NEWSLETTER ( November, 2006)

Message from the Dean

We are back and busy with all the varied activities of our fall semester. There is a new sense of energy and commitment towards achieving our academic and financial goals and moving forward. Our students, faculty, the Board Members and the CSWI friends are all active in this process. Here are some highlights about our students, faculty, and academic activities:

Hail to our Students

Kudos to Dr. Marian Kaufman who defended her Dissertation and was awarded the PhD in October!  Her dissertation was entitled:  “Bariatric Surgery: Self State Experiences of Women Patients Before and After.”  

Other dissertations in the works include: “Exploration of Women’s Body Experiences Surrounding First Child Birth”—Caroline Hall, MSW; “The Meaning of Money to the Therapist: An Exploratory Study of the Experience of Clinical Social Workers in Private Practice”—Tania Ponomarenko, MSW; and “Predictors of Acute Stress Disorders”-- John Russotto, MSW.

Amye Fried and Wanda Pickens have completed their Final Case Presentations. These presentations, which come after the completion of practice requirements, are demonstrations of our students’ learning and expertise in combining the highest level of theoretical knowledge and practice skills in working with diverse clinical issues and populations. These Case Presentations are open to the larger professional community as Continuing Education Programs with CEU availability.

News about our Faculty

First, congratulations to both Alice Kassabian, PhD (CSWI Founder and current Board Member) and Joel Kanter, MSW for their induction this past week, into the National Academies of Practice as “Distinguished Practitioner in Social Work.” The CSWI faculty was also well represented at the 150th celebration of Freud’s Birthday at the Conference sponsored by the Austrian Embassy in September. Audrey Walker, MSW, Katherine Brunkow, MSW, Michael Meagher, MD and Golnar Simpson, PhD were among the twenty nationally invited speakers. The social work presentations were organized around the historical and contemporary contributions of psychodynamic theory to clinical social work theory and practice and the mutual concerns about social justice issues as exemplified by Freud’s establishment of free clinics and emphasis on access to services for the poor.

Ethics Conference

Over 200 people attended the Ethics Conference on October 22, the first continuing education program to be jointly sponsored by CSWI and the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work. We look forward to future joint ventures and promoting excellence in clinical social work education and practice. The event netted $7500 for the Institute. The conference featured Frederic Reamer, a nationally known speaker and author on ethics and a primary drafter of the NASW Code of Ethics. Dr. Reamer presented the clinical documentation requirements that have been highlighted in the NASW Code of Ethics. The majority of participants agreed that Dr. Reamer’s dynamic and compelling presentation of clinical social work ethics kept the audience on the edge of their seats.
Dr. Reamer was honored the night before the conference at a reception hosted by Audrey Walker, a CSWI clinical consultant.

Party at Parker’s in Bethesda

At the student’s initiative, members of the CSWI community and their friends were invited to meet at Parker’s Bistro in Bethesda on Tuesday, November 7. A portion of the proceeds of this conviviality was donated by Parker’s in support of CSWI.

News from the President

In October President Pat DeLorme announced that a family foundation, associated with a friend of CSWI, had offered CSWI a challenge grant of $25,000 to possibly continue for two additional years. This is the first such challenge grant in CSWI’s history, offering all donors an exceptional incentive for contributions. This comes in a critical year for the Institute in terms of meeting the financial requirements of both the DC Licensing Commission and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The hope is to encourage major donors as well as contributors at all levels and to make this year our most successful year for fundraising yet.

CSWI Goes for Foundation Grants!

Led by Board member Corrine Parver, a task force was assembled at the end of September to reinvigorate the Institute’s search for foundation assistance both in building financial reserves for accreditation and creating a cushion for annual operating costs. Participants on the task force include ten “friends” of the Institute who are either current or former Board members, alumni, or students. Approximately two dozen local foundations have been identified for submission of grant proposals. The first submission was to the Cafritz Foundation on November 1. The task force hopes to submit all requests for funding by the end of November.

Task force members are Alex Hartz, Sharon Holloway-Gentemann, Elizabeth Thomas, Susan Horne-Quantannens, Rosalie Mandelbaum, Alice Kassabian, Amye Fried, Judy Walter, Bernadette Winters, and Kathryn Chefetz.

Excellence 2007: Development of New “Case Statement” and “Fact Sheet”

As critical underpinning for fund development efforts, CSWI has undertaken the creation of a new case statement, which is titled “Excellence 2007: The Campaign for Accreditation for the Clinical Social Work Institute.” This document describes the need for excellence in clinical social work skills; relates the mission and history of CSWI; lays out the rationale and goals of the campaign; and concludes with an exhortation for support.

Similarly, the fact sheet, or Executive Summary, captures in two succinct pages the history, vision, mission, and goals of CSWI, along with descriptions of the educational program, the students and faculty and the support given to CSWI in the past.

Kathryn Chefetz, founder and former Board member, took the lead in drafting “Excellence 2007.” She was assisted by Elizabeth Thomas, Alex Hartz, Sharon Holloway-Gentemann, and Susan Horne-Quantannens. Alice Kassabian drafted the Executive Summary.

Spring Reception Scheduled Save the Date

We are delighted to announce that one of our board members has made it possible for us to hold our Annual Spring Reception at the very prestigious Cosmos Club. We know you will all want to there. This will certainly be a very memorable event. MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Friday, April 20, 2007 at the Cosmos Club from 5:30 to 8:00 pm!! Details to follow.

CSWI Officers, Core Faculty and Board

President, Patricia DeLorme, PhD
Dean, Golnar Simpson, PhD*
Academic Chairperson, Aimee Nover, PhD
Practice Chairperson, Anita Bryce, PhD
Research Chairperson, Irv Dubinsky, PhD

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Kathryn Chefetz, MSW
Sharon Holloway-Gentemann, PhD
Susan Horne-Quantannens, MSW*
Alice Kassabian, PhD*
Caroline H. Keith, MSW
Charlotte McConnell, MSW
Corrine Parver, JD
Judith Walter, MBA, PhD

*Former presidents of the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Workers

*Current Member of the State of Virginia’s Board of Social Work