News Archive
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The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority announced that there are 72,308 people experiencing homelessness countywide — including 43,699 in the city of Los Angeles. That marks a 4% drop across the county and a 3.4% decrease in the city compared to 2024.
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The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work is deeply saddened by the loss of a beloved professor, colleague, mentor and friend. Concepción (Concha) Barrio, professor emerita, passed away on July 15, 2025. She dedicated her career to advocacy for the Latinx population, and other underserved and marginalized people, and built a national reputation in mental health services research, particularly the interaction of ethnicity and effective clinical practice.
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Three years ago, Maiya Hotchkiss (they/them) arrived in Los Angeles to pursue joint Master of Social Work (MSW) and PhD degrees at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Upon beginning their studies, Hotchkiss investigated and volunteered with a few organizations in Los Angeles that served the transgender community. They felt it was important to develop collaborative relationships with L.A. organizations before conceptualizing a focus for potential research.
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The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work hosted its third annual Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) Sino-America Cross-Culture Training Project from June 1 – 21, 2025. The program is an immersive educational initiative uniting Taiwanese child welfare professionals with leading social work scholars and practitioners across Southern California.
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More than a decade ago, Rosemary Alamo, teaching professor of practicum education, and Rick Ornelas, associate teaching professor of practicum education, both at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, established the Social Work and Public Safety Program at USC.
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USC is one of the first universities in the nation to offer a criminal justice concentration specifically focused on youth.
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When Henrick Karoliszyn began the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, his intention was to explore juvenile solitary confinement. However, as he progressed in his studies, he realized there was a more pressing issue of social isolation for which he was uniquely qualified to investigate: secondary trauma among journalists. Karoliszyn is an award-winning journalist who covered crime as a national correspondent for major publications, including The Wall Street Journal and New York Daily News.
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Two years ago, Allison Chapman decided she was no longer going to put off earning an advanced degree. The daughter of a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and granddaughter of a clinical psychologist, she grew up in a family who volunteered together in the community.
“I was always at a shelter or other service organization, always raised to do something for someone else,” Chapman said. “I feel like I’ve been a social worker my whole life.”
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Each year, the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work honors students who have made significant achievements in their academic careers and contributions to the community. We are proud to recognize the following students for their outstanding accomplishments.
Gladys M. Salit Award
Recognizes outstanding potential to contribute to the profession of social work. This award honors the professional life of distinguished alumna Gladys Salit.
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In March of 2023, Nicole Carson found herself driving across the island of Guam in a total blackout at two o’clock in the morning. Electricity across most of the island was out following a super typhoon that had hit the previous week. A mere three weeks earlier she had arrived on the island with her husband and four-year-old daughter. It was an unexpected change of assignment for her husband, a chief navy diver in the U.S. Navy.