Arden O'Donnell M.P.H., M.S.W. Class of 2008

I was drawn to Smith’s social work program because of the reputation of academic excellence in clinical social work and the dedication to addressing the effects of racism and oppression on individuals and communities. I was expecting a powerful experience. I have not been disappointed.

In 2001, I received my master’s in public health in international health and spent five years working in Africa, primarily focused on project management and administration. I was successful in my job, but I kept finding myself yearning to connect more individually with the people. I was writing grants to train the staff to provide psychosocial support to children who had lost their parents to HIV and found myself wanting to attend the trainings. I wanted to be able to do both sides of the work and so I applied to Smith.

My first year placement was at Cambridge Hospital in the Child Assessment Unit, an inpatient psychiatric ward for children aged 4-12. I learned ways of connecting to children of all ages, techniques of effective play therapy and how to write discharge summaries that advocate for the needs of the client. Working in a teaching hospital gave me additional opportunities. I was able to attend conferences on childhood attachment, a workshop on Cognitive Behavioral Techniques for children and a seminar series on Trauma. I also had the opportunity to present a case presentation at Grand Rounds on the struggles of working with a refugee child with severe PTSD. My supervisor and colleagues were intelligent and supportive and I left with a deeper understanding of the different roles and identities of a social worker.

At Smith I am learning the theories and framework for the programs I was running while I lived in Zimbabwe. This program has helped me gain a deeper understand of the individual struggle in the realm of international mental health. I have an appreciation for the clinical side of mental health as well as the need for good program management. In the future I hope to be able to combine these two degrees and work in the growing field of international mental health.

-- August 2007

June 2008 Update

During my second year placement I had a split placement, working at two agencies; a community based mental health center providing counseling to chronically mentally ill adults and the other working at MBHP, the managed care agency for MassHealth. The year was exciting and challenging. I had the opportunity to work with individuals, couples and groups as well as work on a project examining the racial disparities in mental health services in the Commonwealth. This split placement provided me the unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of both the clinical and macro work in this field.

Upon graduation, I will be a Fellow at Children's Hospital in Boston working on the PACT team in the field of Pediatric Palliative Care. I will be a member of an interdisciplinary team which works with families to fulfill the mission of optimizing the quality of life and promoting healing and comfort for children with life-threatening illness. I feel honored to have been chosen for this fellowship and confident that my education at Smith has fully prepared me for the challenges this field will present.