School of Health and Human Services: the blog of Dean Shirley Szekeres

Welcome to the blog of the School of Health & Human Services

Welcome to the blog of Dr. Shirley Szekeres, Nazareth College's Dean of Health and Human Services. Founded in 1924, Nazareth College is a co-ed college with undergraduate and graduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences, and professional programs in health and human services, education, and management. The College is located near Rochester, New York, and currently enrolls approximately 2,800 students. For more information on the College, visit www.naz.edu.

CDS Monarch and Nazareth College Collaborate on Autism Conference

On Saturday, April 21, 2012, CDS Monarch and Nazareth College will present the first annual “Voices for Autism” Conference at Nazareth College.  The conference will bring together the expertise and experiences of families and professionals to address a variety of topics relevant to promoting lifelong advocacy and self-advocacy for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. 

Dr. Paula Kluth will lead the morning keynote address, followed by presentations and roundtable discussions on topics including: supporting communication and prosocial behaviors, educational law and legal advocacy, increasing knowledge regarding available services and supports, developing strong supportive relationships across the community.

Dr. Kluth is a consultant, author, advocate, and independent scholar who works with teachers and families to provide inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities and to create more responsive and engaging schooling experiences for all learners.

I think this will be a highly informative conference for professionals,family members,and all members of our community who want to better understand and promote advocacy for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

For more information go to:

http://www.cdsfoundation.org/Events

10th Anniversary Celebration, NY Campus Compact

At the 10^th anniversary celebration of the New York Campus Compact, Sue Kwiatkowski shared details of the interprofessional program implemented at Mary’s Place, a refugee outreach center located in the Maplewood neighborhood in the City of Rochester.  CSD graduate  and undergraduate students, now in union with Art therapy students ( under Elizabeth Mott’s supervision)  have been coordinating an after school and summer program to address academic, social and overall wellness skills in this culturally rich environment.  The group meets on Wednesday afternoons from 3-6 pm and all are encouraged to come observe and join them for dinner.  Sue hopes to include students from more departments in HHS to add variety and richness to the program.  

Stephen Demanchick, New Co-Editor, Person-Centered Journal

Congratulations to Steve Demanchick, who was just recently approved to be co-editor of the Person-Centered Journal.  “The Person-Centered Journal (PCJ) is the oldest, continuously running, person-centered, peer reviewed publication in English and is sponsored by the Association for the Development of the Person-Centered Approach (ADPCA) to promote and disseminate scholarly thinking about person-centered principles, practices, and philosophy” (www.adpca.org).  Steve will be co-editor with a long time friend and colleague, Dr. Rachel Jordan, Director of the MH program at St. John Fisher. 

Congratulations, Steve!

 

Summer Events

Summer is always a little quieter on campus, but now it's time to begin getting back into the swing of things. The students are back and classes have started. I thought I would share with you a couple of events that happened this summer.

Every Thursday during the summer a different community group brings dinner and joins the refugee families of St. Mary’s Outreach for a meal on the front lawn. Sue Kwiatkowski works with grad and undergrad students at St. Mary's, teaching refugee children in an after school and summer school program. On July 28th, the Communication Science and Disorders Department, along with family and friends, served dinner at Mary's Place, joined by special guests, the band “The Bright Lights”.

Dr. Mary Gelder (a recent Naz. P.T. alum) and Chris Joyce (current P.T. student) were part of this summer’s crew on the Ride Across America, a bicycle race that goes from the west coast to the east coast. Mary and Chris both served as ‘chase-vehicle support’, which entailed navigating a vehicle behind one of their two assigned riders for approx. 1,500 miles across country, overseeing the riders’ nutrition, safety, stretching and general well-being. Mary and Chris received huge praise from William Reynolds, who said that ‘Team RWB made it through the race with zero penalties – something only 1/3 of 50+ RAAM teams do”.