Boosting Family Resiliency

Renowned family therapist and author Froma Walsh reached out to more than 200 social work students and community members during a recent visit to the New Orleans area. She went to Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes to meet with social work professionals as part of a mental health needs assessment being conducted by the Tulane School of Social Work and to discuss mental health care services that are needed to address the stress of the Gulf oil spill.

Walsh’s visit, sponsored by the Porter-Cason Institute at the School of Social Work, included a presentation to social work students, a discussion with social work faculty, consultation and training for agencies affected by the Gulf oil spill and a community workshop for advanced service providers.

“It is extremely encouraging to see the support families are receiving in southeast Louisiana,” Walsh said. “We were able to nail down the framework for new and innovative programs to boost family resilience in the face of this recent disaster as well as improve any existing programs to better serve the community.”

Walsh provided training at the St. Bernard Project, which creates housing opportunities and mental health services for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. She also worked with service providers at the Plaquemines Community CARES Center, which serves families, children, domestic abuse victims, the elderly and disabled.

“During the past five years, two major disasters and economic downturns continue to leave south Louisiana families reeling with stress,” said Parker Sternbergh, Porter-Cason Institute assistant director. “The family is the basic building block of the community, and we believe her visit to train practitioners, agencies and students will ultimately help shore up our communities’ families.”

Walsh, co-director of the Chicago Center for Family Health, is a professor emerita at the University of Chicago and the author of Strengthening Family Resilience and Spiritual Resources in Family Therapy.

Porter-Cason Institute for the Advancement of Practice With Families

The Porter-Cason Institute was established in 1995 with funds from Dorothy Cason, a 1946 alumna of the Tulane School of Social Work, in honor of Elizabeth Porter, one of her professors. Dorothy credited Elizabeth Porter with teaching and emphasizing professionalism in social work.  Dorothy valued and emulated that professionalism throughout a very successful and rewarding practice. Dorothy passed away shortly after her endowment to the school and the Porter-Cason Institute is committed to making the best use of her legacy dedicated to the importance of the teaching and learning process.

Mission

Consistent with Ms. Cason’s expressed wishes that “the income from this fund shall be used for the teaching of family therapy at the advanced level", the mission of the institute is as follows:

To enhance the teaching/learning of family practice for TSSW students, faculty, field supervisors and alumni, as well as in the community (e.g., New Orleans Metro Area), region, nation, and world. This will be done through the development, evaluation, and dissemination of exciting, creative, and innovative teaching and learning activities

For more information

Please contact, Ms. Parker Sternbergh (Assistant Director) at (504) 862-3475, or Dr. Richard Ager (Director) at (504) 862-3470.