Change Makers: Social Work Alumni Who Turned Passion Into Purpose

One of the nation's highest-ranked social work programs, the Adelphi MSW infuses human rights, racial justice, and anti-oppressive practices throughout its curriculum, which includes classes focused on using law and legislation to promote policy change.

When Melody Centeno '08, MSW '12, presented a role play in her group practice class at Adelphi, she had no idea what a good actor she was. "I looked up, and half the class was crying because of how I presented," she remembered. "It made me think, 'Maybe I have some skill here.'"

She went on to acting school after graduation but, as a former foster child, she was always drawn to helping kids. In 2016, she combined her passions by creating Foster Care Unplugged, a nonprofit with chapters in New York and Atlanta, Georgia, that helps children heal from trauma through performance-based practice, turning their experiences into plays, films, and photography.

Centeno isn't alone in using her Adelphi social work experience to create an organization outside the clinic, and the Master of Social Work (MSW) program is a key ingredient in their process. One of the nation's highest-ranked social work programs, the Adelphi MSW infuses human rights, racial justice, and anti-oppressive practices throughout its curriculum, which includes classes focused on using law and legislation to promote policy change. A social action initiative each spring works with area nonprofits in antiracist and criminal justice advocacy work-perhaps serving as an inspiration to alumni who end up creating their own paths.

Healing Trauma Through The Arts

Centeno cites Adelphi's program as a formative part of her career. When taking acting classes, she realized that performance wasn't all that different from group therapy. "Acting is responding to something that is not real, so you have to tap into your emotions to get there," she said. At the same time, foster children are often deeply skeptical of traditional therapy, worried their words will be used against them or their family. The performance-based practice, Centeno said, can help them overcome mistrust by recognizing that others feel the same way they do, and working together to produce a creative project.

"I remember one girl who wouldn't speak to anyone when she first came in, but by the end of the program, she would not be quiet," said Centeno. The proof is in the numbers: Foster Care Unplugged has a 93 percent retention rate-a level virtually unheard of in foster care programs-and surveys have found a rise in self-esteem of 23 percent after the 12-week program. In leading the program, Centeno draws upon the hands-on training she got at Adelphi. "So many classes weren't just 'read this text, write this paper,'" she said; rather, they put students in the shoes of clients through journaling and other experiential activities to develop empathy. "They taught me to actually live out the journey of the clients I was about to serve."

Expanding Breast Cancer Education

Cynthia Jean, MSW '12, also draws upon personal passion at her nonprofit, Hope for Pink. In 2014, Jean was diagnosed with breast cancer, yet struggled to find accurate information about her options for treatment and recovery, especially as a young woman of color. "I didn't find a lot of information provided for women who look like me or who are in my age group," said Jean, who is Haitian American. "You had to dig for it." After her cancer went into remission, Jean founded Spring Forward Consulting to offer information and guidance to other women through health fairs and other events and organizations, empowering women to advocate for themselves. Too often, for example, doctors immediately propose mastectomy when less invasive treatments are available or don't adequately inform patients about genetic testing or the importance of monitoring after treatment.

Founding Hope for Pink in 2024 has further expanded Jean's mission to advocate for policy changes on a higher level to expand treatment for underserved populations. At Adelphi, she took courses in political social work and attended a certificate program at the University of Connecticut's Institute for Political Social Work that focused on influencing government policy. She has since drawn upon that background as part of the American Cancer Society National Breast Cancer Roundtable, which advocates for more equitable access to cancer screening tools, and New York City Health's Breast Cancer program, which facilitates free or low-cost screening for uninsured women. "I was always interested in having a broad impact, knowing that policy is important, because that's where change happens," she said.

Music in Dementia Care

Dan Cohen, MSW '78, similarly focused on the political aspects of social work during his time at Adelphi. "My goal was not to be a counselor or do clinical social work, but more about what systems I might be able to help change," he said. After earning his degree, his life took a detour into the technology field for four decades, but he always remained interested in social justice. When he heard about a new device called the iPod in 2006, he began volunteering in nursing homes, setting up elderly residents with music from their youth. He was amazed at the results. "You could have residents who were out of it for weeks or months, and then all of a sudden they spring to life," he said.

At the same time, he struggled with red tape, eventually creating a nonprofit, Music & Melody, to cut through it, training teams in some 5,000 hospitals and assisted living facilities to integrate music as part of residents' treatments. As he dug into the science, he found that exposing elderly patients to music is associated with a 48 percent decrease in depression. "If you had a pill that did that, every doctor would want to prescribe it," he said. In addition, music results in dramatic decreases in falls and choking by dementia patients who show improved attention, as well as decreased burden on caretakers.

As wonderful as music can be as a treatment, Cohen said, it struggles for recognition amid the deep-pocketed advertising budgets of pharmaceutical companies. He has since started a new organization, Right to Music, to advocate on an international level, raising awareness and seeking to change policies to facilitate the introduction of music in gerontological settings. Among other endeavors, he's been involved in work through the International Music & Dementia Advocacy Coalition to expand access to music in care settings around the world, as well as efforts to free up money from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to devote to music and dementia efforts in the United States. "At Adelphi, I found some smart, passionate people who helped me focus my own skill set and understand a bit more about the paths to systems change," he said. "My social work degree certainly laid the foundation for me to move confidently as I now try to make change."

The Adelphi MSW program is available in three locations-Garden City, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie-and, this fall, will also be part of the University's new Manhattan Center.