The Center's new World Wide Web addresses is http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cssswp. Currently available through this site are: information about the Center; photos of many Center affiliates and participants at Center conferences; Center conference and symposium information; abstracts of Center research studies; issues of the Center's newsletters and the Journal Practice & Research; Center affiliate information, and links to other sites relevant to practice research. E-mail comments can be sent to the Center and Center affiliates through the homepage.
The Center has established a funding program open to CUSSW faculty and JBFCS professional staff. Funding is available to support a limited number of small-scale research studies that will lead to subsequent applications for external funding. CUSSW faculty at all ranks and JBFCS professional staff are eligible to submit applications. This funding supports studies conducted under the auspices of the Center. Priority is given to proposed studies involving a collaboration between CUSSW faculty and JBFCS staff. Proposed budgets should not exceed $5,000.
Priority areas are:
Although these are priority areas, the intent of the Research Development Program is to stimulate research identified as important by faculty and staff. Therefore, applications in other research areas are also welcome.
Applications will be reviewed by the Center Professional Advisory Committee which includes CUSSW faculty and JBFCS staff. The review will be in two phases. Applicants should submit a one to two page concept paper . Concept papers judged most competitive will be invited to submit a more detailed proposal.
For further information or assistance JBFCS staff may contact the Research Liaison associated with their program or the Center's Administrative Coordinator, Ms. Gretchen Borges (212-854-7615).
To date two $5,000 awards have been made from this fund: Test-Retest Reliability of the W.T. Grant Consortium Inventory, Principal Investigators - Linda Freeman, M.D., Robert Abramovitz, M.D. and Prudence Fisher, M.S.; and The Early Prevention of Child Maltreatment: A Pilot Intervention Study, Principal Investigator Neil Guterman, Ph.D. (See links to these study descriptions.)
In 1995-96 the Center co-sponsored three conferences which provided human service practitioners and students opportunities to learn more about and discuss important issues of social work practice. On February 5, 1995 together with the International Social Work Caucus, the Center for the Study of Human Rights, CUSSW and the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies the Center for the Study of Social Work Practice co-sponsored, "Children, War, and Community Violence: Domestic and International Perspectives". On March 23, 1995, together with The Columbia-New York University Geriatric Education Center and the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, the Center for the Study of Social Work Practice co-sponsored, "Multicultural Issues in Social Work Practice with the Aged". On March 7, 1996 and June 20, 1996, together with the Columbia-New York University Geriatric Education Center and the Community Service Society Public Benefits Resource Center, the Center for the Study of Social Work Practice co-sponsored "Public Benefits and Entitlements: Counseling with the Elderly".
Three Chair Professorships associated with the Center have been appointed during the past year. These are the Saul Z. Cohen Chair in Child and Family Mental Health at JBFCS; the Willma and Albert Musher Professor for Life Betterment Through Science and Technology at CUSSW; and the Helen Rehr and Ruth Fizdale Professorship in Health and Mental Health at CUSSW.
Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., a leading figure in current research and clinical practice for the treatment of psychological trauma, has been named the first Saul Z. Cohen Chair in Child and Family Mental Health at JBFCS. The endowment that established the new chair was given by a member of the Center's Development Council, Amy Cohen Arkin, through the Saul Z. and Amy S. Cohen Family Foundation, in memory of Saul Z. "Bud" Cohen, a former president of JBFCS. Mr. Cohen was committed to the importance of education and research for professional staff. Accordingly, each year an outstanding professional will be appointed to occupy the Chair as a visiting scholar in some area of practice critical to the agency's work. The visiting scholar will work with staff, do direct teaching, and act as a catalyst for new ideas in programs.
Barbara Berkman, D.S.W., has been named the first Helen Rehr and Ruth Fizdale Professor in Health and Mental Health at CUSSW. This Chair Professorship combines the fields of social work practice and health care research. It has been endowed with gifts from a member of the Center's Development Council, Dr. Helen Rehr and the estate of Ms. Ruth Fizdale. Dr. Berkman has extensive experience directing social work research and quality assessment programs as well as federally and foundation supported research projects. She has authored over 75 articles on health and mental health care.
Edward J. Mullen, D.S.W., Center Director, has been named the first Willma and Albert Musher Professor for Life Betterment through Science and Technology at CUSSW. Established by Albert Musher in memory of his wife, Willma, this Professorship foster the use of science and technology in social work practice.Mr. Musher is a director of Steifel Laboratories and he holds more than 50 U.S. and foreign patents on pharmaceutical and food products that he invented from 1948 to 1969 when he served as president of Avino Pharmaceuticals Inc.