News Archive
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California’s population is aging. By 2030, 18 percent of the state will be 65 or older. More significantly, this population will be increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. Current projections suggest that 52% of these older adults will be members of a minority group.
This demographic shift is likely to have a profound impact on California, with studies projecting increased older adult poverty rates, rising health-care costs for the elderly, and significant long-term care shortages.
No population is expected to be harder hit than African Americans.
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Modern social work and nursing as professions were borne under conditions of profound social and political upheaval in the 19th century. We have been committed ever since to the struggle for social change, social justice, healing and protection of vulnerable populations. We increasingly recognize the impact of social determinants on health and positive outcomes for all.
As dean, I want to reaffirm this dedication to social justice and our determination to support a fair, democratic and open nation.
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More than 200 statewide leaders recently met to discuss how to make California the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.
The “State of the American Veteran in California” conference—held in September at the California Science Center in Los Angeles—was organized by the Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work to explore and design actions to address the most pressing issues facing veterans today.
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Los Angeles’ homelessness problem is worsening—but it’s particularly bleak for the homeless women of Skid Row, a new report finds.
The 2016 Downtown Women’s Needs Assessment reports that 90 percent of women living on the streets of downtown LA have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, and nearly half have been attacked in the last year. They also tend to be older, in poorer health and disproportionately African American, compared to past years.
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Positive school climates contribute to academic achievement and can improve outcomes for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, according to a new study published today in Review of Educational Research, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association.
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For the last several months, the national presidential election has dominated headlines. For anyone tuning in — or, likely, trying to tune out — it’s been an election wrought with rhetoric, accusations, and blatant lies, some of which have been aimed at minorities and other marginalized groups who make easy targets.
But despite this current and seemingly unproductive political environment, quietly behind the scenes the LGBT community has enjoyed a few small victories that run counter to the national narrative.
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Suzanne Dworak-Peck Names the School of Social Work at USC
“Endowing the school of social work is my expression of how much my USC education and the profession of social work mean to me, and I am grateful that my education has made it possible for me to give back.” Minutes after Suzanne Dworak-Peck spoke these words in front of the Social Work Center on September 14, her name became forever intertwined with social work at USC.
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An innovative new program launched by the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work is helping young parents access supportive services without leaving their home.
Home visitation is an increasingly popular approach to supporting new parents. The model brings a professionally trained parent educator into the home to deliver a curriculum focused on child development, parent–child interaction, positive parenting and school readiness.
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Three USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work alumni who spent decades advancing social work education, countering the negative effects of divorce on children and families, and advocating for the Latino community and other underserved populations have been inducted into the California Social Work Hall of Distinction.
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On Oct. 4, the National Association of Social Workers-USC Unit at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work hosted “Election 2016: What’s at Stake? Implications for Social Workers.”