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 […]
Two social work alumni win Circle of Care Awards
Congratulations to two VCU School of Social Work alumni who were selected as winners of the Social Work Circle of Care Awards 2021, along with 14 other alumni who were finalists. The awards recognize outstanding social workers in a variety of healthcare settings. The winners are: Social Worker of the Year in a Hospital – […]
Social work-led project to reduce homelessness receives $800K+ grant
Two VCU School of Social Work associate professors, Maurice N. Gattis, Ph.D., and M. Alex Wagaman, Ph.D., have secured a Virginia Housing Trust Fund Homeless Reduction Grant The $883,014 grant builds on a previously funded project and will work to reduce homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth, pregnant and parenting youth, and young people at the intersection […]
Child Welfare Stipend Program at VCU: A strong social work legacy supporting the commonwealth
As a newly minted VCU M.S.W. graduate in 2003, Danika Briggs signed on for 18 months with a local Virginia Department of Social Services office. Now, nearly 19 years later, she’s still with DSS, currently assistant director for family services with the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Department of Social Services. Briggs, a licensed clinical social worker, is […]
School of Social Work Annual Report: 100+ snapshots that tell a story of strength, resilience, adaptability
As the VCU School of Social Work takes a look back at the past 18 months through the lens of our first Annual Report publication, it’s clear that the big picture is really a series of smaller snapshots and their collective impact. You will find more than 100 of these snapshots throughout the pages of […]
Donate winter coats (and hats and gloves) Nov. 9-23
In partnership with VCU’s Center for Community Engagement and Impact, the School of World Studies, the departments of psychology, sociology and political science, and the School of Education, the School of Social Work is participating in a winter coat drive from Nov. 9-23. The Southwood Apartment community, also known as La Mancha, a multicultural neighborhood […]
Ph.D. student Leah Bouchard earns prestigious rural health fellowship
Growing up in rural western North Carolina, Leah Bouchard saw the impact of methamphetamine and opioids on the members of her small community. First as a multi-systemic therapist in eastern Tennessee and then as a doctoral student and candidate at the VCU School of Social Work, she has dedicated both practice and research to serving […]
Ph.D. to EMT: A social work fixture for 40 years, Dattalo finds his niche as volunteer
Professor Pat Dattalo, Ph.D., has been teaching since the early 1980s, and even in retirement from the VCU School of Social Work, he’s got another group with which he can listen and learn. Dattalo, who joined the school full time in 1986, made his retirement official in October. Having started about four years ago as […]
Collective 365, with 3 social work alumnae, empowers Black, Brown communities with grants
With three VCU School of Social Work alumni among its 11 founders, it’s no wonder that the nonprofit Collective 365 has ambitious plans after selecting recipients for its inaugural grant cycle of $17,500 earlier this year. Next in their sights: doubling their awards with a $35,000 grant cycle in February. “With $35,000 as our goal, […]
Celebrating Juneteenth and reflecting on the necessary work still to be done
This Saturday, June 19, marks the annual celebration of Juneteenth, recognized with a state holiday here in Virginia on Friday, June 18. Juneteenth represents the first celebration of freedom among formerly enslaved Black Americans in Texas, who were informed of their freedom more than 2.5 years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. This week, […]