In the News

Focusing on the intersection of youth who have spent time in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, Social Work Today magazine’s Winter 2021 cover story features the expert perspectives of VCU School of Social Work alumni Allison Gilbreath and Naomi Sutton Reddish. Gilbreath is policy and programs director at Voices for Virginia’s Children, […]

With COVID-19 creating a variety of new traumas or exacerbating existing traumas, associate professor Dr. Hyojin Im emphasizes the need for more care and supports that are trauma-sensitive.

As the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates conditions for LGBTQ youth who are homeless, proposed solutions often fall short, according to Dr. Maurice Gattis, VCU School of Social Work associate professor. “I think more shelters and affordable housing will be created, but it likely won’t be enough and there is still no agreed-upon definition of affordable housing. […]

Dr. Maurice Gattis, VCU School of Social Work associate professor, addresses how the pandemic, politics and social movements are affecting LGBTQ+ youth. “Youth are leading the way in shaping the current political climate. The calls for equality, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights and climate justice all have strong youth involvement and leadership.”

A coalition of mayors from around the country is exploring the model of guaranteed income – monthly funds to help fight poverty and close the racial wealth gap. But, says Dr. Maurice Gattis, VCU School of Social Work associate professor, monthly checks may not help those like homeless or housing-insecure youth who don’t have permanent […]

COVID-19 has changed all the rules about how food gets from farm to table, and increasingly farmers will be selling more beef directly to consumers, says Dr. Basil Gooden, a visiting scholar at the VCU School of Social Work, specializing in sustainable food access. ”If you can sell directly to the people who will cook […]

The Pixar movie Onward features an openly gay character, Officer Specter. But Dr. Maurice Gattis, VCU School of Social Work associate professor, says the significance is diminished by a bit role with only a few seconds of screen time. “The superficial nature of the relationship may be a letdown for the … LGBTQ+ community. …”

As the COVID-19 pandemic has grown, so has the need for social workers, who serve communities, families and individuals. Getting the advanced graduate degree opens more doors, according to VCU School of Social Work’s dean, Dr. Beth Angell. “An MSW degree provides the skills needed to help people adjust to a variety of life challenges […]

With the surgeon general of California pushing an unprecedented plan to implement universal screenings for childhood trauma for children in the state’s Medicaid program, VCU School of Social Work associate professor Dr. Sunny Shin sees a model for the nation. “If all the country’s children could undergo developmentally appropriate screenings for what we in the […]

Dr. Sunny Shin, a VCU School of Social Work associate professor, says research indicates some young people are actually switching to cigarettes because they are scared of vaping. “This is a good moment to establish the regulatory structure for these vaping products that should have been in place since the beginning,” says Shin, an expert […]