BSW Students Work on Interviewing Skills
BSW Students Work on Interviewing Skills
Updated 11.10.2009
BSW Students Work on Interviewing Skills
UALR School of Social Work is pleased to announce the recipients of the school’s scholarships for the 2009-2010 school year.
Dr. LaVerne Bell-Tolliver, assistant professor, was recently a panelist at the Youth Diversion Seminar held on September 4, 2009 in Helena, Arkansas. The panel’s topic was “Disparity in Juvenile Justice and Community Based Approaches.” The attendees are in the beginning stages of developing a viable youth diversion program for Phillips County.
Dr. Bell-Tolliver was also a presenter on September 10, 2009, at the 2009 Arkansas Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, presented by the MIDSOUTH UALR School of Social Work. Her topic was “Diversity and Inclusion: Cultural Competence.” The primary focus was on the need to consider of cultural factors that affect the diverse population of children within the Arkansas foster care system.
Singer/Songwriter and Master of Social Work student Cliff Hudson has been writing and playing music for over ten years, with a musical styling ranging anywhere from standard country, to a “boot through the door” style of country rock. While it has been said that life imitates art, in his case Cliff’s art is his life. Cliff takes the personal experiences that have helped shape his life and writes with an honest outlook and gratitude for the simple act of being alive.
The ballad “Send My Love” was written by Cliff for his wife while he was in Iraq as an Infantry Squad Leader in The United States Marine Corps. A poignant song of longing, it has both helped others dealing with deployments and separation, and afforded Cliff the opportunity to share his music with audiences at venues and military bases throughout the east coast and all over the southeast.
Cliff has recently play at Boot Fest, a benefit for the Arkansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial, a bronze sculpture destined for the state Capitol grounds and played at War Memorial Stadium in a concert for returning service men and women and their families. Cliff is currently working as a research assistant with the Veteran’s Administration through the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute while he is pursuing his MSW degree. �
In a word, Cliff writes about appreciation. From the exuberance of “Country Fried Pedigree” to the simple celebration of “Doin’ Fine Tonight,” Cliff’s outlook is clear: “Say thank you Lord, we’re alive and doin’ fine tonight.” Cliff wants to bring the type of music that makes you raise your drink and appreciate the moment…all the while screaming at the top of your lungs.
To learn what others are saying about Cliff:
NPR: U.S. Soldiers Let Their Music Tell the Story
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17502914
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To The Fallen Records and Cliff Hudson �
http://www.spousebuzz.com/blog/2007/10/to-the-fallen-r.html
Shaking off the sand
Former Marine turns to music after serving in Iraq
http://sync.arkansasonline.com/news/2007/nov/27/shaking-sand/
Doing it the old-fashioned way
Album takes an un-Nashville approach to country music
http://sync.arkansasonline.com/news/2008/mar/05/doing-it-old-fashioned-way/
The UALR Phi Alpha chapter has just won the National Phi Alpha Chapter Service Award! The award comes along with a check for 500.00 and national recognition in “The New Social Worker” magazine’s fall edition. Dr. John Miller has also been offered the opportunity to discuss the development and success of the UALR chapter at this year’s Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting. Congratulations! For additional information on this story, checkout the following links.
Phi Alpha Honor Society Letter
http://ualr.edu/www/2009/09/15/social-work-masters-to-volunteer-race-for-the-cure/
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Dr. Turney discusses how to maintain relationships during football, dove, deer, and duck seasons with Craig O’Neal.
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The Soiree for Scholarships was held on Friday, April 17, 2009 beginning at 7 pm at the Pleasant Valley Country Club. The event featured music by the B Flats and a Mexican Buffet. To view the slideshow, go to http://web.me.com/kobalt915m/BJB2009/Welcome.html.
Proceeds benefited the Rebecca Fuller Ward Endowed Scholarship Fund.
UALR MSW student Stephanie Goins was highlighted in the GAINConnection Newsletter, Spring 2009 issue with the following story. Special thanks to Martha Curtis for providing the story to the School of Social Work. The School of Social Work is proud of Stephanie and all the MSW students for the work they do in their field placements. They make such a different in the lives of so many!
A new 12-week group of GAIN clients is taking advantage of social work intern Stephanie Unruh Goins’ art background and talent.
Jim Hickman, Ms. Goins’ field instructor, is co-leader of the group that is meeting each Thursday afternoon this spring at Greater Assistance to those In Need, Inc. in downtown Little Rock. Mr. Hickman is a licensed social worker and GAIN case manager. Ms. Goins is in a first-year placement at GAIN in 2008-09 as a student in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) Graduate School of Social Work.
GAIN is an assertive community treatment program serving adults with severe and persistent mental illness. “The group is not so much recreational time, or even painting and drawing,” Ms. Goins said. “It’s about exploring all kinds of three-dimensional art, which is what I prefer, and using art to express concepts such as feelings, strengths and hope for the future.”Ms. Goins has a minor in studio art from UALR as an undergraduate. “We appreciate Stephanie’s enthusiasm and are happy to put her talent and interests to good use while she is placed here,” said Dennis Wells, Executive Director. “GAIN has a long tradition of encouraging clients to express themselves through art. Over the years, some have discovered they are very talented, and art has become a creative means of expression.” Over the spring, the group of eight clients will work in mixed media, and plans are to make and decorate shadow boxes, collages, cards, flags and “dream bottles,” among other things. “We will also go on field trips, and each member will have a disposable camera with which to take photographs,” Ms. Goins said.Each week, the group will work on one project linked to a discussion of a particular topic: peace, safety, security, compassion, hope.One of Ms. Goins’ goals for the group is to help members become “grounded” in the present moment, rather than thinking about the past or the future—”to get them to focus on breathing and what they are seeing, sensing and feeling right now.”
Other goals include exploring the members’ creativity and awareness. What the group does each week as a project will help the members focus on their strengths and bring out their positive feelings, she said. The group has as members a mixture of clients and skill levels. A few have demonstrated talent and skill in art. “But the art is about the abstract, so there’s no right way or wrong way to do things.”At a recent group, the topic was feelings, or moods, as Ms. Goins asked members to capture on paper what moods look like to them—what marks or images represent anger, sadness or other moods.
Each member has his or her own personal box of supplies: scissors, glue, crayons and items for projects. Then there is a supply of other materials for projects: fabric, laces, ribbon, beads, sequins, feathers and special textured papers. The final project will be a dream bottle, which members will decorate and in which they will put their hopes and dreams for the future.
UALR BSW and MSW students join forces with AR NASW to make Lobby Day a success. See the following link for pictures feom the events of the day. http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/detail.sfly?sid=1AbuWjVu4bsWGo&imageIndex=0&fid=3e4b8f7a97be000f
