Latino Social Work Coalition and Scholarship Fund to Honor NYU Silver Field Instructor Melanie A. Sanchez

On April 27, 2017, at the Latino Social Work Coalition and Scholarship Fund’s (LSWC) 13th Annual Awards Dinner, NYU Silver Field Instructor Melanie A. Sanchez, LMSW will be honored with a Leadership Award. NYU Silver students Silvia Castillo, MSW ’17 and Jessica Diaz, MSW ’17, who were awarded scholarships by the organization, will also be recognized at the event.

Ms. Sanchez guides NYU Silver master’s level social work students doing their field placements at Institute for Community Living (ICL), where she is a Senior Clinical Analyst and Implementation Specialist/Educational Coordinator. She was nominated for the LSWC award by Clinical Associate Professor, Field Learning & Community Partnerships, Virge Luce, who noted that Ms. Sanchez has dedicated her professional life to assisting individuals and families affected by or at risk of mental illness or developmental disabilities, and has influenced the professional development of dozens of social work students in her nearly ten years in the field.

According to Professor Luce, “Latino social work students need mentors like Melanie, who is skilled in working with people from diverse backgrounds, assists students in assessing their aptitude and motivation for a social work career, and helps them meet their educational needs and professional goals. She does not compromise educational standards, and avoids turning student challenges into professional limitations. Her contributions to the Latino community and to the diverse student body at NYU Silver exemplify her commitment to the social work profession.”

LSWCs mission is to increase the number of culturally and linguistically competent Latino social workers serving low income and underserved Latinos in New York City. NYU Silver is one of eight graduate schools of social work in the New York City area that support LSWC’s work.