A short video about the East Cleveland Partnership initiated by the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences is featured in this Case Youtube video with MSASS Professor Mark Chupp, an advocate for university-community partnerships for neighborhood revitalization. Michelle Felder, an East Cleveland resident, is also featured.
"East Cleveland is not a dying city. There are people here who are committed in the long term to making this a great place. Our students and we, as faculty, designed a survey project to survey every vacant property in the city of East Cleveland. The goal was to determine which houses are suitable for rehab and which houses need to be demolished, because federal funds are designated for demolition and rehab. One of the things that I believe is possible through this East Cleveland Community Partnership is really the revitalization of East Cleveland so that it becomes a destination for people wanting to work in East Cleveland but it also becomes a safer, revitalized place for people who live here." said Professor Chupp.
The students' data has been collated, matched and mapped down to a parcel level through the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development using GIS mapping techniques. This survey data and the maps generated have been presented to the City to help inform the discussion between the administration and the citizens for planning the use of the federal stimulus funding.
"I love the neighborhood. I love the community...Its a community of people who work, who love their neighborhood....If you look down most of the streets its a beautiful place," said Michelle Felder.
Steve Knerem’s work incorporates elements of bio-mechanical art, which is characterized by fantasy settings where humans and other creatures are rendered with a high degree of realism.
The Mandel School's Center for Evidence-Based Practices is currently accepting abstracts for workshops from potential presenters for its Conference 2010, "Sustaining Evidence-Based Practices: The Next 10 Years," which will take place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio on October 12, 13 & 14. Workshops will focus on topics that enhance the delivery of evidence-based practices (EBPs) and emerging best practices for adults diagnosed with mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders.
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From 12/6 to 12/8/2009, South Korean governmental officers of the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, Mr. Hwan Wi, Deputy Director and his two colleagues, a director (Dr. Keesung Noh) and a researcher of Korea Social Service Institute, Dr. Kwangho Jung (Professor, Seoul National University Seoul, Korea) visited to the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University in order to observe the welfare delivery system of the U.S.
At CWRU, they discussed the social service system of the U.S. and South Korea at a seminar with CWRU faculty members including Dr. David Crampton. Afterward, they visited to Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development.
"Transforming Civil Discourse and Neighborhood Identity through Action Research," a paper written by Mark Chupp, was recently selected by the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) as the "Best Paper for 2008." Chupp, Assistant Professor at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, and Faculty Associate of the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development, presented the paper at ARNOVA's 2008 conference.
The announcement of this award was released during the 2009 conference and the notice of the award is listed in the ARNOVA Newsletter. WINTER 2010 VOLUME 38, NO. 3 on page number 3.

Representatives from nine community-based organizations and a state psychiatric hospital in Ohio attended a one-day training for “Tobacco: Recovery Across the Continuum (TRAC)”, a stage-based motivational service model that helps people diagnosed with mental illness and/or substance use disorders reduce and eventually eliminate the use of tobacco products. The event provided practical information and useful strategies for implementing TRAC services and featured Carlo DiClemente and other presenters from the Mandel School's Center for Evidence-Based Practices.
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Download Movie FileThe Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University will receive the Bronze Key Award, one of the highest honors awarded by the National Council for Alcohol and Drug Dependence to recognize leadership in the field of substance dependence and recovery. This award will be presented by local affiliate Recovery Resources, a stalwart provider of substance abuse and mental health services in Northeast Ohio.
Save these dates! The Center for Evidence-Based Practices (CEBP) at Case Western Reserve University will host its next conference October 12, 13, and 14, 2010. The event, titled "Sustaining Evidence-Based Practices: The Next Ten Years", will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the State of Ohio's success with implementing EBPs for people diagnosed with mental illness. The event will highlight national EBP research and lessons-learned from EBP initiatives in Ohio and other states. The Center for EBPs is a partnership of the Mandel School and the Dept. of Psychiatry.
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First year students Susan Ross and Jeong Woo Lee help survey vacant homes and lots in the City of East Cleveland, for their Macro and Policy Skills course. The students, accompanied by East Cleveland residents, surveyed the vacant properties and the results are helping city officials prioritize which buildings should be demolished. The students’ project helped the City of East Cleveland secure $2.2 million in federal funds from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
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A multi-institutional team of researchers, led by the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University, will begin a five-year, $2.9 million National Institutes of Health-funded study. They will examine the lives of patients with both cataracts and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to document how restored vision improves everyday life for people with dementia.
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Thank you Dean for your very kind and generous introduction.
Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen
I am very pleased to have the honor of speaking at this Commencement Exercise.
I congratulate you, the class of 2009, for persevering in the pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and confidence to confront the social issues of today.
Exhibit Dates: May 4 - July 11, 2009
The current exhibit on the second and third floors of the Mandel School is a collection of linoleum block prints by artist Pamela Dodds. She uses a technique called linocut, which is similar to that of woodcut. The smooth, grainless texture of the linoleum allows for the cutting of a fluid, detailed line. After the image is cut in the linoleum plate, the surface is carefully inked and transferred to paper.
Exhibit Dates: May 1, - July 6, 2009
Paul Lender, an environmental photographer, has his work currently on display throughout the first floor of the Mandel School. According to his artist statement, he strives to capture the world around him as close as possible to the way he sees it. He aspires not only to highlight the beauty found in expansive landscapes, but also the magnificence found in small details.

We recently mailed the first issue of our new printed newsletter, "Evidence Matters." A free PDF is available from our web site. Please distribute it to anyone who is interested in enhancing services for people diagnosed with severe mental illness. We've retired our "SAMI Matters" newsletter. The Fall 2008 issue was the last. Find out why. Get back issues from this web page. Use them to educate staff and stakeholders. . . . The Center for EBPs is a partnership between the Mandel School and the Department of Psychiatry at the Case School of Medicine.
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John Moneypenny is Assistant Director of the Choices Community Social Center in Akron, Ohio, a gathering place that provides a social, recreational, and educational outlet for adults recovering from mental illness in the surrounding Summit County area. He recounts his recovery story, so it might be shared as a source of inspiration for others. . . . Listen to and download free ".mp3" audio files. . . . Choices is a community partner of the Center for EBPs at Case, which is a partnership between the Mandel School and the Department of Psychiatry at the Case School of Medicine.
Keynote speaker Gary Bond, PhD, an internationally known SE researcher from Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis. . . . Keynote speaker Phil DeVol, co-author of "Bridges Out of Poverty". . . . Over 30 practical workshops. . . . This event is designed for those who want to acquire more information about and practical skills that pertain to providing evidence-based Supported Employment (SE) services for people diagnosed with severe mental illness. . . . . Sponsored by the Ohio Supported Employment CCOE, a program of the Center for Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs)--a partnership of the Mandel School and Department of Psychiatry.
It's always a pleasant surprise when a national discussion focuses on the work we do in the world of social services. It's all the more surprising when the conversation highlights one of our own at the Center for Evidence-Based Practices--a partnership of the Mandel School and Department of Psychiatry at the Case School of Medicine. The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric recently aired a report on Supported Employment (SE), the evidence-based practice, featuring our own SE Consultant and Trainer Nicole Clevenger.
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Web chat allows participants to communicate in real time using easily accessible web interfaces. It is a way to instantly connect with the admission and financial aid office as well as other groups. Our first web chat will take place on Thursday, January 15, 2009 from 5 - 6:30 pm. Prospective students will have a chance to chat and get involved in discussions about the admission and financial aid process. Feel free to submit your questions during this time and our admission counselors and financial aid staff will provide helpful answers and information. Please log in on January 15 from 5- 6:30 pm at this link: http://msass.universitywebchat.com/chat7417/ We look forward to speaking with you!!
The Center for Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) at Case's Mandel School and Dept. of Psychiatry is collecting audio recordings of service providers, consumers, and others telling stories of their experiences with evidence-based practices and other services. Share your story.
The November/December 2008 cover story of the nationally distributed Social Work Today magazine features the Ohio Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Coordinating Center of Excellence (Ohio SAMI CCOE)--a program of the Center for Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) at Case Western Reserve University. The Center is a partnership of the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and the Department of Psychiatry at the Case School of Medicine. Both are curriculum innovators: both have fellowship programs for the study of co-occurring severe mental illness and substance use disorders. . . . (Featuring Mandel School graduate Ric Kruszynski, MSSA ('93), LISW, LICDC.)
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The Ph.D. Program at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences celebrates the second anniversary of its part-time study option for doctoral-level education in social welfare and is inviting applications from professionals with experience in social work and allied disciplines--such as psychology, public health, nonprofit organizations, law, anthropology, and sociology, among others. The doctoral program has both part-time and full-time study options available, along with financial assistance for both.
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As the Center for EBPs at Case/Mandel School looks toward its Supported Employment conference on March 24 and 25, 2009, we reflect upon the 8th Annual SAMI/IDDT conference that took place this past September in Columbus, Ohio and are reminded how conversations at these annual events continue to inform the implementation of evidence-based practices throughout Ohio and across the nation. Featuring audio interviews with Robert Drake, MD; Carlo DiClemente, PhD; Sandra Stephenson, MSW, director of ODMH; and more.
On exhibit - first floor of the Mandel School until January 10, 2009
Eric Meyer welds and shapes handmade kitchen utensils out of pewter, silver, bronze, aluminum, and brass. His handmade objects, including a tea set, goblets, a tea infuser, and cutlery, have an opulence fit for royalty.
Exhibit Dates: October 24, 2008 -- January 10, 2009
Judith Brandon graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1987 with degrees in drawing and enameling. It is the enameling techniques of scribing metal and the layering of transparent and opaque colors that are the foundation for her paintings. Her subject matter originates from the weather channel, travels and experiences. Oceans, rain, mist and ice, water in all of its forms and locations are an endless source of inspiration to her. Water is a dominant theme in her paintings.
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Exhibit Dates: October 20, 2008 – January 10, 2009
John Carlson began his career as an artist by attending Cleveland’s Cooper School of Art. Inspired by the works of Egon Schiele, Franz Kline, Edward Hopper, and Lucien Freud, he strives to find a balance between expressive drawings and boldly executed paintings.
Times are especially good for NEIGHBORING's Chief Operating Officer Ken Gill, MSSA ('82), LISW-S, LICDC, and his Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) team. They are being recognized for raising the standard of exceptional care with the third annual Lynn Goff Spirit of Integrated Treatment Award. . . . Things, however, weren’t always running this smoothly.
A few years back, the City of Painesville had a problem: what to do about the homeless population hanging out in its picturesque town square. For NEIGHBORING, a mental-health and substance-abuse service agency headquartered in the City of Mentor, this was another chance to step up and help out. . . . . (Featuring Mandel School graduate Ken Gill, MSSA (’82), LISW-S, LICDC, and other community partners.)
The advisory committee meeting of the Ohio Tobacco and Recovery Project was held at Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare in Columbus this past spring. Mental health organizations around Ohio are getting ready to implement components of the new Tobacco and Recovery model.
(Featuring Mandel School graduate Patrick E. Boyle.)
45 Works on Paper: Print Exhibition
Exhibit Dates: August 13 - October 6, 2008
Meet the Artist Brown Bag Lunch - September 10
12:30 p.m., Second Floor Atrium
Maggie Denk-Leigh is an Assistant Professor and Printmaking Department Head at The Cleveland Institute of Art, where she has been an instructor for the last nine years. She also is the Board Treasurer of the Morgan Conservatory. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Printmaking, Design and Business from Xavier University and her Masters of Fine Arts from Clemson University in South Carolina.
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Oil Pastels on Sandpaper
Exhibit Dates: August 13 - October 6, 2008
Pamelinda O’Keefe’s show displays 30 prints depicting common objects enlivened with bold lines and bright colors. Inspired during a particularly gray day in February, O’Keefe felt compelled to create colorful images to counteract the dreariness of that time of year.
Ric Kruszynski, MSSA ('93), LISW, LICDC, provides consultation to mental-health and substance-abuse service agencies about the effectiveness of real-time clinical supervision in the community.
The annual conference of the Ohio Supported Employment CCOE drew close to 200 participants from throughout Ohio and 10 additional states, demonstrating the growing national interest in this evidence-based practice. (Featuring Gary Bond, Ph.D., of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.)
Award Winning MSASS International Study/Travel 3 Credit Hour Courses (Spring) for Undergrad & Grad students being planned for 2008 & 2009
U.S. News & World Report released the rankings of Social Work Schools March 28th. MSASS is ranked #1 in Ohio and #10 out of 182 schools.
Exhibit Dates: March 27 – May 19, 2008.
Zygote Press was founded in 1995 by Elizabeth Maugans (BFA ’89 KSU) and Joe Sroka, joined later by Bellamy Printz and Kelly Novak, to provide print facilities for artists interested in creating fine prints. Since its inception, Zygote Press has grown to offer many additional educational programs and exhibition opportunities in its expanded facilities.
Two new faculty positions are available at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.
Assistant Professor David Crampton, an expert on foster care with extensive experience examining Cuyahoga County's foster care system, is quoted in a column by the Plain Dealer's Phillip Morris.
The Tobacco Cessation Kick-Off Event introduced community-based and hospital-based behavioral healthcare organizations to a new service model being designed and disseminated by the Center for Evidence-Based Practices.
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For anyone interested in registering for one of the 3 credit hour graduate and undergraduate International courses, please view the information meeting session slide show and see website for more info: http://msass.case.edu/international/index.html
The Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences recently hosted training sessions held by Hathaway Brown School's Aspire Program. Aspire is a tuition-free academic and leadership program which brings together adolescent girls who attend under-resourced public schools in the Cleveland area with new teachers who have tremendous potential in the field of education.
To find out more about the Aspire program, visit the Aspire website.
MSASS welcomes the Council of International Fellowship Conference, and Cleveland's Council of International Programs, July 23-27.
In December for international study experiences
The Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences is taking international social work courses on the road as it teams up for an India abroad experience with the Southern Illinois University Carbondale School of Social Work, December 27 through January 11, and an El Salvador travel program from December 8-16 with International Partners in Mission.
The Heights Community Congress (HCC) will host "Perception vs. Reality: How Do We Talk About Race, Class and Diversity In Our Own Community?" beginning at 7 p.m. on June 13 at John Hay High School, 2075 Stokes Blvd. Mark Chupp, a visiting assistant professor at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, is part of the panel. Free, open to the public. For more information, call the HCC at 216- 321-6775. Visit the Heights Congress site for more information.
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The Mandel brothers -- Jack, Joseph and Morton -- were honored as the first recipients of The Advocate for Social Justice and Leadership Development Award from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Case Western Reserve University. In recognition of their family's commitment to educate leaders in the field of social services and nonprofit organizations, the Mandels received the prestigious honor during the MSASS and Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations diploma ceremony at Temple-Tifereth Israel on Sunday, May 20.
Mandel School Professor Victor Groza traveled to Romanian orphanages to aid in that country’s social reform and now applies what he’s learned to the Ukraine. A Case Magazine profile.
The Dual Disorders Fellowship Program gives employed mental health and substance abuse professionals the opportunity to enhance their education, credentials, and experience by earning a Master of Social Science Administration (MSSA) degree while staying in their current jobs and attending classes one weekend per month. The Program is also structured to provide financial support to students by forging a partnership among the employed student, his or her employer (service organization), the local community mental health and/or substance abuse services board, and the Mandel School. Each partner pays a portion of the tuition.
- Full news release
- Dual Disorders Fellows Program brochure
People with severe mental illness and their families in communities throughout Ohio, several other states, and two countries are experiencing an improved quality of life, in part, because of the work being done by the staff of the Center for Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs).

U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich, six-term congressman from Cleveland's west side and a former mayor of the city, will deliver this year’s commencement address to the joint Mandel Center and Mandel School 2007 diploma ceremony.
"Grace Brody was a widow at age 26, left with a baby son and few prospects."
"Today, the 91-year-old is retired from the faculty at Case Western Reserve University and has donated more than $1.5 million to Case's Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences."