NYU Silver School of Social Work

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NYU Silver School of Social Work provides a rich environment for the education of professional social workers. The School offers accredited programs at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, and serves as a major post-master’s training center for hundreds of practitioners in the New York region.

10/28/2026

“Social work is a tree of life, and it’s full of diverse fruits,” says Yurilka Hernandez, MSW ’15. “You can be whatever you want to be in this field.”

After graduating from Silver, Yurilka became a non-profit executive. She went on to found a multilingual psychotherapy group practice now licensed in five states. She is also the author of “The Therapist Private Practice Playbook.”

Yurilka shared her journey with fellow Silver alum Vivian Han, BS ’26. See link in bio to read her story, which was originally published by our Office of Global and Lifelong Learning.

10/27/2026

How do public-sector leaders turn policy into meaningful change for all communities?

Join us this Thursday for the launch of NYU Silver’s Fall Commissioner Speaker Series

Our first candid conversation features Commissioner Rossana Rosado of the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services. She will discuss her memoir Bronx Attitude and her journey from a Bronx childhood to leadership in journalism and public service.

When: Thursday, October 29, 2026 | 5:00–6:30 PM ET
Where: NYU Silver (1 Washington Sq North) & Online
Register: See link in bio
(Presented in partnership with NYU Silver’s Evolving Justice Lab)

Save the Date for Future Sessions:

• Nov 19 (5:30 PM): Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston, NYC Administration for Children’s Services
• Dec 3 (5:30 PM): Commissioner Stanley Richards, NYC Department of Correction
(Presented in partnership with NYU Silver’s Evolving Justice Lab)

All are welcome to attend, especially those who work on or are interested in learning more about leadership, policy, and the future of social services.

10/27/2026

“Can we help young people write and re-write their stories, their narratives, to include more acceptance of their mental health conditions?”

That central question, posed by NYU Silver Professor Michelle Munson, captured the heart of her talk during NYU Alumni and Families Weekend.

The topic resonated deeply with the audience, which included parents of current NYU students and alumni across generations. We were especially honored to be joined by six MSW graduates from our Class of 1976 celebrating their 50th Reunion: Carl Algood, Cora Barnett, Valerie Bryant, Moses Deese, Ann Rose Simon, and Mildred Thompson.

Dr. Munson framed her presentation with national data showing that 18-to-25-year-olds face the highest rates of mental illness compared to other adult age groups. They also report the highest rates of perceiving a need for mental health care—or actually seeking help—and not receiving it.

To bridge that treatment gap, Dr. Munson’s research explores how young adults with serious mental illnesses (SMIs), such as major depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, process their mental health, including their diagnosis. She and her team have focused attention on building understanding on what they call a “mental health identity,” including exploring how moving from denial to acceptance can serve as a pathway to seeking help and healing.

Fostering such acceptance is a key facet of “Just Do You,” an engagement program Dr. Munson’s team developed with young people and tested in an NIH-funded randomized clinical trial. By using peer recovery role models, expressive arts, music lyrics from artists like Kendrick Lamar and Demi Lovato, and video clips from Mary J. Blige and other celebrities, the program helps break down mistrust, destigmatize treatment, and increase attendance in care.

“When we came into the work, we knew from the literature and from practice that many youth and young adults only come to counseling one time,” said Dr. Munson. “We had to figure out how to bring something into that beginning part of a treatment experience so they might believe the work would be valuable for them and relevant to them.”

We are grateful to Dr. Munson for sharing her pioneering research and to all the parents and alumni who share our commitment to supporting our young people’s mental health and well-being.

10/26/2026

While aging was historically viewed by gerontologists as a uniformly experienced decline in physical and cognitive abilities, it is now recognized as a widely varied and dynamic process.

“Aging is continuously shaped by compounding psychological, cognitive, economic, and cultural forces over a lifetime,” explains Associate Professor Ernest Gonzales, Director of NYU Silver’s Center for Health and Aging InnovationCHAI at NYU).

That shift in understanding underpins both the new textbook “Social Gerontology: A Multidisciplinary Perspective, 11th Edition,” which Dr. Gonzales co-authored, and the innovative course he designed around it.

Discover the updated text’s emphasis on older adults’ resilience and learn how Dr. Gonzales is imparting that perspective to undergraduate through doctoral students—all in one class. See link in bio to read the full story.

10/23/2026

How can social work engage with AI in ways that are ethical, human-centered, and grounded in the profession’s commitments to equity, dignity, and social justice?

That question is at the heart of “Artificial Intelligence in Social Work: Bridging Technology and Humanity” (Springer, 2026), edited by NYU Silver Professor / C+M Center on Data Science and Social Equity Director Ruopeng An and Dean Michael A. Lindsey.

With over 100,000 downloads, the open-access book is already shaping the way AI is being used across the profession. This week at the Council on Social Work Education Annual Conference, Drs. An and Lindsey stopped by the Springer booth, where physical copies are on display alongside other notable titles.

See links in bio to download the book for free and check out NYU Silver’s full presentation schedule to see us in action.

10/23/2026

A Staten Island high school is turning to holographic therapists to make mental health services more accessible to students.

Healthbeat New York reports that Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education High School will beam life-sized, 3-D images of therapists into a special studio, where students can speak with them. Still to be determined are key issues, including privacy protections and where the therapists will come from.

While not familiar with the specific case, NYU Silver Clinical Professor Nicholas Lanzieri urged schools to carefully consider how such tools will be used with students.

“This is not a science fair,” said Dr. Lanzieri, an expert in educational technology and ethical use of digital tools. “You want to really be intentional with what you’re trying to create.”

See link in bio to read the full story.

10/22/2026

Join us at NYU Silver School of Social Work on Saturday, November 14 for the 2026 Men of Color in Social Work Conference, a day of connection, restoration, learning, and professional growth.

Centered on the theme “Mind, Body & Soul,” the conference is a space to build community, recharge, exchange ideas, and explore practices that support personal and professional well-being in social work.

Register Now! See link in bio.

The Men of Color in Social Work Conference is intended for all Silver community members and others who are interested in strengthening communities through and within social work. It is open to individuals of all backgrounds and identities.

10/21/2026

Protect the future of social work in New York, where need is greatest.

Thank you Committee on Banks Chair NYS Assemblyman Clyde Vanel and Committee on Higher Education Chair NYS Assemblywoman Alicia L. Hyndman for the opportunity to testify on this important topic.

See link in bio to read the full testimony.

10/20/2026

“This career called social work is a parallel process where your knowledge of self is as important as your knowledge about the communities you serve and the people that you connect with,” says Adjunct Assistant Professor Dr. Pia Hargrove, MSW ’02/DSW ’26.

She plays a key role in helping NYU Silver students find their path in the profession as the Faculty Champion on our Career Design & Social Work Readiness (CDR) team. Through weekly drop-in hours and a “Fireside Chat” each semester, Dr. Hargrove offers guidance on career exploration, resource navigation, and professional networking within Silver and beyond.

Students recently gathered with Dr. Hargrove in our Student Lounge to mark the start of fall drop-in hours. They will be held each Thursday from 5:00-6:00 p.m. through the end of the semester.

All students are welcome to join these informal, open conversations, whether your interest is defining career-specific goals, building practice readiness, or seeking community.

See link in bio to learn more about CDR resources and events.

10/19/2026

People with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) die approximately 10–30 years before their peers without them, in part because they lack the essential supports and resources that strong social networks provide,” says Associate Professor Rohini Pahwa.

A research team co-led by Dr. Pahwa has been awarded a 3-year, $368,000 administrative grant expansion from the National Institute of Mental Health to enhance an ongoing study on social connections and treatment engagement among people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other SMIs.

Building on their original $3.1M R01 grant, this new funding will allow the team to combine electronic health record data with study participants’ self-reports of mental health services usage. This will provide a clearer picture of how people with SMIs engage with mental health care across clinic, community, and telehealth settings.

See link in bio to read the full story.

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http://socialwork.nyu.edu/

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