Fall 2025

A WORD FROM THE CHAIR
Brenda Williams-Gray, DSW

It is with honor and humility that I share our inaugural newsletter from the Lehman College Department of Social Work.

This year we proudly celebrated 20 years of social work education at Lehman and were honored to receive a proclamation by Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson acknowledging our program’s positive impact on the Bronx community.

HS2N Dean and Social Work Chair with Bronx Borough President

Undergraduate and graduate student enrollment has increased steadily—reflecting the need for professional social workers and the draw of Lehman’s quality programs. And we partnered with the School of Education in an exciting initiative, the Bronx Telehealth Counseling Center, which offers free mental health services to the Bronx community and provides clinical experience for our students.

Read on for more department, student, and faculty highlights!

Social Work Department Highlights

Free Telehealth Counseling Expands Training and Access in the Bronx

The Bronx Telehealth Counseling Center (BTCC) officially launched in April 2025, designed to both expand access to free, evidence-based mental health services in the Bronx and provide an innovative training ground for students. Learn more about this new initiative.

Dual Language Program Draws

a Diverse Student Body

68% Bilingual | 57% Spanish | 23 Languages Spoken

Our department offers undergraduate and graduate dual language (Spanish/English) practicum and seminar courses for advanced year students who wish to work with Spanish-speaking communities. This program reflects Lehman’s designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution and prepares our students to provide needed services in local Spanish-speaking Bronx communities.

“There isn't another Hispanic-serving institution in New York offering it. These courses have embedded support that you will not find anywhere else. Espero verte en clase.”

Yaneth Lombana, Department of Social Work Lecturer

Department Celebrates 20 Years

Alumni, faculty, students, and invited guests came together to recognize the Department’s accomplishments and the impact our programs have had on social service organizations, the people of the Bronx, and neighboring counties. Hear from alumni at the celebration .

Faculty Success

PUBLICATIONS

Warde Book Cover with Liberty and US Flag

Bryan Warde

Inside U.S. Immigration Policy: a comprehensive introduction to the development of U.S. immigration and immigration policies from the nation's colonial beginnings to the present day.

Senreich Thumbnail with Abstract head painting

Evan Senreich

Experiential Therapies for Treating Trauma : a comprehensive overview of experiential therapies and specific knowledge regarding how to utilize each of them in psychotherapy practice.

Greenberg Book Thumbnail with Historical Protest Photos

Joy Greenberg

The Power of Policy: The Past, Present, and Future identifies thematic connections between the history of U.S. social welfare policy and issues related to today’s social welfare environment.

Cindy Bautista-Thomas

Oh My Gooseness! The Journey Within: A Journal of Exploration, Excavation, and Exhilaration! With guided prompts, affirmations, and space to dream big, this journal is a loving companion for self-care and transformation.

School Social Work: A Direct Practice Guide, Second Edition (with JoAnn Jarolmen): provides hands-on experiences, best practice approaches, and case examples to demonstrate assessments and techniques in a diverse school setting.

GRANTS

The Animation Project (TAP)

Dr. Maurice Vann

$750K–$1.2 million annually from NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment to support youth (ages 12–24) through art therapy, animation, and education. Learn more.

Student Scholarships and Stipends

1199/CPT

The 1199 SEIU Career Pathways Training Program offers a full-tuition scholarship for 100 MSW students graduating on or before May 2027. Sixty-four are currently receiving full scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year.

HRSA

$2.4 million from Health Resources & Services Administration for MSW student stipends in the final year of their program from 2025 to 2029. Fourteen students will receive $24K for the 2025-2026 academic year.

NYCT/JASA

$250K from the New York Community Trust/Jewish Association Servicing the Aging for MSW and BA student stipends from 2025 to 2027.

NYCT/KHCC

$217K from New York Community Trust/Kingsbridge Heights Community Center for MSW and BA student stipends from 2025 to 2027.

NYC Council Social Workers Fellowship

New York City promotes social work career development with tuition-based scholarships. Fourteen students were awarded scholarships in 2024-2025; $226K has been allocated for 2025-2026 scholarships.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Assistant Director of Practicum Education Rebecca Chun, MSW, coordinates undergraduate placements in Lehman College’s Department of Social Work and also supervises social work students at the Speech and Hearing Center. A 2023 MSW Lehman graduate and longtime artist and organizer, she previously worked in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District, engaging communities through dance, disability advocacy, and the arts.

HEAR FROM OUR STUDENTS

“Lehman has provided me with the belief that I can advocate for myself. This school changed my life, who would have thought I could go to Lehman, and yet here I am!”

Ana Melia Jourdain, B.A. Social Work major
Awarded 2025 BSW Student of the Year Award by the New York State Social Work Education Association 🏆

“Lehman feels like a family unit where the professors want the best for us. They are preparing us to go into the field of social work and instilling in us the voice to be able to make a change.”

Leah Flores-Rivera, MSW candidate