Social Work Student Participates in Governor’s Town Hall  

SHU student Fabienne Edouard pictured with Governor Phil Murphy.

Undergraduate social work student, Fabienne Edouard, attended Governor Murphy's Town Hall Meeting on February 20 in North Brunswick. Over the last two years, as a Seton Hall student working toward her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BSW) degree, Fabienne has been studying and working on critical social issues which she hopes to bring to the attention of the Governor. Her current research on mental health in the Haitian community highlights barriers which prevent adequate detection and care of this population. She is also passionate about affordable housing and wants to ensure that housing initiatives under the Murphy Administration are permanently funded so that families do not have to worry about sustaining their current living situations.

Social workers are deeply committed to enhancing human well-being and helping meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. Social workers have advocated for social justice and promoted equality since the founding of the profession. Thus, advocacy for individuals, communities, and systems is not just a suggested activity for social workers — it is a requisite. Fabienne recognized that she had to engage in social and political action to ensure that all people have equal access to the resources. The Governor's Town Hall was an opportunity for Fabienne to advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions. She hopes to have other such opportunities this semester prior to graduating in May.

Categories: Health and Medicine, Nation and World