mamendez

About Melissa Mendez

Melissa Batalden Mendez, MSW, LICSW is the Title IV-E Field Coordinator at CASCW. She coordinates the field placements for MSW students who are receiving the Title IV-E child welfare stipend through CASCW. She leads a special Title IV-E field placement program at Hennepin County.

September 2015

IV-E MSW Fellow Fall Gathering

By |2016-12-01T19:32:53-06:00September 23rd, 2015|Categories: Field Notes|Tags: , , |

On the evening of September 22, IV-E MSW Fellows met at our Fall Gathering. Beyond enjoying an ice cream sundae bar, students were able to meet other Fellows in the IV-E program, connect with CASCW staff and get updated on each other's field placements for this academic year. First year Fellows are involved in field [...]

Comments Off on IV-E MSW Fellow Fall Gathering

2015-16 Embedded Field Unit at Hennepin County

By |2016-12-01T19:32:53-06:00September 22nd, 2015|Categories: Field Notes|Tags: , , , , , |

On Tuesday, Sept 8th, classes officially began at the University of Minnesota. On that same day, the 2015-16 MSW Child Welfare Hennepin County Cohort began orientation for their child protection and child welfare field placements. The 10 MSW students were welcomed by over 30 Hennepin County Child Protection and Child Welfare Social Workers at a [...]

Comments Off on 2015-16 Embedded Field Unit at Hennepin County

August 2015

“Is it the job of the oppressed to bounce back?” A Student’s Reflection on Resiliency

By |2016-12-01T19:32:54-06:00August 17th, 2015|Categories: Field Notes|Tags: , , |

Resiliency. the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity. ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy. Definition from Dictionary.com Below MSW student, Caleb Williamson, reflects on his experience as a participant at the 2015 Summer Institute in American Indian [...]

Comments Off on “Is it the job of the oppressed to bounce back?” A Student’s Reflection on Resiliency

Reflection of the 2015 Summer Institute in American Indian Child Welfare

By |2016-12-01T19:32:54-06:00August 5th, 2015|Categories: Field Notes|Tags: , , |

The UMD Summer Institute in American Indian Child Welfare is an annual opportunity for Tribal child welfare workers and administrators to spend three days together developing new practice skills, sharing their collective experiences, and learning with Indian Child Welfare professionals and scholars in a Tribal context. The theme for 2015 was "Honoring our Strength: Building [...]

Comments Off on Reflection of the 2015 Summer Institute in American Indian Child Welfare

March 2015

MSW IV-E Students Visit St. Joseph’s Home for Children

By |2015-03-13T14:03:43-05:00March 13th, 2015|Categories: Field Notes|Tags: |

This week, several MSW Child Welfare students, most of whom are currently interning at Hennepin County in child protection and child welfare units, toured St. Joseph's Home for Children in Minneapolis. Many of the current students have worked with children who have stayed at St. Joseph's when they were removed from their homes due to [...]

Comments Off on MSW IV-E Students Visit St. Joseph’s Home for Children

February 2015

IV-E Child Welfare MSW Students Complete DHS Child Welfare Foundation Training

By |2015-02-20T13:27:53-06:00February 20th, 2015|Categories: Field Notes|Tags: |

Earlier this month, 13 of our IV-E MSW Child Welfare students completed the Minnesota Department of Human Services' Child Welfare Foundation Training (CWFT). The CWFT is mandatory for all newly hired child welfare workers in counties throughout Minnesota, as well as new hires from White Earth and Leech Lake. The training meets the statutory requirement [...]

Comments Off on IV-E Child Welfare MSW Students Complete DHS Child Welfare Foundation Training

A student’s reflection on child welfare education, workforce training, and the power differential between worker and parent

By |2016-12-01T19:32:58-06:00February 6th, 2015|Categories: Field Notes|Tags: , , , , |

MSW IV-E students who are currently in a field placement journal about their experiences, perspectives, new learning, and awareness in their field work. Below, one of our current students reflected this week on the value of her experience and training within the IV-E program and her awareness of the power and influence child protection workers [...]

Comments Off on A student’s reflection on child welfare education, workforce training, and the power differential between worker and parent

January 2015

A Field Placement in Child Protection Family Assessment

By |2016-12-01T19:32:58-06:00January 9th, 2015|Categories: Field Notes|Tags: , |

MSW Field Instructor Pauline Shimada-Hayward (left) & MSW IV-E Child Welfare Student Eenang Khang (right) Eenang has been interning with Hennepin County in their Child Protection Family Assessment Unit since September 2014. She will continue her work there though May of 2015. Below Eenang briefly describes what she is Driven to Discover in her field [...]

Comments Off on A Field Placement in Child Protection Family Assessment
Go to Top