Black History Month 2020: Community partners making an impact
Categories: Alumni + FriendsFIFSW’s community partners not only provide valuable practicums for our students, they also make a huge difference to the communities that they serve. Here are just a couple examples of organizations making an impact.
Ujima House serves the Black community, particularly Black fathers and Black fathers-to-be, by providing programs to support those looking for assistance in becoming a more a committed and involved parent. It also acts as a hub for black families to celebrate and promote their cultural ethnicity. The centre’s services include parent and child activities, support groups, employment counselling, and information and referrals. It also provides spaces for supervised visits.
Alumnus Austine Arrey (MSW 2011) is a community access social worker at Ujima House and has been a FIFSW field instructor for four years. MSW practicum students at Ujima House gain a variety of experience through observations, participation in document intake meetings, and writing service plans and access reports — among a number of other responsibilities.
The CEE Centre For Young Black Professionals is a charity dedicated to addressing economic and social barriers affecting Black youth between the ages of 18 and 29. Holistic, person-centered and culturally relevant, its programs aim to improve the careers, education and empowerment (CEE) of the youth that it serves.
FIFSW field instructor Adanna Phillip (MSW 2014) is an alumni of the Faculty and has been working with FIFSW for two years. Working with a high performance team, CEE’s Master of Social Work practicum students build their capacity by providing “wrap around support,” biopsychosocial assessments, coaching, documentation, group facilitation, workshop design, curriculum development, advocacy with other social service agencies, and system navigation.