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MSW Alumna and Community Development Specialist Sarah Lim Helps Combat Homelessness in Madison

Sarah LimHomelessness is one of the most pressing issues affecting the Madison area. At least 614 people experienced homelessness in Dane County on the night of the first Point-in-Time (PIT) count of 2018, one of two times a year when the Madison/Dane County Continuum of Care (CoC) captures information about people experiencing homelessness on a given night—a 4.9% increase from last January’s PIT.

 

Based on the City’s Comprehensive Plan and measures like PIT and the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR), which counts the number of people served in homeless programs over a year’s time, the Madison Common Council allocates resources towards homeless services with input from the mayor and the community. As the Community Development Specialist for the City of Madison, UW-Madison MSW Alumna Sarah Lim uses research to identify homeless needs and effective strategies, advocates for the proper allocation of funds, and manages funding contracts.

 

Lim, who is originally from South Korea, graduated with an MSW from UW-Madison in 2004 before working for Tellurian Inc. for 13 years where she became...

Scientists Just Beginning to Understand Autistic Adults’ Unique Health Needs

Lauren Bishop-FitzpatrickIn the 1990s, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children rose sharply. These children are now entering adulthood, yet physicians and scientists know very little about the health outcomes they might face. Most studies of health have focused on children and adolescents.

 

However, new research published this week by scientists at the University of Wisconsin­­–Madison, including Assistant Professor of Social Work Lauren Bishop-Fitzpatrick, found that older adults with ASD may be at greater risk than people without the disorder of developing several health problems, including cardiovascular, urinary, respiratory, and digestive issues.

 

Read the full story.

The Social Work Entrepreneur: A Series Highlighting Alums Who Have Created Their Own Businesses and Organizations

Jon Brandt“With more than 250 former residents, hardly a day goes by when we don’t hear from Mapletree alum – they’re always welcome to call or stop by.” Jon Brandt, MSSW ‘83

 

School of Social Work alum Jon Brandt, MSSW ’83, didn’t set out to work with sex offenders, but a confluence of career experience in child protective services, licensing foster homes, and doing assessments and treatment with adolescents who had sexually offended, convinced him that these at-risk youth and their families were not served well by juvenile corrections or the child welfare system. Drawing on his experience in social work and real estate, Jon founded Mapletree in 1991. Located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, Mapletree is licensed for 12 young men, ages 16-20. The goal was to keep teenagers with serious offenses in the community, when appropriate, to help them repair damaged relationships, and successfully recover.

 

It wasn’t easy. Finding a suitable location, negotiating adequate funding, building a 3,800 square foot residence, obtaining government approvals, and navigating the politics and public perceptions of “juvenile delinquents,” or “sex offenders,” required a lot of...

The Social Work Entrepreneur: A Series Highlighting Alums Who Have Created Businesses and Organizations

Roger Turenne"I've Always Considered Myself to be a Professional Social Worker"—Roger Turenne, MSSW '60, Founder of Turenne & Associates

 

Although UW-Madison School of Social Work Alum Roger Turenne, MSSW 1960, began his career in a traditional social work role at Northern Wisconsin Center in Chippewa Falls, his entrepreneurial spirit led to a different path. He appreciates the education and training he received at the School, and fondly remembers Helen Clarke, the School's first faculty member, and Professor Al Kadushin, who in the late 1950s was just beginning his teaching career.

 

After being drafted in 1968, Roger joined the United States Public Health Service as a commissioned officer. For the next 24 years he worked on a number of healthcare-related projects in Atlanta, ranging from an early heart disease prevention program, to developing new programs and policy for the then-recently enacted Medicare Program, and finally ending his public health career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

While he enjoyed his work with the government and was grateful for all he learned, Roger, "tiring of the bureaucracy," began to think about starting...

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

Delaney at American Family Children's HosptialApril is Child Abuse Prevention Month -- a time to celebrate the good things communities do to promote healthy child development, as well as a time to reflect on the work that still remains. To show her support, Delaney Dustman, an MSW student, helped plan awareness events in her field placement at American Family Children's Hospital with the UW Child Protection Program and in her field unit seminar, “Social Work Practice in Public and Private Child Welfare.”

 

As part of the efforts, Delaney and her colleagues at the American Family Children’s Hospital are:

  • Initiating a social media campaign based on resources from Prevent Child Abuse America
  • Offering a training opportunity on trauma-informed care
  • Providing pinwheel coloring sheets to the Child Life team to color with the kids
  • And encouraging everyone to WEAR BLUE on April 6th (for child abuse prevention)

 

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Last edited by jmlee29 on Thursday, March 08, 2018 | Printer Friendly Version