Fall 2026

Greetings to Our Adelphi University School of Social Work Community,

The School of Social Work has started another successful academic year. Just this fall, we launched the new Advanced Certificate in Environmental Justice in Social Work, and our Doctor of Social Welfare (DSW) program has welcomed its second cohort of students who bring their expertise in social service leadership to the program. It’s exciting to see our innovative programs flourishing.

In this e-newsletter, you will see how our faculty are leading advocacy efforts in support of people receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. We hope you will also be inspired by the research our students—bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree—are engaged in, and see their collaborations with our faculty. As always, our alumni are leading change efforts in communities in New York City. We share the stories of Suleiman Rifai ’97, MSW ’98, and Victoria Springer ’25, MSW ’26.

On a personal note, I have recently announced my retirement, planned for June 2027. It has been an honor and pleasure to serve the School as dean. I have appreciated your supportive responses to the stories presented in our e-newsletters. I am looking forward to a productive and fruitful year.

Updates to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) mean some New Yorkers are losing benefits. Here’s what social work students and practitioners need to know.

School of Social Work students are turning classroom learning into real-world research. From Black men’s mental health and immigrant barriers to care, to trauma-informed child welfare and poverty among single mothers from underserved or underrepresented populations, our students have discovered how meaningful, purposeful research can shape their future careers.

As a student intern facilitating parenting groups at Family & Children’s Association, Victoria Springer ’25, MSW ’26, discovered that leadership doesn’t require age or authority—it requires empathy. She wrote about her experience and was published in Social Work Today magazine.

Advance your social work career, gain specialized field experience and secure funding with these three premier graduate fellowships. Reach out to your adviser in the School of Social Work for more details and to apply!

Goidel Gerontological Social Work Fellowship

Focus: Gerontology and aging services

Perks: $2,000-plus stipend and specialized internships in aging-focused agencies or law firms

Requirements: Electives SWK 729, 759 and 706, plus monthly online colloquia

IDEATE Fellowship

Focus: Integrated youth behavioral healthcare in underserved communities (HRSA-funded)

Perks: $25,000 completion stipend (applicants from/serving medically underserved areas strongly encouraged)

Requirements: One-year commitment, weekday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. internship, required coursework, monthly evening seminars and evaluation activities

NYS OMH Project for Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Mental Health

Focus: Serious mental illness and recovery-oriented care

Perks: $4,000 financial award, New York State Office of Mental Health certificate, job network access and Diversity Incentive Awards

Requirements: One designated course, approved EBP field placement and project colloquia

Graduate Social Work Virtual Information Session | October 14, November 3, December 16, 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.; November 9, December 8, 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Doctor of Social Welfare Virtual Information Session | October 14, December 7, 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.; November 18, 7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

Graduate Career and Outcomes Virtual Information Session | October 21, 1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m.

Tips for Completing Your Graduate Social Work Application | Virtual | December 2, 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Continuing Education Workshops

• Requirements for Clinical Record-Keeping: From the Basic to the Complicated | Virtual | October 20, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

• Opportunities and Challenges: Navigating the Landscape of Artificial Intelligence and Mental Health | Virtual | October 27, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

• Maintaining Appropriate Professional Boundaries: Exploring Ethical Obligations of Mental Health Professionals | Virtual | October 29, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

• Breaking the School-to-Deportation Pipeline | Virtual |
  October 30, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 noon

• Pics, Texts and Tracking: Understanding and Addressing Adolescent Digital Dating Abuse | Virtual | November 13, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

• The Skills of Dialectical Behavior Therapy | Virtual | November 17, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

• Psychopharmacology: Core Concepts for Non-Prescribing Clinicians | Virtual | December 1, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon

• Take the Stress Out of Social Media: 10 Critical Conversations for Engaging With Youth About Healthy Social Media Use | Virtual | December 4, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

• Navigating the Last Chapter: Advanced Care Planning, Clinical Communication and Managing Countertransference in End-of-Life Care | Virtual | December 11, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

See all upcoming School of Social Work continuing education workshops.

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