Hey there. Long time no blog! I’m back.
First, happy New Year (and all the other holidays/celebrations/etc. I missed)!
And now for the update:
Yoga: I love it! I’ve been “practicing” for a bit over a month now and it’s great. A rockin’ hobby for anyone looking to get some Zen.
FLLA: I was recently selected to be a fellow for the 2012 class of the Front Line Leaders Academy (FLLA). FLLA is a premier campaign leadership development program offered every year by the Young Elected Officials (YEO) Network and Young People For (YP4) to 20 talented young people from across the country. FLLA provides prospective candidates and campaign leaders the ability to learn from successful political campaign professionals. Check out my bio and more about the program here: http://www.youngpeoplefor.org/flla2012
I’m going to South Africa! I was chosen along with 22 other students to attend the Howard University School of Social Work Alternative Spring Break/Service Learning trip to Cape Town, South Africa! That’s right; I’ll be spending 9 days in Africa this March. I’m working on my research topic now. Haven’t decided yet, but it may be something around health services for patients experiencing HIV/AIDS-related stigma. I’m so so so so so so so so sooooo psyched!
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| South Africa Trip Students & Faculty |
Wade Edwards Learning Lab: An organization near and extremely dear to heart wrote up a “Where Are They Now“piece about me in the 2011 newsletter. You can access the newsletter here: http://www.wade.org/documents/WELLnewsletter2011.pdf
Internship: I’m still having a blast at my internship at Community of Hope’s Marie Reed Health Center. I will start assisting with a women’s trauma recovery and Empowerment group soon. I’ve also been added as the behavioral health representative to the Language Access Working Group to help evaluate our services for people with limited English proficiency (LEP).
I was featured in the “volunteer spotlight” in the September 2011 edition of the Community of Hope Volunteer Newsletter. Here’s the write-up:
Name: Dakia "Kia" Davis
Title: Clinical MSW Intern
School: Howard University
Age: 28
Favorite Book: A Mercy by Toni Morrison
Favorite Movie: The Color Purple
Favorite Volunteer Moment: Recently a woman stopped me in the hallway at Health Services asking for help with an intake form. Since I've been doing macro and policy work over the summer, I don't always get to interact with patients. It was nice to be able to put a face to the work I'm doing. It reminded me why the administrative work at the clinic is so important.
Favorite quote: "And I do believe that I’m gonna prosper...‘cause I’m walking with the prayers of my mother." - India.Arie
When I first entered the Howard University School of Social Work (HUSSW) Master of Social Work (MSW) program, I quickly decided on the healthcare setting field of practice. My goal is to become a medical social worker so that I can assist patients in navigating the health care system and gaining access to important health services and education.
Over the summer I volunteered at the clinic researching medical insurance billing processes for mental health services.
This fall semester brings about a new role for me: Clinical MSW Intern. I look forward to performing clinical case management, intake assessments, care plans and health education services under the supervision of Valerie Lanham, LICSW. I am especially excited about leading psycho-therapy groups with Valerie and other COH staff.
That’s all the major stuff that’s happened. Here’s what I’m looking forward to:
Second Year Internship: There’s a chance I’ll be at Washington Hospital Center for my second year social work field placement. I’m really interested in this hospital and learning more about medical social, so let’s keep our fingers crossed!
Dr. Davis: I’m exploring PhD options in the social work and public health fields. I recently met with faculty in the public health department at UNCG. I’m excited to someday start training and work as a medical and or public health social worker. No worries, I plan to take a (short) break before starting any programs!
Research: I’m working to expand my research in the field of HIV/AIDS. I’m looking at stigma as a barrier to health-seeking behavior among HIV/AIDS patients. This was inspired by work at my internship and through assignments in my Human Behavior in the Social Environment II course. Dr. Husain, my professor for the class, is working with me to develop a paper for publishing/presentation.
Birthday: I’m turning 29 this Saturday!
In Daria’s Memory: February 5th marked the 1st anniversary of Daria’s passing. My family will be hosting an Easter dinner and egg hunt for about 40 kids and their families in Raleigh, NC this year. Easter was Daria’s favorite holiday and we thought this would be a fun way to honor her and her dedication to serving others.
So, that’s pretty much it. More to come next month after my South Africa Adventures.
