Social Work Commons^™

"Every Child Deserves Safety: What We Can Do About Family Violence", Nicole Bartos, Zach Wattson, Heather Brown, Abby Palmer

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Children in Minnesota deserve safe, stable, and nurturing homes to grow, learn, and thrive. When family violence goes unaddressed, it harms not only individual children but also schools, communities, and the state’s long-term social and economic well-being. Protecting children reflects shared values of safety, dignity, equity, and collective responsibility. Investing in prevention and early intervention affirms Minnesota’s commitment to justice, strong families, and healthy futures for all children.

Bridging The Distance: Expanding Access To Mental Health Services In School, Griffin Gallagher, Arayah St John, Kaylie Svir

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

All students should have equitable access to mental health services in schools. In Minnesota, there has been an 11% increase in students experiencing long-term mental health challenges since 2016, and only 1 in 5 students receive the assistance they need. Students are experiencing a lack of access to mental health services in schools due to barriers of cost, transportation, shortage of support staff, and stigma. When mental health services are not provided in schools, this results in a decrease in school attendance, higher dropout rates, and negative school environments, affecting the long-term outcomes and needs of the child. Mental health …

Housing After Recovery: Expanding Access For Justice-Involved Individuals, Calvin Parzych, Melinda Gillen, Juliet Worayewaa, Mikayla Witter

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Every human being deserves access to safe, stable housing, especially individuals in recovery from substance use disorders. These individuals face significant barriers to stable housing, especially when their criminal records are considered by landlords. This can pose a risk to potential relapse, homelessness, and overall struggle to maintain recovery. Addressing housing discrimination for all members of society, especially justice-involved individuals, can aid in resolving public health and social justice issues that continue to be a long-standing problem.

Strengthening School Social Work: Improving Student Outcomes Through Stronger Support Systems, Kaitlyn Dailey, Faridah Kassim, Rhaleecia Rahming, Angela Soto

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

School social workers are essential to student well-being and academic success, yet current caseloads and unclear role expectations prevent them from providing effective, evidence-based support. School social workers improve graduation rates, reduce behavioral challenges, and strengthen school engagement, but only when staffing levels and role clarity allow them to work within their professional scope. Without policy action, Minnesota schools will continue to rely on crisis-driven models that leave students without early intervention and place social workers at high risk for burnout. Rural districts will face even greater inequities, as many students already depend on schools as their only access point …

No Community Left Behind: Investing In Mental Health Service Access In Rural Minnesota, Keaton Anderson, Madison Demars, Trisha Graves-Petron, Cheyenne Munoz

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Much of Minnesota has a shortage of mental health providers due to specific problems around graduating workers, recruiting them and keeping them once they are hired. Lower salaries, older population bases, and inconsistent healthcare coverage all contribute to the shortage of providers in rural areas. Long distances between mental health facilities and stigma in mental health care exacerbate the shortage. More than 1.2 million Minnesotans live in rural communities and of those at least 25% do not have access to reliable broadband internet. Rural areas face significant behavioral health workforce shortages, as seen in Figure 1. Minnesota needs to invest …

Accountability For Unlawful Actions By Ice In Minnesota, Luisalfredo Garcia, Ore-Ofe Oluwajobi, Gabriela Passmore, Mariah Wabasha

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Immigration enforcement actions have escalated since December 2025 under “Operation Metro Surge”, with deployment of 4,000 ICE agents to the Twin Cities and rural Minnesota. ICE occupation within Minnesota has included an unprecedented number of people, both documented and undocumented, who have been detained by ICE agents and unlawful actions by ICE. With federal agents disregarding constitutional laws and human rights, there has not been legal accountability or consequences for the traumatic incidents inflicted on Minnesota by Department of Homeland Security. Policy oversight must be implemented to ensure proper accountability for illegal or unjust actions.

County Funding Matters To Ensure Families Stay Together: Minnesota African American Family Preservation And Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (Maafpcwda), Jessica Dewar, Taryn Dolan, Destiny Fairbanks, Christina Albers

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

African American children remain disproportionately represented at every stage of Minnesota’s child welfare system, including reports, investigations, and out-of-home placements. Although the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act was designed to address these inequities through active efforts and family preservation, many county agencies lack the staffing, training, and resources necessary to fully implement the policy. Without additional investment in counties, the goals of the Act cannot be fully realized.

Stop Ice: A Call For Accountability, Em Hodge, Kathryn Petzel, Elizabeth Spiegelhoff, Zoe Wetzel

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Since the beginning of the second Trump Administration in 2025, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased their activity in conducting operations to deport immigrants and citizens. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recorded nearly 220,000 arrests from October 15th, 2025, through January 20th, 2026. The types of people being detained have almost exclusively been people with no criminal conviction (96.9%) compared to those with a criminal conviction (3.1%). With the increased deportations and killings of citizens such as Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by the hands of ICE officers in Minnesota, action, protections, and accountability is needed more than …

Three Good Things And Family Process, Julia Prouty

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

There is a need for adaptive and affordable prevention/intervention strategies to promote happiness, health, and well-being in families. Three Good Things (3GT) is a free exercise from the field of positive psychology meant to shift an individual’s focus and perceptions towards gratitude. 3GT promotes focusing on gratitude by reflecting on what an individual is grateful for from the past day/week. Persons are encouraged to write down and share their 3GT with another individual. A mindset of gratitude is closely associated with improved happiness, health, and well-being. The exercise of reflecting on 3GT is adaptive to most individuals/families. To date, most …

Art Therapy In Social Work Practice, Laura Gebur

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Art therapy is an emerging practice among mental health professionals looking for new ways to engage with their clients and encourage nonverbal communication. Creativity is a means of processing memories, improving relationships, and strengthening the mind-body connection across a variety of age groups and practice settings. The efficacy of art therapy has led to its integration into social work practice, benefitting a diverse range of client populations within the field. While a lack of macro-level research studies has prevented the implementation of standardized art therapy techniques in social work, clinical research trials have examined art therapy across several areas of …

Moving Beyond The Baby Blues: Supporting Maternal Mental Health In Minnesota, Rileigh Kronmiller, Mary Montero, Sarah Nelsen, Timothy Taggart

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Untreated mental health challenges are the second leading contributors to perinatal and postpartum deaths in the U.S. as well as Minnesota. There are many barriers for mothers and trans/nonbinary birthing parents to receive the care they need, including social stigma, inadequate prenatal and postpartum screening, and a lack of resources and access to integrated, research-informed care, especially for BIPOC and rural communities. While awareness of this troubling issue has risen in recent years, so too have deaths and other adverse outcomes. Addressing maternal mental health concerns will reduce involvement in the child protection and judicial systems, reduce deaths, and improve …

Hiv Funding Matters: Sustaining Progress, Saving Lives, Paulina Camacho, Gordon Culley, Sharlett Smith, Roxanne Watkins

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

By 2023, 39.9 million people globally live with HIV, 1.4 million children and 38.6 million adults (WHO, 2025), yet unstable funding threatens progress in prevention and treatment. This fragility is starkly illustrated by Minnesota’s 24% HIV case surge in 2023, the largest increase in a decade, signaling urgent needs for sustained investment. Simultaneously, older adults with HIV endure compounding vulnerabilities in long-term care (LTC) systems, where stigma, discrimination, and culturally incompetent care violate their rights. Legislative action, such as the HIV Long-Term Care Bill of Rights, is needed in Minnesota to ensure equitable access and protections for aging individuals living …

Aging In The Shadows: The Struggle For Adequate Resources In Elder Care, Sabina Allakulova, Marissa Carpenter, Kacie Hunt, Elizabeth Meuleners

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Minnesota is aging rapidly: by 2030, 1 in 4 Minnesotans will be over the age of 65, with rural areas feeling this shift most acutely. Yet, the state’s aging services are fragmented and under-resourced, leaving older adults struggling to access care, maintain independence, and stay connected to their communities. Without comprehensive reform, growing gaps will strain family caregivers, the elder care workforce, and healthcare systems.

We urge the Minnesota Legislature to establish a Cabinet-level Department of Aging to unify, strengthen, and lead the state's response to aging population needs. A dedicated department will coordinate services, address workforce shortages, expand home …

Meals That Matter: Funding Minnesota's Senior Nutrition Programs To Promote Wellbeing As We Age, Kelly Brancamp, Susan Panciera, Amanda Rieke, Abi Santiago

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Senior nutrition programs meet the essential needs of adults aged 60 and over, especially those who are low-income, live in rural areas, have limited English proficiency and are at risk of requiring higher levels of care without these services. In many greater Minnesota counties, over 25% of the population is aged 65 or older. Rural communities are aging more rapidly and face higher rates of food insecurity compared to urban and suburban areas.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Surgeon General issued a 2023 advisory report highlighting the critical issue of social isolation and loneliness. Senior nutrition programs …

Chronic School Absenteeism: A Symptom, Not A Sentence, Zahra Mohamed, Jessica Navarro, Kelsey Ogren, Eloise Reitzel, Katelyn Vonch

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Chronic school absenteeism has long been a persistent issue, but the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this challenge. Chronic absenteeism leads to poor academic outcomes and lower graduation rates, which limit future opportunities and potential. While many school districts have traditionally responded through child protection services (CPS) or juvenile court proceedings, these punitive strategies do not address the root causes of absenteeism or reduce barriers to school attendance. CPS resources are stretched thin, focused on more urgent child welfare issues, and should not be diverted to issues that can be better addressed through supportive, preventative strategies. Implementing proactive, supportive strategies rather …

Expand The Employ Program, Isabelle Berg, Emily Rohlik, Jesse Spencer, Samantha Tohal

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Each year, roughly 600,000 individuals are released from state and federal prisons; 6,960 in Minnesota alone. After incarceration, employment is vital to successful reentry for justice-impacted individuals, yet many depart without the necessary education and skills. Consistent post-release employment is associated with decreased recidivism rates, regardless of the individual’s criminal record. This population deserves support in preparing for employment upon reentry.

Investing In Minnesota Families: Strengthening Support For Kinship Caregivers, Karla Fahey, Laura Gebur, Jadyn Nelson-Spies, Kenzie Schuch

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Kinship caregivers are falling through the cracks, lacking ongoing support and safety services for children and their caregivers. Kinship diversion caregivers and their children do not receive services and support that licensed foster caregivers might receive such as financial assistance, reunification efforts, and safety monitoring. Pursuing kinship in policy and practice needs to be a priority to keep families together, allowing children to feel a sense of belonging and identity, preserving cultures and traditions, and promoting equity among families. While efforts have been made in many states to increase support for kinship caregivers and reduce the barriers to licensing within …

No Free Labor: Pushing For The Eradication Of Unpaid Internships In Minnesota, Morgan Bruhn, Kaylee Cincoski, Jenna Host, Hollie Mclaughlin

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

The continued lack of paid internships exploits social work students and directly undermines the core values of the profession. To address this injustice, the NASW-MN Chapter’s 2025 legislative priorities call for the creation and funding of paid social work internships, ensuring education is not only affordable and accessible but also ethically grounded and free from exploitation. Equitable compensation is not optional, it is an ethical and economic imperative essential to building a more inclusive and just professional workforce. Minnesota House File 2914 provides a crucial pathway to achieve this goal through a targeted scholarship program.

Home Is Where The Heart Is: Expanding Affordable Housing Access, Amya Enna, Cari Mueske, Charles O'Sullivan, Paul Schreiber

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

This policy brief advocates for bold and transformative approaches to address the ongoing housing crisis in Minnesota. One of the most impactful solutions is the passage of the Minnesota Constitutional Amendment for Housing, which would enshrine the right to housing in our state constitution. This legal shift would serve as a foundation for equitable housing policies and sustainable funding for programs that meet the real needs of Minnesotans.

Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Development. What We Do And Don't Know, And How To Move Forward., Paul Force-Emery Mackie

Social Work Department Publications

No abstract provided.

Developing Rural Behavioral Health Practices Competencies, Paul Force-Emery Mackie, Jaiden Moore

Social Work Department Publications

No abstract provided.

2024-01: Rethinking Educational Neglect: Supporting And Investing In Families To Thrive, Meghan Lutz, Alexis Ewanga, Cole Rauchman, Madori Scholten

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

School attendance challenges are often rooted in systemic issues related to poverty, a lack of access to needed services and support, and biased reporting. These processes have disproportionately impacted Black/African American children, children of two or more races, and American Indian children in Minnesota. Minnesota demonstrates one of the highest disproportionality rates within child welfare in the United States. This is especially important as children of color most often fact systemic issues which disrupt their education. The punitive child protection response to educational neglect in Minnesota does not improve school attendance. Instead, responses that focus on meeting the family's basic …

2024-06: Disability Wage Justice: Ending Subminimum Wages And Advancing Equality For People With Disabilities, Samantha Koenigs, Stephanie Almanza, Christy Dauner, Rachel Murphy

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Subminimum wages are being paid to people with disabilities in Minnesota at a rate of almost 4 times higher than the rest of the nation, with some individuals making as little as .07 cents per hour. The subminimum wage is a discriminatory practice that violates peoples civil rights and contributes to disabled people being disproportionately poor. It is time for Minnesota to join the other 13 states that already ended paying people with disabilities a subminimum wage.

2024-05: A Place To Call Home: Source Of Income Protection, Farhiya Dini, Ally Petersen, Olivia Rivers, Sierra Wieneke

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

In 2010, the Court of Appeals wrongly applied the Minnesota Human Rights Act when it allowed landlords to discriminate against someone who is a recipient of a federal public assistance program. Minnesota should clarify what has been the law in Minnesota for 50+ years: Refusing to rent to someone because they are a recipient of federal, state, or local public assistance, including housing voucher programs (such as Section 8), and VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing), is a violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, it is discrimination, and it is illegal. Freedom from discrimination in housing must be the public …

2024-02: Transforming Educational Neglect: Advocating For A Family Centered Approach Through Community-Based Response, Sydney Barrett, Ash-Lee Conley, Cindi Lindstrom, Madison Roth

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Addressing educational neglect cases through the child welfare system does more harm than good. SF 4747 proposes to amend the state statute, allowing for an alternative response to reports of educational neglect. This change will help address the needs of children and families that face systemic challenges that lead to educational neglect. Currently, counties are required to open a child protection case for all educational neglect reports. Amending the statute will allow counties to develop their own response to educational neglect. This more collaborative approach will help reduce the negative effects a one-size-fits-all solution can have on students and their …

2024-03: Addressing Mental Health Needs Of Mothers In Minnesota, Liz Fritz, Leah Nachreiner, Jaelynn Pinske, Mary Speer

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Maternal mental health refers to a range of conditions or illnesses that can occur anytime during pregnancy or the first year following pregnancy. When left untreated, maternal mental health conditions can have long-term negative impacts on the mother, baby, and family. Proper screenings for maternal mental health conditions are critical to ensuring that mental health concerns are detected and that new and expecting mothers receive the care they need. Requiring screening for maternal mental health conditions as part of prenatal and postpartum visits will lead to the care that new mothers deserve.

2024-04: Pathways To Stability And Hope: A Holistic Approach To Permanent Supportive Housing For Individuals With Serious Mental Illness (Smi), Dayna Gums, Ericka Wood, Haddy Jagne, Haley Pollard

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

The absence of accessible permanent supported housing options for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) poses a critical challenge, contributing to heightened vulnerability, increased homelessness rates, and inadequate support systems. Addressing this disparity demands a comprehensive and nuanced response that prioritizes the development and implementation of sustainable housing solutions tailored to the unique needs and experiences of individuals living with SMI. Effective interventions must embrace a holistic approach that integrates housing stability with wraparound support services, including mental health treatment, vocational training, and social inclusion initiatives.

Addressing Ethics As A Rural Behavioral Health Provider, Paul Force-Emery Mackie

Social Work Department Publications

Knowledge of sound professional ethics in behavioral health delivery is critical to achieving good practice, protecting consumers, and providing the highest quality care. To satisfy continuing education licensing expectations, most behavioral health providers are required to complete periodic ethics training. This workshop focuses on practice ethics from a rural perspective where unique dilemmas often experienced by rural providers are discussed (e.g., confidentiality, consumer/practitioner relationships, expertise levels, geography). Here, we will explore some of the elements that create ethical challenges when practicing in rural and small communities. This training may satisfy up to one hour of required ethics training for a …

Incorporating Cultural Healing Practices Into Mental Health Care, Maria Jeremiason, Hailey Wilhelm, Yuriana Soto, Erin Sudbeck

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

Minnesota approaches mental health based on Western cultural traditions. This approach does not encompass the traditions of multicultural communities, many of whom have experienced deep generational trauma, oppression, and discrimination. We must address our treatment of people living with mental illness by incorporating and expanding holistic cultural traditions rooted in the cultural traditions of all Minnesotans. This will include honoring the work of cultural healers, cultural brokers, elders, and community health workers within all communities.

Expanding Full-Service Community Schools In Minnesota, Angela Dabu, Kaylee Olson, Allie Paulson, Kaylee Warner

Master of Social Work Student Policy Advocacy Briefs

While many students across Minnesota (MN) receive an excellent education, too often disenfranchised children and children from under-resourced families do not obtain the same educational benefits and outcomes as their peers. Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) offer a better path to equity and excellence by welcoming community agencies as partners in school improvement by bringing community services into the school and empowering the people closest to students to examine disparities and target racial and economic opportunity gaps. Building on the success of the FSCS model, Minnesota legislators are proposing a $90,000,000 allocation to support and expand FSCS throughout the state. With …