MFP Connect, January 2026

Greetings MFP Community,

Happy New Year! As we begin 2026, we are pleased to share updates from the CSWE Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) community as Fellows continue to engage in experiences that advance their academic and professional development. In the new year, many MSW Fellows are considering post-graduation paths, including licensure, employment, and doctoral study. Several doctoral fellows contributed their research findings at the 2026 Society for Social Work and Research Conference where they explored topics related to advancing mental health and/or substance use services, social work education, and leadership. CSWE MFP remains committed to supporting and acknowledging the significant efforts of Fellows whose work enhances community well-being at multiple levels, including direct service, research, teaching, and leadership.

Prior to the winter break, Fellows completed an activity focused on the history and impact of the CSWE MFP. Through reviewing selected Journal of Social Work Education articles commemorating 50 years of the program, Fellows reflected on the MFP’s mission, legacy, and contributions to advancing behavioral health. These reflections informed meaningful discussions during the MFP Fellow Connections virtual meeting where Fellows explored strategies for strengthening mutual support and professional resilience. These discussions also encouraged fellows to examine how they embody leadership in both formal and informal roles, and how these experiences inform their ongoing development as emerging leaders. We look forward to continuing hosting these spaces where Fellows can build meaningful connections and gain insights that strengthen their professional identity.

As we acknowledge the achievements of current Fellows, we also look ahead with enthusiasm to welcoming future CSWE MFP cohorts! The 2026–2027 Doctoral Minority Fellowship Program application is open for submission until March 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM (ET). We encourage you to share this opportunity with your networks. Read below for more details on the application, fellow highlights, and valuable resources.

Warm regards,
The MFP Team

Elisabeth Adams (she/her/ella) is a 2025-2026 MFP master’s fellow who is passionate about integrating social work services among underserved populations, especially Latine and immigrant communities. As the daughter of a first-generation Latina woman, Elisabeth has witnessed the consequences of mental health stigma and barriers to mental health care within her home city of Houston, Texas. Her upbringing in an underserved Hispanic community inspired her to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and later, a Master of Social Work degree to fulfill the wisdom provided in Micah 6:8: to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

Elisabeth has been a graduate research assistant at the Child Welfare Education Project (CWEP) at the University of Houston since starting her master’s program. She spent her first year as an intern and case manager for Humble Area Assistance Ministries (HAAM), a local social service agency serving the Humble, Texas community. At HAAM, Elisabeth participated in programs that served older adults in a residential facility, provided disaster relief services through financial assistance, and offered resources to support at-risk youth in their career development through career counseling.

She is currently a graduate intern for Empathy First Clinical Counseling and Consulting, a private practice where she has begun filling her caseload to serve BIPOC women and youth. When she has free time, Elisabeth loves to volunteer at SIRE Therapeutic Horsemanship, a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic horse riding lessons to individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities and equine-assisted learning sessions to veterans.

Elisabeth plans to obtain a PhD in social work once she graduates with her MSW degree. She is eager to study mental health interventions that may act as the gateway to services for marginalized groups, rather than being supplemental services alone. For Elisabeth, such interventions include those that remain understudied in current literature, such as equine-assisted psychotherapy and indigenous healing practices. Through social work research and practice, she aims to dismantle barriers to care and increase the availability of services for individuals experiencing mental health stigmatization or other obstacles to receiving treatment.

Being a recipient of the MFP has been incredibly transformative for Elisabeth. The MFP has broadened her horizons, allowing her to think beyond serving her local community to considering what social work could look like on both a national and global level. The MFP award has also solidified Elisabeth’s desire to advance her social work education post-MSW and pursue a PhD in social work to continue the efforts she has started among underserved groups. Most importantly, her cohort of equally passionate MFP fellows reminds her that she is not alone in the fight to bring about change for a more just and equitable world.
 

My name is Javon Reese. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Eastern Michigan University and am currently pursing a dual Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health. My professional journey began in brain injury rehabilitation, where I worked in a residential setting as a direct care worker and grew to a program manger role over the Manchester site.

I currently serve as a Suicide Prevention Coordinator at Centers for Family Development, Inc., a nonprofit in Detroit, Michigan. In this role, I facilitate multiple evidence-based suicide prevention trainings including Living Works ASIST and safeTALK, QPR, and Mental Health First Aid. I regularly present in community, schools, organizations, and with first responders to increase awareness of suicide risk, promote early recognition of warning signs, and encourage people to engage in uncomfortable conversations. I view this work as an opportunity to spread hope and empower others to show up for one another.

My work primarily focuses on adults and youth who are often underserved. I approach suicide prevention through a public health and social justice lens, recognizing that suicide affects all people across race, religion, political identity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and socioeconomic status.

The Minority Fellowship Program has had a meaningful impact on my professional development. Being in community with other fellows has strengthened my intentionality, expanded how I engage with communities, and reinforced the importance of collective care and accountability in social work practice. I am also encouraged to know that I will be able to build community to grow resources for the individuals we impact. I look forward to intentionally building community and collaborating.

Looking ahead, my goal is to continue advancing suicide prevention as an integrated public health priority across multiple spaces, including athletics, community wellness, infant mental health, and basic needs such as food security. As a former collegiate athlete who needed mental health support myself, I am especially passionate about creating supportive environments for athletes. Additionally, growing up in a community affected by food insecurity shaped my belief in empowerment through access, education, and shared resources. I see suicide prevention as interconnected with all of these areas and remain committed to creating safe spaces where people can share difficult experiences, build connection, and know they are not alone.

The 2026–2027 Doctoral Minority Fellowship Program application(Opens in a new window) is open for submission until March 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM (ET). To assist you with the application process, the MFP Team has prepared a Frequently Asked Questions(Opens in a new window) document along with an Application Guidebook(Opens in a new window).

If you are interested in learning more about the program, and would be interested in applying for the doctoral or MSW fellowship during the 2026–2027 fellowship year, please sign up below to be notified once applications open.