Community Engagement

CHHS Departments Compete in FACETS Donation Drive in Recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month

John Brandon Cantrell — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 15:37:25 +0000

CHHS Departments Compete in FACETS Donation Drive in Recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month John Brandon C… Thu, 12/02/2021 - 10:37

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357 nonperishable food items and cleaning supplies were donated to local families in need

The School of Nursing and the Department of Rehabilitation Science came in first place with 103 items donated.

Members of the Master of Social Work Student Association (MSWSA) honored survivors of domestic violence during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month by organizing a donation drive competition. The month-long college-wide donation drive collected approximately 357 items across the College of Health and Human Service’s (CHHS) five departments, a testament to the CHHS community’s commitment to helping those in need.

Kendall Hunter, president of MSWSA, was motivated to organize the donation drive because many survivors of domestic violence experience financial and housing instability, which also impacts children who live in households with domestic violence and may need to relocate with a parent who is seeking safety.

Hunter said, "Through our studies, social work students have learned about the intersection between domestic violence, homelessness/housing instability, and financial instability. The MSWSA also recognizes the impact domestic violence has on children's emotional well-being, social functioning, and academic functioning."

Each CHHS department participated in the competition to collect the most nonperishable food items and cleaning supplies for FACETS, a Fairfax nonprofit organization that provides services to families, such as food, emergency shelter, medical care, and safe housing. MSWSA set up labeled donation bins in the lobby of Peterson Hall so participants could conveniently donate items for their department as they walk to class.

Thank you to MSWSA for organizing the donation drive and to the students, faculty, and staff who have participated in the competition to support survivors of domestic violence.

“I am moved by our students launching a competition in support of providing food and supplies for those most in need in our communities,” said Dean Germaine Louis.

Results of the Donation Drive Competition

School of Nursing & Department of Rehabilitation Science - 103 items donated, in addition to a $25 Amazon gift card
Department of Social Work - 83 items donated
Department of Nutrition & Food Studies - 64 items donated
Department of Global & Community Health - 57 items donated
Department of Health Administration & Policy - 50 items donated

CHHS Students Committed to Giving Back to the Community

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 04 May 2021 13:03:28 +0000

CHHS Students Committed to Giving Back to the Community John Brandon C… Tue, 05/04/2021 - 09:03

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College of Health and Human Services

CHHS News

Graduating CHHS Seniors Reflect on Community Engagement.

Students who pursue public health-related fields are working to make an impact in their respective fields of study as well as their local communities. By applying skills they learned in their coursework, many students in the College of Health and Human Services work and volunteer for local organizations that support health, wellness, and social justice initiatives.

Tristan Corbett, a Bachelor of Social Work student, explains the importance of giving back to the community. “As a CHHS student, you learn across multiple classes [on] how important environmental influences are to both the health and well-being of an individual,” said Corbett. “It is easy to go about life and be a recipient of the benefits from the environment and [community], but I find it important to contribute to them as well; it is a group effort to sustain and improve our community, for our community.”

As a student studying social work, Corbett became involved with a local nonprofit, FACETS, while completing his practicum. “There are many opportunities to contribute to the community [at FACETS], from Hot Meals - a food distribution program for the local homeless population around NoVA - to the Education and Community Development branch, which seeks to enrich the lives of the subsidized housing communities around their offices.”

Many students find community engagement opportunities as a way to gain real-world experience by problem-solving, communicating, and collaborating with others to address issues facing their community.

"Giving back to your community is an opportunity for you to evolve as a person and understand how you fit into the world around you. Engaging with different communities will enhance your life and connect you to people and ideas that will positively influence you in different walks of life." - Pratishna Thapa

For Pratishna Thapa, a Bachelor of Social Work student in the College, giving back to the community is a way for her to help individuals through challenging situations while she earns her degree at Mason.

“I have had the privilege to work with different communities -- from working with children and adults with disabilities, organizing disaster relief programs for people affected by natural disasters, strategizing ways to enhance the well-being of marginalized women in developing countries, advocating for victims and witnesses of domestic violence to assisting formerly incarcerated women to get back into the society,” Thapa said.

Thapa has worked with the Alexandria Victim Assistance Program, a Virginia organization staffed by Crime Victim Advocates who provide support and services to crime victims during the aftermath of a crime and throughout the criminal justice process. While working as an advocate in the organization, Thapa attended court with individuals who have survivors of crimes and organized vigils for those who have died due to domestic violence.

Currently, Thapa serves as a case manager intern for Friends of Guest House, where she provides emotional support and coping strategies for formerly incarcerated women.

“My daily responsibilities entail helping the women identify their stressors, identify coping plans, document case notes for my clients, and lead psychoeducational groups like Interpersonal Skills and Seeking Safety weekly,” Thapa said.

Through her advocacy work, Thapa was inspired to pursue research opportunities relating to women's experiences in the prison system. “I have observed an inconsistency in the demographic of women being rehabilitated versus the actual prison population,” Thapa said. “This has piqued my interest in researching the gaps within the prison system while pursuing my Master's in Social work through the Advanced Standing Program at Mason.”

Kendal Chase, a student in the School of Nursing, also has a mission to help others in her community. Chase’s community engagement began at the macro-level by serving her country in the United States Army.

"Learning at Mason taught me that my education and experience were not about myself but about the needs of the community and where I can help out as an individual." -Kendal Chase

“I proudly served 8 years of Active-Duty service as a Pharmacy Technician,” Chase said. “I was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Belvoir, Virginia, serving in both field exercise and hospital settings.”

While serving in the Army, Chase became the liaison for Fort Belvoir’s Hazardous Waste Program, where she educated healthcare professionals on the importance of medical disposal practices. This experience led to more opportunities to help others when Chase transitioned into a career outside of the Army.

While serving as an Outreach Coordinator for Fairfax County, Chase implemented strategies to help the community safely dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs. “I focused much of my work on researching and designing a pilot Drug Take-Back program for privately-owned pharmacies,” Chase said. “This program was then presented to the Virginia State Wastewater employees at the WaterJam conference in 2019.”

When she was accepted into the School of Nursing, Chase continued helping others by joining Mason’s Student Nursing Association (SNA) board. “My primary motivation for applying for the SNA board was to provide a better avenue for communication for the students and faculty,” Chase said.

As a board member, Chase helped navigate the group through a challenging year due to COVID-19. However, the pandemic didn’t stop Chase and her fellow board members from helping other nursing students.

“[Working together] during a COVID environment has proven to be difficult, but I’ve learned it’s only made us closer as a group, as we have to be creative, innovative, and dedicated to making it work,” Chase said. “It was because of our continued teamwork that our club was turned into a constituent at the national level. We’ve conducted coat drives, food drives, and promoted a mentorship program for pre-nursing and nursing students, to name a few [projects].”

Due to the global impact of COVID-19, there is a strong need for community engagement initiatives to help with the local implications of the pandemic. Mei Qiu, a Bachelor of Social Work student in the College, continued serving her community and expanding her professional skills by connecting others to helpful resources throughout the pandemic.

"Volunteering my time helps give me a purpose and improve social inequalities that are occurring in the area." -Mei Qiu

“During quarantine, I was able to help volunteer at many facilities to help detect COVID-19 in the Prince William county area with the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps,” Qiu said.

For Qiu, getting involved in community engagement is an important component of her future career. “It’s important to give back because, as a future social worker, I need to familiarize myself with my community and what resources and services are needed,” Qiu said. “Volunteering my time helps give me a purpose and improve social inequalities that are occurring in the area.”

In addition to working as a research assistant, Qiu has also focused on helping others who face food and housing insecurity. “Most recently, I have been volunteering my time with the Hot Meals program at FACETS as a driver and to help give out meals to people who are homeless in the Fairfax county area,” Qiu said.

Community engagement has offered these seniors opportunities to make meaningful contributions that improve the lives of those around them while completing their degrees. Through this type of advocacy work, Mason’s future leaders in public health are well-prepared to serve their communities and continue to better their communities.

Before graduating in May, Corbett, Thapa, Chase, and Qiu were honored as Community Engagement Medallion Awardees by Mason’s Social Action and Integrative Learning (SAIL) organization.

CHHS Students Win SAIL Seeds of Change Community Engagement Awards

dhawkin — Thu, 21 May 2020 19:52:21 +0000

CHHS Students Win SAIL Seeds of Change Community Engagement Awards dhawkin Thu, 05/21/2020 - 15:52

Continuing a long-standing tradition, the Social Action and Integrative Learning (SAIL) office honored students, faculty, staff, and community partners with Seeds of Change Community Engagement awards. These awards recognize the selfless leadership, service, and activism by members of the Mason community in partnership with organizations on and off-campus.

CHHS SAIL Award Winners include:

Caption: SAIL recognized Asra Ahmad for her outstanding leadership and advocacy during her time as a graduate student.

Dr. Julie Owen Active Citizen Award - The Dr. Julie Owen Award is named for a current Mason faculty member who has been a fierce advocate, supporter and champion of community engagement and honors a graduate student who has made outstanding contributions by being engaged in their community.

Asra Ahmad received this award for her leadership and advocacy as a graduate student. She is a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) student with a concentration in Public Health Communication.

Asra has interned at national advocacy organizations such as Every Child Fed and the Global Fund for Children, working on combatting child malnutrition and to advance the rights of children and youth globally. She has provided subject matter and administrative support to SAMHSA’s interagency task force on trauma-informed care, tasked by Congress with developing recommendations for mitigating the impact of the opioid epidemic through reducing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), keeping first-responders safe from experiencing trauma on the job, and reducing the impact of opioid-related trauma in American Communities.

She was also recognized for serving as the president of the student organization Graduate Students for Public Health, mentoring and leading Mason’s Peer Health Educator program, HIV advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill, and for planning HIV/STI testing events for 200 students at Mason.

Community Engagement Medallion - This year, 27 graduating seniors were honored with the Community Engagement Medallion which recognizes graduates who have excelled in their commitment to the community through volunteerism, issue advocacy, community work-study, and political engagement. CHHS winners include:
- Jessica Barranco, Global and Community Health
- Juliette DeGraff, Global and Community Health
- Tasneem Elbackush , Global and Community Health
- Angelica Felder, Global and Community Health
- Nattacha Munakata, Global and Community Health
- Matthew Palagyi, Global and Community Health

Congratulations also to the nominees from CHHS!

Active Citizen Award
- Magaly L Cabrera-Ortiz, Global and Community Health
Dr. Julie Owen Award
- Stephani R. Keen, Nutrition and Food Studies
- Francisco Morin, Nursing
Engaged Faculty Award
- Sharolyn Dugger, Population Health Center
- Dr. Michael von Fricken, Global and Community Health
- Dr. Patrice Winter, Global and Community Health
Outstanding Partnership Award
- Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinics with Dr. Rebecca Sutter, Dr. Caroline Sutter, Dr. Shanti Lloyd, Dr. Valenzuela, Global and Community Health/MAP Clinic staff, faculty and students; Dr. Carrie Bonilla, Modern and Classical Languages, and Dr. Robyn Mehlenbeck, GMU Center for Psychological Services