From the Director
Dear Fellows and Alumni:
You are essential:
To our classrooms. As teachers and learners, you bring rich experiences and perspectives that help stretch social work education to new areas.
To research. Research questions from Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) fellows and alumni are unique and innovative. Questions that need to be asked to generate knowledge that helps communities.
To social work practice. MFP fellows and alumni affect change in organizations and in practice encounters—across the spectrum of practice settings.
As advocates. Advocacy occurs at many levels, from federal policy to state-level representation to engaging with third-party payers. Continue to use your voice to affect change.
To your communities. You give voice to experiences that need to be heard.
To your families. We are individuals who come from families with ties that influence how we see the world and conduct social work within it.
To the MFP. The MFP is as strong as the people who are a part of it. Thank you for your contributions to the MFP and the social work profession over the past 45 years, and for years to come.
In Fellowship,
Duy Nguyen, PhD
Director, Minority Fellowship Program
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National Social Work Month and the MFP
The Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE’s) MFP is celebrating Social Work Month in March with the theme “Social Workers Are Essential” by highlighting how the fellowship has supported the invaluable contributions our most recent alumni are making in society. As our nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty, political unrest, and racial revolution, social workers are needed now more than ever. The MFP plays an essential role in meeting this need by supporting present and future social workers, who go on to support the mental health and well-being of minoritized individuals, groups, and communities. No need to take our word for it! Hear from 2019–2020 MFP Masters alumni about how essential the MFP has been to their social work journeys and to the profession more broadly.
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“MFP was an absolute pillar in my success as a MSW student. They offered so many webinars and sessions that varied across many different topics of interests to help supplement the education I was receiving in school. Through this program I was able to connect with some great peers that had similar goals as I did. The experience I had with MFP has helped me fine tune my social work skills and has immensely helped prepare me for the work force.” – Jazmine Thompson
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“The MFP program has exceeded my expectations in giving me the tools, support, and resources to develop as an effective behavioral health clinician. Through networking opportunities, monetary support, an abundance of professional development trainings, and teachings from professionals with extensive experience, I have been able to self-reflect, expand my knowledge base, and develop approaches to clinical treatment that will shape my clinical practice as I enter the field.” – Kean Flowers
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“The Masters MFP provided me a space to connect with both fellows and professionals in the field. I gained invaluable knowledge regarding mental health and the unique needs of racial and ethnic minorities in the mental health field. The monetary stipends allowed me to pursue professional development opportunities that have helped me grow as a scholar and clinician. Furthermore, it was incredible to have a network of support and additional monetary support during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. I, like many of my peers, was without my typical support system as my practicum and courses abruptly transitioned to an online format. Having the MFP was a lifeline when I really needed it. It was a breath of fresh air and an extra layer of support during an unprecedented, global crisis.” – Julia Childs
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“The MFP has been instrumental to my career. With COVID-19 and not holding a full-time job, it was sometimes difficult for me to make ends meet. The MFP provided me opportunities to attend trainings and become a member of NASW so I could attend others I was interested in. It was great hearing from people with different experiences in the field who could help guide my direction and inform me of other pathways. I appreciated the MFP's emphasis on advocacy and support for communities that have been oppressed and marginalized historically and culturally. Going into my position as a School Social Worker, I can express to my clients and students some of the barriers that may be impacting them or part of their journey that they may not even be aware of. I will also ALWAYS have the connections and the network of fellows from this cohort to check in with too via LinkedIn or other platforms across the country.” – Kyliah Thompson
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“The MFP was one of the most valuable and important aspects of my MSW education and training. The network will forever have a positive influence on my professional growth and capacity to support other professionals in mental health and behavioral health practices working with and for culturally diverse populations and communities. Additionally, the financial support enabled me to engage in Yoga for 12-Steps trainings that were outside of my home state and to earn the necessary credentials, above and beyond my social work field placements. I'm glad I had the funds to travel for the training, prior to the COVID pandemic. I also attend the NASW-NC Ethics Conference. Such MSW enrichment and professional engagement would not have been possible without the support of the MFP.” – Ramona Bullock-Johnson
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“The MFP monetary support was invaluable and helped me complete graduate school; without it I would not have been able to eat and pay the bills. The prestigious nature of the CSWE MFP legitimized my voice and input to my university faculty. It made people recognize and listen to me, which in turn gave me more confidence to speak up as a minority voice in various circles and fields. That experience taught me university politics and the ways that institutional/structural power dynamics unfairly demoralize and exploit minority students. I greatly appreciated the NASW membership as it helped me get access to things I wouldn't have had otherwise.” – Rosanna Prieto
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“MFP was extremely beneficial to have during my social work education as it provided an additional avenue and support in navigating the social work field and everything it encompasses as a brown female. It was extremely comforting to have webinars and small groups in which everyone else understood that there was so much more than the content at hand on our minds in those moments. Being able to have groups and meet other future social workers throughout the fellowship year brought me motivation and a sense of excitement that we are entering this field, and that we will support one another and that we can make a difference. Seeing everyone's passion was magnificent.” – Yajaira Hernandez Trejo
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2021–2022 Masters Fellowship Application Period Opening Soon
CSWE’s MFP is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of our 2021–2022 Masters MFP application period! The application will open on April 5, 2021. Information on how to apply can be found here. The deadline for submissions is May 4, 2021, at 5:00 pm (ET). To receive an e-mail notification of the application opening, please share your information here by March 26, 2021.
CSWE Elections
CSWE’s National Nominating Committee (NNC) is pleased to present the candidates for the open positions on the CSWE Board of Directors and NNC. Our governing bodies are essential in advancing our mission to ensure and enhance the quality of social work education. View the election slate here. All petitions regarding the current election can be e-mailed or mailed to the CSWE office. E-mailed and mailed petitions must be received by March 12, 2021, 12:00 pm (ET). Visit the CSWE website to view the procedures for petitioning.
The MFP is proud to announce that Halaevalu Vakalahi (MFP 1998) and Vanessa Robinson-Dooley (MFP 2003), are running for election as the vice chair/secretary and graduate faculty representative, respectively. Make sure you are a full member of CSWE and that your membership is current through March 31, 2021, to vote in this election!
Resources
Job Announcements
The Norfolk State University Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work seeks applicants for the following two positions:
- 12- month tenure-track advanced assistant professor or associate professor faculty for appointment as BSW program director. Eligible applicants will have prior successful teaching and leadership experience for immediate appointment as BSW program director. Learn more and apply here by 3/15/21.
- Full-time tenure-track assistant professor position in the MSW program. Eligible applicants will have prior successful teaching, practice, and research methods experience for an immediate appointment to the MSW program. Learn more and apply here by 3/15/21.
Governors State University (GSU) invites nominations and applications for a tenure track faculty position at the rank of assistant /associate professor in the Department of Social Work in the College of Health and Human Services. We seek candidates with interest and experience in teaching advanced social work practice courses. The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to excellence in teaching social work practice grounded in a social justice ethic. Learn more and apply here.
Professional Development
MFP funds may be available to cover some or all of the costs associated with professional development activities for current MFP fellows. Submit a request to access these funds by e-mailing MFP with a brief overview of the activity and estimated funds required to participate.
The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research is excited to announce the 2021 Diversity Scholarships. These scholarships provide funds to support training in statistics and quantitative methods for graduate students from underrepresented groups in any academic discipline, with the objective of improving their academic performance and optimizing their professional advancement. To apply for an ICPSR scholarship, you must fill out the application form and submit all required materials through their online application manager. Scholarship applications will be accepted the week of February 15, 2021, through March 29, 2021.
The application window for Fahs-Beck Grant Programs, including the Doctoral Dissertation Grant Program (Fahs-Beck Scholars) and Faculty/Post-Doctoral Grant Program (Fahs-Beck Fellows) will be from March 1–April 1, 2021. For sScholars, grants of up to $7,000 are available to help support dissertation expenses of doctoral students in accredited doctoral programs in the United States and Canada. For Ffellows, grants of up to $25,000 can fund research of faculty members/post-doctoral researchers of accredited universities in the United States and Canada. Funding can support studies that develop, refine, evaluate, or disseminate interventions and preventive models to address social, psychological, behavioral, or public health problems affecting children, adults, families, and communities with outcomes that have the potential to add to the knowledge base for services and program development. Learn more and apply here.
CSWE Diversity Center’s March Educator|Resource
Visit CSWE’s Center for Diversity and Social & Economic Justice to view the March Educator|Resource.
CSWE Spark
Keep the conversation going on CSWE Spark! The Spark platform offers endless opportunities for connection, collaboration, and sharing in the MFP community. To join, navigate to the Spark home page and create an account. Within a few days, your account should be approved, and you’ll be able to search the Spark Directory for connections. Start by adding Ameera Bhanji (MFP program associate) as a connection. When this connection is established, you’ll be given full access to the MFP Community and can engage with existing threads or create your own. Now more than ever, we encourage you to make the most of CSWE Spark as the virtual home for the MFP family.