The School of Social Work held a celebration of Social Work Appreciation Month on March 31. Hosted by the school, along with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Tampa Bay Unit and Sunshine Health, the event brought together around 100 participants at the Centene Corporate Headquarters.
The Social Work Appreciation Month event included a panel on the impact of kinship care models in child welfare policy.
The event aligned with the NASW 2025 Social Work Appreciation Month theme, "Social Work: Compassion + Action," and began with a panel on the impact of kinship care models in child welfare policy, the development and implementation of evidence-based kinship programs, and overcoming barriers and sustaining advocacy efforts. The discussion also included personal and professional insights from panelists Kerry Littlewood, PhD, MSW, assistant professor of instruction in the School of Social Work and principal investigator of the Children’s Home Network Kinship System of Care; Larry Cooper, MSW, LCSW, executive vice president of innovation at the Children’s Home Network and model developer of KIN-TECH™; Carmela Beasley, MSW, Kinship program supervisor for the Children's Home Network; and Marlena Austin.
The School of Social Work also presented awards to outstanding students, faculty, and community members. Sunshine Health was recognized with the Community Ena-Bull-Er Award for their contribution to The Pathway to Licensure program. The program addresses the need to increase the number of qualified and competent licensed clinical social workers. The three year program engages community partners, like Sunshine Health, to help registered social work interns reduce barriers to obtaining licensure by supporting community agencies in providing clinical supervision and mentorship.
Pictured (left to right) Chris Groeber, associate in research in the School of Social Work; Carole Maytas, vice president of operations for Sunshine Health; and Chris Simmons, interim director and associate professor in the School of Social Work
Field Instructor of the Year was presented to Yvette Boatright, MSW, LSCW, and Field Agency of the Year was presented to Second Mile Education. Bachelor of Social Work student Katherine Paniccia received an advocacy award for her work involving human trafficking. The following individuals were inducted into the Social Work “Remark-a-Bull” Hall of Fame: Nathan Scott III; Pam Jeffre, LCSW; Lori Rogovin, MSW; and Iraida Carrion, PhD, LCSW.
Additional photos from the event are .