January 22, 2016

What happens when refugees arrive in the U.S.? What sort of education and training do they receive about their new country? Currently, very little scholarly literature exists on the topic, but Caren Frost, director of Global Social Work at the College of Social Work and chair of the university’s Refugee Women’s Health Committee, is hoping to change that. With help from colleagues at the Division of Public Health (along with state government and nonprofit agencies), Frost and others are holding monthly workshops with a number of refugee women’s communities to help address questions they have about their new home. The group participants direct the discussion/training topics, and Frost and her colleagues respond by facilitating discussions with community experts. Frost is available to discuss the ongoing project and what its outcomes may offer the community. Besides the aforementioned project, Frost will also take part in a panel discussion at the Salt Lake City Public Library tilted “Solidarity: Salt Lake City’s Impact on the Refugee Crisis” on Jan.28 that will be guided by the TED Talk “Refugees have the right to be protected.”  The event will take place on the main level of the library in the level four conference room from 7-8:30 p.m. (210 East, 400 South).
Caren Frost Phone: 801-581-5287 | Email: caren.frost@socwk.utah.edu

December 11, 2015

The University of Utah College of Social Work has been traveling to local schools to administer a program that helps girls build confidence in themselves. Called the Dixon Girls Forums, the school-based programs help girls in grades 3-12 learn about and develop a range of leadership skills. The curriculum was developed based on the findings from the Leadership Skills Inventory by researchers Frances Karnes and Jane Chauvin, who classified the skills necessary for leadership development into nine categories: written communication, speech communication, character building, decision making, group dynamics, problem solving, personal and planning. The Dixon Girls Forums bring together young women with leadership potential at a school, including those elected to student government, girls who ran for an office and were not elected, girls appointed to or elected to head social or activity clubs, captains of sports teams and more informal leaders as identified by school administration. The Forums provoke ongoing discussion by the girls, heighten their awareness of what type of leaders they are, and help them identify which skills need improvement. (Learn more here.) Media is invited to observe the program and interview participants by attending a Dixon Girls Forum at Hillcrest High School on the afternoon of Friday. Dec. 18 from  8 to 9:30 a.m. Check in at the office of the school, 7350 South 900 East, Midvale.
*For questions, contact Jennifer Nozawa, public relations specialist, University of Utah College of Social Work, 801-585-9303, Jennifer.nozawa@socwk.utah.edu.

November 20, 2015

The first-ever Congressional Forum on Violence against Transgender People will be held Tuesday, Nov. 24. Since Jan. 1, 2015, to now, 21 transgender women of color have been killed in the United States. On Oct. 14, 2015, hours before Ashley Hallstrom, a transgender woman living in Logan, Utah, took her life by stepping in front of a dump truck, she posted on Facebook “These are going to be my final words. I can’t stand to live another day, so I’m committing suicide. The reason why I’ve decided to do this is because I’m transgender.” As a nation, we can no longer stay silent by denying, erasing or eradicating the lives of transgender people. We must invest in a Futuro de Esperanza and reject a life path of despair caused by transphobia, hate and violence towards transgender people. C. Kai Medina-Martinez, director of the U’s LGBT Resource Center, is currently involved with research focusing on the experiences of transgender faculty and staff in higher education more broadly, work that will help mold best practices across the field. Kai goes by the pronouns: they/them/theirs/he/him/his.
Phone: 801-587-7973 | Email: kmartinez@sa.utah.edu  

October 22, 2015

October has become synonymous with pink ribbons, as breast cancer awareness month reaches a fever pitch. Caren Frost, director of global social work at the College of Social Work, can speak to the issue of breast cancer awareness from a global perspective. Frost, who is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Family and Preventative Medicine, is engaged in developing topic-specific workshops with women’s group for women with refugee status.  In addition, she is involved in interdisciplinary research across the University of Utah campus, as well as with colleagues from other universities in the U.S. and globally.

Phone: 801-581-5287 | Email: caren.frost@socwk.utah.edu