News Archive
Alumni
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Before he even walks the stage on May 12 to receive his Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) from the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Jonathan Spikes is already well underway on the pilot of his capstone project. Spikes launched the Affirming Youth Family Neighborhood School Partnership (AYFNSP) in January 2023 through a $1 million federal grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at the U.S. Department of Justice.
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In Russellville, Arkansas, when the police respond to a domestic violence call during the week between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m., they now have Linda Bankston riding with them. As the new victim advocate, she starts every interaction with the individuals at the scene in the same way: “I’m Linda. I’m sorry that this happened. Do you need a hug?”
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Social work and police work have more overlap than is commonly thought. Approximately 80% of calls to police are social service related. Police are also frontline responders addressing situations involving people experiencing homelessness, substance use or youth-involved crime and often find themselves striving to deescalate a disturbance or connect people with social services.
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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.
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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 experie
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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.
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At 19, Charles Stafford, MSW ’17, was suicidal. Suffering from severe depression, it was a relief for him to think about life being over.
Born and raised in Marblemount, Washington, a small town of 250 people on the Skagit River, his father was a logger and most people in town worked at the local mill. As a child, he was surrounded by drug and alcohol use within his family and in the community. “By the time I was 12 I didn’t want to be in my own skin,” Stafford said. “Drugs and alcohol felt great.”
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The honor of Social Work Pioneer® is bestowed by the National Association of Social Workers to those within the social work profession who have explored new territories, improved social and human conditions on many frontiers, and made unique contributions to the evolution of social work. They are the role models and standard bearers for future generations of social workers to aspire.
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On May 11, 2022, John Oberg walks the stage to receive his Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) from the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, a long-held goal for this self-described “Trojan for Life” whose grandfather, a surgeon, taught in the USC medical school and whose mother is a USC alumna. He began a pre-med undergraduate degree at USC and then his path led him elsewhere, in the process earning a BA and then an MBA with concentrations in management of technology, policy and planning.
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Laura Trejo came to Los Angeles from El Salvador at age eleven, speaking no English, and immediately set her sights on attending the University of Southern California, a goal she has now achieved in spades. Trejo is a triple Trojan, with a BA and MS in Gerontology and a Master of Public Administration (MPA), and is receiving her fourth degree from USC in 2022, a Doctorate of Social Work (DSW), making her among the elite few to achieve this distinction.