The Avila Social Work Department hosted its annual Senior Colloquium on May 2, 2023, with eight Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students presenting their research to an audience and expert Capstone Project rater Heather Tice, LSCSW, LCSW. Tice is an Avila BSW alumna and medical social worker. She is currently an Adjunct Instructor in the BSW Program at Avila.
As part of their program, students learn that successful social workers demonstrate nine core competencies. BSW students identify a challenge in their field experience and then implement an evidence-informed intervention to promote change. The Capstone Project evaluates the effectiveness of the intervention, and students demonstrate competency in knowledge, skills, values, and cognitive and affective processes as they conduct research and implement 31 professional behaviors they have studied in the social work major. The students implement the intervention, gather and analyze the data, and make recommendations for changes at the community level through policy practice. They present a 12-15 minute talk on their projects each May at this event.
“This event is a highlight of our social work students’ curriculum! This year students received excellent ratings from our judge – demonstrating that they leave our program fully capable of conducting social work as they move forward into their careers. Once again our Avila BSW graduates demonstrate the high quality of the students who graduate from Avila in social work,” Lindee Petersen Wilson, LSCSW, director of field education, assistant professor of social work.
The following are the winners of the individual award categories:
Best Capstone Project – Jack Eames, BSW, Introducing Meal Kits to Optimize Use of Food Pantry at M.E. Pearson Elementary School.
Mission/Vision Award – Mollee Flores, Use of “Smart Recovery” to increase Awareness of Intersectionality
Outstanding Social Work Student – Sophia Trimboli, Use of Texting to Keep HIV Case
Management Clients Adherent
Dorothy Gallagher Award – Asma Abdullah, The Need for De-escalation Training in a Trauma Based Setting
Phi Alpha National Honor Society Inductees – Asma Abdullah, Elizabeth Greer, and Yaneisy Cruz
Best Field Instructor Award – Jonna Leasure at KC Care clinic who served as the Field Instructor for Sophia Trimboli