Register for the Celebration of Social Work Awards on March 28, 2024!

The purpose of the Social Work Awards is to celebrate the important work of social workers, raise awareness for the profession of social work, and highlight the tenants of social work ethics and values.

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Congratulations to our 2024 Award Winners!

Lifetime Achievement Award

Sylvia Gold, LCSW-R

Sylvia began her career after graduating from UB Graduate School of Social Work in 1981. Before that, she was an active volunteer in schools and community organizations. She comes from a family of Social Workers, so it was natural for her to follow in the footsteps of her relatives. She matriculated as a mature student, after her children were in high school. Sylvia spent her entire career working in outpatient Behavioral Health working with geriatric, substance abuse, Borderline Personalities, urban and rural populations, ages ranging from teens to elderly. Read More

She gained clinical expertise in Family Therapy, Elder abuse and Domestic Violence, Trauma, DBT, CBT, Mindfulness, and evidence-based practices utilizing individual and group therapy. She has experience in staff supervision and training. As Clinical Director of a Geriatric Outpatient Behavioral Health Program, she provided program design, implementation and evaluation, regulation compliance, submitting funding applications, and communication with funders and board members. Sylvia performed public speaking presentations on a variety of clinical and administrative topics to agencies, schools, and conferences. She was Co-chair of Niagara County Task Force that developed training programs for police officers in domestic violence situations.

Sylvia has been a NASW member since 1980. She was a Board Member of the NYS Chapter and has been an active member of the Western Division Steering committee. Sylvia believes in the importance of identifying with a professional organization that advocates for its members. She has a strong identification as a Social Worker and participated in SUNYAB MSW Mentor program for graduate students.

Sylvia retired after a satisfying 32-year career. Her recent volunteering was with Jewish Family Services Refugee Resettlement Program for Afghan refugees. She still maintains her license although she has been retired for 13 years. Sylvia continues to identify as a Social Worker and maintains contact with the Profession.

Public Elected Official of the Year

Assemblymember Aileen M. Gunther

Aileen Gunther was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2003. Aileen spent most of her youth in Orange County. After marrying her husband, Jake, they decided to raise their three children in Sullivan County.

Aileen earned her nursing degree, and spent many years working at Catskill Regional Medical Center. After working in various nursing units, she accepted the Infection Control position before moving on to become the Director of Performance Improvement and Risk Management.

Aileen is a fierce advocate for the people she represents. She fights for increased funding for our schools, fire departments, and access to health care for all New Yorkers. Aileen has worked to lower middle class taxes, close budget deficits, and to reduce state spending.

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Aileen is the Chair of the Committee on Mental Health. The Committee strives to assist and positively impact the lives of people with disabilities and their families. Through this work, Aileen continues to strengthen our communities and families by supporting programs that effectively meet the unique needs of people with developmental disabilities and mental illness. Due to her diligent efforts, the Committee was able to ensure that the state plan for transitioning behavioral health care and developmental disability services will include input from service providers, as well as service recipients and their families.

Aileen continues to fight for her constituents and will work to ensure that the Sullivan and Orange county area remains a great place to call home.

 

Social Worker of the Year

Dr. Katy Baugus, EdD, LCSW

A results-driven educator, Dr. Katy Baugus excels as the Associate Professor of Social Work, at Virginia Union University, where she also serves as the MSW Program Director. In her dual roles, she develops policy and curriculum for the graduate program, oversees the CSWE accreditation process, trains faculty, and advises students on their academic journeys. Previously, Dr. Baugus cultivated academic programs to meet the unique needs of her students as a professor for Troy University, Maryville University, SUNY Jefferson, and Nazareth College.

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During the early stages of her career, Dr. Baugus joined Jefferson Community College as their first Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Over the years, she worked her way up to Director of the Health & Wellness Center, and eventually Dean of Students. Through her role as Dean, she effectively led the college by initiating policy revisions aimed at creating a more equitable student conduct system. An expert in her field, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Bucknell University and a Master of Social Work from Marywood University. Subsequently, Dr. Baugus expanded her professional knowledge by completing an EdD at Northcentral University.

Driven to remain abreast of changes in the field, Dr. Baugus volunteers as a peer-reviewer for Taylor & Francis publications, and she aligns herself with NASW. As a military spouse, she contributes to her community as the leader of the United States Army’s Soldier and Family Readiness Group. Throughout her career, Dr. Baugus has leveraged her expertise in social work as a board member for the Samaritan Medical Center, PIVOT, the North Country Council of Social Agencies, and the Transitional Living Services of Northern New York.

Due to her vast breadth of knowledge, Dr. Baugus has authored several articles, including a peer-reviewed, “Food Insecurity, Inadequate Childcare & Transportation Disadvantage: Student Retention and Persistence of Community College Students,” in the Community College Journal of Research and Practice, “Breaking Down Nonacademic Barriers: Outcomes for the First Two Years of a Community School Approach,” and “Student Retention and Persistence: A Quantitative Study of the Relationships of Non-academic Barriers on Community College Students in Northern New York.”

In light of her professional achievements, Dr. Baugus won the Thomas W. Meyers Award for Co-Curricular Services from Jefferson Community College in 2014. Two years later, Northern New York Business Magazine honored her with the 20 Under 40 Award for Leadership. Likewise, she was named a 2018 Woman of Distinction by New York State Senator Patty Ritchie, received the Outstanding Volunteer Service Award from the United States Army, and won the Leighton Whitaker Memorial Award for Excellence in Counseling Center Scholarship from the Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors. While her career has been filled with highlights, she takes the most pride in building the Health & Wellness Center at Jefferson Community College and having some of her research published in the Community College Journal of Research and Practice. Another standout moment was receiving the Active Minds Healthy Campus Award for her work with Jefferson Community College.

Champion of Justice

Rolanda L. Ward, PhD, MSW, MDiv

Dr. Rolanda L. Ward has been an associate professor at Niagara University since 2015. In August 2017, she was named endowed faculty director of Niagara University’s Rose Bente Lee Ostapenko Center for Race, Equity, and Mission.  Read More

Dr. Ward earned her doctorate in social work and sociology, a master's in divinity, and a master's in social work from Boston University. As a macro-trained community activist and a research scholar with over 25 years of practice, she has been the lead investigator or research associate on a number of studies focusing on society's most vulnerable, underserved, proven-risk, and oppressed populations and communities. In addition, Dr. Ward has led projects in communities and within organizations that shift status quo outcomes. These days, she is particularly interested in working with school districts and non-profits to produce measurable outcomes for a key demographic with disparate outcomes. Dr. Ward is a strategic planner, relentless advocate, and community learner. She is a content expert in child welfare, equitable practices for educational systems, health equity, criminal justice, and civic engagement; she has presented at local, state, and national conferences.

For the last four years, Dr. Ward has been the lead facilitator of the Niagara Falls Health Equity Task Force. The Task Force has received several awards for its innovative, collaborative, data-driven, and action-oriented intervention method. In addition, as director of the Race, Education, Advocacy, College-Credit-Courses in High School program, Dr. Ward provides first-generation students with an opportunity to develop transformative college habits through a five-semester pre-college program.

Dr. Ward enjoys serving local and regional organizations. She is a member of the board of directors at MENTOR New York, The Aquarium of Niagara Falls, Community Missions, Inc., The Education Collaborative of WNY, and Catholic Health Systems. Dr. Ward co-led the university’s Identifying and Dismantling Racial Injustice Task Force and the City of Niagara Falls Social Justice Commission Employment Subcommittee. As a teacher-scholar, Dr. Ward is committed to helping students and community members identify social injustices that warrant real solutions.

BSW Student of the Year

Brianna Lennon, BSW Student at University at Albany

Brianna Lennon is from Long Island, New York. She is a current senior in the University at Albany accelerated BSW program, and plans on furthering her education in the University's advanced standing MSW program. Social work to her is more than a job, but a passion for helping others help themselves.

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Brianna’s passion for social work started at a young age in high school when she joined Women’s Forum. Women’s Forum is a club that focuses on mentoring 6th grade girls that attend the elementary school that is located next to the high school. In Women’s Forum, the club would spend the first half of the year creating individual lesson plans, and the second half of the year they would present their lessons to the 6th graders. In Women’s Forum, Brianna began to incorporate games and activities into her lesson plans to get the students more active, and to build closer bonds with the girls. The director of Women's Forum was the school's social worker and would encourage Brianna to keep thinking outside the box, helping her to realize her calling was social work.

As a freshman at the University at Albany, Brianna wanted to get involved on campus, as well as get a taste for what the profession may look like. She decided to apply for the Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program as a hotline assistant and began training during the spring semester of freshman year. The Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program is a student run program that promotes mental health and wellness around campus through the peer assistance hotline, and their peer wellness ambassadors. After training her spring semester she began working on the hotline in the fall of her sophomore year, and by spring semester decided that not only did she want to work on the hotline but to become a lab leader, to teach others how to work on the hotline. Since then, Brianna has taught a lab every semester while working on the hotline. This year as a senior, she is the current social media and education chair for the Middle Earth executive board.

In the summer of 2023, she began working as a relief counselor at Transitional Services for New York, Of Long Island. At TSLI, Brianna works in a group home with 10-15 clients who struggle with mental health. While living in the group home, TSLI works on ADLs and medication management to achieve the goals of the clients moving out of our care and living more independently. Working at TSLI gave Brianna inpatient experience that helped prepare her for her field internship that begins in senior year. She was placed and began interning at Conifer Park Rehabilitation center. At CPK, she works as a case manager intern, holding her own clientele and working with them from intake to discharge and after planning, while also facilitating group therapy. Brianna is so thankful for all the experience she has gained so far, and looks forward to what her future holds.

Social Worker of the Year

Javita I. Nauth, MSW

Javita graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree from City College of New York, with double majors in Psychology and History, and her Master of Science degree from Columbia University School of Social Work. Javita is a former Global Youth Ambassador at Theirworld, advocating for early childhood education, and an avid supporter of the United Nations 2030 agenda on promoting the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

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Javita and her team were the recipient of the Columbia School of Social Work’s Linda and Peter Hoffman Writing Award, for her team’s pioneering research proposal on understanding the lived experiences of non-Syrian refugees in Turkey. Javita’s career highlight as a social worker span from working as a volunteer at local non-profits, to tutoring kindergarteners from low-income households to help build their literacy, social and cognitive skills for kindergarten as an AmeriCorps volunteer. From working as an evening counselor in a domestic violence shelter, to conducting home visit to ensure the safety of children and families with child protective services stay together, Javita strives to bring support and resources to the families she serves as a social worker. From frontline crisis counselor during the COVID-19 pandemic, to grassroots fundraising and online advocacy for women and children, to working with incarcerated individuals with serious mental illness in a prison setting, Javita continues to exceed and exemplifies the core strengths, characteristics, and qualities of an exceptional social worker, both domestically and internationally.

Javita has proven and continues to display the core ethics of a social worker. She has a passion for social justice, women’s empowerment, quality education, mental health awareness, and investing in the future generation. Javita’s outstanding leadership qualities have been showcased through her work with children, young adults, families, incarcerated individuals, and local members within the New York State community and internationally. Her ability to communicate as a leader with a humanitarian vision, inspiring her fellow peers, motivating change, providing opportunities for growth and support, and promoting diversity as an international social worker has contributed to the overall success and betterment of children and families within marginalized communities.

Javita is a lifetime member of the International Honor Society in Psychology (PSI CHI) and the National History Honor Society (Phi Alpha Theta). She is an active member in good standing with the National Association for Social Workers (NASW) in New York State. In addition, Javita is a member of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Diaspora Special Interest Group (SIG) and a registered International Social Worker with the Social Work England (SWE) boards in the United Kingdom. She is an avid traveler and believes in cultivating a curious mind and a kind heart.

MSW Student of the Year

Melissa Torregrossa, BSW, MSW Student at Stony Brook University

Melissa Torregrossa proudly advocates for positive change and has a commitment to community well-being. Currently pursuing a Master of Social Work (MSW) with a focus on Community Policy and Political Social Action at Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare, her journey mirrors her dedication to transformative social impact.  Read More

Melissa graduated in May 2023 summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Stony Brook University, is an inducted member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, Stony Brook University’s Phi Omega chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda Non-Traditional Student National Honor Society, and a candidate for the Phi Alpha National Honor Society, Phi Theta Chapter. Currently, she holds the role of MSW Representative (2023-2024) on the board of NASW-NYS.

Melissa currently serves as a community liaison at Mindful Care, where she actively engages with diverse communities and organizations to understand their unique needs and close gaps in availability of crucial mental health and substance use services.

As she continues her social work journey, Melissa remains committed to becoming a catalyst for lasting, positive change and hopes to create a more just and equitable society, one community at a time.

BSW Student of the Year

Emilee Dykeman, BSW Student at Nazareth College

Emilee Dykeman is a senior BSW student at Nazareth University in Rochester, NY. She has been an active member of her community throughout her time at Nazareth. Emilee works for her school’s Social Work Department, Alternative Breaks, Partners for Serving, and is the student representative for the Changemaker Distinction Committee. Working for the Social Work Department has helped Emilee build connections with the faculty and students at Nazareth as well as reach more people interested in making relationships with the community. Through Alternative Breaks and Partners for Serving, Emilee has been able to work closely with the Rochester community and communities in San Diego and Washington, D.C. where she has participated in equitable service opportunities. With the Changemaker Distinction Committee, Emilee has worked closely with faculty and staff from varying departments at Nazareth to create a new service-based academic pathway for students interested in the Changemaking framework. These opportunities have led to experience in the social work field and taught her skills such as empowerment, communication, leadership, and compassion.  Read More

Through her two field placements, Emilee has gained social work experience in school and mental health settings. She interned at East High in the Alternative-to-Suspension room. There she would meet with students who were experiencing dysregulation in the classroom and support them in returning to their class. Currently, she is interning at Genesee Mental Health Center in the Youth and Family Clinic. There she supports the therapists with referrals and scheduling, observes intakes and sessions, and supports clients and families in finding resources. Emilee has also gained experience as a social worker by being the BSW Student Representative for the NASW-NYS Chapter. Through this experience, she has learned the importance of policy and its impact on the social work profession.

Emilee will continue on to get her MSW at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville), where she will have a concentration in Clinical Practice. While there she hopes to get experience in crisis work and get her certification in Trauma Work.

Emilee is grateful for being selected as the BSW Student of the Year, and can’t wait to see where her future in social work takes her.

SOCIAL WORKER OF THE YEAR

The Social Worker of the Year Award recognizes the commitment and significant achievements of an outstanding member of our profession. Individuals considered for this award demonstrate exceptional professional qualities.

Nominees must:

  1. Be a member in good standing of NASW-NYS;
  2. Have at least 5 years of social work practice experience;
  3. Demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities (examples include demonstrated ability to communicate vision, inspire motivation, provide support, and promote goal achievement);
  4. Exemplify professional social work values and ethics as defined by the NASW Code of Ethics in chosen method and level of practice;
  5. Be committed to implementing anti-oppressive practice and exhibit a consistent focus on social, environmental and/or economic justice which includes a and
  6. Contribute to the public’s knowledge and understanding of social work

BSW STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD

The BSW Social Work Student of the Year award honors a NYS Baccalaureate-level social work student who has demonstrated commitment to the profession, academic excellence and an active pursuit of the values, knowledge, and skills of the social work profession as defined by the NASW Code of Ethics.  Current students as well as those who have graduated within six months of the nomination deadline are eligible for this award.

Nominees must:

  • Demonstrate leadership skills and involvement within the University/College or greater community setting;
  • Engage in work or volunteer commitments that emphasize a strong desire and capacity to make a difference in the lives of others; ;
  • Espouse professional social work values and ethics through the use of social work knowledge and skills which includes anti-oppressive practice and a focus on social, environmental and/or economic justice; and
  • Demonstrate a commitment to advance human rights, take risks and advocate for improved human services and justice.

MERITORIOUS HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION

The Meritorious Human Service Organization Award honors a human service organization that demonstrates a strong commitment to the community of services within the geographic region of NASW-NYS.

The organization must:

  1. Reflect the values of social work and Code of Ethics in policy and practice;
  2. Be in operation 5 years or more;
  3. Improved the quality of life in the community it serves or on those affected by the issue it addresses;
  4. Have developed innovative approaches for the provision of more effective services and/or made a significant contribution to an issue of concern to the social work profession; and
  5. Made a demonstrable difference in such areas as advocacy, policy, practice, program development, administration, and /or innovative research.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors a social worker who has devoted his/her/their careers to the social work profession and has been exceptional in their promotion of social justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity.

Nominees must:

  1. Be a member in good standing of NASW-NYS;
  2. Exhibits repeated outstanding achievement in the field of social work and have at least 15 years of social work practice experience;
  3. Exemplify professional social work ethics as defined by the NASW Code of Ethics;
  4. Demonstrate a history of exceptional leadership qualities, (examples include demonstrated ability to communicates vision, inspire motivation, provide support, and promote goal achievement);
  5. Exhibit creativity and courage in focusing on social, environmental and/or economic justice, and implement anti-oppressive practice principles and strategies; and
  6. Have shown to have a lasting impact, have added to the public’s knowledge and understanding of social work and are recognized both within and beyond the social work profession.

MSW STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD

The MSW Social Work Student of the Year award honors a NYS Master level social work student who has demonstrated academic excellence, commitment to the profession, and active pursuit of the values, knowledge, and skills of the social work profession as defined by the NASW Code of Ethics. Current students as well as those who have graduated within six months of the nomination deadline are eligible for this award.

Nominees must:

  1. Demonstrate leadership skills and involvement within the University/College or greater community setting;
  2. Engage in work or volunteer commitments that emphasize a strong desire and capacity to make a difference in the lives of others;
  3. Apply a systems perspective in all aspects of practice, promote the well-being of those served, and effectively advocate with and on behalf of others; and
  4. Espouse professional social work values through the use of social work knowledge and skills which includes anti-oppressive practice, a focus on social, environmental and/or economic justice; and
  5. Advance human rights, take risks and advocate for improved human services and justice.

PUBLIC ELECTED OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

The Public Elected Official of the Year Award honors an elected official who demonstrates leadership and a strong commitment to the values which underpin social justice and who has shown leadership in public policy issues important to social work.

The award recipient must:

  1. Be an elected official serving, at the time of nomination, in public office at the local, state, or national level;
  2. Make a significant contribution to public service while in office;
  3. Demonstrate leadership in advancing public policy in civil and human rights, and/or in social welfare towards the promotion of social justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity; and
  4. Demonstrate leadership on behalf of the protection and advancement of social work practice.

CHAMPION OF JUSTICE AWARD

The Champion of Justice Award honors an individual who has made significant strides working on a prominent social, environmental and/or economic justice issue. The individual considered for this award pursues social change, with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups at the individual, group, community, or system level. As part of their efforts, nominees promote sensitivity to and knowledge about cultural and ethnic diversity while striving to ensure equitable access to needed resources; promote equality of opportunity; eliminate oppressive structural and institutional barriers to ensure the protection of human rights; and encourage meaningful participation in decision making for all people above and beyond the standard commitment.

Nominees must:

  1. Display a strong and continual commitment to anti-oppressive practice, and social, environmental and/or economic justice;
  2. Pursue social change with and on behalf of those served;
  3. Exhibit creativity and courage in focusing on social, environmental and/or economic justice, and implement anti-oppressive practice principles and strategies which include a willingness to advance human rights, take risks and advocate for improved human services and justice; and
  4. Demonstrate compassion and leadership to promote equitable access, equality of opportunity, the protection of human rights and meaningful participation in decision-making.

 

DOCTORAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Doctoral Student of the Year Award is presented to a NYS PhD or DSW social work candidate who has demonstrated academic excellence, commitment to the profession, and active pursuit of the values, knowledge, and skills of the social work profession as defined by the NASW Code of Ethics. Current students as well as those who have graduated within six months of the nomination deadline are eligible for this award.

Nominees must:

  1. Demonstrate outstanding leadership skills and involvement within the University/College or greater community setting;
  2. Consistent engagement in work or volunteer commitments that emphasize a strong desire and capacity to make a difference in the lives of others;
  3. Implement professional social work values and ethics through the use of social work knowledge and skills which includes anti-oppressive practice and a focus on social, environmental and/or economic justice;
  4. Take risks and advocate for improved human services and justice; and
  5. Demonstrate knowledge, research and/or practice to ensure the pursuit of protection of human rights and the elimination of oppressive structural and institutional barriers to justice.

EMERGING SOCIAL WORK LEADER

The Emerging Social Work Leader award honors a MSW NASW-NYS member at the beginning phase of his/her/their career who has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities commensurate with their level of education.

Nominees must:

  1. Be an NASW-NYS member in good standing;
  2. Have a MSW degree from an accredited graduate social work program;
  3. Have five or fewer years of post-degree social work practice experience;
  4. Contribute to the growth and visibility of the social work profession; and
  5. Have demonstrated social work ethics and values in the commitment to make a difference in such areas as:
    • Community service/leadership
    • Advocacy
    • Social Work Practice
    • Education
    • Research
    • Management and Leadership.

Learn more about our past award winners!

2023 Social Work Award Winners

Lifetime Achievement Award

Marcia Schwartzman Levy, LCSW-R

Marcia Schwartzman Levy was already a successful educator and corporate trainer when, in her early 40’s, she experienced the unexpected illness and death of her late husband, Alain. As a new widow with three young children to raise, she looked for ways to integrate her experiences and find a meaningful path forward. That path took her back to her alma mater, Columbia University, where she had previously been a Presidential Fellow and doctoral candidate in the department of English and Comparative Literature, but where she now enrolled in the School of Social Work, having seen first hand the importance of bereavement and trauma services. Read More

While that may have been a “late” start, it was the beginning of a decades long career in healthcare, providing direct trauma-informed, crisis and supportive services, supervising and training others, and promoting the profession of social work to countless interns, other healthcare professionals, and the general public. Her career in a municipal hospital system started in the outpatient HIV clinic, where disparities in life opportunities were obvious among the many different patients served, before the phrase “social determinants of health” was on everybody’s lips. She later became Social Work Supervisor in the Surgical Intensive Care and Burn Intensive Care units. Additionally, she served as Educational Coordinator, planning continuing education; leading seminars on inter-professional education; designing and teaching courses on clinical thinking and writing; and serving as liaison to multiple Schools of Social Work in the screening, placing and training of interns. In addition, she developed and led monthly joint training and support sessions for the interns at two hospitals.

In her initial post retirement career, Marcia became an Independent Living Donor Advocate at a large teaching hospital, where part of her responsibility was to advocate for equitable care for organ donors and recipients, focusing on ethical and unbiased treatment. While there she took on many leadership positions, including founding, developing and chairing a Clinical Supervision group to teach other clinical social workers how to supervise new social workers; setting up supervision schedules; recruiting new supervisors; and then providing supervision to the supervisors, with the mission of elevating all LMSW’s to the highest level of licensure, and the highest level of care within each patient encounter. She developed and co-chaired a hospital wide Bereavement Committee, which was on emergency call to provide services to staff alongside hospital chaplains. She became the facilitator of Schwartz Rounds—a nationally recognized set of seminars where staff can process the emotional impact of their work in a private and non judgmental setting—which she led alongside the former Dean of the medical school. Additionally, she was one of only two non-nurses nationally to become a certified trainer for Creative Healthcare Management Relationship-Based Training, designed to promote equitable and bias free care among primary nursing.

Marcia’s commitment to her profession and NASW are evidenced by her lengthy volunteer history with NASW- NYS, as membership committee member, Board Member at Large, Secretary to the Board, and finally President of the Board. She is currently a moderator of the Private Practice listserv of NASW-NYS, Private Practice Direct. She maintains a private practice in Larchmont, NY, focusing primarily on grief, loss and bereavement. Finally, she is a proud mother of 3 amazing adults and their 3 wonderful partners, grandmother of 4 grandchildren who keep her learning, and grateful wife to her partner of 29 years, Dr. Mark Cannon, who keeps her laughing.

Public Elected Official of the Year

Senator Samra G. Brouk 

Senator Samra G. Brouk has the privilege of representing the residents of New York's 55th District, which includes portions of Monroe County, including: East and West Irondequoit, Webster, Penfield, Perinton, Fairport, Pittsford, East Rochester & the eastern portion of the City of Rochester.

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Senator Brouk serves as Chair of the Senate Mental Health Committee and is working to revolutionize New York State’s mental health and substance abuse crisis response so that those in need receive compassionate, therapeutic care. In her first term, the Senator passed legislation to create a 9-8-8 substance abuse and mental health crisis lifeline, improve maternal mental health screenings, and maintain diagnostic authority for thousands of mental health practitioners. She has also passed Budgets that invest in our mental health workforce, delivering the first COLAs (Cost of Living Adjustment) in over a decade.

Senator Brouk is focused on supporting our families. She is working to improve the racially disparate maternal health outcomes in our community and state, and sponsors legislation to make it easier to access the emotional, physical and informational support provided by birth doulas. The Senator has also delivered the largest aid increase ever to our schools, securing over a billion dollars of school aid for SD-55. She is helping hardworking families get ahead: fighting proposed energy rate hikes; making state government more transparent, accessible and accountable; and ensuring that our communities have the resources to safely sustain and enrich our families from before birth to old age.

Senator Brouk was born and raised in the City of Rochester and surrounding suburbs before earning her B.A. in Psychology at Williams College. Before her election to the Senate, Senator Brouk’s dedication to public service led her to join the United States Peace Corps, working as a health educator in rural Guatemala. And as a leader in non-profit community development, she spent a decade building educational, environmental, and senior services initiatives in her own community and across New York State.

BSW Student of the Year

Sarah Allen, BSW Student at Stony Brook University

Sarah is an untraditional student heading for a Graduate Degree in Social Work. When Sarah was very young, she benefitted from EI services as a result of chronic ear infections that made her slightly learning delayed. K-12 was relatively uneventful, although she did have an IEP and was in a lot of inclusion classes. Sarah thought college was her next step but wasn’t mature enough to appreciate the opportunity and flunked out after 18 months. Sarah attended a vocational school for Medical Coding/Billing and was the youngest temp-> perm at the lab she worked for processing insurance claims. The job paid the bills, but she always had this nagging feeling that it wasn’t the job for her because she wasn’t an agent of change. Read More

As a student, Sarah always wanted to be a special education Social Studies teacher so she could share her love of history and how important it is to learn from the mistakes of the past. Sarah decided to leave her job and start work as a DSP in a dayhab/PWW program. It was a challenge, but she could see the impact she was making on clients. Although Sarah could see the impact she was making, she was growing increasingly frustrated by the “system” that oversaw their care. Sarah left that position and took a position as an Assistant House Manager which was worse in many ways because she saw both sides of the coin… the pressure from upper management, as well as the need for client services despite the challenges of COVID lockdowns, plus dealing with DSP’s that really didn’t want to be there. To push for the kind of changes she would like to see, Sarah knew she needed a degree.

Sarah had already decided to go back to college, no simple task given she had to make up failed classes and get off academic probation. This time, college was different. Sarah appreciated the opportunity to learn and was happy to see that she did well academically once she applied myself, something she had never really done before in an educational setting. Sarah went from being on academic probation at SCCC to graduating with honors, an achievement that she takes great pride in. Now, Sarah part of a great 3-year Master’s program at Stony Brook where the professors are some of the most intelligent and caring people she has ever had the pleasure of working with. They truly care about nurturing and developing their students as well as advancing the profession itself. Working full time as a program manager during the day and full-time nights/weekends in an accelerated program is a challenge, but one Sarah is happy to undertake in order to reach her goal of working with special needs students and becoming that agent of change.

Social Worker of the Year

Marissa Fors, LCSW, OSW-C, CCM

Marissa is proud to be a recognized leader with a demonstrated history of working in non-profit organizations. Social work has been her personal call to action.  Throughout Marissa’s 16-year career in the oncology field, she has demonstrated a passion for working with cancer patients and underserved populations from the very beginning of her professional development. She is now a proud social worker, earning her LCSW, along with several other credentials including, Oncology Social Work Certification (OSW-C) and is a Certified Case Manager (CCM).

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Marissa is currently the Director of Specialized Programs at CancerCare and is responsible for delivering free services to people whose lives are affected by cancer, including individual counseling, support groups, and resource navigation. Her role includes program development and management, while maintaining a clinical practice from an intersectionality lens and inclusive framework.  She is dedicated to oncology social work and committed to improving outcomes for all people impacted by a cancer diagnosis. She maintains a culturally competent and inclusive practice by addressing health care disparities and celebrating diversity with her clients and colleagues alike.

Marissa graduated from NYU and has since received post-graduate training on topics including Clinical Supervision, Executive Leadership in Not for Profit Sector, and Clinical Trauma Competency.  As a life long learner, she is passionate about mentoring her supervisees, and received Seminar in Field Instruction certification to support social work interns and students during the beginning of their career.

Marissa is a member of the Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW), serving as a volunteer on the Awards Committee. As part of the National Association of Social Workers – New York City Chapter, she is serving in her first term in the Delegate Assembly. In this role, she will be part of the decision-making body that sets organizational policy, establishes program priorities, and develops stances on public and professional issues.

Marissa has a passion for the written word. Her work has been featured in several publications on topics related to navigating cancer for diverse and vulnerable populations. These articles have ranged on topics including improving outcomes for patients and addressing disparities.

In 2020, she was recognized as an emerging leader with NASW-NYC. She was honored with a Leadership Award that showcased her achievements and commitments to social justice in the field. In 2021, she was awarded the 40 Under 40 in Cancer Award, recognizing the contributions being made across the field of cancer.

Doctoral Student of the Year

Allysha Bryant, PHD(c) at Wurzweiler School of Social Work

As a native New Yorker, Allysha Bryant is deeply concerned by the structural injustices that plague the city that she loves. Through her personal and academic experiences, she found joy in becoming a fierce advocate for others and ensuring that all citizens can exercise their inalienable rights.

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It was during her undergraduate studies at St. Francis College where she found her purpose and committed her life to living in service to others. Now pursuing a dual degree, Master of Arts in Social Work and Doctorate in Social Welfare at Yeshiva University's Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Allysha continues to strive for the best and offering support for all communities she encounters.

She is currently one of the Policy Interns at the National Association of Social Workers, New York State Chapter. This opportunity further bolstered Allysha’s interests in policy, politics, and enabled her to further develop her skillset in advocacy. She also works as the Graduate Assistant for Wurzweiler School of Social Work’s Care Café, a community-based outreach program providing psychoeducation and pop-up support to vulnerable communities.

Centering her roles as mother, student, advocate, community organizer, and political social worker, Allysha collaborates with key stakeholders in marginalized communities to provide culturally responsive, empowerment-based interventions. Her experience lends itself to community needs assessments, program development, crisis intervention, and qualitative metrics. Her long-term career objectives include running for Congress and utilizing this platform to support and enact key legislation which will improve the quality of life for communities who have been systemically underrepresented.

Meritorious Human Service Organization

Day One - New York

Founded in 2003, Day One devotes its full resources to preventing dating abuse among young people, partnering with youth to end dating abuse and domestic violence through community education, supportive services, legal advocacy and leadership development. Day One has educated or assisted more than 20,000 youth and adults per year since its inception. Our Community Education Program trains youth and adults about dating abuse, domestic sex trafficking and the law. Serving citywide youth 24 years of age and under, our legal and social services programs provide counseling, case management, legal representation, advice, and information to youth. Day One’s Youth Voices Network engages young survivors in advocacy and outreach projects to build awareness of teen dating violence. Read More

In 2016, Day One became one of only three providers implementing the Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (RAPP). RAPP places licensed social workers in NYC high schools where they deliver educational workshops, provide individual and group counseling for students, and facilitate peer leadership summer programming for teens. In a continual effort to center young people as leaders in the anti-violence movement, Day One has steadily increased its youth development programming to be year-round, with groups that lift up the voices of young people as experts in their own lives and advocates for their peers. Identifying the origins of unhealthy patterns must start early, and, in 2017, Day One began its Elementary Prevention Initiative for Children (EPIC). EPIC focused on introducing language and skills among younger children - and the adult influencers around them - to establish healthy friendships before youth enter their dating years.

Champion of Justice

Gregory Owens, LMSW

Owens is a licensed master social worker and worked for NY State for over 34 years. He retired from state employment in 2021. He is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, trainer and consultant in leadership development, mentoring, cultural competence, and effective approaches for working with young Black males. He has consulted on racial disproportionality with the with the Annie E. Casey funded Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI) program in the juvenile justice systems in Ohio, Michigan and Hawaii.

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Owens was certified in Healing Centered Engagement in 2021 and has included that in his framework for addressing issues of racial justice and equity. He is currently working on transformative leadership with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the Wilson County Department of Social Services in North Carolina the Office of Administration Court in New Jersey. He is engaged locally with health care professionals in Schenectady and other municipalities in New York State. In 2022, he joined the Mary Pender Green Consulting Agency and will provide services to various programs and organizations in New York City.

Owens has provided training on Implicit Bias to the Albany Police Department, local community stakeholders, and the New York State Unified Courts and Bar Association. He has presented training sessions on the mind science of bias, anxiety and threat to the Mediation Centers in Columbia and Dutchess Counties, and Raleigh, North Carolina. He worked with municipal staff in Goldsboro, North Carolina on leadership, managing difficult conversations and bias.

In 2017, he provided leadership development sessions to program managers and leaders of federally funded health marriage and responsible fatherhood programs from across the nation.

He has worked with schools and school districts, facilitating sessions with administrators on Implicit Bias, Leadership, Cultural Competence and Mastering Difficult Conversations, and with the Albany Law School on Diversity and Inclusion efforts, facilitating listening sessions with faculty, professors, and students.

His work in health disparities includes convening the Albany Minority Health Task Force for the University at Albany, Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, and consultation with the Adirondack Health Initiative, presenting workshops on health literacy and culture to stakeholders in the upstate region of New York State.

He was appointed to the NYS Board of Regents Workgroup to Improve Outcomes for Boys and Males of Color in 2015. He has participated as a member of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, the national advisory board on Improving Outcomes for African American Males in the Child Welfare System: Identifying Effective Programs and Services, and the Alliance Network of Social Service Administrators Committed to Racial Equity, and is an advisory board member of the Child Welfare Adoption Leadership Institute (CWALI):  Developing and Supporting Emerging Leaders of Color.

Owens has coached track and field, was the host of smooth jazz radio stations in the Capital Region for nine years, and has also worked as a treating clinician for the National Football League substance abuse program.

He received his BA in Sociology from Rider University and a master’s degree in Social Work specializing in Criminal and Juvenile Justice from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a soloist, and member of the male choir. He and Terry Owens have been married for 30 years, are active members and Deacons at the Macedonia Baptist Church. They are the proud parents of Kayla, a graduate of American University, Georgetown University and who is currently enrolled at George Mason University, where she is seeking a PhD in Conflict Analysis and Resolution.

MSW Student of the Year

Nicole Abbatiello, BSW, MSW Student at Stony Brook University

Nicole Abbatiello is an Advanced Standing Master’s Student at Stony Brook University. She is pleased and grateful to be this year’s recipient of the NASW MSW Student of the Year. Assisting individuals and families from diverse populations has always been a passion of Nicole's. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Stony Brook University in 2022 with her BSW, and is a current member of the Phi Alpha National Honor Society.

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In her senior year at Stony Brook, Nicole was an outreach member for the Center for Prevention and Outreach on campus. As an outreach member, she tabled events and hosted presentations to my fellow students on campus. Nicole educated students to the resources and programs the campus provided, such as mental health services, suicide prevention, how to identify an alcohol and opioid overdose, signs of sexual harassment, and becoming a bystander. Additionally, she attended multiple training sessions provided by the Center for Prevention and Outreach to become more knowledgeable of these topics to further educate her peers, which led her to receive the Upstander Award.

While Nicole was an active member on campus, she also was interning at Family Service League in Bay Shore in the C.A.I.R. department. During this internship, Nicole assisted individuals and families with applying for government assistance programs and benefits, such as SNAP, HEAP, WIC, and Medicaid while also distributing food from the food pantry. Currently, Nicole now work at Family Service League as a therapeutic recreational aide for the R.E.C.E.S.S. program. As a therapeutic recreational aide, she teaches children ages 7-14 socialization, emotional, and behavioral skills through enjoyable crafts and games. She also incorporate impulse control and fine motor skills in these projects to help the children enhance their abilities. For her current internship as an Advanced Standing Master’s Student, Nicole is interning as a medical social worker at Mather Hospital. As a medical social work intern, Nicole conducts biopsychosocials with patients from different economic, cultural, and social backgrounds to determine the best and most safe discharge plan. At the hospital, Nicole is constantly collaborating with interdisciplinary teams regarding patients’ needs and creating referrals for patients to subacute rehabs, homecare agencies, drug and alcohol rehabs, palliative services, and in-patient psychiatric units. Interning at Mather Hospital convinced Nicole to pursue a career as a medical social worker after graduation.

Nicole is beyond thankful that she was selected as the NASW MSW Student of the Year, and cannot wait to see where her future in social work takes her.

 

2022 Social Work Award Winners