The Jordan Institute for Families
The UNC School of Social Work
The Emotional Weight Youth Workers Carry If you spend any time working in youth programs, you can spot burnout from a mile away. It is the counselor who arrives with a tired smile, the part-time staff member who just pulled an all-nighter studying, the young adult balancing school, family responsibilities, and emotionally intense work with […]
Purpose is the connection between an individual’s values, belief systems, and their contributions to the greater good of society. It is the guiding intention that provides direction and fulfillment. It’s not just about personal ambition; it is the desire to align one’s work with a sense of meaning. Researchers have found that individuals with high […]
Own Your Influence: An Unconventional Journey to Making an Impact at Work In a video interview with links below, Jordan Institute Advisory Group Member and CEO of Global Simon Group, Sherenne Simon, talks with us about her new book Own Your Influence: An Unconventional Journey to Making an Impact at Work Sherenne talks about her […]
“Perhaps now more than ever, the idea of coming into direct contact with radically different viewpoints– political perspectives, policy approaches, ethical stances– feels more real, more present, and more threatening than ever before” – Alex Rose In our third webinar, Working Across Difference, social worker and Rotary Peace Fellow, Alexandra Rose (UNC MSW ’24) shared […]
She’s leading the way to bring gender equity to the construction trades Link to the Full Interview here Nora Spencer, a graduate of the UNC School of Social Work MSW program, is on a mission to bring gender equity to the construction trades while helping seniors age in place. She sat down with us to […]
“How do we do power differently, not extract, exploit…how do we be regenerative?” With this call to action, Marisol Jiménez, MSW, concluded her remarks for how social workers can lead through times of change for our first webinar in the Jordan Institute Leadership Initiative. A National Association of Social Workers – North Carolina Chapter (NASW-NC)-award-winning […]
The idea of “rest” in the professional world is often synchronous with “need to take a day off”. While this is often certainly true, how many times have you taken a few days off work and returned more overwhelmed and less settled than before you left? Our May Deloris Jordan leadership initiative ‘lunch meet’ session […]
When social workers discuss the kinds of policies we’d like to see implemented to protect children, it oftentimes seems like a long shot to see any of them come to fruition. Social work is full of dreamers – people who care deeply about the world around them and devote their lives to creating innovative solutions […]
With federal, state and local funding in flux and philanthropic / corporate giving less secure, leading nonprofit organizations has been challenging in 2025. Layer on major shifts in language, policy, and a general sense of anxiety, and managing programs feels a bit like trying to drive a bus on a bumpy road during a minor […]
We’re excited to share what’s ahead this spring and summer at the Jordan Institute for Families, especially through our Leadership Development Initiative! Check out what’s coming up and how you can get involved. All events are free. Registration is required. Questions? Email Rakiah@unc.edu. Lunchtime Meet-Up Series Take a break, recharge, and connect with peers during […]
Have you ever been in a situation where working with a group makes the work harder than completing the work alone? Many groups struggle to agree on a shared goal and to work on it effectively. In a world where teamwork is essential, knowing how to build the team and maximize each team member’s unique […]
Prisons and jails are filled with women whose lives have been devastated by trauma, abuse, and addiction. These statistics surrounding incarcerated women are alarming and reveal the complex challenges they face. This situation highlights the critical need for comprehensive reentry programs. In 2022, the number of women incarcerated in jails and prisons across the United […]
We have to tell our stories so many times, but nothing changes. This space feels like a place where the stories matter and are heard.” Research centering the perspectives and needs of people living with chronic conditions is essential for improving care. We know that there are groups of people whose voices are needed to […]
Mindfulness has gained popularity over the years. Many are familiar with the term in an intrapersonal context, within oneself. “Mindfulness is the awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings’ ‘. In other words, when we are mindful, we intentionally stop and recognize what we are feeling, thinking, and experiencing without judgment. Now you’re probably thinking, […]
Yes, you heard it here. It is time for us to rethink the five-day workweek. Some of you may be rolling your eyes, shaking your head, and thinking about how the young generation has no work ethic. However, what if, for just a moment, we considered that a shorter work week could improve productivity, and […]
As social workers in management positions, we have to reckon with two things constantly 1) we are trying to push back against an exploitative system and 2) we are intimately a part of that system. While there are many strategies and ways to focus on being “in the system but not of the system,” here […]
Your alarm goes off. You wake up and turn on your lamp. You unplug your phone from the wall and glimpse your notifications. You walk to the restroom and turn on the shower. You wait for the water to heat up, and throw a pile of clothes on the bed destined to be the day’s […]
For Sarah Verbiest, every day begins with a question: How do we ensure people have the support they need to be parents? What more can we do to help people be healthy? How do we make sure they have access to mental health services? What’s needed to ensure individuals build strong and healthy relationships, and […]
