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School briefs

Professor Michael Lambert was a keynote speaker in November for the 2018 Caribbean Regional Conference of Psychology in Kingston, Jamaica. Lambert’s presentation was titled, “Affordable, Accessible, and Culturally Sensitive Psychological Assessment and Intervention for People across Caribbean Nations.”

Governor Roy Cooper has appointed Professor Mark Testa to serve as a member of the Permanency Innovation Initiative Oversight Committee. The 11-member panel is a non-standing committee of the North Carolina General Assembly. Each member is appointed separately upon the recommendation of the North Carolina Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, or the Governor. Professor Testa’s appointment will continue through June of 2021. The committee oversees the operation of the North Carolina Permanency Innovation Initiative Fund that supports demonstration projects to improve permanency outcomes for children living in foster care through reunification with parents, providing placement or guardianship with other relatives, or adoption.

LB Klein was recently awarded a $1,000 mini grant from the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) to support a bench-marking study of campus-based sexual assault prevention and advocacy programs. Findings from Klein’s study, “Campus Sexual Assault Prevention and Advocacy Programs: A Benchmarking Study,” are expected to help professionals better advocate for their work and the communities they serve and provide insight about the professionals that implement sexual assault prevention and advocacy programs on college and university campuses nationwide. The bench-marking study is considered the first of its kind in the country and will also help support community participatory action research alongside the Campus Advocacy and Prevention Professionals Association, of which Klein is research co-chair.

Assistant professor Paul Lanier presented with Dr. Sam Schilling from the UNC School of Medicine at the N.C. Infant Mental Health Association’s annual conference in Greensboro on Nov. 5. Their presentation was titled,  “Racial Disparities in Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences: Implications for Prevention, Screening and Intervention.” Lanier also led the webinar, “Are More Home Visiting Programs Needed in North Carolina,” on Nov. 15. The N.C. Early Childhood Foundation sponsored the webinar.

Associate professor Betsy Bledsoe recently presented the Mr. and Mrs. H.M. Lui Memorial Lecture, “Interpersonal Psychotherapy and its Application in Adult, Adolescent and Child Mental Health,” for the Department of Psychiatry at the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Hong Kong, China. During her visit, Bledsoe also led a training on “Brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy,” for nearly 200 clinicians and mental health providers, including psychiatrists, psychologists and nurses.

Clinical associate professor Jodi Flick presented “Intro to Mental Health First Aid,” to more than 125 people attending a Student-Athlete Mental Health and Well-Being Workshop on Oct. 18. The workshop was organized by the Committee on Collegiate Sports at UNC in conjection with the Faculty Athletics Committee.

Clinical assistant professor Tauchiana Williams and 2nd-year MSW/MPA student Courtney Cooper Lewter presented at the North Carolina School Social Workers Association’s Annual Conference in Greensboro on Oct. 17. Their workshop, “Engaging African American Families: Black Girl Magic,” informed school social workers about innovative and diverse ways of engaging African-American parents and students.

Clinical assistant professor Michael McGuire was the keynote speaker for the 2018 Substance Use Services Conference sponsored by Eastern AHEC in Greenville, NC on Nov. 2. McGuire presented on, “The Ethics of Feedback Within the Therapeutic Milieu.

Students, faculty and staff collected and donated 82 duffel bags and pieces of luggage to SaySo’s Make A Difference Day event in Durham last month. Clinical instructor Amy Levine delivered the bags to SaySo executive director Carmelita Coleman and had the chance to speak with SaySo members from across the state as well as with one of the School’s recent grads who is working in the foster care system. “Everyone was very appreciative of our donations, and we were able to highlight how important it is for social workers to understand the perspectives and experiences of young people impacted by foster care,” Levine said.