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mosaics : fall 2006 �
Mosaics Mosaics News from the University at Buffalo School of Social Work
Volume �, Number 2
fall 2006
time to recover
Mother and daughter
page 8
the Cazenovia vision
page 4
our news
page 2
aluMni profile: MarCy BriMo
page 7
Q&a with Craig austin
page 10
faCulty profile: nanCy J. sMyth
page 11
aluMni news
page 12
gerry Miller’s Century
page 14
new faCulty
BaCk Cover
Long-stay residential programs take a slow and steady approach
page 4
2 mosaics : fall 2006
Warm,gentle,humbleman
HisHolinessthe14thDalaiLamavisited
UBforthreedaysthisSeptember.Beforehis
visit,membersofthecommunitymadepeace
flagsasagestureofgoodwillandsymbolof
hope.Theflagswerestrungtogetheracross
thecampustoremindustopromotepeace
amongindividuals,societiesandcountries.
TheSchoolofSocialWork’sKathyKendall
andElaineHammondhelpedorganizetheflag
project;MinnieWyse,LizSchaalandZoeKos-
tonalsovolunteeredduringtheDalaiLama’s
visit.Manyofourstudentsandfaculty—even
childrenfromUB’searlylearningcenter—
attendedaninterfaithservicefeaturingthe
DalaiLamaonthefirstdayofhisvisit.The
serviceopenedwithahauntingmelodyplayed
byaBuddhistmonkonawoodenflute.
Anumberofusattendedthecreationofa
sandmandalapaintingthatbeganwithacon-
secrationceremonyperformedbythemonks
(ourassociateprofessorDianeElzeislooking
onfromthefarrightinthepictureabove).The
mandalaemergedoverthecourseofaday;it
wasrituallydeconstructedduringceremonies
attheendofthevisit.
Itwasabrilliantearlyautumndaywhen
theDalaiLamaspoketo30,000students,
faculty,alumniandguestsinUBstadium.He
isawarm,gentle,humbleman.Hespoketo
theheartofsocialworkwhenheremindedus
oftheimportanceofcompassioneventoward
thoseseenasenemies,andoftheresponsibility
weallhavetopromotepeaceandunderstand-
ingthroughdialogue.
MosaicsMosaics,thenewsletteroftheUBSchool
ofSocialWorkanditsalumniassocia-
tion,isproducedthreetimesayearby
theNewslettersUnitoftheUniversity
atBuffaloOfficeofNewsServicesand
Periodicals,DivisonofExternalAffairs.
December2006.06-SOC-005.
www.socialwork.buffalo.edu
TheUniversityatBuffaloisapremier
publicresearchuniversity,thelargest
andmostcomprehensivecampusinthe
StateUniversityofNewYorksystem.The
SchoolofSocialWorkisoneof12schools
thatmakeUBNewYork’sleadingpublic
centerforgraduateandprofessional
education.
editorial team
LisaGame
GraduateAssistant
SchoolofSocialWork
JonathanHavey
DirectorofCommunications
SchoolofSocialWork
BarbaraRittner
AssociateDeanforExternalRelations
SchoolofSocialWork
JudMead
NewslettersCoordinator
OfficeofNewsServicesandPeriodicals
desigN
CelineTan
OfficeofNewsServicesandPeriodicals
Cover Photo: KC Kratt
mosaics : fall 2006
Fanfare during the Dalai Lama’s recent visit to UB.
2
Postcard from ScotlandTravelingtoScotlandwaseducational,cultural,excitingandmoving.IlearnedabouttheinsandoutsofthesocialserviceprogramsinavarietyofScottishcitiesanddiscoveredthatScotlandisfacingmanyofthesamesocialproblemsastheU.S.IhadtheopportunitytopresentinformationtothesocialserviceworkersanddirectorsofMorayCouncil.Theworkerswelcomeduswithwarmhospitalityandtreated
uswithkindnessandappreciation.Ialsosawbreathtakingviews,suchastheyellowandpurplewildflowersthatarescatteredaboutthehillsofScotland,andtasteduniqueanddelicatefoodssuchashaggisandcullenskink.ButmyfavoritememoryofScotlandwillbethelifelongfriendsI’vemadefromtheUKandtheUniversityatBuffalo’sSchoolofSocialWork.I’lltellyoumoresoon. —Nicole Tomasello, PhD candidate
OurNews
School of Social Work
mosaics : fall 2006 �
Out and aboutSocial workers get around: into local communi-ties, forgotten neighborhoods, rural areas—wherever people need services. The old adage “start where the client is” sometimes means going where they are.
The next Mosaics, will focus on the School of Social Work’s long reach into local, national and international communities—from Scotland to Maine and back to Buffalo.
from deaN NaNcy J. smyth
Aformerclientrecentlyaskedmeifhav-
ingagunheldtoyourheadwhilesomeone
demandsmoneyqualifiesastrauma.What
comestomindwhenyouheartheword
“trauma?”Perhapsyouthinkaboutextreme
eventslikeHurricaneKatrinaortheattackon
theWorldTradeCenter.Ormaybeyouthink
ofthephysicalandsexualabusethatmany
childrenexperience,orshootingsinourcom-
munities,especiallyinpoorneighborhoods.
Doesthewordbringtominddomestic
violence?Ortheexperienceofwitnessingdo-
mesticviolencethataffectssomanychildren?
Seriouscarorworkplaceaccidents?Rape?
Torture?Physicalassaultsinbars,prisons,
gangfights?Thedeathofalovedone?Being
diagnosedwithalife-threateningillness?Each
oftheseinstancesqualifiesastraumaandeach
canaffectpeople,organizations,communi-
tiesandnationsinamyriadofways.Research
showsthattraumaisasignificantriskfactor
forarangeofproblems,includingsubstance
abuse,violence,criminalbehavior,educational
problems,thewiderangeofconductproblems
thatchildrencanstrugglewith,depression,
anxietyproblemsandhealthproblems—just
tonameafew.
Itisbecauseofthefar-rangingimpactof
traumaticexperiencesthatwe’reusingthisis-
sueofMosaicstohighlightaspectsofthework
wedoasaschooltoaddressthisproblemin
ourresearch,preparationofsocialworkers,
professionalcontinuingeducationandour
partnershipsinthecommunity.Thisareaof
ourworkistooextensivetocovercomprehen-
sivelyinafewpages,butit’sourhopethatthis
willgiveyouaflavorofourefforts.
NancyJ.Smyth,PhD,LCSW
Healthylivingintwoworlds
Thispastsummer,theBuffaloCenterfor
SocialResearchwasfulloftheenergyand
enthusiasmofyoungmembersofBuffalo’s
NativeAmericancommunityattending
HealthyLivinginTwoWorlds.Theprojectwas
sponsoredbytheNationalCancerInstitute
anddirectedbyassociateprofessorHilaryN.
Weaver,DSW.
Theparticipants,age9to13,followed
aculturally-groundedwellnesscurriculum
thatencouragedhealthyeatingpracticesand
physicalactivity,anddiscouragedrecreational
tobaccouse.Theprogramdrewheavilyon
Haudenosauneeculturalpracticestoreflect
thecultureofthemajorityoftheparticipants.
Thecurriculumwasgroundedintherealiza-
tionthattheseyouthliveinamulticultural,
contemporaryurbanenvironmenteven
thoughtheycontinuetobeNativepeople.
NativeAmericanyouthfacesomeofthe
highestriskfactorsforcancer.NativeAmeri-
canshavehighratesofsmoking,theyhave
themostobesityofanygroupintheU.S.and
manyhaveasedentarylifestyle.Inaddition
toteachinghealthypractices,theprogram
keptthekidsconstantlyonthemovethrough
activitieslikeswimmingandlacrosse.
Theprogramwillnowanalyzedatacol-
lectedduringthesummerforthepurposeof
developingthecurriculumforusewithurban
NativeAmericancommunitiesaround
thecountry.
Expertleadscertificateprogram
Internationally
renownedtrauma
expertRicky
Greenwald,PsyD,
isteachingthis
year’scertificate
programinchild
andadolescent
traumatreatment.Programtrainingisbeing
deliveredbytheChildTraumaInstitutein
collaborationwiththeSocialWorkOfficeof
ContinuingEducation,andhostedbyChild
andFamilyServicesinBuffalo.Theprogram
includesmaterialonself-controlandanger
management,eye-movementdesensitization
andreprocessing,andadvancedtherapeutic
interventions.Greenwald,whoisthefounder
andExecutiveDirectoroftheChildTrauma
Institute,istheauthororeditorofseveral
books,including“ChildTraumaHandbook”
(2005,Haworth)and“TraumaandJuvenile
Delinquency”(2002,Haworth).
mosaics : fall 2006 �
Greenwald
� mosaics : fall 2006
SafeplaceforthehardworkCazenovia Recovery Systems residential programs help restore broken lives
AtVisionsPlace,aconvertedconventonBuffalo’seastsidenowhometo24menandwomenlivingwiththedoublehardshipofmentalillnessandchemicaldependencyoral-coholabuse,CazenoviaRecoverySystemsclinicianshelpresidentsregaintheirbearings.Above, clockwise from the lower right,Joy Rothberg, Visions Place program director; Angel Pletcher (MSW ’04), a Visions Place senior counselor; Suzie Bermingham (MSW ’03), coun-selor at New Beginnings; and Bill Burgin, clinical director of Cazenovia Recovery Systems.
By Lisa Game and Jud Mead
metAngelonthetelephonethroughacounselorofmine
whosaidIneededthisplace.Ididaninterviewoverthe
telephone.TheyputmeonthewaitinglistbutIdidn’t
go.InJanuarythisyearIcheckedmyselfintothehospitalandthey
putmeonthewaitinglisthereforthefourthtime.Inordertoget
abed,Ihadtocalleveryday.Icalledfromthehospitalonthepay
phoneorastaffphoneeverydayforonemonth.OnFebruary7,
Angelpickedmeupatthehospitalandbroughtmehere.”
JimlivesatVisionsPlace.Hehasbeensoberformorethan
eightmonths.“Myoutlookhaschanged,”hesays.
“Ifeltathomehererightaway.Thestaffwilltaketimetotalk
toyou.I’veneverreallycaredtobearoundpeople.Butthewaythe
staffapproachesme—they’reverycompassionate.I’vebeenhere
almostninemonthsandI’dliketobeoutbyChristmas.Icould
alwaysgetanotherpayeeandleaveandgototheCityMission.But
I’mtakingmycounselorJoy’sadvicetostay.Ifoughttogetinhere.
I’msortofbetweenasoftrockandasofthardplace.”
CazenoviaRecoverySystemsprovidesfourlevelsofcommu-
nityresidentialcare:intensiveresidentialrehabilitation,commu-
nityresidentialservices,co-occurringmentalhealthandsubstance
abuseresidentialtreatment,andsupportivelivingforclientswith
substanceabuseproblems.
“IK
C K
ratt
mosaics : fall 2006 �
BillBurgin,Cazenovia’sclinical
director,saysthatlong-stayresidential
treatmentallowshimtoseehisworkmake
adifference.
“I’veneverbeenabletotrackthe
progressofsomebodyaswellasIhavein
residential,”hesays.“Yougetthemfora
periodoftimeandyoucanwatchthewell-
nessoccur.Whenyou’reinanoutpatient
situation,youseethemonce,maybetwice
aweek.Ininpatient,youhavea28-day
turnaround,andindetoxit’sonlyaseven-
dayturnaround—youjustcan’tseeany
progressinthatshortamountoftime.”
ForJim,simplyhavingaresidenceis
healing.
“Myroomhereisallcustomized
now,”hesays.“WhenImovedinallI
hadwasonebagofclothes.NowIhavea
stereoandaTVandtoysIboughtatFam-
ilyDollar.Thepeershereareprettygood.
I’dsayweallhaveaquietunderstanding
thatI’llleaveyoualoneandyouleaveme
alone.IcameheretolearnthingsandIam
learning.Ijusthavetokeepmymind
open.IlikeitbetterherebecauseI
feellikeI’mgettingsomewhere.”
the little thiNgs
DarwinCorley,programdirectorof
Cazenovia’sNewBeginnings,aresidence
thatfacilitatesrecoveryfromchemical
dependency,almostleftthefieldbecause
ofthatlackofrealprogress.
“IwasworkinginQueensinNew
YorkCityanditwasjustajoke.Group
therapiesandcarsdouble-parkedand
dopedealershangingoutoutside.Forty
peoplesittinginagroupwithonlythree
groupfacilitators.Beforepeopleevenget
outsidethey’resmokingupandwalking
overemptybagsandcrackvials.”
Corleyseesthedifferencebetween
hisoldjobasanaddictionscounselorin
NewYorkCityandhiscurrentroleevery
day.“There’sarelationshipofmind,body
andspirithere.There’sanexcitementthat
everydayyougetupandit’sgoodbefore
youevenopenthedoor.”
AngelPletcher,aseniorcounselorat
VisionsPlace,ismotivatedbythedailyop-
portunitytohelpinallkindsofways,even
thesmallest.
“Oneofthethingsthatdrawsmeto
residentialisthatyougettoseetheclients
everydayandtheycometoyouevenfor
thelittlethings,”shesays.“Evensomething
assimpleas,‘Domyshoesmatchmy
shirt?’Theyaskyouforhelp.”
“There’sacertainsensethatthisis
home,”saysJoyRothberg,programdirec-
torofVisionsPlace.“Thisiswherethey
live.Wetrytomakeitthatway—sothat
theyseethisastheirhouse.Sothatthey
canmakeittheirowncomfortableplace.”
ResidentsinCazenoviapro-
gramslearnrightawaythatcomfortcomes
withresponsibility.Theyarerequiredto
committoaminimumofthreemonthsof
treatmentandmayneedtostayforaslong
astwoyears.
“They’vegottofollowourrulesand
regulations—notthesameonestheylived
underintheirownhouseholds—soit’sa
definitecommitment,”Burginsays.And
hesaysmostresidentsarewillingtomake
thatcommitment.
Everydayresponsibilitiesforresidents
includesuchchoresaswashingdishesand
cleaningthekitchenandthebathrooms.
Pletchersaysthatit’stheresidents’house
sotheyhavetokeepitclean.“Mostof
themtakeprideinit.”
Thepridecanshowwhennewresi-
dentsarrive.“Often,theydon’thavealot
ofstuffwiththem,”accordingtoPletcher.
“Webringthemin,kindofgetthem
acquaintedwiththeplace,takethemup
totheirroom,gettheirstuffputawayand
thenhavethemmeetwiththeircounselor
totakecareofalltheintakepaperwork.
Wetrytogetthemintoagroup[therapy
session]andtheresidentsarereallygood
aboutwelcomingthem.They’lltakethem
aroundandshowthemwhattheplaceis
allabout.Thisishomeforthem.”
emergeNcy coNtact
Andhavingahomecanbethebeginning
ofanewlife.Rothbergtellsthestoryofa
residentwhohadabandonedeverything
beforefindingherwaytoVisionsPlace.
“Shehadreallyhadnofamily
contactforabouttwoyearsbecauseshe
wasusingandonthestreets.Her
familydidn’twanttohaveanything
todowithherand,atthatpoint,she
didn’treallywanttohaveanything
todowiththem.Afterbeinghere
foraboutayearandbeingcleanfor
theentiretime,shedecidedtocontacta
brothershehadn’tseenfortwoyears.A
counselorhelpedherdelivertheletterto
herbrother’slast-knownresidenceand,an
hourandahalflater,hecalledher.They
spentmostofthedaytogether.When
everyonefirstcomeshereweaskforan
emergencycontact.Thisresidenthated
thatquestionbecauseshedidn’thavean
emergencycontact.Whenherbrother
left,shesaid,‘Ihaveanemergencycontact
now.’Andthatwasjustanamazingthing
becauseshe’dbeenaloneforsolong.”
“Alumni I’ve spoken with who work there are really happy because they feel they’re making a difference.”
— Nancy Smyth
6 mosaics : fall 2006
ub coNNectioNs
Burginisaproponentofevidence-
basedpractice.“Webelievethatifresearch
saysthat[programs]work,thenwe
believethattheycanworkhere,”hesays.
Cazenoviaisimplementingtrauma-based
services,trainingcounselorsinmotiva-
tionalinterviewing,andbringingincogni-
tivetherapiessuchasREBT(Rational
EmotiveandBehavioralTherapies)and
hascounselorsintheTraumaCounseling
CertificateprogramatUB.
TraumaissuescametoCazenovia’s
attentionwhentheyconsultedwithNancy
Symth,deanoftheSchoolofSocialWork,
forhelpwitharesidentialprogramthat
wasunderperforming.Smythrecom-
mendedthatCazenoviatrytoimplement
servicestotreattraumaissuestheirclients
mighthave.“Theyintegratedsomereally
excellentevidence-basedinterventionsfor
theirprogramsinaddiction.”
“ThethingIthinkisreallywonder-
fulaboutthatsystem,”Smythsays,“isthat
theyvaluequalityandtheyencouragecre-
ativityandinnovationamongtheirstaff.
AlumniI’vespokenwithwhoworkthere
arereallyhappybecausetheyfeelthey’re
makingadifference.”
good cleaN fuN
Cazenoviarunsaresidentialprogramfor
recoveringaddictsgettingreadytoreturn
tofullyindependentliving.Someresidents
ofthisprogramarenowemployedand
havesavingsaccounts.
SuzanneBissonette,executivedirec-
torofCazenoviaRecoverySystems,says
thatthemostrecentresidenttofinishwith
theprogramleftwith$6,000inasavings
account.“It’sarealachievementthatthey
canwalkawaywithalargesumofmoney
andnotuseitondrugsandalcohol,”
Bissonettesays.
Successescanappearunexpectedly.
Burginremembersaparticularouting:
“Wehadaresidentwhosigneduptogo
ontheMissBuffaloboatride,butthen
hedidn’twanttogo.Hejustwantedto
stayasleep.Butlaterthatday,heguided
thewholeMissBuffalo—bothresidents
andperfectstrangers—insingingthe
‘Gilligan’sIsland’themesong.Thenhe
cameovertoJoyandmeandthankedus.I
don’tcarewhatjobyouhaveorwhatyou
getpaid,youcan’tgetanybetterreward
thanthat.”
Hesaysthatactivitiesareanimpor-
tantwaytorediscoverthatitispossible
tobecleanandsoberandstillhavefun.
WhenCazenoviaaddedVisionsPlace
toitsprogams,itincludedanactivities
coordinator,somethingtheyhadn’ttried
before.Recreationalactivitiesarearegular
partoftheprogramandVisionsPlace
evenhasaceramics‘wing.’
Rothbergsaysthatrecreationalactivi-
tiesareimportanttomanyoftheresidents
who,assheputsit,“hadprobablynever
spenttimedoingmuchmorethangetting
high.”Oneclientbroughttocourtace-
ramicpigshe’dmadebecauseshewanted
toshowitoff.
Takingthelongviewofhiscontinu-
ingresidenceatVisionsPlace,Jimoffers
anappreciationthatsocialworkerscan
hangontofortheharddays.
“Iappreciateallthepeoplewhowant
toworkinthefieldbecausepeoplelikeme
needpeoplelikethat.”
more than a visionCazenovia Recovery Systems’
suite of programs
n Turning Point House— serving
individuals who have numerous
recovery attempts from sub-
stance related disorders.
n Cazenovia Manor and New
Beginnings—facilitating recovery
from chemical dependency.
n Visions Place— a residential
setting for treatment of individ-
uals with co-occurring disorders
of mental illness and chemical
addiction or substance abuse.
n Supportive Living Program—
attaining readiness for inde-
pendent living.
n Supportive Housing Program—
helping participants find and
remain in permanent housing.
See www.cazenoviarecovery.org
for more information.
Jim, a resident at Visions Place since February 2006, smooths a mug in the large ceramics work-room in the basement of the facility. Activities play a role in daily life at Visions Place.
KC
Kra
tt
mosaics : fall 2006 �
arcyBrimowasasocialworkerbeforesheevenknew
whatsocialworkwas.AsanundergraduateatUBshe
wasapoliticalactivist.Sheandherfriendsthought
itwasmoreimportanttogointothecommunitytohelpaddress
issuesthantositinaclassroomandtalkaboutthem.
“Welookedtoseewhatwasneeded,”shesays.“Whatwe
foundwerechildrenwhohadn’teverseenadoctor.Wefounda
grocerystorewithrottenfood,wesawgangs,andwesawpeople
whodidn’thaveanyclothesorbooks.”Brimoworkedwiththe
MutualAidSocietytocreateafoodco-op.Theybroughtdoctors
intoseethechildren,therewasnomorerottenfood,theyspoketo
thegangmembersandhandedoutdonatedclothingandbooks.A
socialworkmiracle.
Aftercollege,BrimotaughthighschoolEnglishinKentucky
andtheninAkron,Ohio.ShetookagraduateprograminEnglish
compositionanddecidedtoincorporatewritingasaself-discovery
toolinherclasses.“Whenstudentswriteaboutsomethingthey’re
interestedin,theirlinguisticandsyntacticgrowthdevelopsvery
fast,”shesays.Sodoestheirconfidence.
Brimoappliedthisknowledgetothecoursesshetaughtlater
atAkronUniversityandAlfredState.Atthetime,shewasworking
onaPhDinEnglishbutsayssherealizedshewasmoreinterested
inthegrowthshesawinstudentswhohadtoreflectontheirexpe-
riencesinordertowriteabouttheirlives.SoshereturnedtoUBto
studyattheSchoolofSocialWork.
WithherMSWinhand,shetookajobwithChildandFam-
ilyServicesinBuffalowhereshecounseledvictimsofdomestic
violence.ShemovedontotheSistersHospitalSTARProgramas
afamilytherapistandfoundmanywomentherewhowerealso
victimsofdomesticviolencewhileinrelationshipswithpeople
withaddictions.Brimodidn’tunderstandthecorrelation.“The
questionwas,forme,whatwasgoingonwiththispersonthatthey
wouldstaywithsomebodywhoissoabusive?”
Afterfurtherresearchintotrauma
andrecovery,Brimobegantounderstand
moreaboutdomesticviolence,post-
traumaticstressdisorder,andwhypeople
continuetoreturntoabusiverelation-
ships.Shetooktrainingineye-move-
mentdesensitizationandreprocessing
(EMDR);shenowteachesacourseon
EMDRattheSchoolofSocialWork.
Brimowasoneoftheearlychairsofa
localtraumataskforcethatwasamajor
forceinraisingawarenessoftheeffectsof
traumaticeventsandthetherapiesavail-
abletotreatthoseeffects.
“Whensomebodyhasthattraumaticeventhealed,theycan
goontobewhotheyareanddowhattheyweren’tabletodobe-
fore,becausetheyhadthosesymptomsaffectingthemonaregular
basis,”shesays.
BrimomovedfromtheSTARProgramtoKaleidaHealth
toworkwithwomenwithbothchemicaldependencyandsexual
abuseissues.Shecontinuedtostudyadvancesintechniquesfor
helpingpeoplewhohavebeentraumatized.Brimoisexcitedby
discoveriesinthefieldbecausesolittleattentionhasbeenpaidto
improvingtraumatherapiesbeforenow.“Theseclientsarepeople
whopeoplewouldjustwriteofforthrowmedsat,andthereare
actuallymethodsandhopefortheirrecovery,”shesays.
“YourMSWisyourtickettolearning.Andonceyou’vegot
thattickettolearn,youhavetostayactiveandyouhavetocon-
tinuetolearnandtoputthoseideasintoplay.That’spartofbeing
aprofessional.
“Yougettoseepeoplechange—andit’sluckywedon’thave
toreinventthewheel.It’sjustamatteroffindingtherightwheel
andputtingiton.”
M
AlumniProfile
Trauma+troubleUBMSWfindshopeforrecoveryinbettertreatmentfortraumavictimswhomightoncehavegoneundiagnosed.
By Lisa Game
MArCy BriMo
� mosaics : fall 2006
orbothLyndaFilbert(MSW’87)andherdaughter,
SarahVanDerLee(MSW’01),protectingchildrenisa
careermissionthatstartedfromsimilareducationalpur-
suits,literallyagenerationapart.
BothmotheranddaughtermajoredinNativeStudies,focus-
ingonCanada’sFirstNationsPeople,intheirundergraduateyears
atTrentUniversityinPeterborough,Ontario.Butfromthatpoint
on,theytookdifferentpathstoreachthesamecareerfield.
FilbertisnowdirectorofChildWelfareServicesatFam-
ilyandChildren’sServicesNiagara(FACS)inOntario,provid-
ingmandatedchildprotectionservicestofamiliesandchildren
throughouttheNiagaraRegion.Herdaughterisachildren’sser-
vice/childprotectionworkeratthesameagencywhohasworked
asafieldeducatorinNiagaraUniversity’sBSWprogram.
Filbertwasapart-timeclinicalassistantprofessorintheUB
SchoolofSocialWorkfrom1998to2001.Shehasheldtraining
positionsatTrentUniversity,RyersonUniversityandNiagaraCol-
lege,butrecalls“withunabashedpride”herappointmentatUB
andtheyearsspenthereasaneducator.
gettiNg to ub
VanDerLee’spathtoUBwasready-made.“MychoiceofUBwas
drivenbymemoriesofmymother’sexperienceinanenvironment
thatchampionedissuesofdiversityandtherightsofchildren,”
shesays.
“IdrewheavilyfromthefacultyexamplesatUB,”VanDer-
Leeadds.“WorkingatFACShasallowedmetheopportunityto
continuemylifelongeducationalprocessthroughparticipationin
internal,interagencyandcommunitytraining.”Asamemberof
theagency’sCrownWardTeam,shespecializesintheprovisionof
children’sresidentialservices.
VanDerLeeandherhusbandJohnwelcomedtheirson,Justin
AnthonyinJanuary2006.Currentlyonmaternityleave,sheplans
toreturntoFACSnextyear.
Hermother’searlyinterestsincludedlaw,especiallythe
criminaljusticesystem’srelationshiptochildren,andCanada’s
FirstNationsPeople.WhenFilbertgraduatedfromTrentin1972,
shetookapositionwiththeuniversityasateachingassistantand
seminarinstructorwiththeNativeStudiesDepartment.Asthe
department’sbibliographer,shebuiltastandardizedcomponentto
theuniversity’sFirstNationslibraryholdings.
In1974,FilbertacceptedapositionwiththeMinistryof
CorrectionalServicesforOntarioatasecurecustodialfacilityfor
juveniles,knowntodayastheSylAppsYouthCentreinOakville,
Ontario.SheservedasaSupervisorofJuvenileswithFirstNations
youth.Ayearlatershewasselectedforanacceleratedtraining
programtobecomeasuperintendentofacorrectionalfacility.
Atthattime,Filbertalsohadjustmetherfuturehusband,
Anthony.Shedecidedtodeclinetheprogramandreturnedtothe
NiagaraRegiontoraisetheirtwodaughters.
Filbert’sexperiencewithFirstNationschildrenatSylApps
causedhertoreflectonwhysomanyofthemhadbeeninvolved
withthechildprotectionsystempriortotheirenaavtryintothe
juvenilejusticesystem.
F
Twogenerations,onemissionDaughterfollowsmotherthroughUBMSWprogramandintochildprotection.
By Lauren N. Maynard
Ro
se M
attr
ey
mosaics : fall 2006 �
“Iwassituated,perhaps,toofardownrivertohaveasig-
nificanteffectontheirwell-being,”saysFilbert.“Consequently,if
upriverwaswhereitallwascrystallizing,Iwouldmovemyefforts
theretochildprotection.”ShejoinedFACSNiagarainOntarioin
March1976asaresidentialchildprotectionworkerintheagency’s
grouphomesystem.
research, Publish, testify
This“reflectiveexercise”triggeredFilbert’sreassignmentasa
familyservicechildprotectionworker.Thisplacedherindirect
contactwiththeprimarycaregiverswhere,shebelieved,“Icould
exerciseamoresubstantialinfluence.”
SincetakingherfirstpositionatFACS,Filberthasfollowed
hercontinuinginterestinchildren’sissueswithinthecriminal
justicesystem,particularlyinforensicinterviewinginchildabuse
cases.Asaprovincialtrainerinthe“InvestigationofSexualOf-
fensesAgainstChildren”program,sheservedasaguestlecturerat
theOntarioPoliceCollege,chairedtheNiagarachildabuseteams,
anddevelopedanddirectedtheNiagaraChildVictimWitness
Program.Shewasalsohonoredtoprovidetestimonybeforethe
FederalStandingCommitteeonJusticeandinresponsetothe
SolicitorGeneral’s“AmendmentstotheCriminalCodeofCanada
andtheCanadaEvidenceAct.”
Ahighlightofhercareer,Filbertsays,wastheinvitationby
HowardDoueck,professorandassociatedeanforresearch,to
presentattheNationalConferenceofChildAbuseandNeglectin
Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania,in1993.In1997,underDoueck’sguid-
ance,Filbertbeganaresearchstudyrelatedtochildvictimsinthe
criminaljusticesystem,theresultsofwhichwerepublishedinthe
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse.
Today,Filbertisinvolvedwithseveraldisciplinarycollabora-
tions,includingonewiththeNiagaraRegionalPoliceServicesto
establishachildadvocacycenterintheNiagaraRegion.Another
hasexposedhertoissuesofchildprotectionrelatingtorefugees
andtheirseparatedchildrenduringtheimmigrationprocess.
life lessoN
VanDerLeesaysthatherstudyatUB’sSchoolofSocialWorkgave
herausefulcomparativeperspectiveontheCanadianandAmeri-
canchildwelfaresystemsandtheirvariouscultures.“TheUBpro-
gramallowedmetoengageinavarietyofcoursesthatdeveloped
andenhancedmyskillsasahelpingprofessional,”shesays.
VanDerLeecitesseveralexamplesofherUBtraining:expo-
suretomultipleinterviewingandrecordingtechniques,which
weresensitivetoculturaldiversityandethics;theroleofcritical
self-analysis;andhowdoingresearchtaughtherhowtointervene
“baseduponcollectivestrengths.”Thelatterwasakey,shesaysto
“achievingenhancedcredibilitywithclients,collateralsandcol-
leaguesinacollaborativemanner.”
ForFilbert,UBprovidedherwithamentorinDoueck,who
taughtimportantlessonsinhowacademicrigorcanleadtoa
disciplined,principledpractice.“Heintroducedmetoanunprec-
edentedstandardofexcellencethatcontinuestoinspireme.”
VanDerLee,andhermotherbeforeher,lefttheUBSchool
ofSocialWorkwithonelessonthatkeepseverythingelsethey
learnedfresh—thateducationisalifelongprocess.“Iamindebted
totheschoolforthat,”VanDerLeesays.
c e rt i f i c at e P r o g r a m i N t r a u m a c o u N s e l i N g
The UB School of Social Work Office of Continuing
Education offers a noncredit postgraduate Certificate
Program in Trauma Counseling. The program was estab-
lished in 2001.
Trauma survivors comprise a large percentage of clients
in many service settings, yet few settings include ser-
vices to meet their needs, making it difficult to engage,
retain and effectively treat these individuals and
their families.
Participants in the certificate program have three years
to complete approximately 16 days of training that
provides a base of knowledge about trauma through
required courses and electives. The program allows
students to tailor instruction to their areas of interest.
Regional, national, and international trainers who have
assisted with the program include, Lisa M. Najavits, PhD,
developer of Seeking Safety Therapy for posttraumatic
stress disorder; Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, developer of
Internal Family Systems Therapy; and Edna B. Foa, PhD,
developer of Prolonged Exposure Therapy for posttrau-
matic stress disorder, a model program for the United
States Department of Health and Human Services Sub-
stance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA).
For information, go to www.socialwork.buffalo.edu/conted.
�0 mosaics : fall 2006
Mosaics: What is the Church Mission of Help?
Austin: Church Mission of Help is a private, not-for-
profit agency. We have five full-time counselors,
three MSWs, one psychologist and one psychiatrist,
and six part-time counselors—MSWs and LCSWs.
We do individual, group, family and couples coun-
seling, all on an outpatient basis. We’re an inde-
pendent agency, so we primarily get our income
from fees. What we do, all day long, is clinical work.
Mosaics: What does the name signify?
Austin: Our name is confusing. We’re not related to
any church. We were originally associated with Episco-
pal Community Services but as an independent agency.
We’re all social workers from different religions. We
deal with spirituality, but we don’t adhere to any one
religion or anything. Because we’re a small agency,
we’re not as well known—a lot of people call us a sort
of hidden jewel.
Mosaics: How did you get into counseling?
Austin: I used to be an electronic technician and I was
always fascinated about what makes things work. I
discovered, when I started going to therapy myself,
that there was a whole internal world. I had a few
friends who were psychologists. I started taking
courses in psychology and volunteered at Crisis
Services. I just found that I enjoyed it. I completed my
career change by earning an MSW at UB.
Mosaics: How did you get to Church Mission of Help?
Austin: I wanted to work here because I liked smaller
agencies and also the best clinicians were here and
my heart was always in doing clinical work. I used to
work at Child and Family Service and I always heard,
“Church Mission, Church Mission, Church Mission,”
and about this counselor and that counselor. It always
had a good reputation. So I waited until there
was an opening.
Mosaics: We always hear good things from students who intern with your organization.
Austin: We teach long-term therapy, which is not all
that prevalent these days due to insurance limitations.
Everything is geared to short-term counseling. We
teach students the long-term model: the beginning,
middle, and end or termination phases of therapy.
Some students have clients from September all the
way to May. We take our students very seriously—we
treat them like colleagues, supervision is manda-
tory, they come to our staff meetings. We give them
a lot of latitude because students these days are so
proficient and are quick learners. I don’t know if
there is one modality that I teach but we do teach
about trauma, which is important. For most people,
whatever diagnosis they have, those early years are
so important, and a lot of times what they’re doing
in adulthood has a lot to do with trauma from either
neglect, or abuse, or something else early on.
Mosaics: What sets Church Mission of Help apart from everyone else?
Austin: We’re an independent agency. We’re very au-
tonomous and can concentrate on the clinical model.
We put clients on a sliding fee scale that is more flex-
ible than most places. If clients can’t afford to come,
they’re going to stop coming, so we have to accom-
modate them as best we can.
Mosaics: What do you like most about your job?
Austin: It’s frustrating, but it’s rewarding. Some days
you leave and you wonder if you had an impact or
not, whether or not it was a constructive day. It takes
time, but you do see people moving forward in their
lives—sometimes very slowly, other times quickly—but
you do see the impact.
Q&AAconversationwithCraigAustin(MSW’82) CraigAustinisacounselorforChurchMissionofHelpinBuffalo,N.Y. Weinterviewedhimabouttheorganizationandhisroleinit.
�0 mosaics : fall 2006
Rose Mattrey
mosaics : fall 2006 ��
“Iwassickofschool,droppedoutofcollegeandgotajobas
amental-healthcounseloratacommunityresidencefor
peoplewithseriousmentalillness,”saysNancySmyth.At
thatresidence,Smythsawalotofpeoplewhoweretraumasurvi-
vors,peoplewhohadproblemswithaddictionsandalotofpeople
whofellintobothcategories.
Shewasinterestedinwhatshesawthesocialworkersdoing.
Shewasespeciallyimpressedwithsocialworkers’abilitytomake
sometimesdifficultsystemsworkinordertoimproveandenhance
theirclients’lives.
Smythfinishedhercollegedegreeandthenwentontoearn
bothamaster’sandPhDinsocialworkattheUniversityatAlbany.
Workinginthefieldafterearninghermaster’s,Smythbeganto
focusontheinterfacebetweentraumaandaddiction.Sheremem-
bersobservingaconnection:“Iwasconstantlytreatingpeoplein
theclinicswhohadgrownupinabusive,alcoholicfamiliesandthis
clearlyhadarelationshiptotheiraddiction.”
Smythcouldn’tfocusherdoctoraldissertationonthatlink
becausetherewerenofacultyinherprogramwithresearchexper-
tiseineithersubstanceabuseoraddictions.Asaresult,shesays
withagrin,“Ididmydissertationinprison.”Morespecifically,
sheinterviewedinmateswhohadattemptedsuicide,agroupwith
highratesofbothtraumaandaddiction.
Smythwasclinicaldirectorforanoutpatientclinicand
startedaprogramspecificallytohelpwomenwhohaveexperi-
encedtraumaandaddiction.ShejoinedtheUBfacultyin1991.
AtUB,shesetupthealcoholandotherdrugsconcentration.“We
weren’tabletofindplacesandinternshipsforstudentsbecause
thereweren’tthatmanysocialworkersintheaddictionsfield,”she
saysaboutthatearlyeffort.
Smythparticipatedinastatewidetraumainitiativetoaddress
thelackoftraumaservicesincommunities.Atthetime,Erie
Countywasdoinglittlewithtrauma.
“Itseemedlikeagoodideatogetatraumainitiativeun-
derwayinthecounty.IworkedwiththeMICA[MentallyIlland
ChemicallyDependent]taskforcetostartasortofsub-
committeetaskforceontrauma.”Theygatheredpeopleinterested
inthetopic,includingrecipientsofservicesandtraumasurvivors
toaddressthelackoftraumaservices.
Sheeventuallyinitiatedeffortstostart
atraumacounselingcertificateprogram
thoughtheSocialWorkContinuingEduca-
tionProgram.(Seebox,page9.)
Incurrentresearch,Smythhasbeen
workingwithBrendaMiller(PhD;Pacific
InstituteforResearchandEvaluation,
Berkeley,California)toresearchtrauma
andaddictioninfamilies.Theyareattempt-
ingtounderstandhowtheseissuesare
passeddownfromgenerationtogeneration.
Now,Smyth’sresearchhastotakea
backseattoheradministrativeduties.“I
likemyroleherebecauseIcanhelpmovetheschoolforwardand
workwiththefacultyandstafftoaccomplishthat,”shesays.“I’ve
alwaysthought—sinceIstartedoutatUB—thattherewasalotof
talenthere.Italwaysseemedtomethat,nationally,UBwasareally
well-keptsecret.”
Perhapsnotformuchlonger.“Ithinktheschoolhasthepo-
tentialtobeoneofthetopschoolsofsocialworkinthecountry.I
thinkwe’realreadyfurtheralongthanpeopleknow.”
Smythreadilyadmitsthatthepostofdeandoesnotcome
equippedwithalltheanswers.“Idon’trememberthelasttimeI
hadajobwhereI’vehadtolearnasmuchasI’vehadtolearnhere.
That’sagoodthing.It’sexcitingtofindnewwaysofdoingthings
andtoworkwithasuchgreatgroupofpeopletobuildsomething
andthentomakeitshine.”
FacultyProfile
RecognizingtraumaUBSchoolofSocialWorkDeanNancySmythhasspenthercareerunwindingtheinteractionbetweentraumaandaddictions.
By Lisa Game
NANCy SMyTh
�2 mosaics : fall 2006
NewYorkSenatorHillaryRodhamClintonvisitedthe
Women’sWellnessCenteroftheVeteran’sAffairsMedicalCen-
terinBuffaloonSaturday,May6,2006.“SenatorClintonwas
impressedwithourholisticapproachtowomen’shealthand
thetherapeuticclinicenvironment”accordingtoFaithHoff-
man(MSW’93),whodirectsthecenter.Thecenterprovided
Clintonwithstatisticsonveteran/activedutywomenenrolled
fortreatmentatthesite.
Therearecurrentlymorewomenservinginthemili-
tarythanatanyothertimeinhistory.HoffmanandClinton
discussedthe10-yearhistoryoftheclinic,whichoffers
gynecologicalservicesaswellascomprehensivetreatmentfor
domesticviolenceandmilitarysexualtrauma.“Ourwomen’s
clinicwasoneofthefirstintheVAsystem.”Hoffmansays,
“Ourdomesticviolenceprogramisanationallyrecognized
bestpracticeandiscurrentlytheonlycomprehensiveprogram
ofitskindwithintheVA,providingeducationandtreatment
tobothbatterersandvictims.”
Hoffmanisthewomenveteransprogrammanagerand
coordinatorofthedomesticviolenceprogramthatshecreated
whenshewasappointedtoherpositionattheVAin1995.
�2 mosaics : fall 2006
Theholidayseasonisinfullswing—theyearseems
tohavepassedsoquickly.OurSchoolofSocialWork
andtheentireUniversityatBuffalocontinuetomove
forwardinthestrategicplanningprocessthatwill
setthecourseforthefutureofboth.Theprimary
valuedrivingthisprocessisacademicexcellence.Our
schoolisexcitedaboutstrengtheningthequalityofits
programsandcontinuestowelcomenewfaculty.Ithinkthat
it’simportantforouralumnifamilytorecognizethatUB’s
reputationdirectlyaffectstheperceivedvalueofourdegrees.
ThereareoverahalfmillionsocialworkersintheU.S.
whohavecommittedtheirlivestomakingadifference.Social
workersarefoundinmanysettingsandourapproachcon-
tinuestobeuniqueamongthehelpingprofessionsbecause
wefocusonpeople’schallengesintheirsocialenvironments.
SchoolofSocialWorkalumniareaninvaluablesource
ofinformation,adviceandnetworkingassistance.Wecan
helpcurrentstudents,recentand“notsorecent”graduates
and,mostofall,thecommunitiesinwhichwelive.
IencourageyoutobecomeanAlumniAssociation
memberifyouaren’talreadysignedup,ortorenewyour
membershipifyou’veletitlapse.Therearemanywaystoget
involved.AlumniAssociationmembersareamongUB’s
bestassets.
Gettinginvolvedasanalumnusisnotlimitedtopeople
livingintheWesternNewYorkregion.ThereareUBAlumni
chaptersacrosstheUnitedStates.Pleasevisitbothofthese
Websites—www.socialwork.buffalo.eduandwww.alumni.
buffalo.edu—tolearnmoreaboutopportunitiesforinvolve-
mentandthespecialbenefitsofmembership.
Mydoorisalwaysopen...feelfreetocontactmeat
(716)[email protected].
Faith hoffman (MSW ‘93), left, greets Sen. Clinton at the VA in Buffalo.
PeoplePeopleAlumniAssociationNews
FaithandtheSenatorGreetingstoall!
rita m. andolina alumni association President
mosaics : fall 2006 ��
rob Schwartz (mSW ’77)
Rob was recently promoted to vice
president of community and workplace
services for Child and Family Services
in Buffalo, NY. He served as director
of the agency’s Employee Assistance
Program since 1983.
marian mattison (mSW ’78)
Marian is an associate professor of so-
cial work at Providence College in Provi-
dence, R.I. She recently won the Joseph
R. Accinno Faculty Teaching Award,
presented annually to the Providence
College faculty member who “best
exhibits excellence in teaching, passion
and enthusiasm for learning, and genu-
ine concern for students’ academic and
personal growth.”
Heidi milch (mSW ’98)
Heidi directs program development
for Gateway-Longview Social Services
Agency. She was named a 2006–08
Western New York Community Health
Foundation Fellow. The Community
Health Foundation of Western and
Central New York “aims to bring health
care industry leaders together to im-
prove health outcomes for frail elders
and children in communities of poverty
in Western and Central New York.”
robin ersing (PhD ’00, mSW ’91)
Robin is a principal investigator on
“Exploring the Role of Neighborhood
Associations in the Development of
Social Capital” for the University of
South Florida Collaborative for Chil-
dren, Families and Communities.
She was named a national program
reviewer with Head Start with an area
of expertise in family and community
partnerships. Robin has developed a
partnership between the USF School of
Social Work and American Red Cross for
disaster certification; 23 USF students
and faculty have been certified in the
delivery of disaster-related services. She
also organized students to assist Habitat
for Humanity in the construction of
new homes for low-income families in
Sarasota.
Nicholas Benware (mSW ’03)
Nicholas is currently working in the
adult clinic at Behavioural Health Ser-
vices North Inc. in Plattsburgh, NY.
Jim coyle (PhD ’05, mSW ’81)
Jim is currently an assistant professor at
the School of Social Work at the Univer-
sity of Windsor, Ont.
marva caroll (mSW ’06)
Marva moved to Flagstaff, Ariz., after
graduation. She works for the Depart-
ment of Economic Security as a Child
Protective Service Specialist. “My duties
entail working with families whose
children are in foster care or have been
removed from their custody because
of physical or sexual abuse. I teach ap-
propriate parenting skills and connect
families with outside community agen-
cies that offer services, such as mental
health, substance abuse counseling,
parenting for different ethnic groups,
etc. The majority of my clients are Na-
vajo and they live on the reservation or
in Winslow, Ariz. Their culture and way
of life is very different.”
c l a s s N ot e s
Mr. Frank D. Funicello, Certificate
’51
August 1917 – November 2005
Mrs. Marie M. Moody, MSW ’45
March 1920 – June 2006
Mr. William J. McFarland, Certifi-
cate ’52, MSW ’56
April 1924 – September 2006
Mr. Bernard J. Wohl, Certificate
’52, MSW ’53
January 1930 – August 2006
Ms. Marjorie M. Race, BSW ’74
November 1949 – September 2006
Mr. Gaylon J. Speth, MSW ’04
July 1959 – April 2006
iN memoriam
Mosaics is relieved to hear that
Mr. Thomas V. Grace, MSW ’54
is alive and well.
We apologize to Mr. Grace
and his family for any incon-
venience or distress caused by
mistakenly listing him here in
the summer issue.
corrrectioN
ALumNi, SeND uS your NeWS!
Tell your fellow alumni what you’re
doing through Mosaics’ Classnotes
section. (We would especially appre-
ciate information from people who
did the community concentration.)
Please e-mail your news to SSW-
�� mosaics : fall 2006
DonorProfile
GerryMiller’smanylives
By Jonathan Havey
BornintheRoaringTwenties,raisedduringtheGreatDepres-
sionandProhibition,afreshmanincollegewhentheJapanese
attackedPearlHarbor,afighterpilotinthe“MightyEighth”air
forceinEnglandduringWorldWarII,aresearcherinvestigatingthe
then-unknowneffectsofnuclearenergyafterthewar,andasocial
workpractitionerandfacultymemberfor32years,GerryMiller
witnessedmostofthechangesofthe20thcentury.
Likemanyothermembersofthe“greatestgeneration,”Miller
hadacareerthatbeganwithmenialjobstohelppayforhiseduca-
tionandincludedsomeright-anglecareerchanges.Anativeof
Lowville,NewYork,Miller’sfatherwasacarpenteruntilthedepres-
sionendedallprivateconstruction.Thefamilythenbackedintothe
antiquebusinessinordertopaytheir$40monthlymortgage.
A$100scholarshipenabledMillertostartatHartwickCollege.
Hecoveredthe$6aweekitcosttoliveinafraternityhousebydoing
dishesandhousecleaning.ASaturdayjobinasupermarketpaid
35centsanhour.Likemoststudents,Millerwasenthusiasticabout
gettinginto“thelastgoodwar.”
Therewere24fellowslivinginhisfraternityhouseinSeptem-
ber1942.ByApril1943,onlyfourhadnotenteredmilitaryservice.
MillerandhisroommateGordieRobertshitchhikedtoAlbanyto
taketherequiredphysicalandwrittenexamstoqualifyfortheavia-
tioncadetprogram.
OncequalifiedtopilotP-51Mustangsingle-enginefighter
planes,newlymintedLt.MillerwasassignedtotheEighthAirForce
inEnglandtoescortB-17sandB-24s,flying1,000-planedaylight
bombingmissionsoverGermany.HereceivedtheDistinguished
FlyingCrossfordestroyingnineLuftwaffeaircraftonasinglestraf-
ingmission.Miller’sroommatepilotedB-24sinthePacific,“flying
thehump”acrosstheHimalayasfromIndiatoChina.Millerand
GordieandtheirwivesrecentlyhadareunionluncheoninBatavia,
NewYork—aftera48-yearseparation.
a ub iNsPiratioN
Afterthewar,Millerstayedinthenewairforcereserveforashort
timeandflewthefirstU.S.operationaljetfighter,theP-80Shooting
Star.ReturningtoHartwickonwhathedescribesas“thewonderful
G.I.Bill,”hegraduatedwithaBSinbiology.HethenearnedanMS
inbiologyattheUniversityofRochester.Heworkedasaresearch
associateintheatomicenergyprojectattheUniversityofRochester
MedicalCenter.Then,inspiredbyafriendwhowasagraduateof
UB’sMSWprogram,Millerdecidedtochangecareers.
ThebeginningofMiller’ssocialworkexperiencereflectsthe
verydifferentstateofAmericansocietyintheearlytomid-1950s.
InterestedspecificallyinCatholicsocialwork,Millerdecidedtoen-
terthenewMSWprogramatSt.Patrick’sCollegeoftheUniversity
ofOttawa.FatherSwithunBowers,thenewdeanwithaColumbia
UniversityMSWdegree,wasemergingasacharismaticleaderin
socialworkeducation,attractingstudentsfromCatholicagenciesin
bothCanadaandtheU.S.
Ro
se M
attr
ey (
4th
imag
e)
�� mosaics : fall 2006
mosaics : fall 2006 ��
“St.Pat’s”MSWfieldplacementswereontheblockplan,
enablingMillertocompletehisinternshipsclosetohome—at
CatholicCharitiesinRochester,NewYorkandattheAstorHomein
Rhinesbeck,NewYork.Thelatterwasaresidentialtreatmentcenter
foremotionallydisturbedboys,ages6to12,mostofwhomcame
fromNewYorkCitythroughCatholicCharities.
Aftergraduation,MillerwenttoworkforRochesterCatholic
Charities,wherehesupervisedsocialworkatSt.Joseph’sVilla(now
homeofUBSchoolofSocialWork’sRochesterExtensionProgram).
Healsodidmaritalcounselinginthecentralagency,eventually
becomingafieldinstructorfortheUBSchoolofSocialWork.
Atatimewhenabortionwasoutofthequestion,alargeaspect
offamilysocialworkinvolvedworkingwithunwedmothersand
thebabiesputupforadoption.Screeninginterviewswithpotential
adoptiveparentswereamajortaskforfamilysocialworkers.With
thelegalizationofabortioninthe1960s,mosthomesforunwed
mothersdisappearedfromthe
socialagencylandscape.
Thefieldoffamilysocial
workalsochanged.“Justdefining
afamilyeventuallybecamean
impossibletask,”Millersays.
“TheannualConferenceontheFamilysponsoredbythefederal
DepartmentofHealth,Education,andWelfare(HEW)ceasedwhen
participantscouldnotagreeongoals.”
the Pace of chaNge
Medicalsocialworkisanothermajorfieldintheprofessionthat
Millerhaswatchedchange.Beforethedevelopmentofantibiotics
andwidespreadimmunization,suchdiseasesaspolio,pneumonia,
andsyphilis,togetherwiththefearandsocialstigmatheyaroused,
fueledaneedforlong-termcare.“Thereusedtobeamedicalsocial
workeronalmosteveryfloorofahospital,”saysMiller.“Today,
patientsgoinandoutofahospitalsofast,manyonlyreceiveimper-
sonaldischargeplanning.”
In1961,Miller’scareertookyetanotherturnwhenDean
BenjaminLyndonhiredhimasanassistantprofessoratUB’sSchool
ofSocialWork.Itwasanexcitingtimetojointhefaculty.Thepace
ofsocialchange—andchangesinsocial-workpractice—increased
dramaticallyinthe1960s,whenGreatSocietyandWaronPoverty
programs,togetherwithfederallyfundedinitiativesinchildwelfare,
mentalretardationandcriminalrehabilitation,createdanupsurge
instudentenrollmentinsocialworkschools.
Itwasadifferenttime.OneoftheKennedy-familydaughters
sufferedfromwhatwasthenlabeled“mentalretardation,”andthat
somewhatamelioratedthesocialstigmaattachedtothisdisability.
Asaresult,manymorefamiliessoughthelpfordisabledfamily
membersthey’dpreviouslykepthidden.HEWprovidedstipendsfor
studentswhowerewillingtoworkinmentalretardationagencies.
Asanassistantdean,Millerwrotegrantproposalstosecurescholar-
shipfundsforUBsocialworkgraduatestudents.
“Thatprogramdidalotofgood,”hesays.“Oneoftherecipi-
entswentontoheadupabigstatementalhealthorganization.”
Therewerealsostipendstosupportsocialworkersinthefieldof
childwelfare,reflectingfederallymandatedchangesintheareasof
adoption,fostercareandchildabuse.
Notallthechangesinsocialprogramswerewelldesigned,in
Miller’sopinion.Forexample:criminalrehabilitationprogramsand
thedeinstitutionalizationofmentallyillpatientsneverreceivedthe
essentialfollow-upintheformof
communitysupportprograms.
Milleralsoexpressesdeepfrus-
trationwiththehandicapping
effectsofdrugaddictiononfam-
ilysocialworkandtheviolence
engenderedbydrugtrafficking.
Millerenjoyedthecollegialityofothersocialworkfaculty
membersthroughthoseyearswhenboththeschoolandtheState
UniversityofNewYorkwereexpandingduringNelsonRockefeller’s
termsasgovernor.Miller,FrankHodgesandPaulEdwardsworked
togetherformorethan20years,includingagonizingoverstudent
unrestoncampusduringtheVietnamWar.
WithEdwards’passing,Millernowfeelshonoredtobe
administeringEdwards’estateforthebenefitoffuturesocialwork
students—intheformoftheEdwards-MillerScholarshipFund.
“Paulwouldbehappyaboutthis,”hesays.
Ofhisformersocialworkstudentshesays,“Theyweren’t
goingtogetwealthy,butmostgotrealsatisfactionfromtheirprofes-
sion.”Acivilandgraciousman,Milleralsohastheplainspokenness
ofhisgeneration.“Asasociety,wetalkaboutourinterestinhelping
children,”hesays,“butourcommitmentisoftenonlyverbal.”
MillerandhiswifeSallyhavebeenmarriedfor47years.They
havethreechildrenandfourgrandchildren.Millerrecentlytookhis
16-year-oldgranddaughtertoalunchhonoringtheDalaiLama.
“Histhemeofcompassionwasveryinspiring,”hesays.InGerry
Miller,thecapacitytobeinspiredisaconstant.
“As a society, we talk about our interest in helping children, but our commitment is often only verbal.”
—Gerry Miller
mosaics : fall 2006 ��
School of Social Work
PhD, Washington University in St. Louis MSW, Howard University BS, University of Maryland
Iliketothinkofresearchasmypractice.Socialworkresearch,likesocialworkpractice,takesauniqueperspectiveamongthehumanserviceswithitsempha-sisonunderstandingandad-dressingenvironmentalforces.Ourvaluesofempowerment,self-determinationandcapac-ity-buildingstronglyaffectmyworkonbehalfoffamiliesandcommunityorganizations.Ilearnedresearchinanenviron-mentthatinvolvedconsumersateveryphaseofaresearch
project,fromconceptualizationtoevaluation.
Mypassionforsocialworkresearchderivesfromseeingresearchchangepeople’slives.BeforecomingtoBuffalo,Iworkedonaresearchproj-ectinPortland,Oregon,thatexaminedresidentialtreatmentpracticesinlightofpolicyguidelines.Whatweheardfromfamiliesandwhatwelearnedaboutspecificinstitu-tionalpracticeswasdisturbing.Throughoureffortswecon-vincedanationalaccreditingbodytochangeitsstandards.
“Iamnowstudyingcaregiversofchildrenwithmentalhealthchallengestoassesstheimpactofthecaregiver’sinvolvementindecisionmakingandplan-ningonfunctionaloutcomes.WhatIfindmayaddressthepersistentgapbetweenchil-dren’smentalhealthneedsandappropriate,adequateandac-cessibleservices.IlookforwardtobeingaresourceforfamiliesandprovidersinBuffalo,help-ingthemworktogethertowardthemutualgoalofpromotingchildren’swell-being.
PhD, University of Louisville/University of Kentucky MSSW, University of Louisville BSW, Spalding University
Amajorareaofclinicalresearchcurrentlybeingdevelopedinmyfieldfocusesonretainingspecial,hard-to-reachpopu-lationsinalcoholanddrugtreatmentservices.Althoughtherearesoundclinicalresearchstudiesfocusingspecificallyontreatmentretentionproblems,themainareaofmypastresearchconcentratesonthoseinparticularcircumstanceswhoquicklyterminateservices,such
asHIV-infectedindividualsandthoselivinginextremepov-erty.IhopetoincludeNativeAmericanpopulationswithintheWesternNewYorkareainupcomingtreatmentretentionresearch.
MyfamilyandIareverygratefulforallthesupportwereceivedfromUBstaffandfacultyduringourtransitiontoBuffalo.WhilewestillmissourfamiliesandfriendsinLouisville,Ky.,thegoodpeopleaffiliatedwiththeSchoolofSo-cialWorkhavebeenablessingtous.IlookforwardtomeetingandworkingwithmoresocialworkstudentsduringcoursesandtodevelopingresearchagendaswithUBfaculty,aswellasUB’sResearchInstituteonAddictions.IamveryexcitedaboutbeingapartofUBandalloftheopportunitiesavailableinthiscommunity.
SchoolofSocialWork685BaldyHallBuffalo,NY14260-1050
NonprofitOrg.U.S.Postage
PAIDBuffalo,NYPermit#311
NewFaculty
ADJoA roBiNSoNASSiSTANT ProFeSSor
DAViD PATTerSoN–SiLVer WoLF (ADeLV UNeGV WAyA)ASSiSTANT ProFeSSor
