean in the […]
Child Welfare Stipend Program: Meet our 15 upcoming graduates
The Title IV Child Welfare Stipend Program at VCU continues to serve as a pipeline for developing talented graduates and future leaders in the field of public child welfare – and 15 more School of Social Work students are set to to join the field later this year. The CWSP provides students with specialized training […]
Thinking about a career in child welfare? Social work alumni separate fact from fiction
The VCU School of Social Work has been a leader in developing future social workers who go on to work in Department of Social Services settings, and part of that leadership has included taking a critical look at areas where the public welfare system needs to evolve – and also where the school’s educational practices […]