April, 2019 - Office of Career and Leadership Management

April 9, 2019April 10, 2019

Alumni Spotlight: Winnie Chu ’18 Shares Insights on Pursuing an International Development Career

Tell us about your career journey.

I knew I wanted to become a helping professional since college. Being part of the solution to address human trafficking was the reason for me to pursue an MSW, because I wanted to gain direct practice, programming, and research skills. I was drawn to Columbia School of Social Work’s AGPP track, law minor, and cross-registration system, which allowed me to pursue classes at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and Mailman School of Public Health.

After graduating, I interned at United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Cambodia’s Child Protection Section, where I developed media briefs on different child protection issues and conducted research to evaluate the current social service workforce in the country. This research was part of UNICEF’s strategic advocacy tool to propose for improved access to social services through additional allocation of human and financial resources. This proposal is now being discussed at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation in Cambodia, which I’m very excited about and hope to see brought to fruition. (Read more about her UNICEF experience here.)

This experience was life-changing — it solidified my passion for international development work, and eventually led to my current role as a Health Logistics Specialist for a USAID global health supply chain project that delivers life-saving health commodities to developing countries. However, I found myself feeling detached from being on the ground. I also wanted to be an expert on Southeast Asia. This ultimately led me to decide to join the Peace Corps. This coming July, I will be leaving for the Philippines, where I will be serving as a Youth Development Volunteer. (Want to learn more about the Peace Corps? Attend our upcoming information session next Tuesday, April 16!)

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

At UNICEF, I used a lot of research and analytical skills, along with knowledge of case management and many social protection issues, to develop the capacity of social workers. In my current role, I use a lot of communication and coordination skills to work with external partners and internal staff. As a Peace Corps volunteer, I anticipate using my programming skills to implement a variety of projects.

What advice do you have for students and fellow alumni seeking to work in the international development and humanitarian sector?

Network with professionals in the field and learn about their professional trajectories, as well as the skills in demand in the sector.
Take advantage of courses such as financial development, proposal development, and program evaluation.
Pursue opportunities that allow you to build research skills. My last semester field placement at the Social Intervention Group at CSSW provided me with important research skills that I have applied to research-oriented positions and that which will continue to be useful in the future.
Remain culturally humble and self-aware of your own privilege and power. This practice has allowed me to work effectively in multicultural and multilingual environments.
Follow your passion, be persistent, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone!

To learn more about Winnie’s background and experiences in the field or simply to connect, feel free to reach out to her via email at [email protected].

April 9, 2019April 10, 2019

Congratulations to Professor Nabila El-Bassel on Appointment to University Professor

Congratulations to Nabila El-Bassel, the Willma and Albert Musher Professor of Social Work, to the rank of University Professor, the highest academic honor.

From the Office of the President:

A tireless leader in the fields of global public health and social work, Professor El-Bassel has dedicated her career to improving the lives of people who have too often been overlooked or neglected. Her landmark scholarship focuses on behavioral and social sciences approaches to addressing substance use, HIV/AIDS, and interpersonal violence within marginalized communities. She is one of the nation’s foremost experts in these areas and a pioneer in designing sophisticated and innovative gender-based interventions, many of which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified as models and best practices, and which have revolutionized prevention and treatment of stigmatized conditions across the United States and the world. Currently, she is leading community and system-based research to address the opioid epidemic in New York State.

Professor El-Bassel is the recipient of extensive funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). She is a Principal Investigator on the NIMH HIV Intervention Science Training Program for Racial Ethnic Minority HIV Investigators and a Principal Investigator on the T32 NIH Training Program on HIV and Criminal Justice. And, she has served as a member of the National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse.

We are proud that Professor El-Bassel calls Columbia her intellectual home. After completing a BSW at Tel Aviv University and an MSW at the School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, she earned her PhD at the Columbia School of Social Work and continued her training here as a Research Associate in the Center for Social Policy and Practice in the Workplace and as a Research Associate and Research Scholar in the Social Intervention Group, before becoming its Director. She is also Director of Columbia’s Global Health Research Center of Central Asia, the core activities of which are outcome-driven and designed to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable populations in the region.

A University Professor appointment is a rare and distinguished honor among our faculty. Not only does it signify scholarly merit of the highest caliber, it also designates the recipient as a professor of the entire University who can teach across schools and departments. Professor El-Bassel has devoted her career to the pursuit of knowledge and innovation that can strengthen communities and improve the human condition. She has established social work as a recognized profession in countries where it previously did not exist and has mentored generations of new researchers in a field that has had a transformative effect on the lives of at-risk populations. She richly deserves this honor—please join me in congratulating her.

April 5, 2019April 9, 2019

NYC: ATWORK Information Session – Thursday, April 25

In partnership with the NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, the Office of Career Services at Mailman School of Public Health is organizing an NYC: ATWORK Information Session on Thursday, April 25, 11:30 am – 12:30pm at Hammer Health Sciences Building – Room LL204, 701 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032.

NYC: ATWORK is the first public-private partnership creating career pathways for New Yorkers with Disabilities. Attend this event to learn more about the program and resources they offer.

To request accommodations, please contact Edmund Asiedu at [email protected].

April 3, 2019April 3, 2019

2019 ACS Prevention Services Career Fair | Tuesday, April 16

The ACS Division of Prevention Services invites graduating BSW and MSW students to meet with representatives from prevention service agencies servicing all five boroughs within New York City. Employers include Good Shepherd Services, Seamen’s Society for Children, JCCA, New Alternatives for Children, and more.

Bilingual students are especially encouraged to attend.

DATE: April 16, 2019
TIME: 11:45 am – Registration Opens; 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Career Fair
LOCATION: Nicholas Scopetta Children’s Center – 492 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10016

This is a no cost, FREE event. If you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to [email protected]

Nationally, New York City is at the forefront in providing prevention programs to support families. ACS has steadily increased the availability of prevention programs to include evidence-based models that are shown to improve overall child and family well-being. Thousands of families are receiving intensive counseling services tailored to their needs. Services such as parenting coaching, helps parents cope with the pressures they face to raise healthy children.

April 2, 2019April 9, 2019

UNANY Spring Career Fair | Thursday, April 6

Are you inspired by the possibility of working for the United Nations?

UNA-NY’s Spring Career Fair will provide an employment scope of several UN agencies — UN Volunteers, UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA, and UNICEF — courtesy of select personnel who will be presenting an overview of these respective organizations as part of the outreach this event will highlight. Areas covering human resources will be featured in the topics discussed among the panelists, who will speak to attendees about various types of positions available at these UN agencies, and discuss possible career paths with interested participants. Eva Jansen, a UN Human Resources Officer from the talent outreach unit, will also be on hand as moderator of the panel.

Thursday, April 11, 2019

6:00 p.m. | Registration, Networking, Reception
6:30 p.m. | Program and Q+A
8:00 p.m. | Career Fair with opportunities to engage with panelists from presenting organizations

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Conference Room – 43rd Floor
One Bryant Park
(Bank of America building, corner of 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue)
New York, NY 10036

All are invited to bring their resumes to the event, and attendees with some professional work experience are also welcome. Since the United States is under-represented at the UN, U.S. nationals are especially welcome to attend this event.

Take advantage of this special opportunity to meet and speak with their guest panelists, who will provide valuable advice while sharing their experience.

For more details, visit our event page here.

Register ($10 for UNA Members; $15 for Guests and Non-Members) – UPDATE (waiting list only)
*includes hors d’oeuvres and wine reception

For more information, go to their event page.

April 1, 2019April 4, 2019

Alumni Panel: Journey to the “C” | Wednesday, April 17

The Office of Career Services and Leadership Management and Mental Health Caucus invite all interested students to attend Journey to the “C”, a panel event featuring alumni from various clinical backgrounds and work experiences, on Wednesday, April 17 from 12:15 to 1:45 pm in Room 301. This will be a great opportunity to network in an intimate setting and gain insight into obtaining clinical licensure.

Speakers include:

Ari Borinsky, LCSW ‘15, Psychotherapist at Insight Psychiatry & Psychotherapy
Jennifer Stefanik, LSW ‘17, DBT Therapist at Koch Center
Tonia M. Spence, LCSW ‘02, MSEd, Senior Director of Early Childhood Services at the Jewish Board

Light refreshments will be served.

Please reach out to Ashley Leeds at [email protected] with any thoughts, questions, concerns, dietary restrictions, or necessary accommodations.

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES: Columbia University makes every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities. If you require disability accommodations to attend an event at Columbia University, please contact the Office of Disability Services at (212) 854-2388 or [email protected] at least 5 days in advance of the event.

Speaker Bios

Ari Borinsky, LCSW ‘15
Psychotherapist at Insight Psychiatry & Psychotherapy

I was born and raised in suburban New Jersey. I attended undergrad at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN where I majored in Philosophy & Spanish Literature. After college I moved to Brazil where I taught English and studied Portuguese. I then joined the Peace Corps and served for two years in El Salvador. My title in the Peace Corps was a Rural Health & Sanitation volunteer although in essence my job description was that of international social worker. I now run a small non-profit that raises money for kids to attend college in El Salvador. See: www.elprogresoproject.org

I returned to the New York Metro area and attended law school for a brief period before dropping out and finding my career path as a social worker. At CSSW my first-year field internship was at a senior citizen community center in Brownsville, Brooklyn. My second-year internship was at the Roberto Clemente Center working as a bilingual family therapist. I took my social work licensing exam upon immediately graduating CSSW. I then spent one year working at the non-profit Partnership with Children which partners with NYC public schools and provides in-school counseling services. I then left for full-time private practice at a clinic in Jackson Heights, Queens called Dr. Szuster Psychiatry. I continue to work at Dr. Szuster’s clinic twice a week and run my own private practice in Greenpoint, Brooklyn the other three days a week. I accrued all my necessary clinical hours and passed my LCSW in October 2018.

I have completed trainings in TF-CBT, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and EMDR.

Jennifer Stefanik, LSW ‘17
DBT Therapist at Koch Center

Jennifer Stefanik, LSW, graduated from CSSW in May 2017, and while at CSSW, was a student of the CSSW Dialectical Behavior Therapy Training (DBT) Program directed by Dr. Andre Ivanoff. Jennifer’s 1st year internship was at South Mountain Elementary School in the Maplewood/South Orange School District in New Jersey where she worked with students aged 7-11 on emotion regulation and social skills. Her 2nd year internship was at Long Island Jewish Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, NY and was through the DBT Training Program. While at Zucker Hillside Hospital, Jennifer provided outpatient DBT (individual and group) to adults dealing with chronic mental health issues, including borderline personality and emotion dysregulation.

Since graduation, Jennifer has been working towards her clinical licensure by working full-time for The Koch Center, a private group DBT practice located in New Jersey. Jennifer works as a DBT therapist for children, adolescents, families, and adults where her work consists of conducting individual DBT sessions, running DBT groups, and serving as a program coordinator for the DBT Child and Social Skills programs. Jennifer is passionate about providing clients and their families with psycho-education about Borderline Personality Disorder and DBT to help reduce the stigma of both personality disorders and mental health in general. Jennifer is hopeful towards obtaining her clinical licensure in early 2020. With clinical licensure, Jennifer plans to continue working with DBT populations, as well as expanding her practices to clients who typically do not have access to DBT. A long-term goal that Jennifer has is to open a DBT center within the tri-state area that takes insurance, and that follows the evidence-based DBT model to fidelity to provide more accessible treatment to mental health consumers who may not otherwise be able to afford treatment.

One piece of advice that Jennifer has for MSW students is to be proactive with LSW/LMSW licensure. Start applying for licensure early on in your 2nd year so that when graduation comes, you can already have most of the process complete, and can be ready to start any prospective job opportunities

Tonia M. Spence, LCSW ‘02, MSEd
Senior Director of Early Childhood Services, the Jewish Board

Tonia M. Spence, LCSW, MSEd, believes in the power of healthy relationships in shaping young children’s lives. She is a clinician, educator, presenter and advocate who has served children and families for 17+ years. As a new clinician, Tonia’s passion to learn led her to a Fellowship program at Yale’s Child Development Center Outpatient Clinic in New Haven, where she was able to strengthen her clinical understanding of young children. Being in New Haven, where the dichotomy of wealth and poverty was so evident, Tonia recognized how racial tension and stress added an additional layer to the trauma of the children and families she was serving. She understood that only with the additional lens of race, class and privilege could she truly serve children and families well.

Tonia is a leader in the field of zero to three who has worked tirelessly to integrate her knowledge as a social worker and educator into an interdisciplinary approach to teach clinicians, educators and students how to apply a lens of racial stress to assessing, diagnosing, and treating young children who have experienced trauma. She is passionate about supporting families through challenges and firmly believes that engagement is the foundation of social work.

Tonia holds a Masters in Special Education from Bank Street College of Education and a Masters in Social Work from Columbia School of Social Work. She is currently the Senior Director of Early Childhood Services at the Jewish Board (JB) and is a co-leader of the Administrators of Color group, where she works along with colleagues to impact all staff’s racial literacy.

April 1, 2019April 1, 2019

NYC: ATWORK Re-Launches Job Board for People with Disabilities

The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities has recently re-launched NYC: ATWORK, an exclusive job board featuring opportunities from across sectors for New Yorkers with disabilities.

Bookmark the site to see the latest openings, which they will post regularly. You can also access their tips and samples on how to tailor resumes and cover letters using the following links:

NYC: ATWORK is an initiative to build partnerships and expand coalitions by connecting people with disabilities who are unemployed or underemployed to meaningful, living wage jobs across the five boroughs. This initiative focuses on creating a centralized pipeline of talented candidates including transitioning youth, college students and graduates, and recipients of state vocational rehabilitation services.

For more information, click here. For information regarding vocational rehabilitation services in New York City, click here.

April 1, 2019April 9, 2019

Month: April 2019