Category: General News


BSW Ambassador Spotlight: Hannah Lancaster

Senior reflects on uncertainty as a freshman, future working with people with disabilities By David Miller Hannah Lancaster applied only to the University of Alabama prior to graduating from Tuscaloosa County High School. Though undecided on a major, she was confident she’d “figure out” her direction. Lancaster had developed interests in social and community connections…


Advocacy Day offers ‘firsthand view’ of policy process

Feb. 19, 2020 Twenty-two University of Alabama School of Social Work students attended “Advocacy Day” on Feb. 13 in Montgomery. Though the originally planned NASW-AL Advocacy Day was cancelled, the SSW, through the help of Dr. Javonda Williams, associate dean for educational programs and student services, helped revise the agenda to create a transformative experience…


Jones: Future is What You Make It

MSW grad ‘grateful’ for foster care, faculty relationships ahead of commencement Saturday By David Miller When Jessica Jones receives her MSW Saturday, her 2-year-old daughter, Ryleigh, will be there to mimic her every move. “Doing what mommy does” provides for plenty of laughter at home, a welcome reprieve from the “terrible twos” mothers often bemoan…


Vital Team Receives $3.2 Million Grant to Train EMS Personnel for Opioid Overdoses

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama School of Social Work and the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s efforts to stem opioid use and rates of overdose deaths in Alabama have a new focus: first responders. The School’s Vital Team, which oversees a trio of state-focused behavioral health projects, will soon begin work on “Project…


Vital Team to Tackle Infant Mortality in Alabama Through AL-SBIRT Program

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – University of Alabama School of Social Work researchers will soon expand a statewide drug and mental health screening program to address infant mortality in Alabama. The School of Social Work’s Vital team, which oversees an $8 million AL-SBIRT contract, recently received $750,000 from the state to begin, “Reducing Infant Mortality Through Improved…


#GreenJusticeUA: Experts to Discuss Intersection of Environmental, Social Issues

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – From failing storm water infrastructure to inequities in green spaces that can adversely affect the body’s resiliency, experts in environmental justice will detail the growing issues in Alabama and across the country in a panel discussion at University of Alabama. “Environmental Justice: Research, Conversation and Networking Across Disciplines,” will be held Oct.…


UA School of Social Work Launches ‘Own Your Vote’ Series

As the 2020 presidential election draws nearer, The University of Alabama School of Social Work has created a speaker series to highlight issues of voting rights and equal access. The “Own Your Vote” lunch-and-learn series will include topics such as the restoration of voting rights for previously incarcerated people, challenges Hispanic people face in voting,…


MSW Student Kiana Winston Awarded UA’s A-Club Athlete of the Year

MSW student and UA gymnast Kiana Winston is one of two student athletes recently named a 2019 A-Club Athlete of the Year at UA. Winston and UA football player Tua Tagovailoa were both recognized with the Crimson Choice Awards in April. The Alabama Athletics Department’s annual Crimson Choice Awards are presented by the Student-Athlete Advisory…


Dr. Hyunjin Noh awarded palliative seed grant

Dr. Hyunjin Noh, associate professor of social work, has received a palliative seed grant award from the Gary and Mary West Foundation. She is among five palliative care researchers from universities across the country who were awarded a total of $50,000 in seed grants. The foundation awards seed grants for projects aimed at improving care…