Fellowship helps social work students aid immigrants
Social work students Catherine Patteson Poehling, left, and Chenoa Moten are among the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship recipients this year. Five other Tulane students are Schweitzer Fellows this academic year. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)
Tulane University social work students Chenoa Moten and Catherine Patteson Poehling knew they wanted to help New Orleans" underserved immigrant populations, and thanks to an Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, they"ll get to do just that.
The duo joins 12 other graduate students in New Orleans who received the fellowship to spend the next year learning to effectively address social factors that impact health. Five other Tulane students are Schweitzer Fellows this academic year as well.
Moten and Poehling are in a program called Alivio, which seeks to alleviate acculturation stress and trauma experienced by unaccompanied Hispanic minors during their journey to the United States.
They are partnering with Catholic Charities to provide psycho-educational training to the minors and their caregivers.
“We"re hoping that the project will help participants better cope with the stressors in their life,” Moten says. “We also hope to gain a better understanding of acculturation stress and educate the agencies and individuals in the Greater New Orleans area that are working with immigrant populations.”
Moten says she was drawn to the fellowship because fellows have full autonomy in deciding which health issue they want to address and how to address it.
“As a social worker, I felt that the mission of the Schweitzer fellowship aligned nicely with both my personal and professional values,” Moten says. “I knew from the beginning that I was interested in creating a project that would address the needs of New Orleans" immigrant population since it"s arguably one of the most underserved populations in the city.”
Moten hopes that other second-semester social work students will further develop and expand the project in the future.
Schweitzer Fellows partner with community organizations to develop and implement year-long, mentored 200-hour service projects that improve the health and well-being of underserved populations. Fellows simultaneously undergo leadership development training and guided reflection.
Joseph Halm is marketing and communications coordinator for the Tulane School of Social Work.
