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IN Brief
February 2013
Tribute to Dr. Maconda Brown O'Connor
Advanced Clinical Supervision Certificate Program
Contemplative Clinical Practice Certificate Program
End-of-Life Care Certificate
Save the dates for 2013 Summer Seminars!
SSW Dean's Reception at AAPCSW, Durham, North Carolina
MSW Student Needs Your Help with Thesis Research
Faculty News
News from the Alumni Association Executive Committee
Alumni DVD Events
Alumni News
Special Issue of Smith College Studies in Social Work
Volunteer Opportunities
SSW Listservs
Social Media at the School for Social Work
Make a gift
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students. Please give generously today. Every gift counts.
Keep in touch!
Please keep us up-to-date on your stories and those of your fellow alums. If you change your email
or mailing address, please let us know so that we can keep you updated on news from the School.
We would love to hear from you! Send changes to sswalum@smith.edu or fill out the online form.
Smith College School for Social Work Remembers Dr. Maconda Brown
O’Connor: An exemplar in the field of social work and philanthropy.
Smith College School for Social Work celebrates the life of Dr. Maconda Brown O'Connor who
passed away May 19, 2012. The legacy of Dr. O'Connor at Smith College School for Social Work
is one that will endure. Over the years Maconda made transformational gifts to SSW both
through The Brown Foundation, Inc. of Houston and her personal resources. Her most notable
acts of philanthropy to the school established both Reaching for Excellence: The Maconda
Brown O'Connor Future Leader Forum and the Maconda Brown O'Connor Chaired
Professorship.
This fall (2013) will mark the 10 year anniversary of Reaching for Excellence. According to
Irene Rodriguez Martin, SSW Acting Assistant Dean and Director of Graduate Enrollment &
Continuing Education, "Through the foresight and funding of Maconda, the Reaching for
Excellence (REX) program has recruited the best and brightest social workers from across the
country and inspires them to consider graduate studies through a three day on-campus
program. Over 125 students have visited the School for Social Work thanks to her support, over
half of them students of color. Most of those recruited might not ever have considered Smith as
an option without the support of REX. More than a third of our REX graduates have applied to
Smith and have gone on to be some our strongest and most confident students. The SSW is
deeply appreciative of Maconda's generosity in funding this most important vehicle for
developing social work leadership."
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Dr. Marsha Kline Pruett--the first person to hold the named Professorship has said that she is
grateful to Maconda for her vision. According to Pruett, "Her support conveys an acceptance and
understanding that research is not anathema to clinical practice. Her generosity is finding its way
into the fabric of the School. It unfolds like research itself, in fits and starts, that helps us
examine what we have been doing in our work, what we want to do, and what is important
about doing it."
In a recent statement Dean Carolyn Jacobs said, "Dr. O'Connor had a profound impact on the
social work community at large as a social worker, a researcher and a policy advocate. Her
commitment to the field of social work will be felt by generations of social workers to come
through her unsurpassed generous support of Smith College School for Social Work."
Dr. O'Connor was the second of three daughters born to the prominent Houston industrialist cum
philanthropist George R. Brown and his wife Alice. While born into a privileged life, Dr. O'Connor
was raised to be mindful of others less fortunate. Some have said that it would be impossible to
calculate the number of lives that have been and will be positively impacted by the programs
that Maconda Brown O'Connor started, funded and supported.
Dr. O'Connor embarked on her journey in social work in 1981 when at the age of 51, with her
children grown, she went back to school-first to the University of St. Thomas for a bachelor's
degree in psychology and then to Smith College School for Social Work. She earned her MSW
from Smith in 1985 and subsequently a PhD in 1988.
Dr. O'Connor was said to have possessed a unique combination of gifts. A dedicated practicing
social worker, she set up an office in a broom closet in one of Houston's toughest juvenile
detention centers in order to reach young offenders. She was also a systems thinker, who not
only worked with children individually, but who encouraged new collaborations to leverage
community resources for children. Virtually all groups in the Houston area working with
underprivileged children at one point or another received her grace.
Her legacy of caring was also felt by the many boards on which she served including, the
Brookings Institution, the American Leadership Forum, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College
of Medicine, The Rice Center for Education, the University of Houston-Downtown, and the
Houston Area Women's Center. She, along with other members of her family, also took her turn
serving as President and Chairman of The Brown Foundation.
Dr. Maconda Brown O'Connor was predeceased by her parents, George R. and Alice Pratt Brown
and her sister, Isabel Brown Wilson (Smith College '53). She is survived by her sister Nancy
Brown Negley, her four children, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
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Continuing Education
Advanced Clinical Supervision Certificate Program
The Advanced Clinical Supervision Certificate Program is designed for the seasoned supervisor
who has three years or more post-graduate supervisory experience and currently holds a
supervisory position. The program consists of two week-long academic sessions of intensive
coursework in July at the Smith College School for Social Work. Content presented will be both
didactic and focused on student case materials. Between the two academic sessions, participants
will apply theory and knowledge gained from the summer session in their current professional
supervisory capacities.
Session I: July 22-26, 2013
Session II: July 28-August 1, 2014
For more information and to apply, visit:
http://www.smith.edu/ssw/acad_cont_graduate_advanced.php
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Contemplative Clinical Practice Certificate Program
The Contemplative Clinical Practice Certificate Program in spirituality and clinical social work
practice will consider the clinical relationship as a potential locus of the sacred. It will deepen the
clinician's awareness of the sacred dimension of his or her work by exploring his or her own
religious histories and spiritual practices, the clients' spiritual beliefs and practices, and the
clinical relationship itself. The program will provide a framework for assessing religious and
spiritual development and explore issues of ethics and social justice as they relate to spirituality.
The program consists of two extended weekend sessions (Thursday to Sunday). Between the
two academic sessions, participants will apply their learning to their current clinical experiences.
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Session I: October 3 - 6, 2013
Session II: April 3 - 6, 2014
For more information and to apply, visit:
http://www.smith.edu/ssw/acad_cont_graduate_contemplative.php
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End-of-Life Care Certificate
The program is designed for end of life social workers with two years of post-graduate
experience who are currently working with end of life care issues. The academic content
includes: psychodynamic and developmental theories in death and bereavement, childhood
bereavement, advanced practice I and II, spirituality I and II, legal and ethical issues, pain and
symptom management, hospice and palliative care, work with marginalized populations, work
with lesbian and gay persons who are dying, advanced leadership and systems change.
Session I: October 10-13, 2013
Session II: April 3-6, 2014
This program is co-sponsored by Baystate Medical Center, a part of Tufts New England Medical
Center.
For more information and to apply, visit: http://www.smith.edu/ssw/acad_cont_graduate_elc.php
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Save the dates for 2013 Summer Seminars!
Summer Seminars will open for Registration on March 18
Our Day-long (6 hours) Summer Seminars are designed for master-level social workers,
therapists, counselors, and other human service professionals who wish to enhance their clinical
skills. The Summer Seminar curriculum includes many courses on a wide range of topics.
Courses provide participants with opportunities to increase their knowledge and skills through a
concentrated period of study.
2013 dates are:
June 13, 14, 15
June 20, 21, 22
July 18, 19, 20
For more information and registration visit: http://www.smith.edu/ssw/acad_cont_summer.php.
Course listings and registration will be available March 18.
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SSW Dean's Reception at AAPCSW, Durham, North Carolina
Dean Carolyn Jacobs cordially invites you to a reception at the American Association for
Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work Conference in Durham, North Carolina. The Dean's
reception will be held on:
Date:
Friday, March 15, 2013
Time:
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Marriott Durham City Center
Location: 201 Foster Street
Durham, North Carolina 27710
For more information regarding AAPCSW, visit: www.aapcsw.org
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MSW Student Needs Your Help with Thesis Research
Attention alumni from graduating classes of 2007-2011:
Please participate in an online survey as part of a master's thesis studying SCSSW alumni
perceptions of motivation and preparedness to work with older adults, specifically in terms of
course and field learning opportunities and work history. This research will be used to inform the
SCSSW and other MSW curriculums in the area of geriatric practice and how programs can
better prepare and motivate students for work with this population.
Participating in the study involves filling out an anonymous, user-friendly online survey that
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should take between 25 and 35 minutes to complete. Below is a link to the Web site containing
my thesis survey. Potential participants will be presented with an informed consent form as part
of the online survey. Participants will not be asked for their signatures, but only to check a box
if they agree to participate. The deadline to submit completed surveys is March 15, 2013.
To find out more details of study or to participate, please go to:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2CQRJV5
If you have any questions about my research or the nature of participation, please feel free to
contact me by email at nloux@smith.edu. Thank you for your time, assistance, and interest in
my research topic!
Sincerely,
Nicole Loux
MSW Candidate, Smith College School for Social Work, 2013
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Faculty News
Associate Professor, Dr. Joanne Corbin, will present a daylong workshop entitled: In Concert
with Others: Collaborative School Conversations in Ethics and Cultural Competence at the Boston
University School for Social Work on May 2, 2013.
For more information visit:
www.bu.edu/ssw/social-work-and-coaching-program-socop
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News from the Alumni Association Executive Committee
The Smith College School for Social Work Alumni Association Executive Committee held its fall
meeting on campus on November 16-17, 2012.
The meeting days were filled with important discussions about strategic planning for the future
that included talk of marketing and branding, board mission and governance, and
communication. We began early discussions about the 100th Anniversary for the School of Social
Work in 2018. Members of the administration shared news and happenings, including the
wonderful news from the Office of Graduate Enrollment and Continuing Education that
applications are the highest they have been in 25 years. There continues to be growth in
Continuing Education program and Irene Rodriguez Martin, Director of Graduate Enrollment
and Continuing Education is continuing to accept proposals for future courses.
The Executive Committee welcomed the new Annual Giving Officer, Dawn Faucher, with whom
we all are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with. She has the perfect energy and
background to help bridge the needs of our Committee alongside the needs of the School. We
worked together in coming up with better plans for communication with alumni and developed
some critical ideas that we hope will nurture the growth of regional connections and also
connections to the broader Smith College community.
The next Executive Committee meeting will be held in Northampton on July 19-21. We strongly
encourage you to become involved in the SSW Alumni Association. We exist because of you and
need your insight, ideas and energy to keep us moving ahead.
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Alumni DVD Events
Over the past few years we have had such a fantastic response from regional alumni groups
across the country that this year we are offering another Summer Lecture Series DVD to
regional groups for viewing and discussion: Dr. David Burton's lecture entitled "Why do Male
Adolescents and Adults Offend?: Facts for Clinicians Who Treat Sexual Abuse Victims." DVDs of
this lecture are now available for any graduate who would like to host an event. Two Continuing
Education Units (CEUs) will be available.
To host a DVD event, please contact Pat Gilbert in the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs
Office at (413) 585-4290 or by email at pgilbert@smith.edu
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Alumni News
Treasa Glinnwater, MSW'81, a member of the Montana Board of Social Work Examiners and
Professional Counselors since 2005, has received the Sunny Andrews Award for outstanding
commitment to social work regulatory board service from the Association of Social Work Boards
(ASWB). The recognition is given annually by the association for work with individual
jurisdictions. The international award was announced at ASWB's Annual Meeting of the Delegate
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Assembly, held in November in Springfield, Illinois.
The Association of Social Work Boards is the nonprofit association of social work regulatory
boards in the United States and Canada. Members include 49 states and Washington, D.C., the
U.S. Virgin Islands, and all ten Canadian provinces. The association owns and maintains the
licensing examinations used in most member jurisdictions and is a central resource for
information on the legal regulation of social work. ASWB's mission is to strengthen protection of
the public by providing support and services to the social work regulatory community in order to
advance competent and ethical practices.
Ms. Glinnwater was nominated for the competitive award because of her enduring commitment
to board work, particularly her efforts to work with legislators and social workers to provide
information on the board's commitment to public protection.
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Dr. Elizabeth Rider, MSW'75, Director of Academic Programs at the Institute for
Professionalism and Ethical Practice, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School,
received the prestigious 2012 Nicholas Andrew Cummings Award from the National Academies of
Practice. This national award is given annually to an individual who has made extraordinary and
enduring contributions nationally to interprofessional healthcare education and practice. Dr. Rider
was recognized for her many outstanding contributions to interprofessional healthcare and
education at the local, national, and international levels, and for her distinguished career as a
physician, social worker, and educator. The Nicholas Andrews Cummings Award was presented
to Dr. Rider at NAP's annual Membership Induction Banquet in Washington, D.C.
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Tanita Cox Teagle, MSW '99 was named the new Associate Director of the Counseling Center at
Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts,
historically black college. The college is the alma mater of many leaders, including Civil Rights
Leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Actor Samuel L. Jackson, Director Spike Lee, former United
States Surgeon General David Satcher, former Secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services
Louis Sullivan, and Olympic Gold Medalist Edwin Moses among others.
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Special Issue of Smith College Studies in Social Work
The Smith College School for Social Work is pleased to announce the publication of a special
issue of the Studies in Social Work dedicated to clinical supervision. The special issue is edited by
Associate Professor Dr. Catherine Nye, and Emeritus Professor Dr. Gerald Schamess. This
special issue honors Smith's commitment to supervised clinical learning, as well as Social Work's
hundred-year-old dedication to using the supervisory relationship as a fundamental approach for
teaching clinicians to relate helpfully to clients. In doing so, the issue addresses vital supervisory
issues in depth, and expands the range of the profession's approach to contemporary supervisory
practice.
A Smith Studies in Social Work subscription can be obtained from Taylor & Francis group, LLC at
(800) 354-1420 or online at www.tandfonline.com.
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Volunteer Opportunities - We Need Your Help!
The School for Social Work relies heavily on the efforts and goodwill of our alumni to help us in
the areas of student recruitment, mentoring current students, providing reduced rate
psychotherapy to students, and hosting SSW events. You are the foundation of our Alumni
Student Network. If you have never volunteered before, we invite you to participate in this
wonderful network of professionals. If you have volunteered in the past, we invite you to join us
again. (Please note: volunteer commitments are for a one-year period in recognition of the fact
that interests and abilities change; a new form is needed for each new placement year.)
The Volunteer Opportunities form is available online at
www.smith.edu/ssw/about_alumni_volunteer.php or if you would prefer a paper copy of the
form, please contact Pat Gilbert in the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, at (413)
585-4290 or pgilbert@smith.edu.
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SSW Listservs
The School for Social Work offers a listserv program for the five regions which constitute SSW
community and the Alumni of Color Standing Committee. If you are interested in joining the
listserv, please contact the listserv moderator in your region.
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REGION I (New England)
Carol Fizer, M.S.W.'72
carolfizer@aol.com
REGION II (NY, NJ, PA)
Susan Greenebaum, M.S.W.'05
sgreenebaum@gmail.com
REGION III (South)
David Goodman, M.S.W.'77
mesorahwli@verizon.net
REGION IV (Midwest)
Erin Matthews, M.S.W.'05
erinm1@hotmail.com
REGION V (West)
Linda Plaut, M.S.W.'88
lplaut@comcast.net
ALUMNI OF COLOR STANDING COMMITTEE
candelaMSW@aol.com
Neriza Candelario, M.S.W.'00
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Social Media at the School for Social Work
The Smith College School for Social Work invites you to learn about what's going on at Lilly Hall
through our various communications channels. All audiences can participate through one of our
official social media channels, SSW-related online groups, In Brief alumni e-newsletter, or In
Depth Alumni Magazine.
Learn more at: http://www.smith.edu/ssw/about_follow.php
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This publication is an electronic newsletter for the alumni and friends of Smith College School for Social
Work. This publication is produced no more than once a month with intervals between publications being
between four and eight weeks. To submit an item to be considered for a future issue of In Brief, please
send it to inbrief@smith.edu. Notices must pertain to the School, its alumni, students, faculty and/or staff.
Copyright 2012 Smith College School for Social Work. The SSW uses email to notify alumni and friends of
events and other opportunities to be involved in the mission of the School. The mailing list is neither
available nor visible to recipients. To unsubscribe, please email inbrief@smith.edu, write "unsubscribe" in
the subject line.
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