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News Archive

  • Emily Martinuik, left, CSH Speakers Bureau; Father James L. Heft; and Sam Randolph

    One day in 2011, Emily Martinuik, then 59, found herself standing on a freeway overpass and contemplating suicide. Her youngest son had died at 19 in a bus accident, she struggled with what was later diagnosed as bipolar depression, had lost her business and her home, and was facing the prospect of living on the street. But instead of jumping, she decided to climb down and check herself into Olive View hospital in Sylmar, beginning the process of turning her life around.

  • Dean Marilyn Flynn speaks at a press conference announcing the Law Enforcement Advanced Development program

    The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and USC Price School of Public Policy have partnered with the Los Angeles Police Department to design and deliver a new certificate program that trains officers to better prepare for the complex issues faced in 21st century policing — including homelessness, mental illness, domestic violence and human trafficking.

  • breast_cancer_symbol

    Timely screenings are the best way to identify breast cancer before symptoms emerge. For health care providers, this means staying up to date with the latest screening recommendations. However, social workers can also play a significant role by connecting vulnerable populations to essential — and low-cost — resources.

  • Alzheimer’s education

    On a recent Friday, roughly 100 African-American seniors packed into a room at the Foundation Center in South Los Angeles.

    As the music queued and Rose Monteiro came to the stage, people sipped their coffee and had their notepads and pens ready.

    Monteiro sat on a high stool at the end of a high-top table, with coffee mugs and a potted flower in front of her. It looked more like the set of The View than an academic lecture — and that’s the point.

  • Kayla Williams of the VA Center for Women Veterans at the State of the American Veteran Conference

    Every year, hundreds of bills go through the California Legislature that deal with veterans or military issues, including most recently to establish residency for in-state tuition, identify veteran status in coroner’s reports, and increase funding for veteran resource centers on college campuses.

    But Sen. Josh Newman, who chairs the state’s committee on veterans affairs, said it’s not enough.

  • man_staring_at_sky

    Bullying is an unfortunate reality at most K-12 schools — but are we any closer to stopping it? One professor may have a viable solution.

    Bullying in schools is not a new concept. Yet, with the advent of the internet and accompanying rise of cyberbullying, addressing the issue effectively has only become more complex. Kids victimize each other online in ways that their parents would never have imagined, and reports of sexual assault and violence are on the rise in schools.

  • USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work faculty Terence Fitzgerald, Karen Lincoln, Renee Smith-Maddox and Rafael Angulo.

    “My skin color is brown,” said Melissa Singh. “Being this skin color, I’ve always wanted to be included.”

    As a student, Singh, clinical associate professor of field education at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, always did extra reading on any subject she was studying to ensure there would never be a good reason to exclude her from a conversation. Now, as a professor, she seeks to incorporate all the voices in her classroom to have this discussion.

  • Abusive relationships can be irreparably damaging for their victims. Recognizing and acting upon the warning signs of domestic violence could save someone’s life.

  • grieving_baby

    David Schonfeld believes that an integrated, informed support system is key to addressing the challenges grief poses for children.

  • unique_path_serve

    Alzheimer’s disease can be devastating, but families don’t have to go it alone.