Jade Luo ’19 and Rachel Smith ’20 Selected as PMF Finalists

Congratulations to Class of 2020 Presidential Management Fellows Finalists Jade Luo ’19 and Rachel Smith ’20!

The PMF Program is a highly competitive, flagship leadership development program at the entry level for advanced degree candidates, created to develop a cadre of potential government leaders. Those who are selected as finalists and meet necessary requirements become eligible to be placed in a two-year appointment in a participating agency.

There were 4,900 applicants, and Jade and Rachel were among 402 chosen finalists, six of whom are from social work programs and 19 from Columbia University at large.

Career Talk with Ashleigh Washington ’09 | Wednesday, December 4

Join us for an intimate conversation with Ashleigh Washington ’09, Senior Director of Learning and Staff Development at Safe Horizon, on how her talent for innovation and strategic leadership has driven her experiences in social work and nonprofit management.

Career Talk with Ashleigh Washington
Wednesday, December 4, 12:30 – 1:30 PM
CSSW Room C05
Live-stream available; registration required.

Register here

About Ashleigh

Ashleigh Washington is currently the Senior Director of Learning and Staff Development at Safe Horizon, the nation’s leading victims services agency. She leads training and professional development for the agency’s 900+ employees.

Her talent for innovation and strategic leadership has driven her experiences in the field of social work over the last 13 years. Ashleigh has also worked in the fields of substance abuse, public education, healthcare, and supportive housing, providing both direct practice and management in the non-profit sector.

Ashleigh holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Prairie View A&M University in Texas, and a master’s in social work from Columbia University. She is currently a Ph.D. student in social welfare at the City University of New York.

She is also the founder of HumanizEd Learning, an online professional and career development company for social service professionals. Visit ashleighwashington.com to sign up for a free online course.

Record Number of Columbia School of Social Work Students and Graduates Selected as 2019-2020 CSWE Minority Fellows

Columbia School of Social is Work is thrilled to have a record number of students and graduates selected for the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Minority Fellowship Program this year for both the Masters and Doctoral Program!

CSWE’s Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) serves to “…reduce the effects of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities by increasing the number of individuals trained to work with underrepresented and underserved racial/ethnic minority persons with or at risk for mental health and/or substance abuse disorders.”

Congratulations to all our MFP Fellows!

Master’s Fellows

  • Victoria Draper ’20
  • Victoria Guen ’20
  • Yajaira Hernandez Trejo ’20
  • Joya Joseph ’20
  • Kyra Russell ’20
  • James Sampson ’20

Doctoral Fellows

  • Gilbert Nick ’14
  • Luis Ramirez ’13
  • Mariama Diallo ’11
  • Matt Ignacio ’08

CSSW Alumni Recognized for Notable Contributions to the Community

Congratulations to the following alums who have been recognized for their great work in the community!

Alumni Spotlight: Patrick Burden ’12 Shares Path to Leadership Role at Mount Sinai

Tell us about your career journey.

When I graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelors in Psychology, I was still unsure what I wanted to do. I decided to participate in an AmeriCorps program, The Choice Program, serving youth with justice-system involvement in Baltimore. This experience was tough, but incredible, because it showed me all the skills I lacked to do the type of work I wanted to do with the kids there. I decided that pursuing an MSW at Columbia would be the best path for me to gain those skills.

I currently work for the Mount Sinai Health System as a Program Coordinator in the Care Management Program. Care Management employs social workers, care coordinators, nurse clinical coordinators, and others to carry out the population health goals of the health system. As Program Coordinator, I provide clinical supervision for the social workers and care coordinators providing direct services to patients. This is an aspect of my work that I love most, because it allows me to stay connected to the direct work, flex my clinical muscles, and support my supervisees’ professional development and growth, which is always inspiring.

I also plan and develop workflows and initiatives to better engage patients in meaningful care. For example, Mount Sinai has recently partnered with a new insurance provider serving those with Medicare and Medicaid. In this initiative, I create reports, present data to health system and insurance administrators, and work closely with the insurer to meet standards set forth by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, while setting up best practices to facilitate the most efficient and patient-centered interventions.

I love being able to effect change in healthcare through this work. My goal is to use the lessons learned working in a large health system to make broader changes in healthcare, especially seeing the systemic constraints placed on hospitals and patients that exacerbate healthcare disparities. I recently published an article on the subject of these disparities in the International Journal of Aging and Society (now known as the International Journal of Aging and Social Change), titled “Seeing Healthcare through a Social Work Lens: Tackling Disparities and Inequalities for the Elder African American Male”.* I have also had the opportunity present at conferences around the world and look forward to continuing to advocate for improved access to healthcare, quality of care, and health outcomes, particularly among underserved populations.

How did your experience at Columbia impact your career trajectory?

My time at Columbia prepared me for much of my journey at Mount Sinai. In addition to developing critical clinical skills as an intern at IMPACCT Brooklyn (formerly Pratt Area Community Council) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, I was involved with many of the caucuses and that allowed me to interact with people with varying experiences and points-of-view, often times different from my own. I have reflected on those experiences to develop better relationships with my supervisees, colleagues, and leadership. This also prepared me to take on more leadership roles.

I also worked on a research team with a post-doc focused on juvenile justice and planning. Working with her rekindled an interest in writing and caused me to be more thoughtful about the problems beyond my day-to-day work. Though I’m not completely sure what is next in my future, the curriculum and wide range of concentrations and fields of practice showed me the vast array of opportunities I can pursue as a social worker.

What knowledge, skills, and abilities have been critical for success in your roles?

Flexibility is the first trait that comes to mind in terms of being successful in the health system, as protocols and workflows may frequently change to meet the needs of the larger health system. Being willing to take risks and volunteer for new pilots and initiatives — understanding you will have to build some of the structure as you are doing the work — is what leads to new opportunities for success and growth. In general, you must have a wealth of empathy and be able to use your clinical skills in creative ways.

What advice do you have for students and fellow alumni?

Take advantage of your opportunities when they come, understanding that there will be times where you feel like you aren’t ready or prepared for the moment. It might be uncomfortable, but you can always grow from these experiences.

*This article received the International Award for Excellence for Volume 7 of the journal.

Congratulations to Jennifer So ’18 on Getting Published in the Asian Journal of Public Policy!

Congratulations to Jennifer So ‘18 on the recent publication of her article, “Supporting Variability in Women’s Lifestyles: A Study of Single-motherhood Transition in South Korea and Japan,” co-authored by Jiajia Zhou, SIPA ’18, in the Asian Journal of Public Policy.

The paper evolved from a course paper written in Professor Qin Gao’s Global Social Policy class last spring and addresses potential solutions to the challenges single mothers in South Korea and Japan face in balancing employment prospects with child-rearing responsibilities within the existing welfare policies. Kudos to Jennifer and Jiajia on this wonderful achievement!

Caitlin McGuire ’18 and Mary Roh ’19 Selected as PMF Finalists

Congratulations to Class of 2019  Presidential Management Fellows Finalists Caitlin McGuire ’18 and Mary Roh ’19!

The PMF Program is a highly competitive, flagship leadership development program at the entry level for advanced degree candidates, created to develop a cadre of potential government leaders. Those who are selected as finalists and meet necessary requirements become eligible to be placed in a two-year appointment in a participating agency.

Caitlin and Mary were among 351 chosen from a total of 4,045 applicants and a select group of 6 finalists from social work programs across the country and 12 from Columbia University at large. Finalists represent 113 separate academic institutions from 56 disciplines; 12% are veterans.

UPDATE (1/25/19): Read more about what inspired them to apply and where they hope to direct their passion and energy here.

Learn more about the Presidential Management Fellowship here.

Alumna Jillian Rose ’05 Receives Distinguished Educator Award!

We’d like to extend a warm congratulations to Alumna Jillian Rose, LCSW ’05, MPH, on receiving the Distinguished Educator Award from the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP) for her “sustained excellence in the teaching of patients and students/trainees, including health professional students, medical students, residents, graduate students, and/or fellows, with their primary focus being rheumatology-related content.”

Jillian currently serves as Director of Community Engagement, Diversity and Research at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City. She started her career at HSS in 2005 and has dedicated much of her work to understanding inequalities in rheumatology care and empowering both patients and health care providers to ensure the highest quality of care for all.

Most recently, she served as a guest speaker at our recent Communities of Color Roundtable Networking Event, where she provided mentorship and advice to current students about leading successful careers as professionals of color.

Read the full press release to learn more about her background and achievements.