2009 CONFERENCE WAS ENERGIZING!

Over 500 People from the Midwest area attended the 2009 MASSW / Midwest School Social Work at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dearborn, Michigan. The conference featured keynote speakers, Ross Greene, Rep. Terry Brown and Amy Bolton and included breakout sessions on a wide variety of topics from micro to macro practice. A prevalent theme of the conference was protecting School Social Work Services for children in difficult economic times. The new Social Work Effectiveness Package was also debuted and can be found in the Member's Only section of this website.

A new practice of this conference was putting handouts online. This signficiantly reduced the production costs of the conference and allowed attendees to preview the sessions that they were to attend. Many appreciated the practice because it allowed them to view informations from other sessions as well. The handouts will continue to be featured in the MASSW ORGANIZATION section of the website for member use.

School Social Worker of the Year

Michelle Bell

Michelle's journey to become a School Social Worker began in junior high school following the untimely death of her mother. She was touched by the compassion of a very kind and supportive school counselor who helped her through some very difficult times and thus began her journey.

Michelle pursued her dream and fashioned a professional legacy that has touched countless lives. Michelle has been a School Social Worker for over 12 years in the Pinconning and Saginaw Township Community Schools and during her tenure has worked creatively and tirelessly to help her students. Michelle was instrumental in developing the highly effective "Peacemaker" Peer Mediator Program in 1998 which garnered excellence awards from the Michigan Department of Education, Health and School Safety and the Saginaw County Prevention Network. She conducted research on the program's effectiveness and the results, which were published in 2002, indicated an 86% efficacy rate. Michelle has implemented several school wide initiatives including the Support Our Schools (SOS) bully reporting program, Career Day, Lunch Bunch peer support groups, "Beat the Bell" truancy reduction program and "Kids Need Opportunities To Socialize" (KNOTS) which pairs elementary students with high school mentors.

When Michelle is in need of creative tools for her work, she often creates her own! She has authored a children's book My Feelings and Me: A-Z, and has developed Feelings Thermometers, Stoplight Decision Makers, I Statement Cards, and "Peace Pass" anger management tools.
Michelle's impact extends far beyond her school life. She has been an energetic and dynamic leader in the Michigan Association of School Social Workers at eh local and state levels. She has served region K as its Presidents, Vice President, Secretary and Membership Chair. At the state level, Michelle has served in a variety of capacities and is currently the Chairperson for Professional Standards and the School Social Work Week Recognition Initiative.

As an Adjunct Instructor and Field Instructor for Michigan State University and Saginaw Valley State University, Michelle freely shares her knowledge and expertise with developing social workers.

One of her colleagues aptly noted, "Michelle's energy and perseverance are such that I have never witnessed in any other social worker. She has acquired the respect and admiration of her students, is a true team player and is well-respected by her colleagues."

Other School Social Workers of the Year awarded included:

Region A: Bianka von Kulajta
Region B: Maria Lucas
Region C: Robert Miller
Region D: Leonard Zabawski
Region E: Tim Fox and Barbara Bracey
Region F: Nancy Adair
Region H: Cindy Jo Wheeler
Region J: Laurie Oldford
Region M: Beverly Solomon

Pat Sager, Awards Chairperson commented that
The State of Michigan is truly blessed with incredibly dedicated, creative and resourceful School Social Workers who every day, empower students to build strong and durable bridges to a future of self-sufficiency, success and self-confidence. Thank you for your efforts, for your perseverance and for the daily bridges that you help to build.

Friday Night Hospitality Party

The Conference marked the first time that MASSW's very own Mary Ellen Bross and The Sylvester Cats Band entertained at the Friday Night Hospitality Party with their wide variety of music including many oldies. Everyone had a great time.

(more photos below)

The Conference Committee

The conference could not have taken place without the hard work of three individuals: Sandy Bennett, Patricia Metz, and Patricia Sager. Between these ladies, over 500 people were registered for the conference, over 200 applications for speaking were processed and over 40 breakout sessions were arranged. They also coordinated the program book, exhibitors, hotel negotiations, the awards and awards luncheon. Thanks ladies for an awesome job!

SHANTY CREEK, 2010

Next year, the MASSW SSW Conference moves north to Shanty Creek Resort in the Traverse City Area. The new conference chairpersons are Karla Vandenberg and Mollie Reynolds. They have already been working hard to secure rooms and will be calling for speakers soon. If you have questions or have an ideas, please feel free to contact Karla at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Mollie at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Mark your calendars now: October 28-30, 2010!

More Conference Photos

Special thanks to Mary Brooks for these Friday Night Photos. Others are welcome. Please send them to Steve Whitmore at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .