Projects
Faculty and students of the Social Work Department are involved in several projects which include:
NC State University Suicide Prevention Program
Suicide is now the leading cause of death among college students, and some specific student groups are at higher risk. Drs. Casstevens and Hall in the Department of Social Work are co-investigators on a three-year, newly-awarded $253,200 Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant that they hope will help change campus culture around suicide and its prevention.
The federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funds education and prevention programs that emphasize how to reach out to students in distress. The Question, Persuade, Refer Gatekeeper Training (QPR), for example, targets student leaders, while the Multiculturalism, Diversity and Suicide Prevention training targets faculty and staff who work directly with students. A third program, At Risk for University and College Students, is an online avatar-based simulation program that engages students with common indicators of psychological distress, and coaches them on how best to approach an at-risk student for referral. At Risk will be introduced in Fall semester 2013, targeting the almost 5,000 students who enter NC State each year.
The Campus Suicide Prevention grant is supported by the CHASS Department of Social Work, the University Counseling Center, Health Promotion, and the GLBT Center.
Check out the Suicide Prevention Program website! go.ncsu.edu/suicideprevention
Specialized Gerontology Program Administrative
Dr. Janice G. Wells was awarded a $10,000 planning grant from the Council on Social Work Education to establish a Certificate in Gerontology in the Social Work Department. Both BSW students and MSW students will be eligible to participate in the Proram. Professionals in the community, social work students from other accredited social work programs and students from other majors at NCSU will also be eligible to participate in this program. The grant period will run from July 1, 2009-June 30, 2011. Contact Dr. Wells at 919-513-2784 or e-mail her at jgwells@ncsu.edu for additional information.
Developing Health and Wellness Programming for Clubhouse Model Non-profit Agencies in North Carolina: NC State University Extension, Engagement and Economic Development Grant
This NC State EEED grant funded project aim is to develop Health and Wellness programming at psychiatric clubhouses in central North Carolina. The project uses Glasser’s choice theory as a basis for formulating healthy choice programming with the input of members and staff at four local psychiatric clubhouses. These clubhouse model programs are community non-profit agencies that offer adults diagnosed with severe and persistent mental disorders (such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) meaningful activities and an opportunity to obtain community employment. Dr. Willa Casstevens is the principle investigator of this grant.
Center for Family & Community Engagement
The center was approved by the North Carolina State University Board of Trustees on September 18, 2008. The mission of the center is to promote safe, healthy, and productive families and communities through training, program support, and evaluation on family-centered meetings. It carries out this work in collaboration with organizations in the state and with national and international associations. The center provides extensive support to the development of family and youth trainers in order to highlight their voices in program implementation. Dr. Joan Pennell, Social Work Professor is the Director of the Center for Family and Community Engagement.
Past Projects:
Child Welfare Education Collaborative
The NC Child Welfare Education Collaborative seeks to strengthen public child welfare services in the State by increasing the number and diversity of well trained and highly committed BSWs and MSWs in county Departments of Social Services. The program offers special educational opportunities and financial support for social work students who will commit to employment in a public child welfare setting in a North Carolina county Department of Social Services. In addition, the Collaborative supports curriculum development and research to foster excellence and leadership in public child welfare services. Under the auspices of the Jordan Institute for Families, the Collaborative is a joint effort of graduate and undergraduate Social Work programs in North Carolina. Currently, the undergraduate social work programs involved are Appalachian State University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Student application materials are available at each participating school. For more information at NC State, contact the Project Director, Prof. Linda Williams or Project Coordinator, Miriam Gold.
Involving Latino Lay Ministers in Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention
Funded by the Z-Smith Reynolds Foundation, this grant funded project seeks to build community resources required to involve Latino Lay Ministers in the prevention and intervention of domestic violence in the immigrant community. One by product of the project is the production of bilingual training manuals for social workers who are working to engage Latino church leaders in addressing domestic violence in the churches and the community. Dr. Tina Hancock and Dr. Natalie Ames are principle investigators of the grant.
Litre Grant - Using Video to Teach Social Work Assessment and Documentation.
Dr. Natalie Ames, Assistant Professor, and Prof. Linda Williams, Field Director, have received a grant from the NC State LITRE (Learning in a Technology Rich Environment) Plan for a project entitled Using Video to Teach Social Work Assessment and Documentation. The goal of their project is to add a realistic dimension to what social work students learn about assessing and documenting home conditions encountered in child welfare investigations. They will videotape home conditions and use the tape to produce a professional quality video teaching module for social work students. The teaching module will give students the vicarious experience of making a home visit to investigate child neglect. The teaching module will be a tool to enable students to develop and demonstrate objective assessment and documentation skills.
Rex Foundation Project - Building a Child Health Collaborative
The NC State Institute for Nonprofits has been awarded a grant by the John Rex Endowment. Dr. Natalie Ames, Department of Social Work, and Dr. Celeste Farr, Department of Communications, are the co-principle investigators. Dr. Ames and Dr. Farr and their team of student research assistants are conducting a community-wide assessment of organizations that hold a stake in meeting the health-related needs of Wake County's underserved children. The goal of this project is to improve access to healthcare for at-risk children. The results of the survey will enable the Rex Endowment to engage in strategic grant-making and to develop collaborative relationships with agencies that share its mission of making a difference in the lives and health of Wake County children.
