AASWSW Fellow News: Awards, Psychedelics, Addiction Treatment, and More

American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare Fellows earn fellowships and grants, research psychedelics, and explore opioid use treatment access. 

Fellow Named Institute for Economic Equity Research Fellow

December 4, 2024 — Fellow and Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor of Social Development at the Brown School, Sean Joe, PhD, has been named a 2024-2025 Institute for Economic Equity research fellow by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Through the fellowship he will conduct research focused on addressing systemic barriers to equity, which aligns closely to his work as leader of HomeGrown StL, a network community organizations established in response to the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson. 

Read more in The Source.

Sports Development Program Earns Grant to Support Youth Mental Health

December 4, 2024 — The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services awarded a $250,000 grant to LiFEsports, a sports-based youth development program at Ohio State University. The grant will help LiFEsports extend its “Coach Beyond” training which teaches coaches to recognize symptoms of mental health concerns, and strategies to support child well-being. Fellow, Ohio State social work professor and Co-Executive Director of LiFEsports, Dawn Anderson-Butcher, PhD, told Highland County Press that, “Coaches at all levels can better support kids, teach life skills that help kids cope on and off the field, foster belonging and community, and be ‘eyes’ who pick up signs and symptoms and respond.”

Read more in Highland County Press.

Begun Center Launches Pilot Drug-Testing Program

December 5, 2024 — Case Western Reserve University’s Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education partnered with the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office to launch a program to help curb fatal overdoses. By lab testing syringes collected from syringe service programs, researchers hope to learn more about the drug use behaviors of people participating in harm reduction services. Part of the research team is Fellow Daniel J. Flannery, PhD, the Dr. Semi J. and Ruth Begun Professor and director of the Begun Center. “This program will help track changes in the local drug supply and improve how we educate, prevent and treat substance use,” he said.

Read more in Case Western Reserve University's The Daily.

Fellow Named Inaugural Leona B. Carpenter Chair in Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health

December 5, 2024 — Fellow and Johns Hopkins School of Nursing professor Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, PhD, has been named the inaugural Leona B. Carpenter Chair in Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health. Established in 2022 by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the role seeks to eliminate health inequities among marginalized communities, including underrepresented racial, ethnic, and LGBTQIA+ groups. Previously Dr. Guilamo-Ramos was the inaugural Executive Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Solutions — the only nurse-led organization focused on eliminating health inequities.

Read more from Newswise.

Fellow Explores the Potential for Psychedelic-Assisted Mental Health Treatments

December 5, 2024 — Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis are exploring how psychedelic-assisted therapy can treat mental health issues like PTSD and depression. Psilocybin, a compound found in magic mushrooms, disrupts typical brain activity, creating a window to form new neural connections. This process, combined with therapy, aims to create lasting mental health improvements. Fellow, professor of social work, and co-founder of the Center for Holistic Interdisciplinary Research in Psychedelics Leopoldo J. Cabassa, PhD emphasizes the importance of equitable access and proper guidance during treatment for WashU Magazine. 

Read the full story in WashU Magazine.

Expanding Access to Opioid Addiction Treatment

December 6, 2024 — Fellow and Helen Ross Professor at the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, Harold Pollack, PhD, co-wrote a research paper for the Brookings Institution, exploring practical solutions to expand access to addiction treatment for people with opioid use disorders. The paper details strategies to increase access to medications for opioid use disorder such as methadone and buprenorphine, and discusses the challenges associated with addiction treatment access.

Read the full paper in Brookings.edu.