GSWEC News

Log on, grab your lunch, and settle in for an energizing discussion! Join us for a free professional development series focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion with a special emphasis on issues of aging. The series is designed for both new and experienced social work professionals. This free Lunch and Learn series consists of four, ...

There are times when discussions in Washington DC may impact how we provide social care in our communities. Now is one such time as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are proposing coding and payment changes for addressing health-related social needs (HRSNs) and the overall effort to align health and social care ecosystems. If you would like to learn more about this important discussion, you are invited to join us on Tuesday, August 22 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. ET for a free we...

  In honor of Social Work Month, we are recognizing GSWEC Alumni Shamael Ali, MSW, a Partners’ Supervisor for the Home and Community Based Alternative (HCBA) Waiver Program.   Shamael was inspired by her mother, who was a Social Worker in their home country of Sudan. Her mother’s work focused on helping communities in impoverished and underrepresented regions, as well as neighboring countries with financial lim...

In honor of Social Work Month, we are recognizing 2019-2020 GSWEC Alumni, Shad Cruz, Partners in Care Foundation's Clinical Director of LTSS.  

Shad attended USC where he earned his Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Science of Gerontology (MSG) degrees. He also has an Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW) certification and is currently working on obtaining his License as a Clinical Social Worker (...

  It is with regret that we write of Etta McCurry’s passing on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. She had been a deeply valued member of Partners in Care Foundation and GSWEC. Etta's career with Partners' started in 2003 until retiring in 2020.   During her time with Partners, she worked with the Administrative Team, Community Wellness, the Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium (GSWEC), and the Evidence-Based Leadership Council (EBLC), among others.   ...

Hosted by USC Social Work Professional Development, this workshop is designed for social work professionals who want to increase their knowledge and skills related to clinical interventions and macro-level strategies and supports dedicated to family caregivers and their loved ones living with dementia.   In this workshop, you will learn about cognitive impairment and dementia and how they affect functioning in later life, the roles and tasks of family caregivers and how these impact c...

In Honor of Social Work Month and National Women’s History Month, we are recognizing Heather Brungardt, MSW, LCSW, GSWEC's Program Director and Partners in Care Foundations' VP of Workforce Development.

Heather reflects, “One of the greatest services I can provide is to train and support the next generation of social work professionals to prepare them to make a difference in our communities.”

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In honor of National Social Work Month, we would like to recognize Jennifer Jorge, LCSW, the Director of Community Services at the Motion Picture and Television Fund (MPTF). Jennifer was named as the co-chair of the Southern California Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium (GSWEC) Steering Committee early 2022, and we are ecstatic to have her onboard as not just an active GSWEC Alumni, but in a volunteer leadership role! Jennifer started as a GSWEC Intern from 2005 to 2006, and since the...

In honor of National Social Work Month we would like to recognize Partners in Care Foundations’ CEO and Founding President June Simmons, MSW. She is nationally recognized for her leadership in the administration of health care organizations, and has been instrumental in creating, funding, and operating forward-looking health and social services research and programs. June holds a M.S.W. from the University of Southern California. In 2018, she was inducted into the California Social Work Hal...

January 14, 2022 -- Jennifer Jorge, LCSW, has been named as co-chair of the Southern California Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium (GSWEC), based in San Fernando, CA. She currently serves as Director of Community Services at the Motion Picture and Television Fund, based in Burbank, where she has worked since 2006. From 2005 to 2006 she was a GSWEC intern at the MPTF. Besides her clinical experience, Jorge has held teaching posts at the University of California, Los Angel...