The University of Washington School of Social Work and the UW Alumni Association present "Working for Washington's Children," the Leaders in Social Work Breakfast Series.

One contact hour of continuing education credit can be earned for attendance to each lecture.

Complimentary parking for the breakfasts has been arranged in Central and Padelford parking garages. Please inform the gatehouse you are there for the SSW Breakfast Series.

Series Schedule

September 23
“Balancing Rigor and Relevance in Child Welfare: Reflections on a Practitioner-Foundation-University Partnership”
Lecturers: Ruth Massinga and Dr. Peter J. Pecora

September 30
“Washington's Children: Are We Failing Children of Color?”
Lecturers: Paola Maranan, Kip Tokuda and Dr. Joseph G. Bell

October 7
“Communities That Care: Promoting Safe and Healthy Child Development”
Lecturers: Dr. David Hawkins and Terry Chadsey

The Speakers

Ruth Massinga, President and CEO, Casey Family Programs
In her more than 30 years in the child welfare arena, Ruth Massinga has championed the needs of children and families at the local and national levels. Since 1989, she has led Casey Family Programs, a national operating foundation whose mission is to provide and improve foster care. She also serves as board chair for the Marguerite Casey Foundation and board co-chair for The Finance Project in Washington, D.C., and the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. She is a board member of The New School Foundation and the Alliance for Education in Seattle.

Dr. Peter J. Pecora, '82, Senior Director of Research Services for Casey Family Programs, and Professor, UW School of Social Work
Dr. Peter Pecora has a joint appointment as senior director of research services for Casey Family Programs and as professor of social work for the University of Washington. He was a line worker and a program coordinator in a number of child welfare service agencies, working with the state to implement intensive home-based services, training and risk assessment systems for Child Protective Services. In 2002 he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in Australia. His books and articles focus on child welfare program design, administration and research. Currently he is leading a study of foster care alumni in the states of Oregon and Washington.

Paola Maranan, Executive Director, Children's Alliance
Paola Maranan serves as executive director of the Children's Alliance, a statewide advocacy organization with 128 organizational and more than 4,500 individual members. Before joining Children's Alliance, she served as program manager for the United Way of King County's Children's Initiative. She also worked as the Children's Alliance's public policy director, providing advocacy training and coordinating efforts to respond specifically to the needs of children and families of color. A graduate of Project LEAD and Leadership Tomorrow, she has been actively involved with the YMCA's Living Legacy Program and the Institute for Washington's Future, among many other groups.

Kip Tokuda, '69, '73, Director, City of Seattle Human Service Department's Family and Youth Services Division
Lifelong Seattle resident Kip Tokuda has spent his professional and civil life as an advocate for children, diversity and civil rights. For eight years he served as executive director of the Washington Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. He was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives in 1994, representing the 37th legislative district in Central/Southeast Seattle. He was chairman of the House Children and Family Services Committee and sat on the Appropriations and Juvenile Justice/Family Law committees. Appointed by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels in April 2002, he is currently the director of family and youth services in the city's Human Resources Department.

Dr. Joseph G. Bell, '67, '70, Former Washington State Executive
Dr. Joseph Bell has worked in human services for more than 40 years as a direct service provider, administrator, researcher, planner and educator for nonprofits, state government agencies, and public and private universities. While at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, he spearheaded the interagency Family Policy Council, a community-based planning system for integrating all state social, health and education services to communities and individuals. As regional administrator for Children's and Family Services, DSHS, he worked with community systems serving abused and neglected children. He also served as chief operating officer for the Seattle Metropolitan Urban League.

Dr. J. David Hawkins, Endowed Professor in Prevention, UW School of Social Work, Director, Social Development Research Group
Dr. J. David Hawkins serves as the School of Social Work's endowed professor of prevention and director of the UW's Social Development Research Group. His research focuses on understanding and preventing child and adolescent health and behavior problems. He developed the Communities That Care program and helped to create the Social Development Model, a theory that provides a foundation for positive development and drug abuse prevention. In 1999 he received the Prevention Science Award from the Society for Prevention Research, for which he currently serves as president. Widely published, Dr. Hawkins also has been a member of the Washington State Governor's Substance Abuse Prevention Committee.

Terry Chadsey, Senior Project Consultant for Seattle Public Schools
Terry Chadsey manages the Communities That Care project for Seattle Public Schools. Funded by a Safe Schools-Healthy Students grant, the project has successfully engaged 22 schools in comprehensive prevention planning. Previously he spent five years coordinating school improvement and training workshops for teachers and administrators in Everett Public Schools. He serves as facilitator for Courage to Teach™ and is a certified associate for Positive Discipline™. For more than 20 years he taught K-6 in Chicago and Washington state. He is an adjunct professor for both Seattle Pacific and Seattle universities.

Location & Directions

The UW Social Work Building is located at 4105 15th Ave. N.E., Seattle. From Interstate 5 North or South, take the Northeast 45th Street exit and head East on 45th to 15th Avenue Northeast (eight blocks). Turn right (south) and travel on 15th Northeast until reaching Northeast 41st Street. The School of Social Work is on the Northwest corner of 15th and 41st.
To park: Turn left at Gate #1 into the Central Plaza Garage at 41st St. and 15th Ave NE. Stop at the gatehouse inside the garage for directions and a parking permit. Complimentary parking has been arranged in Central and Padelford parking garages. Please inform the gatehouse you are there for the SSW Breakfast Series.