Congratulations to John Joseph (JJ) Beggs, III, for receiving the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Student of the Year Award for the Tampa Bay Unit and the state of Florida. JJ is a second year Master of Social Work (MSW) student. The NASW Student of the Year award is given to someone who "makes a demonstrable difference in such areas as advocacy for clients, social policy, social work practice, program development, administration and research; demonstrates outstanding leadership; contributes to a positive image for the social work profession; and takes risks to achieve outstanding results". He has embodied all of this and so much more as a student in the School of Social Work. One professor remarked, "JJ demonstrates dignity and worth for all persons just by his attitude towards others, but especially by his passion of working with Veterans, the suicide population, and serving indigent communities with respect and worth."

During his time as an MSW student JJ has served as a Student Director at the BRIDGE (Building Relationships and Initiatives Dedicated to Gaining Equality) clinic at USF. JJ worked with Dr. Chris Simmons in the development of transitioning the Multi-Cultural America in a Global Society course to an online course. He was selected by Dr. Alison Salloum to work on the Trauma Informed Behavioral Parenting: Early Intervention for Child Welfare research study as part of an interdisciplinary team with Pediatrics. He has taken an active role to participate with the USF School of Psychology Suicide Prevention Program. JJ currently serves as the NASW - Tampa Bay Unit Student Representative. In this role he advocates for providing educational opportunities to help bridge social work students to the social work profession. JJ's strong work ethic, profound insight, and authentic presence have been a true asset to everyone from the clients he serves to his classmates to the faculty and staff. His positive impact goes beyond the classroom walls as evidenced by the following statement given by one of his professors, "JJ stands out to all of us as an individual who is making a difference in the social work profession through his client engagements, dedication to other social work students, volunteering within the community and offering endless compassion, support and needed resources to all".

Roger Peters, PhD, recently served as lead author for the 3rd Edition of the SAMHSA/GAINS Center monograph entitled: "Screening and Assessment of Co-Occurring Disorders in the Justice System" that was published on March 9, 2016. The publication is intended as a guide for those interested in developing and operating effective programs for justice-involved individuals who have co-occurring disorders.

Amanda Mole and Sara Dabney presented at the USF System STEM Summit held at the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation. Amanda and Sara are first year Master of Social Work students. Their poster presentation, "Non-Partner Sexual Violence (NPSV) Symptomology: A Literature Review", reviewed the reported health outcomes of survivors of NPSV and also the gaps in care for addressing and treating psychological symptoms. The literature review highlighted that if not treated these psychological symptoms can lead to poorer overall health, which indicates a need for trauma-informed care. Amanda and Sara would like to thank Dr. Rahill and Dr. Joshi for their guidance and encouragement throughout the year to complete this project.

Save the Date! Tuesday, April 26 from 2:00 - 5:00pm. The USF Applied Behavior Analysis Practicum follows the experience guidelines of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board, which requires 1,000 total hours of practicum experience. Join the students on April 26 as they share some of their research experience while working at their practicum site. Invitation...

Join "The Blind Side" star Quinton Aaron and Hillsborough community leaders for an important Town Hall discussion on anti-bullying. Dr. Tom Massey, CFS Professor and Hillsborough County Anti-Bullying Advisory Committee Chair, will help to host the event. Flyer... Brochure...