Social Work's Obligation to
Make Schools Safer

Summary
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Tuesday, October 29, 2024
1:00PM - 2:30PM CDT


Bass Lecture Hall at the LBJ School of Public Affairs

2315 Red River St, Austin, TX 78712

Join us for an important lecture from the Dean Jack Otis Social Problem and Social Policy Lecture Series featuring Kimberly Mata-Rubio.

Kimberly’s 10-year-old daughter, Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio, was a victim of the Robb Elementary mass shooting on May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. Since then, Mata-Rubio has become advocated powerfully for gun violence prevention, founding the non-profit Lives-Robbed and ran for mayor of Uvalde, Texas.

Ms. Mata-Rubio's personal story will be complemented by a panel of experts on policy, research, social work, and historical harm and community engagement. They are:

  • Will Francis, LMSW, Executive Director of the Texas and Louisiana Chapters of the National Association of Social Workers
  • Nicole Golden, MSSW, Executive Director of Texas Gun Sense 
  • Monica M. Martinez, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of History; Clyde Rabb Littlefield Chair in Texas History Fellow, The University of Texas at Austin; and native of Uvalde
  • Moderator: Noël Busch-Armendariz, Ph.D., LMSW, MPA, University Presidential Professor, IDVSA Director, Associate Dean for Global Engagement, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin
Martinez will present research findings that she and her trauma-informed, multi-disciplinary team have collected since the tragic school shooting in Uvalde on May 24, 2022. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed, and many other suffered physical, psychological, and emotional injuries. The community-engaged study includes health, mental health, education, economic, and well-being recommendations. The panel will discuss the role social workers play in addressing the aftermath of gun violence, which is the current leading cause of death for children ages 1-17 in the United States. [1]


At the conclusion of this lecture, participants will be able to:
  1. Articulate the short and long-term impacts of children's exposure to violence in schools.
  2. Identify strategies to make schools safer in the climate of incidents of violence.
  3. Explain the policy implications of school safety laws.
  4. Reference the NASW Code of Ethics for illumination on social workers' professional responsibility in addressing gun violence in schools and beyond.

About The Dean Jack Otis Lecture Series
Dr. Jack Otis actively worked to build peace and hope for individuals, families, society, and the earth. He was committed to social justice and living a life of meaning. Dr Jack Otis created the Social Problem and Social Policy Lecture Series to bring attention to current social problems and inspire University students and faculty to develop solution to these problems. His entire life was dedicated to seeking out social problems and helping others. In his word, "The meaning of my life is whether I have added to the meaning of another's."
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If you have any questions, please email
ssw-pd@austin.utexas.edu

[1] McGough, M., Krutika A., & Nirmita P. (2023, September 8) Child and teen firearm mortality in the U.S. and peer countries. Kaiser Family Foundation.
https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/child-and-teen-firearm-mortality-in-the-u-s-and-peer-countries/

The opinions expressed by the participants at this event represent solely the personal viewpoints of those individuals and should not be construed to reflect the position or views of the University of Texas at Austin, the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, or any other unit of UT Austin or the University of Texas System.