Vote Now!

Want to help out an honorable charity? The All-State Foundation is donating $100,000 to the charity you decide needs it most. Following up on last year’s successful click campaign on ClicktoEmpower.org, The Allstate Foundation has created another “click” campaign program that lets voters decide which charity, out of the four below, will receive a $100,000 grant. The organization that receives the most votes will receive the $100,000 grant and the remaining finalists will receive $10,000 each. The highlighted organizations include:

· Safe Horizon: Provides support, prevents violence, and promotes justice for victims of crime and abuse, their families, and communities

· YWCA USA: Works to eliminate racism and empower women

· Charity Cars: Provides disadvantaged families with a free vehicle and vehicle support services to assist in their transition from dependency to self-sufficiency

· National Family Justice Center Alliance: Works to provide training and technical assistance to existing and developing Family Justice Centers in the United States and around the world

To learn more about each of the non-profit organizations and their domestic violence programs go to www.ClicktoEmpower.org or www.facebook.com/clicktoempower, then vote for your favorite charity. When you’re done voting, there are easy share buttons to help you spread the word to your family and friends via text messaging, Twitter, and email.

With the economy the way it is right now, I know this can be a major boost to the organization you choose to receive the money! Please vote and let your voice me heard!

Dominique Roe-Sepowitz

Every semester I find myself answering the question, "have you had that teacher before? What is he/she like?" I decided that I would look back through my many semesters here at ASU and do a review of the teachers so everyone can get an idea of what to expect from their professor.

I recently began my Advanced Standing Masters of Social Work in June, and was privileged to have Dr. Dominique Roe-Sepowitz as my first teacher for my Bridge Seminar Course. I would be lying if I said she was an easy teacher, as she is considered one of the hardest teachers in the School of Social Work! I have never worked harder in any class or done more reading than I did with this class, BUT I have also never learned more within one single class. Also, I appreciated the very clear standards and expectations she gave on each assignment which made achieving a successful result much easier! Dominique as an up-beat, quirky style and is very cued in to the behavior and learning styles of the class. Since the seminar class was a full 8 hours, she did all she could to switch things up and mix real life stories with theory and group activities to help the students stay focused and tuned in. This class did require a lot of outside reading and studying, but again I learned so much by keeping up with the schedule. The best thing about this particular professor, as with many of the professors at ASU, is that she makes herself available to the students and helps in anyway she can to support the students’ success.

Dr. Roe-Sepowitz’s area of expertise is with women involved in prostitution and currently conducts her research around this population. She has worked with homeless individuals, youth in group settings and detentions centers and victims of abuse. She brings a wealth of knowledge to the classroom, which she willingly shares with her students. Thanks Dominique for mentoring and teaching our class this summer!

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

In the field of social work there are times that caseworkers will work with clients making some decisions that are very uncomfortable for the worker. Many times workers will be faced with ethical dilemmas that are difficult to navigate. One that I know is difficult for me is the idea of who is my client when my client is pregnant?? Do I protect the unborn child who is being negatively impacted by my client's neglect or do I support the self-determination of the client as she chooses not to receive prenatal services or continues toxic behavior for the child? I know in my heart that I could never holistically work with a client without also educating her on the impacts of the choices she makes on the child she is carrying. I feel as though if I present the information and the consequences, some of the dissonance I feel over the embryo's care can be alleviated as I give the mother the information and support her right to self-determination. One area of great concern to me is that of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Drinking may seem harmless to the mother, however it has great affects on the child. Physical disfigurations and behavior affect changes are all present with FAS and can limit the quality of life for the child. I do not often hear about this particular disease and wanted to share what I found about this topic. On the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website, I found a lot of information on FAS from basics to signs of FAS in children. Also, I wanted to post this video I came across. Please watch it and consider what you would do if you were working with clients who were continuing to drink and do not think that it affects anyone but themselves. Alcohol can have great impact on an unborn child, and proper recognition to this issue should be made. Enjoy the video and remember why we do this work.


Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - More free videos are here