master of social work

Ageism research helped prepare these social work grads for the workforce

Shayla Brown — Tue, 21 May 2024 20:42:16 +0000

Ageism research helped prepare these social work grads for the workforce Shayla Brown Tue, 05/21/2024 - 16:42

In This Story

While working on their master’s degrees in social work at ��AV, College of Public Health alumni Kendall Barrett, Madeline Holden, and Harveen Pantleay took part in field research on ageism in health care and are now using those skills in their careers.

They are also co-authors on the paper “’Don’t treat us like fragile babies:’ Mentors’ perspectives of an intergenerational mentoring program for medical students,” which was published online in the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships in February 2024.

��AV is a leader in graduating workforce-ready students, and its College of Public Health—the first in Virginia—is dedicated to helping meet the critical need for health workers in Virginia.

Kendall Barrett. Photo provided.

The three, working under the guidance of Emily Ihara, professor and chair of the Department of Social Work, and co-PI of George Mason’s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program, studied the effects of ageism in health care and how both education and intergenerational contact can decrease this form of discrimination. As the students learned, the research improves empathy and understanding from both younger and older individuals within the health care system.

For the study, the students went to assisted living facilities to interview residents using open-ended questions and took detailed notes.

“This was a very important research project to me because there was a lot of focus on alternative and creative ways to support older people, which is a particular interest of mine,” said Barrett, MSW ’22, who was paired with Ihara as a student research assistant at George Mason’s Social Work integrated Research Lab (SWiRL).

“It was very interactive, and we were trying to show that we heard them and that their contribution was important,” said Barrett, who is now works as a psychotherapist with people of all ages.

Harveen Pantleay. Photo provided.

“I was really nervous in the beginning because we were going into somebody's private space and didn't always know what [to expect], but it ended up being a wonderful experience and great for my own personal growth about sitting with things that can be uncomfortable,” said Barrett.

Both the George Mason students and the older adults benefitted from the Senior Mentor Program approach, and Ihara said the college hopes to expand it to other health professional students.

“One of the biggest things that I took away from my time in George Mason’s social work program was seeing people as individuals before you see whatever their struggle is,” said Barrett.

Pantleay, MSW ’22, also worked alongside Barrett and Ihara in SWiRL and was involved in many projects specifically focusing on gerontology.

“I gained a lot of valuable knowledge about qualitative data and how to classify that data into categories [through] analyzing the data and identifying what codes would be associated with the responses that were given by the mentors and participants,” said Pantleay.

Pantleay’s favorite part about the research project was learning about gerontology as it was a part of social work that she did not have much experience in at the time, she said.

Madeline Holden. Photo provided.

“A lot of what I learned through the work and research in SWiRL wasn't covered in my classes necessarily, so this experience allowed me to learn a lot more about this community and the negative effects of ageism in health care,” said Holden, MSW ’22.

“I think the main takeaway from the research is that people make a lot of assumptions about older adults that they shouldn’t,” said Holden, who also conducted clinical research for Inova Hospital for three years before enrolling for her master’s of social work at George Mason.

Holden said now uses her experience from this project in her work at an affordable housing corporation. “I work with all ages, including seniors, providing wraparound services to them. The empathy and understanding the team had for their participants throughout this project was great practice for that.”

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master of social work

Beyond case managers and clinicians - Exploring dynamic career paths in social work

mthomp7 — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 17:25:24 +0000

Beyond case managers and clinicians - Exploring dynamic career paths in social work mthomp7 Fri, 03/22/2024 - 13:25

Gary Taylor's mission is to “pass the baton” to the next generation of social workers—and to bust some myths commonly associated with social work careers along the way.

Gary T. Taylor, a Mason Master of Social Work alumni (2016), sees social work as a booming field that’s transforming before our eyes. The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics agrees—citing social work is one of the fastest growing careers in the United States. However, there is a critical shortage of social workers and their unique experience and skill sets.

Taylor's mission is to “pass the baton” to the next generation of social workers – with a focus on recruiting more Black men to the field. Part of that recruiting process is busting some of the myths commonly associated with social work careers.

According to Taylor it’s important that students have a well-rounded viewpoint of social workers, social work jobs, and what the profession looks like across the globe.

“Social workers are not only case managers and clinicians—there are so many other different things we do. We provide a big portion of therapy, we’re probably one of the top disciplines that delivers mental health therapy. And just look out there—even if the job isn’t under the title of a social worker—it might be a program manager or a consultant or something like that, but there's still a social worker. We're in state government and local government. We’re everywhere.”

Taylor also sees the demand for social workers growing within technology companies. “Companies see the value in our ability to assess and our ethical processes. Like when we talk about AI models—what are those ethical considerations for AI models? Or maybe a company is trying to build a web-based app to provide mental health services—they need a social worker to do that right.”

Taylor further elaborates on the many pathways today for applying social work skills, “Social workers are drilled with those assessment skills, reading those nonverbal cues, exploring ethical considerations, applying those clinical based skills that we learn—that's what companies are looking for. Organizations value our ability to facilitate, work with different disciplines—these are big skills employers are looking for.”

By educating the next generation on the breadth of opportunities, Taylor is optimistic that we can close the gap in licensed social workers and increasing demand.

Also read about Gary Taylor's Rappahannock Area babershop talks to destigmatize mental health and therapy.

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Public Health Careers

Social Work

At the barbershop, it’s OK not to be OK

mthomp7 — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 17:14:29 +0000

At the barbershop, it’s OK not to be OK mthomp7 Fri, 03/22/2024 - 13:14

Destigmatizing mental health support and normalizing therapy in the Black community, one barbershop at a time

��AV alumnus Gary T. Taylor, MSW '15, is destigmatizing mental health support and normalizing therapy in the Black community one barbershop at a time. “Barbershops are this safe space for Black men,” says Taylor who has been working with local barbershops in the Rappahannock region of Virginia since 2022 to foster healthy discussions about mental health by educating barbers on “mental health first aid” for their patrons.

“This is where men may go to talk through things, have big debates, talk about sports. Barbershops are an important part of culture for us as Black men—just like salons are for Black women,” says Taylor. Given the trusted role that barbers often play in Black men’s lives—it seemed like a natural place to Taylor for reaching men about mental health.

Taylor has found that barbershop talks play an important role in normalizing talking about issues and going to therapy. The talks can help point participants in the right direction to get therapy resources or find substance abuse resources.

Working in partnership with the Rappahannock Area Community Service Board, Taylor realized he could bring his crisis therapy experience into the community through “barbershop talks”—informal group discussions with the barber, the shop patrons, and a trained social worker.

“Most of the time when you talk to barbers, they'll tell you they're almost de facto therapists and social workers,” says Taylor, “They're listening to their clients’ problems and maybe don’t know about resources available to help. So we wanted to equip the barbers to know what the necessary resources are just in case somebody comes in and it's a crisis or they're really struggling and they don't know where to go.”

It helps reduce stigma by normalizing that it's OK to not be OK. Therapy doesn’t mean I'm crazy or something's wrong with me,” he says.

Taylor relays to participants that seeking mental health support is just like taking your car in for an oil change to make sure it keeps running properly.

“With the rise of substance abuse and overdoses, the barbers or the folks that are coming to these barbershop talks now are getting Narcan training too. And I think that's the strengths-based approach to meet the community where they're at,” said Taylor.

To date, Taylor has completed more than five barbershop talks in the Rappahannock region and is working with female colleagues to begin salon talks this spring.

“It’s important that people who share lived experiences are leading these sessions, so the participants can relate and see themselves in the facilitator,” says Taylor. "I can speak to that direct cultural experiences of Black men and then also bring in my skill set, my knowledge, my experience, my education to help provide that education and awareness

An assistant professor at Virginia State University, Taylor is also passionate about “passing the baton” to the next generation by getting more Black people—particularly Black men—into the social work profession to meet the growing demand.

“The suicide rate for young Black men has been increasing over the past 5 to 10 years, starting from ages 9 and 10 up to the mid-20s. We’re seeing similar challenges for Black girls too. So, there is a growing need for diversity in the social work profession. That cultural awareness piece for the Black community and having more Black social workers, Black practitioners, Black Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), it's very, very, very important as we progress in the field.”

Learn more about Taylor's work

Gary Taylor spoke to the College of Public Health about his mission is to “pass the baton” to the next generation of social workers.

Discover what it is like to have a career is social work >

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Mental Health

master of social work

This Mason public health student wants you to know about National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Shayla Brown — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 17:30:41 +0000

This Mason public health student wants you to know about National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Shayla Brown Mon, 02/05/2024 - 12:30

Kayla Moore sees testing for sexually transmitted diseases as a key part of public health, and the doorway to a healthy community.

Moore is currently getting her master of social work at ��AV’s College of Public Health, and in recognition of the 25th anniversary of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, has organized a two-part event at Mason’s Fairfax Campus that speaks to public health.

“A lot of people don't realize that HIV and AIDS is still prevalent, or that you can live a fulfilled life even with a positive status,” said Moore, an ARIE graduate assistant at Student Health Services, which provides free STD and STI testing.

Kayla Moore. Photo provided.

Moore reached out to her ARIE Supervisor Megan Symanowitz and internship advisor Juton Myers about hosting an event. Moore, along with Myers, plans and participates in events that represent the QTBIPOC branch of the LBGTQ+ community.

“My background is in advocacy and advocating for marginalized communities,” said Moore, who previously worked in criminal justice. “That's my bread and butter, and where my appreciation of clinical social work comes from. The DMV has very high transmissions of HIV, and Black women are affected by it the most.”

Moore’s experience in criminal justice taught her that she really cared about the clients, but wanted to focus more on trying to get them services that they need, she said.

“It's challenging being a Black woman in public health or clinical social work because there's not a lot of us, but the ones that are here are doing some big things,” she said.

Moore worked with campus partners including the Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (CCEE) and the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, as well as with the community health organization NovaSalud, to create the two-part event. On Wednesday, February 7, a discussion and exchange of information will take place in the Paul Robeson Room in the Johnson Center to go along with this year’s theme, "Engage, Educate, Empower: Uniting to End HIV/AIDS in Black Community,” as well as STI/HIV testing in Student Health Services.

The discussion will be led by Stephanie Funkhouser, a health and well-being promotion coordinator from Student Health Services, and Global and Community Health (GCH) and School of Integrative Studies professor Garey Davis.

“Students often don't have a lot of money, or they don’t want their tests to show up on their parents’ insurance,” Moore said. “There is also this stigma attached to getting tested, so offering free testing to college students makes it easier for them to be informed and have peace of mind. People knowing their status is doing a service for the whole community.”

Moore is also working with the LGBTQ+ Resource Center on a community block party that will encompass a large clothing swap, food, music, and health workshops.

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Innovate for Good: Social Work case simulation goes virtual

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 14:09:23 +0000

Innovate for Good: Social Work case simulation goes virtual Mary Cunningham Wed, 01/24/2024 - 09:09

The College of Public Health at ��AV wants every student to be able to learn through virtual reality training—and the Department of Social Work is helping to lead the way.

Working with one of the college’s five Certified Healthcare Simulation Educators (CHSE), the department created an interprofessional, person-centered virtual reality simulation for students to apply their skills to a real-time social work case in a low-stakes environment.

Photo by Mary Cunningham/College of Public Health

The training, which meets the Healthcare Standards of Best Practice, was offered to 28 Master of Social Work (MSW) students in the HRSA-funded Community Academic Partnership-Behavioral Health program. The virtual reality (VR) experience was couched between pre- and post-simulation educational materials and debriefs that linked student experiences back to direct practice learning objectives.

“VR simulation offers students the unique opportunity for interprofessional group decision-making and support in providing care, in a context where immediate feedback around decision-making, as well as the opportunity for alternative decisions, can be experienced,” said professor Holly Matto, the lead author of a paper about the learning experience.

Department chair Emily S. Ihara, CHSE chief innovation officer Bethany Cieslowski, associate professor Denise Hines, and director of practicum education Jeanne Booth helped create and shape the experience. They were joined by other social work faculty to run pre-brief and post-debrief for the case.

In the VR scenario, students interacted with a teen in a hospital clinic after his foster parents called the police when the teen displayed violent behavior in the home after drugs were found in his room. The simulation offered a safe learning environment, encouraging student pairs to manage engagement, practice, and adjust their skills in a real-time, low-stakes scenario.

Feedback from students suggested they learned the importance of building rapport with a client, how to adapt to unfamiliar settings, how to adapt to new information and adjust communication styles accordingly, and how to create a safe space with an ambivalent client. After the simulation, the majority reported feeling more confident with client communications and providing interventions that foster client safety.

^{Mason’s Department of Social Work and other social work training programs are uniquely positioned to lead pedagogical advancements in innovative skill development,” said Ihara. "This includes developing methods that build safe learning spaces in order to enhance resiliency strategies students will need as they enter an increasingly demanding and challenging workforce environment upon graduation."}

Photo by Mary Cunningham/College of Public Health

With the success of this training case, the department plans to integrate VR simulation training into its Bachelor of Social Work and MSW curricula. In fact, the department has already developed a new custom social work VR case where social workers and other health professionals can work together with a substance-engaged family.

Coordinators of this training simulation are excited for the future opportunities that VR can provide for students and for substance recovery and support.

“We envision inviting peer support specialists and recovery coaches, critical to the existing behavioral health workforce, to participate in similar VR simulation trainings in the future," said Matto. "For example, VR simulations could be used to practice motivational interviewing skills routinely employed in recovery coach sessions, as well as to help peer providers understand ways to manage stigma, adhere to boundaries, assess for suicide and develop appropriate safety plans, and engage in inter-professional team decision-making around complex cases, which could offer peer providers a standardized skillset in these key domains."

The VR case simulation training was supported by funding from HRSA-22-109 Health and Public Safety Workforce Resiliency Training Program (U3NHP45404-01-00) and HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Professionals (M01HP41969‒01‒00).

The team’s educational experience, “Virtual reality case simulation to build skill competencies in working with substance-engaged clients,” was published online in Social Work Education in December 2023.

The College of Public Health has set a goal of raising $10 million so that every student in the college can learn through VR. Learn more about our VR Simulation Center here.

Innovate for Good is an ongoing series that examines how Mason faculty in the College of Public Health are harnessing technology to improve health outcomes. If you have stories to share as part of the Innovate for Good series, email Mary Cunningham at mcunni7@gmu.edu.

In This Story

Holly Matto, PhD, LCSW-C

Emily Ihara, PhD, MSW, FGSA

Bethany Cieslowski, DNP

Denise Hines, PhD

Jeanne Booth

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Social work students connect with therapy horses, dogs to learn how to help trauma survivors

Shayla Brown — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 18:20:06 +0000

Social work students connect with therapy horses, dogs to learn how to help trauma survivors Shayla Brown Tue, 06/13/2023 - 14:20

“Horses very much discern who you are and how you are based on how your inside and your outside match,” said ��AV professor Vicki Kirsch.

Each semester Kirsch takes students in her advanced Trauma and Recovery course to Project Horse Empowerment Center in Purcellville, Virginia, to learn about the emerging field of equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP).

Vicki Kirsch at Project Horse for her Trauma and Recovery course. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

As a therapist, Kirsch specializes in working with individuals who have experienced trauma, early childhood abuse, sexual assault, and relationship issues and with transgender individuals through their transitioning process. She has been a fan of horses for most of her life and incorporates the horses to enhance evidence-based interventions with clients for her private practice.

“EAP is just finding its feet,” said Kirsch, an associate professor of social work in Mason’s College of Public Health. “It’s like a baby compared to other [therapy] fields. There are different paths, and some are better than others

Students at Project Horse for Kirsch's Trauma and Recovery course. Photo by Evan Cantwell/ Office of University Branding

She is able to help those who suffered horse-related trauma such a fall or being trampled. “[I worked] mostly with people who wanted to start riding again but were too afraid to,” she said. But EAP can be beneficial for overcoming other types of traumas as well, she added.

Kirsch wants students think outside the box when working with trauma survivors. “We have to engage with the body because trauma lives in the body,” she said.

These interventions can include brushing, petting, and rhythmic breathing with the horses.

“People have used horses for a long time for therapeutic riding, working with autistic kids and people with developmental and physical disabilities. But in the field of psychotherapy, which is what I do, it’s new,” said Kirsch.

Mason student Tara Amor with one of the therapy dogs. Photo provided

“Going to Project Horse and meeting those horses who were also survivors of trauma themselves was very beautiful,” said Minnie Thukral, who graduated from Mason with a master of social work. “It was interesting to see how we could use connecting with animals to help with healing and recovery, and to see where your career can take you.

“The main goal of the course is to be able to recognize childhood injuries or trauma when a person sitting in your office is telling you their personal life stories and it has some form of trauma that they don't know exists,” said Tara Amor, a clinical psychology student who graduated from Mason with a master of social work in May 2023. “As a clinician, [we have to] recognize it and unpack all that, then implement an intervention to help them to heal."

In addition to working with horses, students in the class got to explore other approaches with the campus K9s who visited their classroom during the semester.

“It's all about healing,” said Amor. “You want to help your client continue living with their trauma because that trauma doesn't go away. You heal it; it's part of who you are, but it's not who you are.”

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Mason researchers connect with community members to develop an app for individuals recovering from opioid use disorder

Shayla Brown — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 18:39:08 +0000

Mason researchers connect with community members to develop an app for individuals recovering from opioid use disorder Shayla Brown Thu, 03/30/2023 - 14:39

In This Story

Holly Matto, PhD, LCSW-C

Siddhartha Sikdar

Screenshots of the app iCONNECT by Rebecca Leung, Dylan Scarton, Jonathan Mbuya, and Srinath Silla. Photos provided.

��AV graduate student Rebecca Leung is part of a team finding ways to use smart technology in order to help those who are struggling with or recovering from substance use disorder (SUD).

“I have always wanted to use smart technology to help different populations,” said Leung, who is working on her master of social work degree.

Leung is teaming up with other Mason researchers to develop an app called iCONNECT, which is intended to help peer support specialists, individuals in recovery from SUD, and their families connect with the specific resources needed to sustain recovery.

Leung was a 2021-22 fellow in Mason’s National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) program, which is training the next generation of leaders to take on some of the most challenging problems faced by society today. The program, led by Mason researcher Siddhartha Sikdar, is a part of the Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions (CASBBI) program.

During the fellowship, Leung teamed with Dylan Scarton, a third-year PhD student in neuroscience, and Jonathan Mbuya, a PhD student in computer science. The team calls themselves the Good Troublers, and they are mentored by Mason researcher Holly Matto, as a core CASBBI faculty member and mentor in the NRT program, who studies addiction and recovery.

Matto, who was working on her own app to help with mental disease, told Leung about the program and recommended that she apply for it. “I saw an opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team to solve a social problem that I was keen on solving,” said Leung. After interviewing with CASBBI faculty Leung was chosen to be part of the cohort. “Fortunately, I met Dylan and Jonathan – who were also motivated to help with the opioid epidemic,” said Leung.

Screenshots of the app iCONNECT by Rebecca Leung, Dylan Scarton, Jonathan Mbuya, and Srinath Silla. Photos provided.

“The app will have immediate local impact on the ways in which peer support specialists, individuals in recovery from substance use, and their families are able to connect with the specific resources needed to sustain recovery,” said Matto.

“If someone needs transportation to get to appointments or they need to find a methadone clinic or inpatient places, we put all the local resources together in the app,” said Leung. “It turns out it's very hard to Google, and even when you go to [the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration] to look for resources, you don't know if they're available or if the address or hours are updated.”

“The three of us have been personally affected by the opioid epidemic in different ways, and we're motivated to try to address that crisis in some form or fashion,” said Scarton. “We're designing the app with accessible user interface considerations, to minimize the number of clicks and present the information very clearly, for anyone not familiar with this domain like a caregiver, family member, concerned friend.”

Working with the nonprofit The Chris Atwood Foundation, the team spoke with multiple peer recovery specialists, individuals who have history with either mental health or substance use issues. These certified peer recovery specialists consult and guide individuals who are struggling with those issues, as well as their family members.

CAF is a nonprofit organization that provides free harm reduction, and recovery support services and resources. Daniel Adams, a certified peer recovery specialist at CAF, is working alongside the Mason research team as they develop iCONNECT.

“Through The Chris Atwood Foundation we realized that a big need of theirs is connecting individuals in recovery with necessary resources,” said Scarton. “That’s why we're currently developing a smartphone application to address that need.”

“People caught up in substance use and trying to recover have limited information about the resources available to them,” said Adams. “As a peer recovery specialist, you always have resources at your fingertips.”

The team has provided the first Android version of the app to community partners for testing. The peer recovery specialists will continue to test out iCONNECT once it is coded to the Apple platform, before being released to a limited number of users in the county for further feedback.

CAF is in the process of developing a peer drop-in center near Mason’s Fairfax Campus for community members to use. Mason’s Student Support and Advocacy Center also provides resources for individuals dealing with substance use issues on and off campus such as recovery and support meetings.

“It's been a blessing to partner with ��AV,” said Adams. “This app is a tremendous idea and something that I can pass on to the individuals I help and teach them how to be self-reliant in a positive way.”