New York, NY – “Bridge gaps. Build communities. Believe in possibility.” Those words, emblazoned on mugs and notebooks given to the 26 MSW students in the 2024-25 School Social Work Training Academy (SSWTA) cohort, encompass the ethos of this initiative, now in its second year.
At the cohort’s first gathering of the academic year, Project Director Gabriella McBride explained that the SSWTA was launched in fall 2023 to help meet the pressing demand for high-quality school-based mental health services. That need, Dr. McBride said, is magnified in New York City, which has the nation’s largest public school system with 1.3 million students. “We are providing specialized curriculum, training, and using technology-based pedagogical tools to foster your learning so you can make the greatest impact [in your school-based placements] on kids and their families, who might not otherwise have that support.”
“We want you to be the best prepared school social workers,” said Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Linda Lausell Bryant. “There is a lot of hope that we imbue in all of you to be able to catalyze change in intractable systems. And I think that our profession has the potential, with a lot of love, grace, patience, and excellent practice, to begin to make cultural shifts … You are that spark.”
Dr. McBride encouraged the attendees to be their authentic selves and take care of their needs throughout the school day. Expounding on that theme, Dr. Lausell Bryant said that in doing so, “School will become a friendlier, more welcoming place, a place where it’s safe for students to explore and to be themselves … That will be incredibly powerful in terms of their ability to learn.”
The centerpiece of the gathering was a training in restorative justice (RJ), an approach for addressing harms as well as building community, accountability, empathy and trust, which is particularly relevant for trauma-informed, school-based practice. To lead the training, NYU Silver’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Richeleen Dashield engaged the School’s frequent collaborators from Worth Justice, L’Tomay Varlack-Butler, Shelby Demby and D’Ajani Varlack-Butler.
Dean Michael A. Lindsey joined the group to close out the formal session. Reflecting on his own experience in schools, he stressed the importance of working with the wider school community to support youth socially, emotionally and in their academic goals, including graduation.
The cohort finished the afternoon of learning and reflection with further opportunities to form connections over a group dinner. As Dr. McBride had told them earlier, “Learn from the community of people in the room. And always remember why we are here. We are here because all of us are committed to youth and families in New York City.”
About NYU Silver School of Social Work
Founded in 1960 and renowned for a strong tradition of excellence in direct social work practice and dedication to social justice, NYU Silver has provided rigorous training to more than 20,000 social work practitioners and leaders in every area of the field, making it the leading destination for students who want to become innovative practitioners at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work practice. The School has four campuses in the heart of New York City, Rockland County, Westchester County, and Shanghai.