Community Practice Expert is New Editor of Families in Society
Washington, DC (PRWEB) January 26, 2015 -- The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities has appointed Dr. Sondra J. Fogel as editor of its journal, Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, which is one of the nation’s oldest and most highly regarded scholarly publications on family-centered social work. Fogel succeeds Dr. Susan E. Mason, who retired after serving as editor since 2011.
Fogel will work with the Alliance to help shape editorial policy and contribute to an ongoing strategic vision for maintaining the quality, utility, and availability of Families in Society to its multidisciplinary readership. First published in 1920, the family and community social work journal has a long-standing focus on person-centered, asset-based approaches to practice and policy. Its emphasis on translational research supports the social change impact the Alliance is working toward for America’s families and their neighborhoods.
Currently an associate professor in the School of Social Work at the University of South Florida (USF), Fogel also serves as the founding director of special programs for the USF Honors College. She holds a PhD in social work from the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and a master’s degree from Columbia University School of Social Work. She maintains direct-practice expertise through her licensure as a clinical social worker and as a qualified supervisor in Florida.
“Together with the Alliance, I want the journal to support works that create a pathway for social change; show that well-being, growth, and equity can be achievable for individuals and families in society; and examine how both successes and failures in practice and policy are part of the transformative process when focusing on impact and not simply outcomes,” said Fogel.
Throughout her career, Fogel has consistently focused on issues that are a result of economic or social injustices. Her primary research interests include interventions in poverty and homelessness and community-building strategies in low-income areas. In addition, social work education topics like field liaison work, community–academic partnerships, and macro practice issues are a part of her professional interest. Fogel has authored and edited in a wide variety of academic journals and has recently coedited a book on implementing evidence-informed practice for community interventions and social work services.
Fogel has served in many leadership roles in the academic and professional communities. She is past president of the Association for Community Organization and Social Administration and currently serves as an ex-officio member for the Special Commission to Advance Macro Practice. Additionally, she recently completed a term as chair of the Lee Student Support Fund for the Society for the Study of Social Problems. Fogel has been a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Delegate Assembly and contributed to policy statements for Social Work Speaks, which guides NASW’s advocacy efforts in social policy.
“The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities is really looking forward to working with Dr. Fogel in her new role as editor of Families in Society. She has been a valued long-time member of our editorial board and exemplifies forward thinking by advancing best practice and authentic engagement values in order to find solutions to the individual and societal challenges we all seek to solve. Families in Society is dedicated to resourcing practitioners with new knowledge so they can be more successful in their work and advocacy, and I am confident Dr. Fogel will help us advance the journal and its influence even further,” said Susan N. Dreyfus, president and CEO of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities.
The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities is a national organization dedicated to achieving a vision of a healthy society and strong communities for all children, adults, and families. The Alliance works for transformational change by representing and supporting its network of hundreds of nonprofit human serving organizations across North America as they translate knowledge into best practices that improve their communities. Working with and through its member network on leadership and advocacy, the Alliance strives to achieve high impact by reducing the number of people living in poverty; increasing the number of people with opportunities to live healthy lives; and increasing the number of people with access to educational and employment success. Go to alliance1.org for more information.
Families in Society is social work’s most enduring professional journal, advancing translational research and critical analysis on issues that relate to the capabilities and well-being of individuals, families, and communities, with a commitment to inform and inspire collaboration between participants, service providers, and other community stakeholders. The research featured in the print and electronic journal is further available via live online presentations, continuing education courses, social media, special topic supplements, and more. Additional information about Families in Society and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities is available at alliance1.org/fis.
Nancy Kunkler, Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, http://www.alliance1.org, +1 414-359-6564, [email protected]
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