Turning Points
Celebrating Five Decades at The University of Maryland School of Social Work
Contents In the Beginning ..........................................1 The 60s: Coming to Life .............................6 The 70s: A Clear Vision ..............................17 The 80s: A Time of Expansion ....................27 The 90s: Emerging Leadership ....................35 2000-2010: Innovation and Research .........45 The Mission Continues ................................57
that cozy, cramped setting. The School had
In September of 1961, 19 students who were the entering class of the University of
been a long time coming. Before it opened
Maryland School of Social Work climbed
its doors to students in 1961, Baltimore
the creaky stairs to the second floor of
was the only major city without a social
the central receiving warehouse of the
work school. Baltimore’s history related
University of Maryland, Baltimore campus
to social welfare education stretched back
located at 721 W. Redwood Street. There
to the middle of the 19th century. These
they found a small suite of newly constructed
efforts centered chiefly on developing a
offices and classrooms. The warehouse had
school at Johns Hopkins University or
been the battery shop
Goucher College.
of the Hecht depart-
These activities ended
ment store, which the University had taken over as part of its expansion. To the left of the warehouse was the old Hecht parking
From Humble Beginnings — A Proud Legacy
in the 1920s.
The Great
Depression brought renewed efforts in the state of Maryland for a school of social work, but things
garage and to its right was a poorly maintained Revolutionary
moved slowly. In 1936, President Byrd of
War cemetery littered with drug needles
the University of Maryland provided $5,000
and wine bottles. The warehouse was
to hire a professor to teach two social work
surrounded by densely crowded slums and
courses and plan for the development
urban decay. Two short blocks south,
of a school. After World War II, many
freight cars rumbled down tracks in the
individuals, groups, and organizations
middle of the street to and from area
got involved in bringing a school to frui-
factories.
tion. Among the more prominent people were Harry Greenstein, Wilson Elkins,
This inauspicious surrounding belied
Alvin Thalheimer, Thomas Waxter, Esther
the importance of what was taking place in 1
Lazarus, and Louis Kaplan. With so many
different direction and, for a few years, had
fathers and mothers trying to give birth
difficulty placing students in functionally
to the same idea, there was some tension
oriented agencies. In time, the ideological
before all the hurdles were past and the
wars receded and the School received
School got final approval in 1959. Among
a warm welcome from the practice
these hurdles was
community. Some
its location. Many
of the agencies
wanted the School
that took a chance
to be located at
on this fledgling
College Park in
school are still
suburban
hosting our
Washington, D.C.
students 50 years
Louis Kaplan,
later. Among
who was chair-
these are Baltimore
man of Maryland’s
City Department
University Board of
of Social Services,
Regents, wanted it
Jewish Family
in Baltimore. It is
Services, and
obvious who won
Catholic Charities. The School
that battle.
started with a bare
The other hurdles were related
Louis L. Kaplan
bones budget of $46,400. This
to the practice approach and governance. The professional
included salary for the dean, a professor,
social workers of Baltimore were heavily
an assistant professor, a secretary, and
influenced by the Pennsylvania functional
renovations and operating expenses.
philosophy and they wanted a dean with
It was enough to get started. Verl Lewis, the School’s first dean, spent
this orientation. The University moved in a 2
an academic year planning. He was a
which required a loyalty oath for new
research professor with a deep commitment
employees until 1967. Among the events of
to public services. He also had a strong
greatest import for social work were John
interest in community research which
F. Kennedy’s New Frontier that included
became a major influence on the School’s
programs such as the Peace Corps and
initial practice
general support for
curriculum.
juvenile delinquency prevention. The
It was a requirement that all
“New Frontier”
first-year field
was followed by
placements be in a
Lyndon Johnson’s
public agency.
“Great Society”
From the beginning,
which generated a
the School had a
large number of
significant minor-
social programs in a
ity representation
“War on Poverty,”
among students and
including Medicare
faculty, and with
and Medicaid,
some negotiating,
VISTA, the Job
all field units were
Corps, Legal Aid
racially integrated.
Services, the Office
The School opened at an
Dean Verl Lewis, with Ruth Young, at the entrance to the School’s warehouse location
of Economic Opportunity (OEO),
Head Start, and Community Action.
auspicious time for social work and
During this period of enormous social
society. The country was on the cusp of a decade of rapid social change matched
protest over the Vietnam War, racial
by inspiring and tragic events. This was
injustice, and women’s rights, Congress
not easy for a socially traditional Maryland,
also passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 3
landmark legislation that finally outlawed
faculty’s publications and presentations
discriminatory voting practices that had
across the globe. The act of looking back on five decades
disenfranchised African Americans in the
of history in a brief volume inevitably
United States for generations.
shortchanges the contributions of many
Toward the end of the decade, Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated and
who have devoted years of their talents to
people took to the streets in protest and
the School and who may find no mention
riot. Soon after came Woodstock, the
here. We hope this volume provides an
clarion call of the flower power generation
outline of the times and the events that
and the eventual legacy of the
shaped the School and that our
baby boomers.
efforts will lead to the recognition and honoring of those who
The School was affected by all of these events and partici-
nudged, pulled, and led this
pated in different ways in many of
endeavor. We gratefully
them. The presence of so many
recognize the makers of this
programs and so much money
legacy as we stand at the
facilitated the School’s growth and
moment of our 50th year,
expansion into many areas that had not tra-
continuing our mission of progress and
ditionally
promise, and shining a light with the power
been a part of social work education.
to further illuminate the path to peace and justice. This celebratory publication
While the elements of societal upheaval persist today and currently are exacerbated
endeavors to recognize and honor students,
by economic recession, near-record
faculty and administrators, past and present,
unemployment, and governmental cutbacks,
in a retrospective that focuses on the
the University of Maryland School of Social
highlights of the evolution of a great
Work continues to make its mark, growing
academic institution. Set in a worldwide
from a local resource to a School that is
context, it underscores the 50th anniversary
shaping practice and research around the
theme of “Peace and Justice for All.”
country, its many successes trumpeted in its
4
The Sixties:
Coming to life in a decade of change.
context of family and community. He also
The School grew rapidly. The first few
advocated a strong grounding in knowledge
years were marked by intense activity. New courses
of social
and field
policies that
placements
affected the
had to be
lives and
developed.
behaviors of
Additional
both clients
faculty had
and social
to be hired.
workers.
Planning also
He believed
began to
that specific objectives
move the School into
Dean Verl S. Lewis (far left) with members of the class of 1964
for improved
the old Law School building at 525 W.
social functioning could be identified
Redwood. Above all, accreditation had
with adequate psychosocial assessment
to be addressed.
of individuals and families. The first graduating class of 12 students was award-
Verl Lewis supported a psychosocial approach for the casework curriculum that
ed diplomas in June 1963, just one week
focused upon the individual client in the
after the School was accredited. 6
Dan Thursz delivers a lecture with Verl Lewis sitting to his right
Senate. Mikulski continues to celebrate her
In the fall of 1963, Daniel Thursz
social work origins.
was hired and he began developing a
In 1966, Lewis resigned for health
community organization concentration. With the passage of the Economic
reasons and Thursz became the School’s
Opportunity Act of 1964, Lewis and Thursz
second dean. Thurz significantly increased
wrote a successful proposal to develop
the pace of the School’s growth, quickly
a training center for VISTA volunteers.
making it one of the largest in the nation.
During its existence, large numbers of
Along the way, he introduced a planning
volunteers were
curriculum and the
trained. The School
School began to offer
also provided special
a separate degree in
training for executives
community planning.
in Federal poverty
As a result, the
agencies. In addition,
School’s name was
the School developed
later changed to The
a VISTA Fellows
School of Social Work and Community
program where a small number of
Barbara Mikulski, MSW ‘65
The assassina-
volunteers studied for the MSW as part of
Planning. tion of Martin Luther
King in April 1968 precipitated riots in
their VISTA commitment.
Baltimore that lasted four days and nights.
One of the School’s first students was Barbara Mikulski, now U.S. Senator.
More than 700 citizens were injured, 1,000
She was one of the “warehouse gang” and
businesses looted or destroyed, and 1,000
earned her MSW in 1965 on the way to
others set on fire. National Guard troops
service on the Baltimore City Council, the
patrolled the city, including the area
U.S. House of Representatives, and now
adjacent to the School, and thousands of
as the longest serving and most influential
people were arrested or detained. Troops
woman ever to sit in the United States
demanded identification from students as 9
Enrollment in the master’s program grew rapidly from 19 students in 1961 to 357 in 1970. There were three full-time faculty when the school opened, and 62 by 1971. Some field sites from the era: Crownsville & Clifton T. Perkins State Hospitals; Baltimore City Department of Social Services, Veteran’s Administration; and Jewish Family Services.
Members of a VISTA training group tour a Baltimore neighborhood
they made their way through the city, block
no information or provisions were
by block, carrying out their commitment
provided to the detainees. Later, social
to social justice. At the request of Mayor
work students and other volunteers
D’Alesandro and the Baltimore Legal Aide
provided both. It was a daunting mission to contribute
Society, the School assisted in connecting detainees with their families and providing
to the calm and reason needed to progress
other needed services. Faculty, students,
beyond the fear, violence, and confusion. This experience drew the School together in service to the larger community during an unprecedented crisis. Based on its experience with the riots and with the VISTA Training Center, the School requested and received National
and alumni responded by providing
Institute for Mental Health funding to
assistance for more than 12,000 detainees
develop an Urban Crisis Training
and their families. Another major locus
Center/Department of Continuing Education.
of activity was with the more than 2,500
It started in 1969 and developed workshops
people who had been detained at the Civic
and institutes around the needs of those
Center for curfew violations. Initially,
living in an urban society. 12
1964
LBJ launches the War on Poverty and signs the Civil Rights Act into law.
1961
The Peace Corps is established by Executive Order under President John F. Kennedy.
1962
1961
School moves into The Warehouse.
The National Farm Workers Association convenes under Cesar Chavez.
1964 1963
Crownsville State Hospital becomes first field placement site for students.
First degrees awarded.
1962
1964
1961
1963
1965
1961
Verl Lewis named School’s first Dean.
1963
1965
President John F. Kennedy assasinated.
VISTA Volunteer Training Center opens.
1963
1960
The Pill receives FDA approval.
Dr. Martin Luther King delivers his “I have a dream” speech.
1961
1965
Construction of Berlin Wall begins.
As the war in Vietnam escalates, stateside anti-war movement grows.
1968
School of Social Work students reunite families in wake of rioting due to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
1966
Ground is broken on the World Trade Center in New York City.
1969
Apollo XI mission lands first men on the moon. 1969
1967
Dan Thursz becomes Dean.
1966
Woodstock Music and Arts Festival in Upstate New York.
1968
1968
Robert F. Kennedy assassinated.
1967
1970
1969
1966
1967
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is organized.
Loving v. Virginia ends laws against interracial marriage.
1969
1970
Baccalaureate program begins at UMBC.
Program in Community Planning begins.
1966
“Equality of Educational Opportunity� (The Coleman Report) is published.
1969
Grant helps School launch Continuing Education efforts.
1968
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated.
1970
Ohio National Guardsmen open fire on anti-war protestors at Kent State University.
Turning Points 1961 - 1970
“Within these stones and bricks, healing is to be administered, and no less important, human relationships developed between students and patients.” – Louis L. Kaplan
The Seventies:
A clear vision—better lives and better communities.
In July 1970, the University of Maryland
develop another type of social worker: the
Board of Regents approved changing the name
“social strategist,” defined as someone who
of its nine-year-old institution in Baltimore to
“deals with people not as clients but as citizens.
The School of Social Work and Community
Instead of changing behavior, he aims at
Planning. The
bettering social
significance of this
conditions that
move went well
influence behavior.”
beyond a desire to
This signaled a new
add a distinctive
direction for the
flourish; the name
curriculum of the
was augmented to
School. The
reflect the new
previous model
direction for the
was based on the
School. As the
idea that all social
School’s second dean, Daniel Thursz was
workers shared a generic core and they later
well known for his emphasis on community
branched out into specializations from this base.
practice and demonstrated this affinity in an
The new model started specializations in the
essay he wrote for the School publication,
first year so that, for example, there was now a
“Focus,” which was titled “A New Breed of
course in human behavior for clinical workers
Social Worker.”
and a parallel one for social strategists. There was always a strong emphasis on group work.
Thurz emphasized the School’s mission to 17
retention of minority faculty and students was
The School has always engaged in educational partnerships and these expanded
recognized. Nonetheless, the School and its
in the 1970s. In the first years of the School,
faculty were unmistakably aware that there
Verl Lewis developed a joint degree with the
was so much more to address at the School and
School of Business at College Park. In 1969-
in our society. The School was innovative in multiple ways.
70, the Bachelor’s program in social work was initiated at the University of Maryland,
By the middle of the decade, the School offered
Baltimore County (UMBC) as a second major
a rich and varied listing of courses during a
in the sociology department and by 1970, the
winter “mini-semester,” which included
independent major in Social Work was created.
sensitivity training, human sexuality, new towns,
Next, a second joint program was established
social-work policy in Israel, urban imagery, the
with the Baltimore Hebrew College. In 1974,
women’s movement, and art therapy. The course catalog for 1973-1975
a Bachelor’s degree in social work was offered through University of Maryland, University
demonstrated how rapidly the School was
College at night. A joint Bachelor’s program
expanding and the changes that were occurring
in social work was offered with Coppin State
with the availability of concentrations in
where students could take social work courses
clinical work, social strategy, and social
at UMBC and complete the degree at Coppin.
administration, as well as a master’s degree
The joint MSW and JD program and the
in community planning. A Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) program
MSW and MPH programs were later added.
was approved by the Maryland Board of
In 1973, the School’s progress was affirmed by a successful accreditation report. While it
Higher Education in 1972 and made it possible
mentioned efforts to address continuing goals,
for advanced social work practitioners to
it also stated that the School had “a long-
develop expertise in research that would open
standing commitment to racial equality.”
the doors to tenure-track teaching positions at
Seventeen of the 64 faculty members at that
Maryland and other prominent schools of social
time were of minority race or ethnicity. That
work. The School’s doctoral degree, originally
the School had advanced in its recruitment and
a DSW, was later changed to the PhD. 18
Field study for student groups in a Baltimore neighborhood
Dr. Ephraim T. Lisansky addresses a class
The number of faculty had leveled off at about 60 during this decade. Student enrollment in the master’s program increased from 357 to 591 between 1970 and 1982. Some field sites from the era: Family & Children Services of Central Maryland; University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University Medical Systems; Kennedy Krieger Institute.
of Social Work program at UMBC and to
In 1976, The Walter P. Carter Center opened on campus to provide mental health
assume a range of administrative posts in the
services in South Baltimore. The Center was a
University of Maryland System. The School’s position at the end of the
landmark as probably the first building in the country to be named after an African-American
decade is well described by a statement in the
social worker. Also that year, Thursz, who
1979-1981 academic catalog:
had exerted great influence over the School and its student body, left to become Executive
“From its inception in 1961, the
Vice President of B’nai B’rith International.
University of Maryland School of
In 1977, Ruth H. Young was named dean
Social Work and Community Planning
following a national search. This ex-Navy
has sought to develop professionals
WAVE was known for her directness and
dedicated to providing the best
energy and her pioneering work on social
services to those with the greatest
work’s emerging practice areas of child abuse
needs and the least access. Therefore,
prevention and child welfare.
a distinctive feature of this School is
Young also championed the need for
the belief that the cornerstone of the
inter-professional education and team practice,
American social service system is
recognizing the critical intersection of
public social services; and that social
medicine, law, and social work. She exerted
services are an essential need of all
considerable impact on people’s lives by con-
citizens at various stages and in
necting policy to practice and by placing an emphasis on training in child welfare in the
various circumstances. Our goal is
public sector. When the nation established its
to educate the most competent
first Office on Child Abuse and Neglect,
practitioners in all areas of the
Young was involved in an advisory role and,
program, providing the best we can
then, saw that the School was a beneficiary of
offer both to public social services
one of OCAN’s first grants. She later went
and to the profession.”
on to develop the curriculum for the Bachelor’s 22
1972
1971
Watergate break-in.
26th Amendment lowers voting age to 18.
1974
President Nixon resigns in the wake of the Watergate scandal.
1971
Tobacco ads banned from TV.
1973
1971
Attica prison rebellion.
1972
Doctoral program begins.
1975 1973
Roe v. Wade, landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion rights.
Carlton Munson becomes first doctoral graduate.
First oil crisis and recession.
1972
1974
1971
1973
1975 1973
1970
Program in Community Planning begins.
1972
Board of Advisors formed.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) becomes law.
Advanced Standing program begins.
1974
1972
Terrorists murder hostages at Summer Olympics in Munich.
1975
Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth’s home run record.
1975
End of US involvement in Vietnam.
Mid ’70s
Increasing unrest follows widespread school integration and subsequent busing policies.
1976
The groundbreaking novel “Roots” is published.
1980
1976
Enrollment doubles from start of decade.
1978
First test tube baby born in England.
1977
Dale Masi joins School. Later launches innovative and world-renowned Employee Assistance Program specialization.
Ruth Young becomes Dean.
1976
1980
1978 1977
1979 1980
First AIDS cases recognized.
1976
Mid ’70s
Deinstitutionalization of mental health. Emphasis turns to community-based solutions.
Licensure of social workers begins amidst controversy.
1979
Three Mile Island nuclear accident. 1978
For the first time, more women than men enter college.
1980
Second oil crisis.
Turning Points 1971 - 1980
“You need to get people involved in their own destiny. The essence of good community development is to involve the people you are trying to help.” – Mark Battle
The Eighties:
Expanding in outlook, reach, and impact.
overlooking the center of campus, and a
The School continued to have a diverse student body and faculty and was involved in
reading room. The era of classrooms
multiple efforts to extend access to quality
scattered all over campus was over. Bob
education and
Brooks, MSW,
services. In one
JD, ’84 vividly
such effort,
describes what
faculty teamed
this meant to
with Coppin
students, “I can
State to provide
remember how
a decade of
nice it was
outstanding
when the ‘new
summer research
school’ building
internships for
was completed
students in the
and opened its doors. I remember having classes all over
new McNair Scholars program.
campus and lugging my books from one class
The eighties saw continued significant expansion of the School. By 1983 when
in the medical school to another class in the
the five-story, 72,000-square-foot building
modular annex building and then to the old
opened, at a cost of $5.1 million, the building
Hutzlers department store warehouse on
contained 14 new classrooms, observation
Pratt Street for another. I was grateful to
labs, research and media centers, balconies
have one building for all my classes, to easily 27
Europe. Courses in individual, family, and
see my friends and speak with professors.�
group treatment were well received by the
An important philosophical change with far-reaching consequences also occurred at
military and by social work civilian personnel.
the School. In the mid-1980s, as part of a
Ronald Reagan’s presidency ushered in an
national trend in social work education, the
era of sharp decline in federal dollars, shifting
School began transitioning from very high
the burden to state governments. Maryland
teaching loads to greater
attempted to compensate
expectations for
by increasing the size of
publication of scholarship
public assistance grants,
based on original
creating job training and
research. These changes
placement programs for
matched what was
welfare recipients and
occurring in the dominant
the unemployed, and
schools on the Health
aiding low-income
Sciences campus. One
families by expanding
result was the professors
health and mental health
began to bring greater
services and creating
research skills into the
energy assistance
classroom and they also
programs. Demand
left teaching roles more
increased for the train-
frequently to conduct
ing of social workers. There was also a renewed emphasis on
their own field research.
continuing education with expanded licensing
Starting in 1981, the School collaborated
requirements for social workers.
with University of Maryland, University
In Baltimore, Bethlehem Steel felt an
College (UMUC). Through UMUC, many members of the clinical faculty conducted
increase in overseas manufacturing with
continuing education programs for the 7th
the layoff of 1,400 employees at its Sparrows
Medical Command of the U.S. Army in
Point plant during the summer of 1981. 28
The number of full-time faculty was 59 in 1981. 591 students were enrolled in the master’s degree in social work program, and 12 students earned PhD degrees that year. 991 students were enrolled in the master’s program by the end of the decade. Some field sites from the era: Maryland Department of Human Resources and its local departments; Patuxent Institution; Walter Reed and Bethesda Hospitals, and Baltimore City Public Schools.
Furloughs came months later for 6,100 more
Classes were taught in Western Maryland,
employees as the United States grappled
Gaithersburg, and the Eastern Shore in
with a recession. When factories downsized
response to legislative mandates of 1978
or closed, the School often worked with local
to make social work education more
unions to assist displaced workers.
available within Maryland. In 1989, the first two students entered
In 1985, the School launched the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
the dual degree program in social work
sub-specialization under the direction of
and dance therapy conducted with Goucher
faculty member
College.
Dale Masi.
In 1991, the
The program
program won
dedicated itself
an award of
to preparing
merit from
MSWs for the
the Maryland
EAP field. EAPs
Association
originally
of Higher
focused on
Education. An effort
employees’
by the Board
substance abuse problems, but evolved to incorporate a broad
of Regents to move the Law School and
spectrum of workplace services relating to
School of Social Work to Prince Georges
health, mental health, and work-life balance.
County, in order to strengthen ties with
In 1988, Ralph Dolgoff became
Bowie State and College Park, failed
the School’s fourth dean and served a
when incoming “UMAB” president
two-year term.
Augustus A White II, MD, PhD resigned in protest. Dr. White would have been
The reach and impact of the School of Social Work (SSW) kept expanding during a
the first African American president of the
time of great social and economic change.
founding campus. 30
1981
Ronald Reagan becomes president. 1983
James G. Howes
National Institute Against Prejudice and Violence launched by Joan Weiss.
1981
Assassination attempts are made on President Reagan and Pope John Paul II.
1985
Hole in Ozone layer discovered.
1981-82
Severe economic recession.
1982
1984
1981
1983
1985
1980s
1982
1983
Deindustrialization of America begins.
Groundbreaking Family Welfare Research and Training Group is established.
New building opens. Later dedicated to Louis L. Kaplan. 1982
Deadline to ratify Equal Rights Amendment passes without necessary votes. 1981
Sandra Day O’Connor becomes first woman Supreme Court Justice.
1986
Challenger Space Shuttle disaster.
1987
School begins Child Welfare Center. 1987
DNA is used for the first time to convict criminals.
1989 1988
President Bush calls for a kinder, gentler nation.
Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
1990
Specializations become mandatory.
1989
Berlin Wall demolished.
1986
1988 1987
1990 1989
1988 1987
Ralph Dolgoff becomes Dean.
World population hits 5 billion.
1989
1986
Tiananmen Square political protests and massacre.
Over 1,000 students enrolled at the School.
1987
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the U.S. and Soviet Union is signed.
Turning Points 1981 - 1990
“Just as doctors intervene to heal the sick and lawyers act to bring recourse and justice... social workers intervene to relieve psycho-social suffering. Today, they are uniquely prepared to do so.” – Jesse Harris
The Nineties:
New models of practice and emerging leadership. students to embark on careers that focused
The School began the decade with the appointment of an interim dean, Howard
on vulnerable inner-city populations, and to
Altstein, who served a one-year term.
give the School a much-desired institutional presence in the city it
In 1991, Jesse Harris
calls home.
became the fifth dean
Built on the notion that
during a pivotal period in the School’s history, and
research should originate
rapidly developed a reputa-
with community expression
tion as a consensus builder.
of need rather than faculty
Establishing a relationship
imposition of research
between the School and
ideas, it was originally
surrounding community
dubbed “Jesse’s Vision” by
that “could be seen and
some before the name that
clearly appreciated” was
Ephross had chosen
one of his top priorities.
became official.
Soon, one of Harris’
Jesse Harris
The Meyerhoff Family
visions became a reality. The Social Work
Charitable Endowment, the Annie E. Casey
Community Outreach Service, known as
Foundation, Jacob and Hilda Blaustein,
SWCOS, opened in 1992 under the direction
France Merrick, Goldseker, and alumni
of Paul Ephross. Harris had proposed the
donors like Sue Wolman and Sandy Hess
project as a way to compel more social work
strongly supported this initiative as they 35
by Governor McKeldin in 1952, Kaplan
would so many of the School’s programs.
served with distinction until 1976.
SWCOS provided free social work services,
The School took a leading role in working
served as a training and research site, and developed new models of social work practice
with communities across the state to battle
and community organizing to benefit
AIDS. Julee Kryder-Coe and faculty members
low-income communities and populations in
Mark Battle, Lee Cornelius, and Stan
need, especially through its partnership with
Wenocur initiated consulting work with the
Baltimore City Public Schools. One of those
Maryland AIDS Administration. They assisted
models was an employment project, entitled
in the development of a statewide HIV
Project Light, in which students interviewed
Prevention and Community Planning Project
long-time welfare recipients with a focus on
in 1996, resulting in more than seven million
their employment needs. During this era,
dollars in Center for Disease Control (CDC)
the SSW also hosted a successful campaign
funding for the state. Faculty helped to develop strategies to
against state budget cuts that engaged the
expand community planning for AIDS
campus and spread to other campuses.
prevention in the state, provided technical
The School’s name reverted back to the School of Social Work in 1992 when the
assistance to the regional planning groups
argument was successfully made that
to include and increase citizen participation,
architectural studies had greater synergy with
and wrote annual prevention plans that
community planning and the community
were submitted by the state to the CDC for
planning program was transferred to the
continuation of federal funding. The School’s response to the passage of
University of Maryland, College Park.
welfare reform propelled it into the national
Also in 1992, the East Wing that had opened a decade earlier was formally
spotlight. The Personal Responsibility
dedicated as Louis L. Kaplan Hall in
and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act—
recognition of the man who led the fight to
popularly known as the Welfare Reform
locate the School in Baltimore. Appointed to
Act—was signed into law in 1996 by
the University of Maryland Board of Regents
President Clinton. The legislation overhauled 36
The number of full-time faculty grew from 52 in 1995 to 61 in 2002. The number of students in the master’s program declined from 991 in 1991 to 841 in 2001, though an all-time high of 1,080 students was recorded in 1995. Twelve students earned a PhD in 1991. Some field sites from the era: National Institutes of Health; Maryland Youth Services Bureau; Catholic Charities Children’s Continuum; and Keswick Multi-Care
Grandparent Family Connections program assists inner-city grandparents raising grandchildren
Promise Heights works in the West Baltimore community to provide cradle-to-career services
Assistant Professor Nalini Negi
Associate Professor Michael Lindsey
Associate Dean for Research Diane DePanfilis, PhD ‘96
the nation’s welfare system by limiting
1999 when the School held a groundbreaking
benefits and requiring people to work, ending
ceremony for the new Law/Social Work
a 60-year-old federal guarantee of cash
building that would house the Hilda Katz
assistance to the poor.
Blaustein Public Service Research Center.
The implementation strategy selected for
A telecommunications suite, interview and
Maryland was shaped by data gleaned from
observation rooms, and computer lab were
faculty member Cathy Born’s multi-year
all featured. The Gulf War did not last very long but
study of families who had left the federal welfare program under Reagan’s earlier
had a profound effect on the School as Dean
reforms. Called “Life after Welfare,” the
Harris, Harry Chaiklin, Geoff Grief, and
study received national attention for its
others became engaged in support of local
examination of the impact of welfare reform.
families who had soldiers in Iraq. This led to
Also in 1996, the Center for Families was
a broadening of the School’s reach and drew
launched jointly by the School of Social Work
Baltimore business and civic leaders Barbara
and the School of Medicine with a mission of
and Ed Brody into the School’s circle. Ed
helping underserved families prevent child
subsequently chaired the School’s Advisory
neglect by building self-sufficiency. Under the
Board and joined with Barbara to later lead
direction of faculty member Diane DePanfilis,
the most successful fundraising campaign in
the project blended research, community
the School’s history. Research studies and diverse programming
service, and the education of social work students as it blossomed into a model
innovations reinforced the widely-accepted
emulated in urban and rural settings in many
notion that the University of Maryland School
states. The Center spawned such programs
of Social Work knew how to devise effective
as Family Connections and Grandparent
solutions to social problems. The School’s first international initiative
Family Connections and eventually provided the basis for the Ruth H. Young Center for
commenced in 1999 with an agreement with
Families and Children.
Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kalamassery, Kerala, India.
The 1990s were capped off in November 40
1992
School initiates HIV-AIDS planning, prevention and research efforts.
1992
Rodney King beating and subsequent riots in Los Angeles.
1994
Title IV-E program to deliver public child welfare education to social work students begins.
1991 1993
Jesse Harris becomes Dean.
Bill Clinton becomes President.
1992
1994
1991
1993
1995
1990-91
1994
Persian Gulf War in Iraq.
Nelson Mandela elected President of South Africa.
1992
1993
Social Work Community Outreach Service (SWCOS) begins.
North American Free Trade agreement (NAFTA) is approved.
1991
End of apartheid in South Africa.
1993
Toni Morrison wins Nobel Peace Prize for literature.
1996
Mid-90s
2000
Family Connections combines practice, education, and research to serve at-risk families.
Internet use begins to grow exponentially.
First crew enters International Space Station.
1999
The Euro introduced as an official currency. 2000 1997
The billionth living person is born in India.
Mother Theresa dies.
1996
2000
1998 1997
1999 1998
Mid ‘90s
India and Pakistan test nuclear weapons.
School starts first competency-based training for Maryland child welfare workers.
1999
Program with Rajagiri College in India expands.
1996
President Clinton signs the Welfare Reform Act into law.
2000 1997
Hong Kong returned to China, ending 156 years of British colonial rule.
Air France Flight 4590 crashes,leading to the retirement of the Concorde airliner three years later.
Turning Points 1991 - 2000
“A nation without a conscious family policy leaves to chance and mischance an area of social reality of the utmost importance.” – Alva Mydral
2000 -- 2010:
Innovation and increasing research bring greater distinction. witness against her.
The turn of the new millennium began
The single largest act of terrorism on
with exuberance around the globe about
American soil took place on September 11,
being a planet nearly at peace and the passing of the overstated threat
2001. Dale Masi led a
from the “Y2K” bug.
partnership with the other schools on campus
Later in 2000, Carlton Munson, faculty member
to provide counseling
and the School’s first
and resources to
doctoral graduate in
employees as well as
1975, became the focus
students. Graduates of
of a landmark decision
the School who worked
by the Maryland Court
in the Employee
of Appeals. The court
Assistance Program field
affirmed that Munson
took to the front lines to
was qualified to make
conduct Critical Incident
diagnoses as a clinical
Stress Debriefings at
social worker using the Diagnostic and
“Ground Zero” and at employer locations all
Statistical Manual IV, a standard professional
over Manhattan, as well as offer one-on-one
reference. The case against Munson was
counseling and employee training. Others
brought by a mother who lost parental
worked with New York’s teachers to provide
rights based on his testimony as an expert
coping strategies for students. 45
achieved their dream of a MSW.
The world was seeing the School more
In 2006, Richard Barth became the
and more as it had long viewed itself—as having the compassion to offer timely
School’s sixth dean, listing as some of his goals
assistance where needed, the capacity to
working toward increasing the magnetism
understand what was required, and the
of the School in attracting terrific students,
expertise to devise innovative solutions.
re-engaging many of the more than 11,000 alumni, and lifting the School’s capacity to
The School expanded its ambitions to a global reach when it founded the Peace
implement, develop, and rigorously evaluate
Corps Fellows Program in 2004. The
social work interventions. Barth encouraged a range of new
program was based on an idea that originated with SWCOS Director Dick
initiatives. Among these was “financial social
Cook that called for applying the early
work.” In 2008, the American economy
principles of the VISTA program. In this
experienced the most serious conditions since
regard, the School works to attract returning
the great depression, drastically affecting
Peace Corps volunteers with scholarships
families at or below the poverty level
and learning programs that match their
with soaring unemployment and home
desire for continued community outreach
foreclosures. An emerging Financial Social
and international service.
Work Initiative that the School had begun earlier, was well positioned to provide
An era came to an end in 2004 when Lily Gold retired after 37 years of service.
critical skills and information to students
Gold joined the School as an assistant to
and alumni. The focus of this program—
Dean Thursz. During her tenure, she
led by a consortium of faculty, students,
worked under five deans and helped
and alumni, including School Advisory
shepherd the School through the growth
Board Member and alumna, Meg
of its faculty, research, and facilities.
Woodside—was to enhance the School’s capacity to teach financial skills and provide
Gold found ways to generate support for hundreds of students over the years;
our students and alumni with appropriate
without her, many students would not have
interventions when depression and family 46
SWCOS Director Dick Cook, MSW ‘72
Visiting Professor Jody Olsen, MSW ‘72
Family Welfare Research & Training Group Principal Investigator Cathy Born, PhD ‘82, MSW ‘73
Daniel Thursz Distinguished Professor of Social Justice Michael Reisch
taught here at the beginning of his academic
violence result from financial hardship.
career in the 1970s. It was a fitting extension
Another initiative was to increase the School’s emphasis on understanding and
of the School’s tradition of policy analysis,
preventing intimate partner violence (IPV).
education, advocacy, and intervention to
Started by a legacy gift professorship
broaden social justice. In spring of 2006, Geoffrey Canada was
from Mary Campion, the School added scholarships and classes on IPV prevention
the Louise and Abraham Makofsky lecturer
and services.
at the School of Social Work, based on his work developing the pioneering Harlem
A generous gift from Baltimore philanthropists Patricia and Arthur Modell
Children’s Zone. Later that year, Dean
allows the School to host an annual
Barth began conversations with community
symposium for the community on “Giving
leaders about establishing a Baltimore
Voice to Domestic Violence Victims.”
version. Barth and Bronwyn Mayden,
Jody Olsen, alumna and former Peace
director of the School’s newly named
Corps deputy director, returned to the School
“Promise Heights” initiative in West
in 2009 with a mission of reinvigorating
Baltimore, led a delegation to the Harlem
international efforts. She coordinated the
Children’s Zone. Recognizing that Canada’s
School’s response to the 2010 earthquake in
work had created an organization that was
Haiti, beginning with the Haitian community
highly independent and ran parallel with
in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan
New York City services, the School’s team
area. She also led a successful proposal to
became invested in an alternative vision and
establish the Peace Corps Master’s
earnestly engaged in linking to other
International Program at the School, a first
community organizations in West Baltimore. By 2010, with support from University
for any social work school in the nation.
Presidents David Ramsay and Jay Perman,
Michael Reisch became the School’s first named professor — the Daniel Thursz
Promise Heights had become the hub for
Professor of Social Justice — in 2008. This
a range of social work, health, and legal
was a homecoming for Reisch, who had
activities aimed to create a cradle-to-career 49
The number of full-time faculty fluctuated, dropping from 61 to 55 between 2002 and 2011, and the number of research and clinical faculty increased to 34 by 2010. The School’s many all-year training and research projects now kept buildings full nearly all the time. The number of students in the master’s program increased from 841 in 2001 to 930 in 2010. Some field sites from the era: U.S. Department of Health & Human Resources; The White House; CASA of Maryland; and Health Care for the Homeless.
pipeline of preventive and restorative
at decade’s close. By the end of the decade
programs that include legal, health, and
in 2010, the School obtained more than
social work services.
$16,000,000 in extramural support (surpassing the University’s Dentistry, Nursing, and
The aging of our population and the need
Law Schools) for training and research.
to better integrate social work into health
These projects include major efforts
care became a topic of great national debate and the source of an
outside of Maryland—
innovative collaboration
clearly establishing the
between the School,
School as a national
Union Memorial
force. The federally-
Hospital, and Keswick
funded Atlantic
Multi-Care Center. The
Coast Child Welfare
intent of this break-
Implementation Center
through effort is to train
(ACCWIC), heralds
a cadre of students in
a new role of social
social work in aging and
workers as
in health by giving them
“implementation
close supervision and
managers” and helps
exposure to medical and
14 states innovative
geriatric care roles that
practices that would
can help ensure continuity
otherwise have been
of care for individuals going between health,
unlaunched or stalled. Family Connections,
rehabilitative, and long-term care.
supported by additional resources from new federal grants also added a “Trauma-
A significant surge in faculty research and grant-funding research programs, along with
Adapted” version. Training on the growing
a purposeful emphasis on integrated research
adaptations of Family Connections came
with the other schools on the Baltimore
into substantial demand across Maryland
campus, began to distinguish the School
and the United States. 52
2001 2005
George W. Bush becomes President.
Hurricane Katrina devastates the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. 2003
2002
Social Work/Law building is dedicated.
2001
Hispanics become largest minority segment of the US population.
2004 2004
2003 2002
Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
2006
Social network site Facebook is founded.
Richard Barth becomes Dean.
2005
2004
2006
2002
Supreme Court rules against execution of the mentally retarded. 2001
2003
9/11 Terrorist attacks.
War in Iraq begins.
2004
MARS Rover lands on the red planet.
2004
2005
Peace Corps Fellows program begins.
Youtube is launched.
2006
Foster Parent Training program begins.
2008
2007
Ruth H. Young Center for Families and Children is launched.
2010
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (“the Bailout”) is passed, as recession deepens.
2011
Promise Heights cradle-to-career community services program begins.
After 30 years, NASA’s Space Shuttle program ends.
2009
Financial social work training programs launched.
2007
2011
2009 2010
2008 2009
Barack Obama becomes first black president.
2006
US population reaches 300 million.
2011
Inaugural Patricia and Arthur Modell Symposium on Domestic Violence.
Turning Points 2001 - 2011
“Major social changes are in process, and concern with those who lack social power and those who hurt is not in fashion. There will be more for social work to do, and to do better.� – Paul Ephross
2011 and Beyond:
A note from Dean Barth.
reputation—almost all of the other top 10%
Across its first five decades, the School has proven again and again that it is well-equipped
graduate social work schools had a head start
to respond to local, national, and global
of 30, 40, or 50 years. Yet, few schools can
events with expertise, innovation and a deep
claim as many alumni who have been more
drive for social justice. I am grateful for the
influential in guiding the wise development of
extraordinary work of faculty and staff, the
their home city, state, or country. We have
deans who have preceded me and on whose
lost track of too many of these graduates or
shoulders I stand, and the fabulous cadre of
have lost their engagement. My most fervent
associate and assistant deans who we have
50th Anniversary wish is that we will find
all relied on to keep the School leaning
ways to improve on that performance and
forward. Hundreds of faculty have taught our
locate and deeply engage more alumni. We
students—many of them brilliantly and for a
cannot thrive without alumni recruiters of
substantial part of the School’s history. More
incoming MSW and PhD students, field
numerous and also extraordinarily important
instructors, readers of admissions applications,
are the field instructors who have modeled
adjunct faculty, continuing education lecturers,
social work practices and given basic and
critics, board members, and linkers to non-
advanced instruction to each student to allow
social work alumni who we need to know. Meeting the demands of the social and
them to fulfill their dream to join this noble
economic environment, the School has grown
profession.
its portfolios of entrepreneurial activities.
We are one of the very youngest schools
This work involves creating new practices and
of social work with a significant national 57
programs that other entities want to replicate;
implementation of a program called KEEP
becoming skilled at replicating evidence-
(KEEPing foster and kinship families
supported work from other intervention
supported) that appears to be on its way to
developers (i.e., franchising), developing
becoming a national model for work to
capacity to help organizations select and
support foster families. Child welfare agencies
implement new, promising, and evidence-based
and foster parents are eager to have us help
methods; and continuing to provide innovative
them implement this approach and expand to
services that we believe will advance the
new groups. We are now using lessons learned from our
objectives of the public (and funders) even if the outcomes have not yet been fully
Atlantic Coast Child Welfare Implementation
measured. (SWCOS is certainly a leading
Center to add to the intervention science
contender for replication by other universities
literature and to help cross the age-old divide
looking to expand community engagement
between university research and community
and impact.) A significant mission for the
delivery. Our Continuing Professional
School over the next decade is to array all of
Education program offers a growing array of
these parts into an internationally renowned
longer-term certificate programs that include
resource for social work intervention
the component of coaching that is critical to
development, implementation, research,
successful implementation. Further, we are
and policy.
building lessons learned into our curriculum by training field instructors and students
We are already engaged in all of these activities and now inventing new interventions
in trauma-informed, evidence-supported
—led by the nationally recognized Family
interventions and providing external coaching
Connections program and its growing suite of
for these field instructors and students, over
modifications and complemented by work
time. Policy analyses that help to clarify the
establishing a Parent University at Promise
optimal way that funding can leverage effective
Heights and a new intervention to help
programming are also part of this strategy.
veterans overcome the stigma regarding using
We have only begun these ventures but the
mental health services. We are engaged in the
accumulating successes help clarify the shape 59
Family Connections works closely with parents to help improve lives
Dick Cook, left, and members of his SWCOS team are active leaders in community partnerships and improvements
Workforce Institute and is providing
of the work for the foreseeable future.
management training around the country with
This direction for the School is ecumenical
a substantial dose of implementation science.
in focus—that is, the value applies whether the
Our capacity to expand our leadership role
core of the work is advocacy, community practice, financial social work, aging, health,
in health and mental health care is obvious to
mental health services, social work manage-
me since social workers are the largest profes-
ment, community organization, or children
sional group of mental health providers in the
and families. For each of these areas of
country today. Further, the skills of community
practice we need to locate or create promising
practice are very much called for to understand
practices, evaluate their fit and success with
and address the social epidemiology of disease.
the communities and families of concern,
American health care reform requires all
capture what works with fidelity, and be
hospitals to survey communities to understand
prepared to rigorously implement and
how they can better promote health and
disseminate best practices. Health care has the
mental health. This is work that social
longest history in working through these issues
workers have done from the very beginning of
and, arguably, the most definitive plans to
our history—originally, as medical social
continue in this direction. Social work will not
workers, going into communities with high
thrive as an intervention nor as a profession
rates of infectious disease to understand risks
unless it can contribute to achieving better
and transmission. The growing emphasis on
health care options. Improving the quality of
providing “primary care” rather than specialty
health care will be among America’s most
care also offers a doorway for social work to
pressing needs for the foreseeable future.
enter bringing forward its long history of
I do not believe that this requires a shift in
addressing the psychosocial contributors to
the historic emphasis of the School and is
disease development, rehabilitation and
compatible with our concerns about social
relapse, and re-hospitalization. Indeed, a
agency management and community practice.
preventive health care system must address the
The School of Social Work is a partner in
social epidemiology of health care that runs
the federally funded National Child Welfare
through social injustice and often includes 61
behavioral health problems that trigger or
it possible for each person touched by the
sustain more than half of all health care
School to exceed expectations. Even then,
expenditures. Social work advocates and
we have sometimes failed to adequately
community organizers are critical to continuous
engage or educate those who have crossed our
health care improvements.
threshold. I ask those who we have not assisted—whether students, trainees, or clients
Everyone connected to the University of Maryland School of Social Work has
of our students and trainees—to pardon us
reason to be grateful for 50 years of visionary
and join with us to help us do better. To our
administrators, faculty, benefactors, alumni,
alumni, I ask that you visit, call, email, or
students, and friends who have made the
otherwise let us know how we can continue
extra-effort to give back more than they
to achieve progress and fulfill the promise that
received when fulfilling their School-related
you envision.
roles. These efforts have advanced us a great
More than 50 years ago, plans for the
distance in a short span of time. We have
University of Maryland School of Social
found ways to become a caring community
Work included a promise to sensitively and
committed to advancing a common goal.
effectively serve communities, families, and
That we have been fortunate enough to find
individuals. That promise continues to drive
partners who can inspire us and educate us
the excellent faculty and staff at the School
to new ways to succeed is splendid, but not
today. This promise reflects a continuous
an accident.
commitment to all who we work with to
At every level, the current leaders of this
provide the most compassionate, innovative,
School have reason to be inspired by the
science-informed, and just services possible.
legacy of the last half century’s success and
By continually pushing ourselves and
committed to achieving more progress in the
expanding our efforts, we rejuvenate the
decades ahead. We are positioned to fulfill
School and profession. We look forward to
the promise of our School and profession.
continuing this transformation with all who
I know that the School’s academic and
wish to journey with us. Our best, and most
administrative leadership endeavors to make
needed, work is ahead. 62