News Archive

Homelessness has become more than a serious issue affecting society. It is also a public health epidemic nationwide. In Los Angeles, the crisis is particularly acute, with more than 69,000 people experiencing homelessness in 2022. For most, the problem appears unsolvable and the best we can hope for is to mitigate it.

Since 2017, the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work has organized the data collection, analysis and reporting for the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). For three months of the year, teams of three or four trained surveyors depart from the USC campus every day in the early hours of the morning, crossing the county to administer a 58-question survey to unhoused individuals.

The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work was honored with a visit from Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon who met faculty and staff of our Trauma Recovery Center (TRC@USC), the first comprehensive victim recovery behavioral health clinic at USC. TRC@USC clients are referred by a variety of public safety agencies and community organization partners, including the District Attorney's Office.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) honors members of the social work profession whose contributions have enriched and evolved the profession. The NASW Social Work Pioneers® program recognizes individuals whose unique dedication, commitment and determination have significantly improved social and human conditions.

Early behavioral health intervention with youth in school settings could be key to addressing a myriad of physical and mental health issues throughout the lifespan.  It is increasingly clear that social determinants of health (SDOH) are indicated in up to 50% of adult health conditions, and the impact of adverse childhood experiences

There are an estimated 27.6 million victims of human trafficking worldwide at any given time, including in the United States. In order to stop it, its true nature needs to be understood. The main indicator of a youth at risk for human trafficking is a prior history of trauma — usually sexual abuse or being raised in a home without a real and unconditional demonstration of love.

Immigration is one of the most controversial social and political issues in American life. Yet little attention is given to the aftermath of U.S. immigration policies or the immigrant Americans who are deported back to their country of origin. What is the resulting impact on mental and physical health disparities, both individually and at the societal level? This question is at the heart of groundbreaking research by scholars at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.

More than 20 faculty and doctoral students from the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work will present their work at the 27th Annual Society of Social Work and Research (SSWR) conference in Phoenix, AZ, January 11 - 15, 2023. Full program of presentations and events available online.

The school will host a reception on January 13, 8.15 p.m. in the Valley of the Sun E room of the Sheraton.

In May of 2022, Sara Jimenez McSweyn, senior lecturer at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, took over the reins of the Trojan Guardian Scholars (TGS) program as it moved to its new home at the school.

Over 20 million people in the United States were diagnosed with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in 2019, yet only 10% of these people received treatment.