Springfield College School of Social Work Professor Joseph Gianesin Receives Randy A. Fisher Lifetime Achievement Award

Springfield College School of Social Work Professor Joseph Gianesin recently received the Randy A. Fisher Lifetime Achievement Award at the 17th annual National School of Social Work Conference.  The Randy A. Fisher Lifetime Achievement Award was created in 2012 to honor a social worker for outstanding lifetime contribution to the field of School Social Work and the School Social Work Association of America.  

Gianesin has been a member of the Springfield College School of Social Work faculty since 1996 and he has worked in the social work field for over 30 years serving as a psycho-therapist, school social worker, school administrator, and educational consultant.  His research and publication interests are in male adolescent development, adventure therapy, school social work, and suicide prevention and intervention for children and adolescents.  Gianesin has received grants from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center to conduct conferences and training programs on Suicide Prevention and Intervention for mental health professionals in Massachusetts.  His most recent research is on suicide prevention and intervention for children under the age of 14.

In addition to his academic work, Gianesin is also a founder of a charter school for under-privileged elementary students in Springfield where he currently serves as the board president.  His areas of expertise include school administration, group work, school social work, male adolescent development, and therapeutic applications of adventure. 

In July 2013, the Springfield College School of Social Work was granted full national reaccreditation from the CSWE for the next eight years with no conditions.  The CSWE is the exclusive national accrediting body for social work higher education and verifies that degree programs meet the high standards considered essential to quality social work education.

The Springfield College School of Social Work 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.