Springfield College School of Social Work Presents Field Supervisor of the Year Awards

In the photo above, at left, Professor and Dean of the School of Social Work Francine Vecchiolla, 2014-15 Supervisor of the Year recipient Katherine Nazario, 2014-15 Supervisor of the Year recipient Joni Beck Brewer, and Professor and Director of Field Education William Fisher.

The Springfield College School of Social Work (SSW) recently honored 2014-15 Field Supervisor of the Year Awardees Joni Beck Brewer and Katherine Nazario during its annual Field Supervisor Appreciation Event at the Brennan Center.  The SSW has been presenting this honor as a way to recognize the strong contributions of local field supervisors working with SSW students since 2005. 

Brewer has more than 25 years of social work experience, including serving as Square One’s vice president of family services since 2006. Throughout her career, Brewer has focused primarily on supporting and strengthening parents so that they may raise happy, healthy children.  As part of Brewer’s responsibilities with Square One, she oversees support services for families and children, including home visiting and group services for young parents, parents who are or were incarcerated, parents in recovery, and parents who are challenged by issues of homelessness and other life stressors. Along with her responsibilities at Square One, Brewer serves as a trainer for the Massachusetts Children’s Trust’s Healthy Families program.

Nazario serves as a coordinator of the student and family assistance center at Quirk Middle School in Hartford, Conn. She also works as district intervention specialist for Hartford schools and is a founding faculty member and part of the leadership team for Opportunity High School.  Nazario is dedicated to helping students identify their strengths, find their voice, and reach their potential.  She has served as a clinician for The Village of Families and Children for the past seven years, as well as working as a case manager for Mi Casa Services and serving as a mentor for Mentoring Services Community Residence, Inc.

SSW offers multiple programs for students including a full-time, two-year, weekday master of social work program in Springfield, and a part-time, three-year, weekend master of social work program in Springfield and Worcester. There are also options for graduates of Council on Social Work Education-accredited bachelor of social work programs to choose either a four-semester weekend or three-semester weekday advanced standing program.  The dual master of social work/juris doctorate is a four-year, full-time program in conjunction with Western New England University School of Law. Students can also work toward a post-master’s certificate in advanced practice with children and adolescents.

Since 1989, SSW has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the official accrediting body for social work programs in the United States. Graduates are eligible for professional social work licensure in all 50 states.  The MSW/JD program is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Graduates are eligible for professional social work licensure and bar examination.

The home of SSW, the Brennan Center, is a state-of-the-art teaching and conference facility that underwent a $2.2 million renovation in 2002. The facility was again renovated in 2012 to include more classroom and office space. It includes technologically enhanced classrooms, a computer lab, a tiered auditorium, faculty offices, and a large, light filled atrium, which is the site of school events and also serves as a student lounge. Easily accessible, it is located just over a mile from the main campus, and has on-site parking.  The weekend program in Worcester is located at Saint Vincent Hospital.

Founded in 1885, Springfield College is known worldwide for the guiding principles of its Humanics philosophy—educating students in spirit, mind and body for leadership in service to others. With its foundation of academic excellence and rich athletic heritage, Springfield College prepares students with real-world leadership skills for careers that transform lives and communities. The college offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of health sciences, human and social services, sport management and movement studies, education, business, and the arts and sciences. It also offers doctoral programs in physical education, physical therapy, and counseling psychology. The college is ranked in the 2015 edition of “Best Colleges” in the top tier of “Best Regional Universities – North Region” by U.S.News Media Group, and is designated as a premier Leadership Development Center by the YMCA of the USA. More than 5,000 traditional, nontraditional and international students study at its main campus in Springfield, Mass., and at its School of Human Services campuses across the country.