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Faculty briefs: Bledsoe, Chapman, Mergner, Testa

This month Assistant Professor Betsy Bledsoe, Ph.D. is co-presenting “Tailoring interventions for low-income, culturally diverse women with depressive symptoms: Are some approaches better than others?” at a symposium entitled “From Disparities Research to Disparities Interventions: Lessons Learned and Opportunities for the Future of Behavioral Health Services,” at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Mental Health, and National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Arlington, Va. She is also presenting co-authored papers, “Combining ‘top-down’ and ‘ground-up’ approaches to tailor interpersonal psychotherapy for in-home delivery to low-income mothers” and “Addressing health disparities in perinatal depression: A mixed methods feasibility study of a culturally relevant, developmentally appropriate intervention for low-income minority adolescents” (co-authored with doctoral students Cindy Fraga, Traci Wike and Candace Killian; MSW students Anne-Marie Olarte and Alison Doernberg; and alumna Amy Sommer).

Associate Professor Mimi Chapman, Ph.D. is conducting a workshop for the UNC Center for Faculty Excellence on “Art in Health Sciences Instruction: From Visual Literacy to Critical Thinking,” Wed., April 20 from noon–1:00 p.m. at the Health Sciences Library, Room 227. She will discuss how she uses art to enhance the meaningfulness of classroom-based practices.

Chapman will be presenting in Shanghai, China at the Asian and Pacific Islands Social Work Educators Association (APISWEA) International Conference June 10-11. Her presentation is entitled “Strangers at home and abroad: Comparing the needs and well-being of In-Country Chinese Migrants to Shanghai and Undocumented Latin American U.S. Immigrants in North Carolina.”

Chapman has co-authored a new article: Williams, Kelly A. and Chapman, Mimi V.(2011) ‘Social Challenges for Children With Hemophilia: Child and Parent Perspectives’, Social Work in Health Care, 50: 3, 199 – 214.

Clinical Assistant Professor Sherry Mergner, MSW is presenting at the “Child Abuse Conference: Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Using Their Words” April 13-14 in Fayetteville. This event is free to attend and is sponsored by Army Community Services, Child Advocacy and Southern Regional AHEC.

Spears-Turner Distinguished Professor Mark Testa, Ph.D. participated in a March 15 videoconference on the KinGap Program, produced by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. He explained kinship guardianship as an alternative to foster care.