News Archive

MSW student Kellin Sandoval is applying his military social work background to accommodate the mental health needs of National Guard service members and connect homeless veterans with critical housing resources.

A new USC study shows that older African Americans who received culturally tailored text messages about Alzheimer’s disease had the highest increase in Alzheimer’s disease literacy levels when compared with other participants.

Researchers say the study, published in the American Journal for Geriatric Psychiatry, shows culturally competent educational formats are an important way to reduce health disparities.

Ramona Merchan, alumna of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, was recently honored for her enduring service to both the USC community and children in need throughout the Los Angeles area.

Brittani Morris, clinical assistant professor of field education, and her field colleagues believe that expanding social justice training may better equip social work students for success in challenging field placements.

An interprofessional approach to military social work education could help facilitate reintegration and build understanding between civilian and military-affiliated students.

The research project will examine how a gap between inclusion policy and practice affects performance outcomes in the military.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has long valued diversity in demographic representation across military branches. In recent years, it has funneled more energy, talent and capital into research on diversity and inclusion in the hopes of both positively impacting the experience of service members by creating inclusive climates, and helping the military to fulfill missions more effectively.

Associate Professor Shinyi Wu is on a mission to minimize the burden of care for Alzheimer’s caregivers in Latino communities by identifying and addressing gaps in health literacy.

It wasn’t enough for Lucero Noyola to beat the odds by earning her bachelor’s degree.

A former foster youth, Lucero is not only on track to earn her MSW from the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work in spring 2019, but she has also done something even more exceptional: She helped advocate successfully for new legislation and a California state budget item to help other former foster youth access funds to pursue education after high school.

Clinical Associate Professor David Bringhurst believes that, through evidence-based therapeutic models, military social workers would be equipped to serve not just military-affiliated individuals but their families, too.

As one of the first nursing alumni of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Akila Aisner, MSN ’18, will soon become a family nurse practitioner.

A few years ago, he was working at a hospital in Marina Del Rey, California, as a registered nurse (RN). As he developed relationships with his patients, he was often frustrated that he did not have the knowledge base―or professional stature―to treat them within the medical model. He decided to pursue a master’s degree so he could care for his patients in the way he thought they needed.