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Hartsville, SC — Coker
College’s fifth annual social work conference, “As the World Turns: Vulnerable
Populations and Social Work Practice,” will be held on Friday, October
15 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the college’s campus. The keynote speaker
will be Dr. Keith A. Alford, an associate professor in Syracuse University’s
School of Social Work. Conference attendees with state social work licenses
can earn up to 4.25 re-licensure hours.
The conference includes three sessions of workshops addressing a variety
of topics, including “International Social Services,” “Protecting Our
Elders from Mistreatment and Abuse,” and “Psycho-social Issues in the
Time of Bio-Terrorism.”
Alford, a 1983 Coker College graduate, has made significant contribution
in teaching, researching and practicing social work. His field service
includes being a group facilitator, a foster care family therapist, a
substance abuse counselor, and a mental health counselor. Alford has been
teaching at Syracuse University since 1996 and was named Faculty Member
of the Year in the School of Social Work in 2000. He received the Light
of Hope Award from the Center for Community Alternatives for his dedication
to the children of Onondaga County in 2001. In 2002, he received the Distinguished
Service Award from the Dunbar Association of Syracuse. Alford is also
listed in the “Who’s Who Among Americas Teachers” and holds memberships
with the National Association of Social Workers, the American Association
of Marriage and Family Therapy, and the Council on Social Work Education.
In 2002, Coker College awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Letters.
Presenters at Coker College’s fifth annual social work conference include:
Alford; Maureen Newton of Jacksonville State University; Jean Keefe of
Growing Home; Sam Caldwell of the S.C. Department of Mental Health; Dr.
Jeanne Cook of Coker College; Coker Students Anya Goodson, Lillian Walker,
and Deborah Martin; Cynthia Flynn of the Center for Child and Family Studies;
Charlotte Jones-Thom, Executive Director of S.C chapter of the National
Association of Social Workers; Helen Pridgen of the S.C. Department of
Social Services; Michael Byrd of the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice;
Colonel Ric Favati of the S.C. Youth Challenge Academy; and Kathy Cornish
and Ruthie Odom of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
For more information on Coker College’s fifth annual social work conference,
or Coker’s Bachelor of Social Work degree program, contact Darles Sikes,
social work field director, at 843-383-8015, or dsikes@coker.edu.
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