Northeastern Illinois University has been approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) to offer a new graduate degree program in Social Work.

The 60 credit hour Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program begins in fall 2016, and can be completed in two full-time or four part-time years. An advanced one-year program will be offered beginning in fall 2017.

The M.S.W. program will offer two concentrations – Social Work Practice with Vulnerable Populations (specializing in practice with vulnerable children and families) and Leadership and Change (specializing in advocacy and change).
One of the features of this new program is the opportunity for those who completed a bachelor’s degree in Social Work within the past six years to complete the M.S.W. program over 34 credit hours in one full-time or two part-time years.

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We welcome our newest faculty member Dr. Aimee Hilado. Dr. Hilado earned her Ph.D. in social work with distinction from Loyola University Chicago. Her teaching, practice and research interests address culturally sensitive interventions for young children and adults with mental health needs. She is also interested in community-based models for early intervention with at-risk immigrant families and program evaluation.

On Friday Oct. 26, 2012, NEIU’s Social Work Program organized the 3^rd annual Bridge to SSA event. The event was held at the University of Chicago, in the School of Social Service Administration (SSA) building located at: 969 E. 60th Street Chicago, IL 60637, (773) 702-1250 http://www.ssa.uchicago.edu/.

The event was first organized in 2010 by Marius Dancea who is an alumnus of NEIU and SSA, and is currently an instructor and program advisor in the Social Work Program at NEIU. Marius, along with NEIU’s BASW Program and Univeristy of Chicago’s SSA Admissions staff started this annual event to provide an opportunity for BASW students to become motivated to pursue higher education and to explore the possibilities of obtaining a Masters in Social Work at the University of Chicago.

BASW students in attendance had the opportunity to meet and speak to current SSA students, SSA admissions staff, SSA alumni and NEIU BASW alumni students who have been accepted into the SSA program. Lunch and refreshments were served and at the end of the event, NEIU students had the opportunity to participate in a guided tour to experience and learn more about the University of Chicago. Everyone had a great time at the event, as evident in the smiles of the students and guests in attendance.

The following were in attendance at the event: Laura Hardy, Director of Admissions at SSA. Mary Debose, Assistant Director of Admissions at SSA. Jessica Ornelas, a current SSA student and an alumnus of NEIU’s BASW program. Jessica attended NEIU’s first annual Bridge to SSA event in 2010 and is one of three students that became accepted into the advanced standing (15 months) program at SSA; Marius Dancea and Luis Ortiz, who are NEIU Social Work Program faculty members; Katie Clancy, an alumnus of NEIU’s BASW program. Katie attended the event with her parents Tom and Juliet Clancy; Rodney Allen, a current student in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at NEIU; Asjor Jajou, Natasha Kastman, Floyd Stafford, Maryellen Zaborowski, and Jesse Self, who are all current BASW students.

The BASW students reported that they had a great learning experience, became more motivated to finish the BASW program at NEIU and became more inspired to pursue higher education. Thank you to all who helped to organize this event and all in attendance as well. The NEIU BASW program and SSA are looking forward to the 4^th annual Bridge to SSA event in the fall of 2013.

“Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself.”  John Dewey

Check out this video of Northeastern Illinois University assistant professor, Jackie Anderson. She is a true social worker and educator. We are luck to have her!

This is a testimony to let you know that your senior year is worth it. I finished my internship the last week of April. I graduated in May. After 2 months, several job applications, and no word from any position at any agency, I was beginning to feel extremely discouraged. I thought I made a mistake in putting off grad school and that I would never get a job. In July, my field placement agency called me back to fill in for the new intern who flaked out. (This time, the internship was for pay.)

I was doing such a great job that when my immediate supervisor decided to resign and move out of state, I was asked to take her place. Although this position is solely administrative, I’ve bee

n doing it for the last month and a half while applying and interviewing for direct service/clinical positions in the agency and while they searched for a permanent replacement.

Yesterday, I received a job offer for a direct service position with fantastic entry level pay and full benefits, and today, I am having my 2nd interview for a different clinical position in the agency.

I said before, and I’ll say it again, do good and do well wherever you are placed. Even if the placement isn’t exactly what you wanted at first. Even if parts of the job suck, like the data entry, hours spent at the copy machine, and collating resource packets. People take notice. And they hire you.

Thank you to the NEIU Social Work faculty and family. Totally worth it.

Assistant professor, social work, earned her Ph.D. in philosophy of social work with a certificate in gender and women’s studies, from the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Jane Addams College of Social Work. Her dissertation research titled “An Examination of Homophobia and Social Work Practice Among a Sample of School Social Workers” was drawn from a national sample. Her research interests include homophobia, organizational change and issues of gender, race and social economic status. She was a school social worker with Chicago Public Schools, and has over 10 years of social work practice experience. She is also the co-founder and board president of En Las Tablas Performing Arts Community Center located in the West Logan Square area of Chicago, and is a spoken word performer who writes prose and monologues as an act of oppositional politics. Her work has been featured in NASW speaks and Sinister Wisdom.

 

Frank Gaytan, assistant professor, social work, and Eddie Bocanegra (B.A. ’12 Social Work) were featured in a story published in the August 1 issue of the Chicago Journal. The article was about an exhibition of art created by teens from Little Village, Pilsen, Cicero and Berwyn involved with LuchArte, a West Side art initiative that seeks to engage high-risk youth. Gaytan and Bocanegra co-lead LuchArte.

Spotlight on: Megan Marie Ponte

What type of schooling did you complete before working towards your BSW?

I attended College of Lake County before transferring to NEIU. My original focus in studies consisted of English and Fine Arts. I realized quickly that analyzing prose and poetry, while beautiful, was becoming tedious and monotonous. This discovery led me to the possibility of Social Work and spending valuable time analyzing and assessing struggling/functional people in the context of their environments, what makes them thrive and what makes them falter.

Where are you placed for your internship?  Tell us a little about what you do, and some strengths/successes and struggles/lessons learned.

I spent this year interning at Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) working for the Mental Health First Aid program, Parenting Education Program, Recovery Point (the substance abuse program for people with dual diagnoses) and components of development and administrative work. Though my internship was not as clinically focused as those of most of my classmates, I found great value in learning about inter-agency networking and development and how they work together to benefit the greater community.

My triumphs surrounded the freedoms I was granted to facilitate and implement an evidence-based nutrition and recovery program for my substance use group and writing and producing supplemental literature for the parenting program. I had wonderful opportunity to incorporate my talents and interests in the service I was providing. My struggle simply consisted of overcoming my own anxiety about my competency in facilitating the groups. My neuroses made way for fear of failure. As it turns out, I did well, and my clients seemed to really respond to me positively. (Some even pulled me aside to tell me how well I was doing!)

What are you plans for the immediate future?  Summer fun and the next school or work year.

Summer To Do List- 1. Take a nap 2. Find a job 3. Look at grad schools 4. Go on vacation to Denver/L.A. (Not necessarily in that order, but sleep certainly comes first.)

What will you remember the most about your time in NEIU’s social work program?

King Spa and Jane Peller. Seriously. Generally, though, I realize we are called a “family” because the stress, anxiety, fear, and disdain are proportionately balanced with the love, compassion, strength, and hope. I’ve never felt such a strong sense of community and comfort even with those in the program I’ve never met.

What is/was the most valuable experience for you?

Experience? There have been too many to pick one. The most valuable lesson for me was the consistent advice to change jobs every 6 to 7 years. And to let your growing passions and changing interests in your personal life influence what types of people, groups, or communities you want to work with and how you want to work with them. (Many thanks to Jade and Jane.)

Spotlight on: Yesenia Garcia

What type of schooling did you complete before working towards your BSW?

I graduated from high school in the year 2008; started my freshman year as a college student at NEIU in fall 2008. As an incoming freshman, my intended major was education but after reading a poster outside the social work department I began doing research and decided that social work was what I wanted to pursue. 

Where are you placed for your internship?  Tell us a little about what you do, and some strengths/successes and struggles/lessons learned.

I am at Infant Welfare Society of Chicago (IWS), in the Logan Square area. IWS is a clinic; their services include: optometry, dentist, women’s health, pediatrics, child and adolescent counseling, and child development support services. I am interning with the child development support services team where I do screenings for children 0-6; educate pregnant women about the different stages, demonstrate breastfeeding positions, follow-up on the cases that have been referred to early intervention and Child Find (for IEP evaluations).

This learning experience was amazing, great, and incredible; words cannot describe how I feel. I have learned many things about the social work profession and about myself that I did not know. The staff at IWS is great; they always made sure that I was getting the most out of this internship.

What are you plans for the immediate future?  Summer fun and the next school or work year.

My plans for the summer are to keep working at my job and I plan on starting graduate school at Loyola University Chicago in July, and completing my second level placement at MacNeal school.

What will you remember the most about your time in NEIU’s social work program? What is/was the most valuable experience for you?

The most I will remember about NEIU’s social work program are the great friends I have made and the professors. All the classes I took were of valuable experience. In Jane Peller’s class I enjoyed role playing and learning about the DSM. In HBSE I and II I enjoyed learning about how the environment affects the individual. Research practicum I and II gave me the insights to propose, start, and finish a research project, while seminar I and II allowed me to vent on the things that occurred at the internship site and how to handle them. 

Spotlight on: Jamila Lang

What type of schooling did you complete before working towards your BSW?

I graduated from Von Steuben high school (right down the street from NEIU) and started working on my BSW that fall semester.

Where are you placed for your internship?  Tell us a little about what you do, and some strengths/successes and struggles/lessons learned.

I am working at BUILD, Inc. I work with “at-risk” youth providing restorative justice based conflict mediation for the Dean’s office at Wells Community High School. I also facilitate a discussion group called “Becoming Women” and co-facilitate an entrepreneurial jewelry making program for teen girls called “Brand BUILD.”

I did not ever intend on working with teenagers; we belong to the same generation, and I know how a lot of them think. However, not being very far removed from their experiences as young people was beneficial. Being aware of my frame of mind at that age made certain interactions difficult, but it allowed me to develop personally as I tried to better understand where they come from.

What are you plans for the immediate future?  Summer fun and the school or work year.

I will be going on a road trip to Canada before beginning to work full time for BUILD during the summer. I plan to then work part time in the fall while completing my MSW.

What will you remember the most about your time in NEIU’s social work program?

I will remember the great faculty that gave me a strong theoretical base with which to begin my professional career. I feel prepared and confident to enter the field because they have given me the tools I need to be an effective social worker.

What is/was the most valuable experience for you?

The most valuable experience for me was participating in the Study Tour to Ghana. That was the most incredible experience that I have had in my life thus far. Getting to know people from the other side of the world and learning from them was extraordinary. Also seeing the way culture guides social work approaches was fascinating to me. It has inspired me to do international work. 

 

Spotlight on: Kendra White

What type of schooling did you complete before working towards your BSW?

Before attending Northeastern I was at Harold Washington College where I received an AAS in Early Childhood development.

Where are you placed for your internship?  Tell us a little about what you do, and some strengths/successes and struggles/lessons learned.

I am placed at Esperanza Community Services.  I worked with children who have disabilities such as Autism, emotional/behavioral, cognitive delays, and other severe conditions.  I work with three students where I have weekly thirty minute sessions.  We work on their individual goals.  I also, attend IEP meetings, keep progress notes on the students, and assist in classrooms when needed.  The strengths at my internship would be being able to learn about working in a school setting, having a great supervisor who helps you when you ask, and having a flexible schedule.  Some challenges are, often being bored because there is not much to do and being hit, spit on, or cursed at because some of the children are not able to express themselves no other way.  

What are your plans for the immediate future?  Summer fun and the next school or work year.

This summer I will be in school because I still need two hours to receive my degree.  After summer school my plans are to try to get this job with the State and attend Jane Addams College of Social Work.

What will you remember the most about your time in NEIU’s social work program?

I will remember to always get a second advice when planning my school schedule.  I will also remember some of the teachers who believed in me and gave me the encouragement to continue my education.  I will also remember the many arguments that happened in some of the classes because the students were frustrated and tired.  Now that I think about the arguments they were kind of funny.   

What is/was the most valuable experience for you?

I think my most valuable experience is the many group projects I was forced to be in.  I guess in a way they allowed me to come out of my shell. 

Spotlight on: Bessie Whitehurst-Smith

What type of schooling did you complete before working towards your BSW?

Several class at a community college
Pharmacy Technician School

Where are you placed for your internship? Tell us a little about what you do, and some
strengths/successes and struggles/lessons learned.

I am interning at Women In Need Growing Stronger (WINGS) in palatine. WINGS helps
homeless and abused women and children by offering integrated services that meet
their needs for shelter, education, guidance and support. They provide safe, secure
living environments, through transitional housing and emergency shelter, in residential
neighborhoods that allow women to go to school, work, and achieve financial and
emotional independence.

In the beginning, I did not enjoy this internship. It was a bit unorganized and several of
the staff left the organization. So I was left with filling that need for a staff member. At
times I became overwhelmed. Overall, it was a great experience interacting with the
women and children in the safe house. I learned a lot about different agencies and how
domestic violence effects your entire environment.

What are you plans for the immediate future? Summer fun and the next school or work
year.

I plan on taking a vacation and relaxing for a little bit. If all goes well, I hope to be
going to Loyola’s Graduate program at Carthage in WI. Or I might find a job and gain
experience.

What will you remember the most about your time in NEIU’s social work program?
I will remember my cohort and Dr. Stanley and Dr. Anderson.
My weekly visit to the social work office to harass Melissa or Dr. Stanley…It was fun!
Dr. Anderson taught me to meet the clients where they are instead of trying to make
clients meet me where I am. Lesson learned…

What is/was the most valuable experience for you?

The greatest experience was having the same cohort. We all experienced things at the
same time, we were able to help each other and we developed relationship outside of
school.

Spotlight on: Erica Czaplicki

 

What type of schooling did you complete before working towards your BSW? Associates Degree

 

Where are you placed for your internship? I was placed at United Way of Lake County. I worked closely with the program Success By 6, and studied Kindergarten Readiness. I also tutored a third grader once a week at an elementary school within the community. I have learned a lot about organization, and applying my social work skills to different settings. Some struggles I faced was learning how to multi task on a regular basis, and find balance between all the different projects I was working on. I have learned how to be more efficient, and started to develop my professional identity.

 

What are you plans for the immediate future?  For my immediate future I plan to work full time, I am currently applying to different agencies among Lake County. I plan to get my Masters degree after taking a short break from school.

 

What will you remember the most about your time in NEIU’s social work program? I will remember the group effort and team work among the students in the NEIU social work program. I will also remember the teachers who have helped me learn all the important skills and values about becoming a social worker. I have formed very valuable friendships, and I will always remember the experience I had at Northeastern.

 

What is/was the most valuable experience for you? The most valuable experience was learning all the different aspects of social work. The program teaches how to look at social work from a macro and micro perspective, and incorporates social policy. I enjoyed learning how to work with families and conduct interviews because I found it was very valuable. Most of all I learned a lot from my internship, and even more from my peers experiences.