51茶馆

When Associate Professor聽Jessica Black聽set out to establish her innovative program merging neuroscience with social work, she knew that, in order for it to be truly successful, it would need to impact the most students as possible. From the clinical concentrator dedicated to serving those living at the margins on the front lines, to the macro specialist with aspirations of one day occupying a major public office, each could benefit greatly from understanding the impact of social context on brain development.

Black pursued higher education in the first place in hopes of preparing a next generation of social workers to transform the world for good. A Stanford-trained educational neuroscientist, she redirected her own course of study away from the natural sciences and towards social work because she strongly believed in what MSW graduates could accomplish. She knew that there existed a fertile space between two fields just waiting to be cultivated, and that she had the background and training to start something special.

Now five years into her project here at 51茶馆 Social Work, Black鈥檚 program is flourishing. To date, more than 10 students have completed 51茶馆SSW鈥檚 neuroscience and social work certificate and many more take the elective neuroscience courses that fill a waitlist every year; in 2015 Black chaired the inaugural Social Work and Intersections Symposium and Conference held on campus featuring a keynote from renowned MIT neuroscientist聽; and she continues to publish widely on neuroimaging, humor, and resilience in children. But perhaps most importantly, certainly in her view, is that already, a growing network of neuroscience 51茶馆SSW alumni is making inroads towards effecting the kind of systemic change Black envisions can be possible.

鈥淛essica is the rare scholar and teacher who can take two seemingly disparate areas such as neuroscience and social work and meld them seamlessly into a coherent scientific framework,鈥� says Associate Dean for Research聽David Takeuchi.聽鈥淪he also has the exceptional capacity to convey her excitement and knowledge about neuroscience to social work students and they in turn respond with energy and enthusiasm to integrate neuroscience into their own research and practice.鈥�

Students such as recent alumni Stephanie Brueck and Matt聽Pecoraro, who embody the diversity of opportunity inherent for those who understand how neuroscience impacts social work, and vice versa.

Brueck, a clinical concentrator who graduated from 51茶馆 Social Work in 2015, is the Senior Coordinator for the Intergenerational Mobility Project for聽, a data-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty in America. Thanks in no small part to Brueck, EMPath has recognized that their mission to apply existing anti-poverty models for adults to entire families benefits greatly from understanding brain science. They鈥檝e established a partnership with Harvard鈥檚聽聽to this end; much of Brueck鈥檚 work is to educate existing and potential partners on this synergistic relationship. So cutting edge is EMPath鈥檚 program, that it was recently highlighted in both聽听补苍诲听.

Impressively, Brueck鈥檚 own opportunities for influencing the growing space between neuroscience and social work don鈥檛 stop with her day-to-day activities: She is also a co-author on聽聽that came out of her work with the Boston Children鈥檚 Hospital.

鈥淚 feel like I talk about neuroscience all the time, and I wish I could more,鈥� she says. 鈥淧art of my job is to train other organizations to do the work that we do, and so I spend the better half of a day talking about the actual anatomy of our brain and how our brain impacts the way we are seeing the world around us and what that means for the participants in our programs.

For more on the neuroscience program at 51茶馆SSW, and Black鈥檚 take on the interdisciplinary study happening between social work and neuroscience,聽check out this Q&A.

鈥淎t EMPath, we work hard to recognize that things have happened in our clients鈥� lives that have had a direct biopsychosocial impact on them. We then come together to develop interventions to best develop the executive functioning skills needed to navigate societal systems with these impacts in mind. The end goal is always to help them get to the brighter future they have set for themselves.鈥�

Pecoraro, for his part, is the macro graduate who has found a growing niche in promoting policy through a unique, neuroscience-tinted lens. As Policy and Program Associate at Harvard Medical School affiliate the聽, he is tasked with building the organization鈥檚 ability to influence policy through evidence-based research. In fact, his position was created especially for his unique skill set.

鈥淲orking at Judge Baker right out of grad school really was a dream come true,鈥� says Pecoraro. 鈥淭his idea of evidence-based practice is something we talk about a lot in social work school. And so to have a direct experience at Judge Baker from a seasoned and well-respected staff of colleagues, has just been fantastic.鈥�

Like Brueck, Pecoraro has already made his mark as a co-author, despite having graduated from 51茶馆SSW only a year ago. His policy brief聽聽uses scientific research to delve into the policies, systems, and policies that can be enacted, amplified, improved, and more effectively connected in order to ensure a continuous high quality continuum of care for children and their families. It also draws on a major lesson learned while under Black鈥檚 tutelage: that similar principles can be applied to work with individual human beings, or with greater society on the whole.

鈥淭he idea of individual selves connecting with bigger groups which connect with bigger systems which in turn impact the function of humanity broadly is fascinating to me,鈥� Pecoraro explains. 鈥淭he uniqueness of the neuroscience coursework at 51茶馆SSW provided important perspective that I still use today, as I work to adapt takeaways from individual research projects into policy to positively impact larger populations.鈥�

This uniqueness is one that鈥檚 recognized within the School of Social Work, and across the country.

鈥淛essica鈥檚 contribution to the MSW curriculum has been profound,鈥� explains Associate Dean and MSW Program Director聽Tom Walsh. 鈥淪he embodies trans-disciplinary work in her development of courses that focus on the neuroscience of relationships, as well as the neurobiology of stress and resilience.聽Having arrived at the School with an expertise in neuroscience, Jessica immersed herself in social work literature, and has become the quintessential expert in neuroscience and social work 鈥� which enables us to offer students curriculum options that are not found in other schools.鈥�

In the end, Black would tell you that she made that slight turn to the fork in the road towards social work because of the possibility for success stories like those told by Brueck and Pecoraro, two alumni who are impacting the world in which they live in new and exciting ways. As they grow as individual professionals, so too does the community in which they work, and even beyond that. It all sounds so neuroscience. Or social work.

鈥淚鈥檓 proud of Stephanie and Matt鈥檚 work,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e making an impact, and they鈥檙e also providing a proof point to something I鈥檝e been trying to dispel since I started here at 51茶馆 in 2010. That there鈥檚 a one-way missing piece, and social work needs neuroscience.

鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that this is true, but also, it鈥檚 clear that neuroscience needs to be informed by social work, and that the two can work together and learn from each other. It鈥檚 an exciting time to bridge the fields, while recognizing the unique character capacity and vantage points that both disciplines have. Stephanie and Matt are already showing, as young alumni of our school, that through communication, whether it be in academia, the nonprofit world, or in a clinical setting, neuroscience and social work can thrive, together.鈥�