HBSSW at the Society for Social Work and Research Conference
Faculty and doctoral students from the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare will present at the 2025 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) conference in Seattle. This year’s theme is Strengthening Social Impact through Collaborative Research. SSWR is a leading international social work organization with members representing more than 200 universities and institutions. The Helen Bader School is an established contributor, with faculty, staff and doctoral students attending annually.
51ÁÔĆć Researchers Present at the Gerontological Society of America
51ÁÔĆć researchers presented at the ‘s Annual Scientific Meeting in Seattle. GSA is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging.
Social Work Faculty at the CSWE Conference
Angela Matijczak
Helen Bader School of Social Welfare faculty presented at the Council for Social Work Educationâs (CSWE) meeting in Kansas City. According to organizers, the conference theme â It’s Time to Act: Indigenous Knowledge Sovereignty and Environmental Justice â builds on the themes of previous years that advocated for the need for critical conversations about racism, justice, and human rights.
Social Work Assistant Professor Angela Matijczak and collaborators presented, âConducting a Photovoice Study with LGBTQIA+ Latine Adults: Methods and Lessons Learned.”
Photovoice is a research method in which participants use photographs and narratives to reflect on and communicate their experiences. Matijczak and collaborators used photovoice methods to explore experiences of stigma and resilience among Latine LGBTQ+ adults living in Central Texas.
As part of the study, participants were interviewed about their photos. They described engaging in multiple strategies of resistance that promoted feelings of joy, pride, hope, and frustration. Participants and researchers from the study displayed these photos in a series of pop-up art exhibits aimed at dispelling stigma and spreading awareness across the Central Texas area.
Suicide Prevention Training Prepares Future Social Workers
As a gerontologist, I have witnessed the impact of untreated mental illness in older adults, who experience multiple losses over their lifespan.
Colleen Galambos, Helen Bader Endowed Chair in Applied Gerontology
Social Work Professors Lisa Berger and Colleen Galambos recently completed a project that addresses the underrepresentation of suicide prevention training at the baccalaureate level of social work curriculum. At the CSWE meeting, Berger presented the culmination of their project, âDevelopment and Evaluation of a Suicide Prevention Training (SPT) Project in a BSW Program.â
The Suicide Prevention Training project team created a , âSuicide Prevention Across the Lifespan.â This microcredential pairs an introductory course in Human Behavior in the Social Environment with knowledge and skills on the epidemiology, assessment, and prevention of suicide across the lifespan.
âAs a gerontologist, I have witnessed the impact of untreated mental illness in older adults, who experience multiple losses over their lifespan,â Galambos said. The comprises 22% of deaths by suicide. The most recent indicates that people over the age of 85 have the highest rate of suicide among all age groups.
Funded by the local , the project was an opportunity for social work faculty to focus on depression and suicide prevention. âThe topic needed to be addressed more in our curriculum in order for our students to better serve their future clients,â Berger said.
Exploring and Celebrating the Older Adult LGBTQ+ Community
By Isabella Kostolni
Older LGBTQ+ adults are twice as likely to have experienced discrimination as their straight peers, according to the National Council on Aging, and with this in mind, 51ÁÔĆćâs set out to consider the intersection of these identities in an event exploring and celebrating the older adult LGBTQ+ community on Oct.15.
Janice Toy, James Simmons, and Bethea â three âeldersâ in Milwaukeeâs Black LGBTQ+ community, as Director Dr. Brice Smith, who spoke at the event, refers to them â joined in a panel discussion led by 51ÁÔĆć LGBTQ+ Resource Center Director Dr. Ariana Myers highlighting their experiences.
Panel moderator and 51ÁÔĆć LGBTQ+ Resource Center Director Dr. Ariana Myers poses questions to panelists Janice Toy (left), James Simmons (second from left), and Bethea (right) about their experiences as older LGBTQ+ adults during the 51ÁÔĆć Student Gerontology Associationâs Oct. 15 event exploring and celebrating the older adult LGBTQ+ community.
Beyond discrimination, public health crises like the HIV/AIDS epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic mark the lives of the older adult LGBTQ+ community.
Simmons noted that locating and making use of local resources is hard enough as an older adult, but factoring in an LGTBQ+ identity can make the process doubly difficult.
âWhen you get older, youâre not able to get up and get out there and get in line for resources thatâs provided publicly. You kind of get looked over,â he explained. âA lot of times, the gays, they donât even go after [publicly available resources] because they donât want to go out and get in these lines. And, depending upon how they present themselves and who they are ⌠when they get there, people look at them and they donât fit in societally. Sometimes theyâre ostracized and ridiculed, so, a lot of times, they just get turned off by the whole seeking for help experience.â
Beyond discrimination, public health crises like the HIV/AIDS epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic mark the lives of the older adult LGBTQ+ community. Bethea explained that over time, more educational information has become available about protecting oneself during such epidemiological events. However, the responsibility falls on the individual to act on that information.
âThe education is available, but if you donât use the education, itâs useless,â he said. âIt is more available for our younger people today, but I donât believe that they are as serious about it as they should be.â
A memory quilt created in a collaboration between 51ÁÔĆć, MIAD, House of History MKE, and Diverse & Resilient was on display at the 51ÁÔĆć Student Gerontology Associationâs Oct. 15 event exploring and celebrating the older adult LGBTQ+ community. The quilt was constructed on Sept. 13 as part of a program highlighting intergenerational communication in a retrospective conversation about the COVID-19 pandemic and HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Resilient LGBTQ+ community
Though such crises struck the LGBTQ+ community particularly hard, Toy said they found ways to rise up and support one another.
âYou had to be resourceful,â Toy explained. âBeing in this communityâŚwe always found ways to beat the odds. We found loopholes and doors to open.â
The hardships endured during both the HIV/AIDS epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic were further illuminated during the event with the display of a memory quilt created in a collaboration between 51ÁÔĆć, MIAD, House of History MKE, and Diverse & Resilient â a nonprofit organization working to improve the safety of and achieve health equity for the queer community. The quilt was constructed on Sept. 13 as part of a program highlighting intergenerational communication in a retrospective conversation about the public health crises.
Despite the resiliency of older adults in the LGBTQ+ community, thereâs still a long way to go before society fully fills the gap in resources, representation, support, and acceptance.
âA lot of these different community organizationsâŚturn a deaf ear to it and they feel like if itâs not in their little circle, then it doesnât affect them,â Simmons said. âBut, if it affects one person, it effects everybody.â
51ÁÔĆć Researchers at the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association Conference
UW-Milwaukee researchers from the Criminal Justice & Criminology Department presented their findings at the in Chicago. The conference gives participants the unique opportunity to share their latest research and collaborate with colleagues and practitioners.
51ÁÔĆć Panels Included:
Forecasts of Rearrest and Actual Recidivism for Women Incarcerated in Jail: Is Optimism Justified?
This study examines 115 incarcerated womenâs forecasts of the likelihood of their rearrest, confidence in not breaking the law after release from jail, and recidivism, as well as the relationship between these forecasts and a variety of other relevant variables. Although optimism and confidence are negatively related to recidivism, other variables (e.g., race/ethnicity, criminal history, incarceration history, mental health, substance use, and relationship status) are important factors in these womenâs perceptions of success and/or actual recidivism. Implications of the findings of optimistic (and confident) versus pessimistic/realistic views of success are discussed in relation to reintegration policy and practice.
Geographic Boundaries, Policing, and Crime Rates: Do Neighborhood Police Characteristics Influence Crime?
Jayden Varline
The current study examined whether small geographic boundaries within counties influence crime rates. The study tested effects independently on serious and less serious crimes. Data from the National Neighborhood Crime Study was utilized with a sample of census tracts (N = 10,206) from 50 cities in the United States. Interestingly, approximately 44% of violent crime was explained by characteristics of the tract, including policing. However, geographic characteristics and policing only explained approximately 20% of property crime. Taken alone, policing variables do not explain crime well, and only in conjunction with geographical information can it aid in studying crime.
Participantsâ Experiences from a Veteranâs Treatment Court: Results from a Process Evaluation
Veteransâ treatment courts (VTC) provide rehabilitation rather than incarceration for justice-involved veterans to promote recovery. A collaboration of professionals provides participants with services related to substance abuse, mental and physical health, and other support services. While outcome evaluations on VTCs are a growing area, research examining the implementation of these courts is further needed. To examine this, the current study presents qualitative process evaluation data from a VTC in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Specifically, exit interviews were conducted with VTC participants to examine their perceptions of procedural justice, programming and services, and strengths and barriers of the court, among others
The Impact of Covid-19 and Pretrial Practices on Sentencing
Racial/ethnic disparities have been documented at the pretrial process, which impacts detention status at sentencing and ultimately sentencing decisions. This has led some to call for bail reform to reduce the reliance on cash bail in an effort to reduce disparity. The COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered how the criminal justice system operated, likely resulting in a reduction in cash bail and detention at sentencing. Using data from Milwaukee County, this study examines whether pretrial practices and detention status at sentencing before and during the pandemic affected sentencing disparities. Implications of the findings will also be presented.
Tackling the Continuing Issue of Ageism in Health Care
By Kathy Quirk
âWell, at your age, thatâs to be expected.â
âHow are we today sweetie?â
âAre we ready for our checkup?â
Those are comments older adults sometimes hear from medical professionals, and they reflect ingrained ageism, according to Andrew Steward, assistant professor of social work in the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare. His research focuses on the social justice issues involved in ageism as well as ways to counter implicit assumptions that affect older people.
His paper, was published earlier this year in the Certified Senior Advisors Journal.
He talks about the paper and his work in this interview.
What made you decide to publish the paper?
I had worked with this journal previously on another , and they suggested I write this piece. This journal is targeted to practitioners rather than academics. Unlike peer-reviewed journal articles which often have a paywall, it was easily accessible to those working in the field.
Andrew Steward
How are older patients impacted by ageism in health care settings?
In health care, ageism can be displayed in everyday conversations, physical spaces and policy choices. Making change means responding at each level.
Why is this important to understand?
Research has shown ageism in health care can literally have life or death implications, given that older patients who experience it have a higher probability of death than younger patients.
What are the issues around how medical professionals respond to older patients when they bring up concerns?
Itâs not uncommon for doctors to say something like, âWell, at your age this is normal.â That can be very dismissive, especially in a health care setting where you need a service and the way the message is delivered is dismissing your concerns about your own health and dismissing potential interventions to stay healthy. Many times, older people have to go and get a second or third opinion, just to talk to a doctor who will talk to them and listen to them.
Many times, older people have to go and get a second or third opinion, just to talk to a doctor who will talk to them and listen to them.
Andrew Steward
In the article you talked about âelderspeak.â What exactly is that?
Elderspeak is an infantilizing way of communicating with older adults based on stereotypes that assume older people lack competence or intelligence. Itâs essentially âbaby talkâ with older people. Health care providers may speak in a in a high pitched or sing-song voice. Or they may address patients as âhoneyâ or âsweetie,â rather than using their names. That can be very patronizing. One study I mentioned in the article showed that 84% of health care workers interacting with older adults used elderspeak.
You also mentioned the use of âweâ instead of âyouâ in making suggestions to older adults, especially in residential care settings.
A good example of that is saying, âwe need to take our medications,â or âwe need to take a bath, rather than simply saying âyou need to take medications or take your bath,â or better yet asking the older adult when they would like to schedule these within their daily routine.
You talk about the issue of rationing health care, which can especially impact older peopleâŚ
When providers are under pressure to decide who receives services, they may favor younger people due to an assumption that illness and death is more common or even considered more acceptable among older adults. Rationing of health care when resources are limited is a complex and nuanced issue and one I discuss with students. Itâs been a debate for a long time, but in my view basing decisions on age alone should is too simplistic. We should be making decisions about allocating health care resources based on a variety of factors, including not only age but also need, equity, environmental factors and individualized care plans.
We should be making decisions about allocating health care resources based on a variety of factors, including not only age but also need, equity, environmental factors and individualized care plans.
Andrew Steward
How was this issue highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic?
As the virus was initially spreading, voices in the media and elsewhere expressed sentiments that the threat was not severe because it would primarily affect older people, that medical interventions should target younger generations, and that a targeted lockdown of older adults offered a promising solution to reopening the economy. When resources like ventilators were in short supply at the beginning of the pandemic, for example, the state of Alabama used age as a criteria in limiting their use, which was subsequently found to be a form of age discrimination.
How can health care systems improve the way they handle these issues?
Itâs a matter of education and changing the culture. In long-term care, for example, some systems have changed the culture of nursing homes from cold, institutional settings to places where older people can feel at home and have a sense of community. These health care environments can give older people more autonomy and self-determination. I worked in Denver in an area that was really at the cutting edge of a culture change in nursing homes. One change in the philosophy of care â â has become a national and international model.
(Editorâs note: Anne Basting, 51ÁÔĆć professor of English, has done innovative work with arts and the aging and their caregivers. That work has been recognized by a MacArthur Fellowship, an Ashoka Fellowship, a Rockefeller Fellowship and multiple major grants. Her latest book is âCreative Care.â)
What projects and research are you working on?
In my current work, I am partnering with several community organizations to pilot a 10-session anti-ageism peer support program for adults 50+ years of age called Aging Together. This program offers education about how ageism impacts health, and gives older adults the opportunity to tell their story of aging in a new way within a small, supportive peer group. In the research, we are exploring whether the Aging Together program may help to reduce internalized and relational ageism while enhancing self-efficacy, a sense of purpose in life, social connectedness and cognitive function. This is important since a lot of stereotypes about aging are so prevalent and insidious, and we all internalize them to some degree. But education and storytelling can be powerful ways to counteract the myths around aging and promote enhanced well-being for older adults.
Criminal Justice Students Earn Credits for Real-World Experience
The criminal justice and criminology field program places students in criminal justice-related settings where they gain real-world experience and earn three credits. The courses associated with field placement are Criminal Justice 311 and Criminal Justice 999.
Students with current relevant employment would use their employment as the field placement portion. They would still need to fulfill the academic portion of the course, which includes writing assignments.
Students employed in these jobs may be eligible to earn three credits
Police officer
Community service officer
Probation/parole agent
Correctional officer
Paralegal or legal secretary
Case manager or counselor for justice-impacted adults or youth
Another position in the criminal justice field
Students can submit online application
This opportunity is open to Criminal Justice & Criminology students with junior standing or above. Students can complete an online application for upcoming semesters.
For more information contact Associate Professor Tom LeBel at lebel@uwm.edu.
Two Longtime Faculty Members Retire
The Helen Bader School of Social Welfare bid farewell to two longtime faculty members this academic year. Stan Stojkovic, professor and former dean, retired in January 2024. Jeanne Wagner, clinical professor and director of the social work field program, retired at the end of May 2024.
Stojkovic brought both expertise and practical experience to classroom
Stan Stojkovic
Stojkovic, now professor emeritus, served 51ÁÔĆć for 40 years. He was dean of the school from 2004-2020. Prior to becoming dean, he served as associate dean, taught criminal justice courses, and coordinated the schoolâs criminal justice program.
Throughout his career, Stojkovic worked closely with law enforcement and corrections officials. He is a nationally known expert in criminal justice administration, prisoner reintegration and theories of justice. His articles, publications and media commentary helped students and the public understand complex criminal justice issues.
Stojkovic has written or co-authored several books and was an article referee for numerous criminal justice publications. He served as associate editor of .
In 2007, he received a $5.8 million grant from the Office of National Drug Control Policy to serve as fiduciary agent for Milwaukee High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
In addition to teaching, research and writing, Stojkovic was a consultant and expert witness, evaluated correctional-based programs for public and private agencies, served as a standards trainer for the Peace Officer Standards and Training in California, and was co-coordinator of the Leadership Institute at the California Department of Corrections and California State University from 1994-2004.
Stojkovic joined 51ÁÔĆć in 1983. He earned his doctorate in social science and his masterâs degree in criminal justice from . He holds a bachelorâs degree in criminal justice from the and an associate degree in police science from (MATC).
Wagner made significant impact on social work profession
Jeanne Wagner
Jeanne Wagner, clinical professor of social work, joined the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare in 2005, most recently serving as the director of the Social Work Field Program. She is a licensed clinical social worker with extensive clinical, management, and administrative experience. Prior to her role at 51ÁÔĆć, Wagner worked in a variety of social service settings, including child welfare, adoption (domestic and international), mental health, intellectual disabilities, geriatrics, and private practice.
In addition to directing the field program, she taught courses in social work and developed and presented continuing education programs. Topics for these programs included social work ethics and boundaries, leadership and supervision, case management, documentation, confidentiality, adoption competency, and safety in the field.
Wagner was a trainer and co-director for the Training for Adoption Competency curriculum through the Center for Adoption Support and Education. She was involved with the Youth Oriented Substance Use and Trauma Counseling Program funded through HERSA from 2014-2017, as well as the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment program funded by SAMHSA from 2013-2016. She served in the role of ombudsperson through the Office of Conflict Resolution for many years.
Wagner earned her masterâs in social work from the at the University of Illinois at Chicago and her bachelorâs in social work at in Kentucky. She serves on the Board of Directors and is president of the .
Online Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree to Start in Fall
The new option is a response to the need for alternatives for students who are interested in earning or completing the degree in an online format, according to Alyssa Sheeran, assistant professor and graduate program coordinator.
The new program grew out of faculty discussions about changes during and after the pandemic, with many courses successfully moving online, Sheeran said.
Alyssa Sheeran, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice & Criminology
âStudents have really liked those options, so we are trying to keep up with market demands. We are still going to offer our in-person bachelorâs degree, but we will also have the online option so students can do either.â
Over the past several years, there has been increasing interest in online options, she added. âWe moved our masterâs degree online and that has been successful. Weâve had good enrollment and good retention. Weâre hoping to see something similar with the bachelorâs degree.â
Flexibility for students
Offering the criminal justice degree online will provide flexibility for students who have career and family commitments, as well as those who canât easily travel to campus, she added.
âWeâll be able to reach a larger geographical region so students that may not necessarily live in the area or live outside Wisconsin who are interested in the program will have the ability to complete the degree online from our institution.â
In addition to reaching out to new students the online program should be helpful in retaining or attracting students who want to complete a degree, according to Sheeran.
âItâs an opportunity to reach out to students who have maybe started their degree but werenât able to finish because of outside circumstances.â
The program is designed to reach out to police officers, for example, whose departments require them to complete a certain number of credits, she added. âThey may need to finish those 60 credits thatâs required of them. This will give them that option to do so.â
The online courses will be available in asynchronous format or synchronous format. The synchronous format allows students to go online in a classroom setting and interact with instructors and classmates. The asynchronous format gives students more opportunity to work outside of a classroom setting at their own pace.
Some extra financial aid is available for the online bachelorâs degree. The , established by professor of criminal justice and criminology and former dean of Helen Bader, will be focused on helping those in criminal justice who are completing degrees through the online program.
Podcast Offers Information on Causes, Prevention of Child Neglect
By Kathy Quirk
51ÁÔĆć has joined with Childrenâs Wisconsin in a podcast to help improve the lives of children and families with complex challenges.
The goal of the podcast is to provide information about the causes of child neglect and share prevention strategies, according to Joshua Mersky, professor of social work and founding co-director of the Institute for Child and Family Well-Being.
Luke Waldo, director of program design and community engagement at the Institute for Child and Family Well-Being
The institute, a community partnership between Childrenâs Wisconsin and the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, is producing the podcast. The instituteâs mission is to improve the lives of children and families with complex challenges by implementing effective programs, conducting cutting-edge research, engaging communities and promoting systems change. Faculty and staff from both Helen Bader and Childrenâs are involved in the instituteâs numerous projects and programs, and much of their work focuses on families who are at risk of entering the child welfare system.
According to Mersky, the podcast was the brainchild of Luke Waldo of Childrenâs Wisconsin, who is the director of program design and community engagement at the institute. The idea behind the podcast was to support a broader initiative at Childrenâs that focuses on reframing how we look at child neglect and leading the way toward discovering and developing new strategies to support families and address this complex social problem.
Podcasts address key issues
The podcasts address a number of key issues, including the difficulty of defining and understanding what neglect is, how neglect affects families and why there are disparities in the child welfare system.
âNeglect is intertwined with poverty in society, but the challenge is separating out the poverty from neglect,â Mersky said. Whatâs been observed for many years is that children and families of color, specifically Black and African American families, are disproportionately likely to be involved in the child welfare system, and thereâs a longstanding debate as to why that is, Mersky said.
âI think that our partners at Childrenâs are just deeply interested in figuring out how to better serve children and families in our community and to reduce the likelihood that they become involved in the child welfare system,â he said. âAnd if they do become involved in the child welfare system, wanting to reduce the likelihood that they will be placed in foster care or out-of-home care.â
Joshua Mersky, 51ÁÔĆć social work professor and founding co-director of the Institute for Child and Family Well-Being
One reason for turning to a podcast is that people are more likely to listen than to read a report or brochure, Mersky said. The podcasts run from 45 to 90 minutes. âSo, you can get much deeper into an issue. There are certain things you can accomplish in that space that you just canât in a newsletter or other media.â
The podcast hosts discussions with 51ÁÔĆć and Childrenâs Wisconsin professionals, local and national experts, and people with lived experience, Waldo said.
Moving upstream with prevention
Another focus of the podcasts is looking at ways to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect.
Most resources in the child welfare system are focused on what Mersky calls âdownstreamâ intervention, trying to help children who have been abused and neglected or exposed to significant adversity. âThatâs always going to be necessary for sure,â Mersky said, âbut I think we are particularly interested in moving further upstream to more primary or secondary prevention kinds of approaches.â
The institute is conducting research on a number of these approaches that have been shown to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect, such as home visiting programs that provide services starting before or shortly after the birth of a child.
Evaluating Wisconsin’s network of family resource centers
One particular approach Mersky talked about in his segment of the podcast was evaluating the stateâs network of family resource centers. These are community hubs throughout the state that serve as one-stop-shops for families and provide a variety of services and support, based on what individual families need. That can include parenting education and skills classes, helping meet basic economic needs or âlight touchâ services like diaper or food banks, according to Mersky.
These family resource centers can also link families to other resources in the community, he added. The centers are open to all families, with services tailored to family needs. For those families facing many complex challenges, the centers can provide help in coordinating care from organizations that support mental health, housing, substance abuse, domestic violence and other issues.
The âOverloadedâ podcast is designed for those in health and human services, child welfare workers, program supervisors and administrators of community organizations serving families, teachers and school officials and others concerned about the issues, according to Mersky.
So far, the podcasts have been well received, Mersky said, adding âWeâd love to get it out to a broader audience.â
Anyone interested in listening to the podcasts or learning more about the Institute for Child and Family Well-being can check out information on the instituteâs website.
