What brought each of you to the MSW@USC program?

Crystal: I have always wanted to run a shelter for abused women and kids. I have also always wanted to attend USC, and when I was doing research on schools of social work, I came across the MSW@USC program. I was so excited! I worked full-time and did not want to relocate to Los Angeles, and this program gave me the opportunity to continue working while attending the school of my dreams.

Jason: A few years back, I was thinking about going back to school and getting my master’s. However, I had recently purchased a house and was working over 40 hours a week, so I brushed the idea aside. It wasn’t until my mom went back to school to get her master’s in social work that I realized it was possible to juggle work, school, family and friends. She had heard from one of her professors about an online MSW program that USC was starting, and I immediately applied. I thought an MSW from USC would be such a great achievement and honor.

How did you first meet?

Jason & Crystal: We met in our 535 policy class with Professor Rick Newmyer. We were in a group project working on legislation regarding domestic minor trafficking in the United States. It was a group of three people–the two of us and our friend Corinne St. Thomas. We all became great friends throughout that semester and began talking about meeting up in northern or southern California. Feelings for each other blossomed, and we became more than just friends.

When did you meet in person?

Jason: Crystal went to northern California to visit one of her best friends, and we planned to meet in Sacramento. You hear about it in movies, and it may sound cheesy, but we just knew we were “it” for one another. Out of all the places to go on a date, Crystal wanted to go to a train museum and walk around old Sacramento! Crystal met my mom that weekend, and we enjoyed Napa Valley, as well as visited with Crystal’s friend. It was a great first meeting.  Our relationship was based on communication. We talked every night before she ever came up to Sacramento, and we knew each other on so many levels with the communication we had built doing a group project together.

They say 1 in 4 people meet doing online dating these days. Had either of you tried it before?

Jason: This is a funny question to the two of us because the answer would be no. Neither of us has ever done or thought to do online dating, but we joke and say that this might be the most expensive form of high-tech online dating.

Did you expect anything like this would happen when you first started the MSW@USC?

Jason: You normally think you might meet someone at school when it is in a physical “classroom,” but we can now say that it can also happen in a virtual classroom! We did not expect to meet each other through this program, but it helped us find each other, and we learned quickly we are each very passionate about what we want to do with our lives and future careers.

How did the Virtual Academic Center help you get to know each other better? When people think of distance-learning programs, they often don’t think it can be very engaging.

Jason: In any relationship, communication is a key factor, and the Virtual Academic Center allowed us to work together on a project that we were both passionate about. We were each able to talk about interests, what we love and what we were doing with our time when we weren’t in school. Real friendships are created in the Virtual Academic Center! Our friend Corinne is close with both Crystal and I, and that shows that lifelong friendships can be created in the MSW@USC.

Do you have any tips for breaking the ice for any of your classmates or others doing distance-learning programs?

Jason: Be real with each other, have fun, talk about your internships and the things that are stressful (because you are not alone) and treat it like what it is… a classroom! Break-out groups and the ability to create group sessions online, I think, are what make this the best program because you still do all the things (if not more because most MSW@USC students are working full-time jobs) that students do in on-campus classrooms.

Seeing how you both live in different parts of California, what’s your next step? Will someone be moving?

Crystal: Jason just moved to San Diego! The decision was based on the fact that I was offered a job at my internship, working with victims of human trafficking as part of a brand new program. Jason was able to transfer to San Diego with Nordstrom’s and has great options for future social work jobs here as well. We are very excited! We are getting married on September 1, 2012.  Since we are both huge baseball fans–Jason likes the Giants, and I like the Padres–Jason proposed at Petco Park on home plate.  It was amazing!

March is National Social Work Month, sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and this year’s theme, ”Social Work Matters” is meant to showcase the impact of more than 642,000 professional social workers in America. In honor of this important month, our “Social Work 101″ infographic, highlights the rapid growth projected for social work employment, the likely careers and employment settings where you’ll find social workers, and famous social workers who made a difference in our world. 

Please feel free to share on your website by copying and pasting the embed code below to celebrate National Social Work Month!

<a href=”http://msw.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/MSW-IG-Social-Work-101.jpg”> <img class=”aligncenter” src=”http://msw.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/MSW-IG-Social-Work-101-600.jpg” alt=”Social Work 101 – MSW@USC” border=”0″ /></a> <br />Via MSW@USC: <a href=”http://msw.usc.edu”>Online MSW</a>

To be completely honest, a year ago I believed a person’s heart and values were the most important qualities necessary to become a successful social worker. While I still believe it’s impossible to be a good social worker without those traits, I now understand the value of graduate education in social work. Without an in-depth examination of the profession, it’s hard to imagine that I could have gained the capacity to “enhance human well-­being and help meet the basic human needs of all people” (NASW Code of Ethics, n.d.).

As a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the MSW@USC curriculum is based on the same standards as USC’s on-campus program and other social work programs across the country. However, the lessons we learn are uniquely steeped in a USC perspective. Here are just a few things I’ve learned during my first year in the program:

• Therapy is really just advice…unless it’s coupled with an evidence-based understanding of human behavior in the social environment.

As clinical social workers, we have a responsibility to understand what makes people tick. Beyond that, intervening in an individual’s life requires that we ensure that the techniques we employ are proven to be effective.

• Only systematic research can validate and confirm the theories and practices we employ as social workers.

MSW@USC students may moan and groan at the mere mention of research, but we concurrently admit everything we do means nothing without stringent research, not only at the program and intervention development phases, but also in respect to the evaluation methods employed after implementation.  

• Applying this research and engaging clients using effective techniques take a clear understanding of the policies that impact services.

Whether you’re a micro-social worker providing direct services to clients, a macro-practitioner developing programs, advocating for legislative changes or running a non-profit, an understanding of local, state and federal policies is essential to effective social work practice.

• A comprehensive understanding of the system is the only viable way to substantiate change.

On a micro level, helping clients navigate a complicated system and deal with its inherent frustrations takes an understanding of those systems top to bottom. From a macro perspective, true social change must be formalized and will never happen without intervention from social workers who know how to navigate the legislative world.

• Reading about it is one thing, but field education is where we put all the pieces together!

Internships most certainly provide students with first-hand experience working in social services programs, but this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the value of field education. As interns, we are provided with opportunities to focus on various levels of programs, applying theories, practice techniques and policy analyses to an agency and its clients. Perhaps the most meaningful aspect of our MSW@USC field education, however, is having access to field supervisors with whom we can discuss our observations, biases and lessons learned throughout our time in placement. Taking advantage of this benefit as MSW@USC students helps us become better practitioners because we get to immerse ourselves in the field while improving our self-awareness at the same time.

Now that I have the benefit of perspective regarding the value of an advanced education in social work, I think I can sum up it up by saying that the main benefit is not just in earning my master’s degree; the true value will come from having earned my credentials though the MSW@USC. I’m not just learning about the field of social work; I’m rolling up my sleeves and seeking innovative ways of helping those in need of assistance. Not only will my USC diploma open doors and create opportunities for career advancement, it will mean I have acquired the tools essential to affecting social change at any level.

Thanks to the rigorous first-year MSW@USC curriculum, I now feel I have the foundation I need to embark on my second and final year of the program and the perspective necessary to become a successful social worker. If you were wondering “why bother with an MSW?” before reading this, I hope you’re now asking yourself, “why wait?!”

Krista Hopper-Pasillas is a MSW@USC student from northern California. She currently works in Child Welfare and has a special interest in issues related to transition-aged foster youth, as well as issues concerning the homeless. Krista can be found on Twitter and Linked In.

Click here to learn more about the MSW@USC and our innovative online MSW degree.

How were you diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

I was stationed in Germany, and my brother had come to visit me. We were drinking a lot that night, and my brother started spouting off about how we shouldn’t be in the war and that war is wrong. All of the sudden, I just snapped and started pounding him with my fists. My wife got scared and called the military police (MP). When they arrived, they tried breaking up the fight, and I hit one of the MPs who had grabbed my shoulder.  After that, my command team told me to report to mental health. So I did. I met with a social worker, and he referred me to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with PTSD. I then went back to the social worker for therapy.

What was the contributing event that led to the diagnosis?

I was in a theater in Mosul, Iraq, and I experienced a bombing while dining at the chow hall. I couldn’t believe it. One of our Iraqi counterparts entered the facility strapped with explosives and detonated himself in the middle of the room. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. Body parts were all over the place; the smell of the charred human flesh was overwhelming. The Federal Bureau of Investigation came to investigate the blast, and they started handing us bags. We looked at them and wondered if they were serious. They were handing us the bags so we could pick up our dead comrades’ body parts. I mean, we had just endured the blast; they should’ve gotten somebody else to do it. I still can’t get those images out of my mind.

What are your symptoms and have you learned to manage them?

After the event and before being diagnosed with PTSD, I would self-medicate. I would drink until I was drunk just so I could talk to people without breaking down. That was the only way I could stand being around other people. Following my diagnosis, however, I stopped drinking for a year. Now I only drink occasionally. I still have nightmares though, and I lock myself away from my family at times. Sometimes I find myself completely disinterested in anything. I’ve learned to avoid large crowds. I manage my symptoms day by day without the use of medications.

Has the Army helped or hindered your recovery process?

The Army keeps me going. Without my job and my family, who knows where I would be. When I was first diagnosed, I was sent to a social worker. He wasn’t trying to diagnose me; he just wanted to listen. That guy helped me out a lot. I chose to stay in the Army after having been diagnosed with PTSD, despite knowing there were certain jobs I would be locked out of, like the Rangers (a special elite Army task force). I know I can do my job and do it well, with or without a PTSD diagnosis. I will say, though, that the constant deployments (he has been deployed three times) have set me back a bit, but I work through it.

Does the Army environment make it easier or harder for you to seek treatment?

The Army makes the route easy. But even though you know where to go to seek treatment, there’s still a stigma that goes along with it. Let’s just say I don’t go around telling everybody I have PTSD. I’ll only share that with a battle buddy.

What are your goals for recovery?

I want to get my family back in order. I want to be able to walk into a large crowd and not worry about freaking out. I want my life and my marriage to improve.

Final Thoughts

I feel it’s important to convey the plight of what soldiers go through after war, and, unfortunately, it’s an occurrence that is all too familiar. It also reminds me that social workers can truly make a difference. From the interview, most of you will have gleaned that the soldier is experiencing many of the typical symptoms associated with PTSD: episodic anhedonia; voluntary isolation; social phobia; re-experiencing the traumatic event and avoidance. As an interviewer, I found the most beneficial thing I could offer to this young man was an ear and an empathic heart.

Periodically, I found it difficult to listen to his story and to fight back my tears. Later that night, I wept like a newborn. I hold profound hope that this young man will one day fully recover; his family will improve; and he will emerge a stronger, more resilient human being. I believe hope is a contagion, and perhaps I have infected this brave young man.

To all of our uniformed men and women: Thank you for your service, honor and commitment.         
Click here to learn more about the MSW@USC.

A Temporary Fix

Advocates for mental health and disability rights, such as Public Counsel (the nation’s largest pro-bono law firm) and Disability Rights California, recently filed a class-action suit against the funding cuts, stating the governor’s ruling was a violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The lawsuits temporarily restored programs for students in Los Angeles County, and the Department of Education released $76 million as alternative funding for short-term services – a temporary fix.

The California Psychiatric Association has discussed using Proposition 63 funds as an option to better support community-based mental health programs and involuntary care. Proposition 63 was passed in late 2004, providing the Department of Mental Health with funds for children, youth, adults, elders and families in need. However, a Children’s Advocacy Institute press release stated Proposition 63 did not provide the funding or services it said it would, and more than 90% of children were not having their needs met.

Do the Right Thing

California should follow through with voter-approved propositions and refrain from diverting mental health funding to other budget expenditures. We can’t fund programs on promises. Granted the state has had fiscal challenges, but draining money from early intervention services and shortchanging our children and families is not the answer. As social workers, we need to be aware of how these cuts will affect our clients and their access to the types of services we provide. Legislative leaders may think they are saving money now, but failing to treat mental health problems early only leads to larger issues later on, including higher rates of homelessness, suicide and high-school dropouts, costing us all. As MSW@USC students, we need to join the mental health community in speaking out against further waste of resources and fight to change the course of local funding.