Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW)

We want to introduce you to some of the CASCW team working hard behind the scenes to support our research and evaluation efforts. First up, say hi to Rachel! 👋 Rachel is a Graduate Research Assistant at CASCW, returning for her third year working with the team. She is currently a PhD student at the Institute of Child Development. Her research interests include understanding how structural and social determinants of health and health inequities affect children's long-term health and well-being. At CASCW, she is conducting research related to the child welfare workforce, such as how remote work has reshaped the field. Thank you for everything you do, Rachel!

The CASCW team is in attendance at the 2024 Annual Program Meeting hosted by the Council on Social Work Education enjoying many great presentations, including yesterday's Carl A. Scott Memorial Lecture given by Dr. Ramona Denby-Brinson. Dr. Denby-Brinson's lecture illustrated how Carl A. Scott paved the way for generations of researchers and educators who in turn transformed social work practice. The backdrop to the lecture was a discussion of the U.S. child welfare system and the experiences of minoritized children and families, and Dr. Denby-Brinson incorporated storytelling, music, art, data visualizations, and guided imagery throughout the presentation. Looking forward to continuing to learn and connect through the rest of the weekend's events! https://lnkd.in/g3jSYfbd

CACSW was thrilled to exhibit at the Minnesota Social Service Association (MSSA) Metro Region Fall Conference at Metro State University yesterday! Great to see old and new friends. A big thank you to the team who put it all together!

From Minnesota Public Radio: During his first diplomatic visit to a tribal nation as president on Friday, Joe Biden is expected to formally apologize for the country’s role in the Indian boarding school system, which devastated the lives of generations of Indigenous children and their ancestors. That includes at least 16 Indian boarding schools in Minnesota where many children were deeply traumatized by physical and sexual abuse, punished for speaking their language and stripped of their culture.

ICYMI: CASCW recently published a helpful new infographic developed by Dr. Mimi Choy-Brown and Dr. Wendy Haight, highlighting "Child Welfare and Korean Immigrants in Minnesota." Using this resource, child welfare workers can learn about the history of Korean immigration, the "Model Minority" myth, as well as how to better understand and show cultural sensitivity towards Korean cultural norms, especially when it comes to discipline and interacting with Korean parents. Check it out on our website: https://lnkd.in/gdPvr8Tm

Wonderful to see CASCW partners Hannah Burton and Joanna Woolman featuring in this new piece from The Imprint News on the Health Equity Legal Project at Hennepin County’s Adult Representation Services. "Parents accused of harming their children have a right to a court-appointed attorney in Minnesota and most of the country. But legal help is only guaranteed once allegations of abuse or neglect land in court through a formal petition submitted to a judge. Now, a new program in the state's largest county offers parents counsel well before this stage, when child welfare workers are still deciding whether drug use, domestic violence or mental illness threatens a child's health and safety. This 'prepetition' representation aims to steer families away from the foster care system whenever possible - a goal aligned with state and federal standards."

October is Substance Use Prevention month so we wanted to share this resource about working at this intersection for child welfare workers: https://loom.ly/9C6NR9E

Do you have a passion for work that promotes the well-being of children and families? Consider attending an upcoming Title IV-E Child Welfare Fellowship Program information session! As part of the MSW program at the University of Minnesota, CASCW facilities these fellowships which provide financial support and educational resources to Master of Social Work students committed to post-graduate careers in public and/or Tribal child welfare. You can learn more about CASCW's Title IV-E Child Welfare Fellowship Program on our website - or RSVP for one of the upcoming information sessions here: https://lnkd.in/gmaeehkm

Across the country, a group of traveling Indigenous oral historians are listening to the stories of Indian boarding school survivors to record vital first-person narratives. These stories are part of an ongoing collaboration between the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition and the U.S. Department of the Interior. The goal is to more fully document the systemic abuse endured by generations of Indigenous people under the government’s attempts at forced assimilation that began in the 1800s and lasted for over a century.

Monday October 14th is Indigenous People's Day