STRONGER SOCIAL FABRIC
Network
Leadership
NETWORK CO-LEADS
Susan Kemp, PhD
Professor Emerita
University of Washington
spk@uw.edu
Lisa Reyes Mason, PhD
Associate Professor
University of Denver
lisareyes.mason@du.edu
Lawrence Palinkas, PhD
Endowed Professor
University of Southern California
palinkas@usc.edu
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Shanondora Billiot, PhD
Arizona State University
Amy Krings, PhD
Loyola University Chicago
Praveen Kumar, PhD
Boston College
Claire Luce
Virginia Commonwealth University
John Mathias, PhD
Florida State University
Dorlisa Minnick, PhD
Shippensburg University
Felicia Mitchell, PhD
Arizona State University
Meredith Powers, PhD
University of North Carolina,
Greensboro
Kelly Smith, DSW
Institute of Social Work &
Environmental Justice
Michael Spencer, PhD
University of Washington
Samantha Teixeira, PhD
Boston College
LOOKING BACK
In a 2015 concept paper, leaders of the
Grand Challenge to Create Social
Responses to a Changing Environment
identified four major areas for social work
with respect to environmental change:
1. Disaster preparedness and response
2. Population dislocation
3. Community-level organizing and development
4. Mitigation, advocacy, and practice engagement
Over the past five years, members of
the Grand Challenge network and their
colleagues have engaged in myriad
activities that are helping to Create Social
Responses to a Changing Environment .
They have:
• Launched a new website and blog to
showcase their writing and research. Recent
blog posts include: "Caring for the Environment
becomes Business' Business," "Do Solar Lamps
Help Children Study?," and "From Climate Grief
to Direct Action"
• Published numerous briefs, reports, books,
and peer-reviewed articles on the subject,
including the book "People and Climate
Change," co-edited by network co-lead Lisa
Reyes Mason, which "closely examines people's
lived experience, climate-related injustice and
inequity, why some groups are more vulnerable
than others, and what can be done about it"
• Conducted studies that provided insights and
recommendations for the local communities of
Flint, MI, and North St. Louis, MO
• Elevated the work of junior faculty by
showcasing their work in publications and
providing mentorship
• Participated in media interviews on how the
effects of natural disasters are exacerbated by
underlying socioeconomic factors
• Contributed to podcasts such as inSocialWork
from the University of Buffalo. In one episode,
network co-lead Lawrence Palinkas discusses
the translation and implementation of
evidence-based practices and in another,
Lisa Reyes Mason discusses the concept of
person-in-environment
• Forged collaborative relationships with
researchers and practitioners in related
disciplines. Notably, Samantha Teixeira
has worked with environmental activists to
elaborate a social work-based rationale
for supporting the Green New Deal
• Participated in several speaker series,
including the University of Denver's Science
for Action Series, NOAA's Coastal Resilience
Webinar Series, and the Tennessee
Environmental Council's Community-Driven
Policy and Practice event
• Developed new, interdisciplinary curricula for
students of social work and helped promote the
Environmental Justice Curriculum Guide from
the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• Convened "People and Climate Change:
Vulnerability, Adaptation, Social Justice," an
international conference on climate change
LOOKING AHEAD
Members of the Grand Challenge have articulated the following objectives for the
next five years:
• Further specify the goals of the Grand Challenge and the associated actions required to achieve them
• Increase mentoring supports for earlier-stage researchers interested in joining the network
• Develop strategic partnerships with other Grand Challenges, such as Close the Health Gap and
Eliminate Racism
• Pursue opportunities to effect policy at all levels - local, state, and national
• Increase involvement in local community development efforts
• Establish stronger connections between social workers and environmental justice advocates
• Continue to advocate for their policy recommendations:
1. Adopt and implement evidence-based approaches to disaster risk reduction
2. Strengthen equity-oriented urban resilience policies and proactively engage marginalized
communities in adaptation planning
3. Develop policies targeting environmentally induced migration and population displacement
(e.g. amending the Stafford Act)
An Impact Report at Year 5 of the 10-Year Initiative | 23