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Be positive: Soonhyung Kwon's research shows your heart will thank you
A new study published in Cardiology Clinics, co-authored by USF Assistant Professor Soonhyung Kwon, PhD, MSW, examines the best way to apply positive psychology interventions, such as gratitude, mindfulness and optimism training, to address the leading cause of death worldwide: cardiovascular disease. Read more.
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Khalilah Caines is expanding social work education beyond borders
School of Social Work Assistant Professor of Instruction Khalilah Caines, PhD, LCSW, is helping students expand their understanding of global social issues — without ever leaving the classroom. Through USF's Virtual Global Exchange Academy, Caines is developing an international collaboration that will connect School of Social Work students with their peers in the Philippines. Read more.
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CBCS graduate students build meaningful connections through peer mentorship
Nine CBCS graduate students served as peer mentors in the Spring 2026 Relate-A-Bull program, representing the college’s social work, communication sciences and disorders, and clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling programs. In addition, four CBCS staff members pursuing graduate degrees in other disciplines at USF participated in the program. Read more.
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Emergency financial support available for USF clinical behavioral health students
Do you know a student enrolled in a clinical graduate behavioral health program who needs financial support to stay enrolled and on track toward graduation?
The Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce (FCBHW) Completion Fund provides awards of up to $2,500 to help USF students enrolled in clinical graduate behavioral health programs remain on track toward graduation and licensure. Funds may assist with outstanding institutional balances, including tuition and mandatory fees, that could otherwise prevent continued enrollment or degree completion. Students must be referred by USF faculty or staff through the Office of Financial Aid.
The Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce (FCBHW) Emergency Fund provides awards of up to $1,500 per academic year to help eligible USF students enrolled in clinical graduate behavioral health programs remain enrolled and continue their education. Qualifying expenses may include medical expenses, emergency housing or utilities support, food insecurity, essential vehicle repairs, childcare expenses and travel related to family emergencies. Students can apply directly at: https://bit.ly/FCBHW-Emergency-Fund
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Driven on the Field and in the Classroom: Alexa Galligani’s Honors Student-Athlete Experience
JGHC
"A member of USF’s College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, the criminology major balanced rigorous practices and game-day schedules with Honors coursework and experiential learning opportunities, all while forming lasting friendships and preparing for a career in law enforcement."
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Bernstein, K. A., Moen, T., van Huisstede, L., Pierce-Rivera, M., Vargas, R., Manning, K., … Restrepo, M. A. (2026). Drama-based instruction for young multilingual students with disabilities: A case study. Bilingual Research Journal, 49(1), 113–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2025.2599940
Higgins, N.C., Secor, C.A. & Ozmeral, E.J. (2026) Spatially dynamic binaural cues have a larger influence on auditory stream segregation than static cues. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-52045-1
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Park H., Higgins N.C. & Ozmeral E.J. (2026) Natural head orientation and spatial hearing with symmetric frontal maskers. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 20:1724840. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2026.1724840
Restrepo, M. A., Risueño, R. J., Williams, J. M., Gray, S., Allan, C. C., Khurana, N., ... & Romeo, S. H. Development and Item Selection of the Language and Dyslexia Screening Questionnaire in Primary Care Settings. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 14, 1750893.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2026.1750893
| | Defense of a Doctoral Dissertation | | |
Title:Teachers' Pre-Implementation Perceptions of a Social-Emotional Competence Intervention Across Title I and Non-Title I Schools: A Mixed Methods Examination of Acceptability, Appropriateness, and Feasibility
Student: James-Angelo Suarez
Program: Behavioral and Community Sciences
Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: MHC 2625A or Microsoft Teams (Meeting ID: 216 602 924 742 380 | Passcode: SQ7p8DQ6)
Title: Using Technology-Enhanced Pyramidal Behavioral Skills Training to Train Clinical Staff
Student: Madeline R. Risse
Program: Applied Behavior Analysis
Date: Friday, June 5, 2026
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: MHC 2502E
| | Upcoming Events & Deadlines | | |
2026 Forensic Evaluation and Juvenile Justice Virtual Workshop
June 4-5 | Virtual | Register
Offered by the Department of Behavioral Health Science and Practice, the 2026 Continuing Education Forensic Training Workshop for Mental Health Professionals will focus on conducting forensic evaluations for juveniles involved in the legal system. Continuing education credits are available for Florida-licensed clinical social workers, licensed mental health counselors and psychologists.
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Introducing Integrated Primary Care Behavioral Health in Graduate Training Webinar
June 23 | 12-1 p.m. | Register
The Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce is hosting a free one-hour webinar, Introducing Integrated Primary Care Behavioral Health in Graduate Training, featuring experts Jeff Reiter, PhD, ABPP, and Jeff Goodie, PhD, ABPP. The webinar is designed for faculty and administrators across behavioral health disciplines. CEs are available for LMHCs, LMFTs, LCSWs, and psychologists.
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Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health Graduate Certificate Info/Q&A Sessions
June 12 | 12:30-1:30 p.m.
August 7 | 12-1 p.m.
September 18 | 12-1 p.m.
October 5 | 12-1 p.m.
The Institute for Translational Research Education in Adolescent Substance Use is accepting applications for its next cohort! The program prepares scholars to conduct community-based research using implementation science and translational research techniques. Graduate students and working professionals are eligible to apply. Find more information here.
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Call for Papers
Submission deadline: July 1
The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, in partnership with the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce, invites submissions for a special issue focused on Strengthening the Behavioral Health Workforce: Research, Innovation and Policy. Learn more.
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From Research to Action: The Florida Behavioral Health Workforce Summit
Sept. 10-11 | Marshall Student Center | Register
Join the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce for its inaugural summit aimed at translating research into action to grow, retain and innovate Florida’s workforce. From researchers and service providers to policymakers, educators, students and more, this summit brings every voice in the continuum together. Continuing education credits available.
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Adding News, Events, and Publications to the CBCS Website and Newsletter
If you have news/events or recent/upcoming publications you would like posted on the CBCS website and/or in the Communique newsletter, send the details and any attachments to CBCS Marketing (CBCSMarketing@usf.edu). Please send all newsletter submissions no later than Thursday for inclusion in the following week's newsletter.
Be sure to include all pertinent information (title, date, times, location, event description, and contact information) in editable digital text format. Articles included in the CBCS Communiqué may be disseminated to USF Media outlets and/or beyond.
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