Class Notes

Joseph Monaco, MSW ’73, has been in private practice for 11 years, the last three at Western New York Psychotherapy Services in Orchard Park, NY. He also performs utilization reviews of mental health charts for Jewish Family Services of Buffalo and Erie County.

A new book, The Practice of Social Work with Older Adults, (Health Professions Press, 2020), by Mary Kaplan, BSW ’74, is written from her perspective as a geriatric social worker for over 40 years—including direct services, administration, teaching, and advocacy. The text illustrates strategies and interventions that move theory into real-world social work settings.

Robin Hamlisch, MSW ’77, retired from the Counseling and Psychological Services at Cornell University; she continues to provide counseling in a part-time capacity.

Mark O’Brien, MSW ’83, recently became Erie County Commissioner of Mental Health. He is chair of the eight-county OMH-sponsored Western Regional Planning Consortium, and is in private practice at Family Counseling Associates in Tonawanda, NY.

Cathy Mackiewicz, MSW ’85, recently retired and is spending time with her grandchildren. She lives in Kentucky.

Christopher Scozzaro, MSW ’92, earned his PhD in Counselor Education from the University at Buffalo in 2016. An addition to being in private practice, he is a social worker with the West Seneca Central Schools.

Sarah Smith, MSW ’94, owns Center for Clarity and is an EMDR approved consultant in Amherst, NY. She actively works to promote anti-racism in the culture of trauma treatment.

Everiste Ambris, MSW ’96, has been teaching at Florida Atlantic University since 2007 and is a field faculty-senior instructor at the school’s Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work.

Marcy Abramsky, MSW ’99, owns InspireAmind®️, where she provides services as an LCSW counselor and consultant, writer, and digital radio host. She is also an NYTP Services independent contractor. She supported a Telemental Health Crisis Internship that serviced isolated seniors during the pandemic in 2020.

Geraldine Lopez, MSW ’99, is an assistant principal in Buffalo Public Schools in Buffalo, NY.

William Korthals, MSW ’00, was promoted to suicide prevention coordinator for the VA clinic in Myrtle Beach, where he also is a health specialist working to increase the use of mobile mental health apps as an adjunct to care and provides mental health care through Teladoc. He successfully focuses on the use of tech to improve care in general. He holds a master's of public administration from Arizona State University and is certified through a UB program as a trauma counselor. He’s a licensed social worker in three states and earned his Lean Six Sigma yellow belt in 2019.

Regina Gonzalez, MSW ’02, is an English as a New Language classroom paraprofessional in Jamestown, NY and is also enrolled in the SUNY Fredonia graduate TESOL program.

Tamekia Slaughter-Smith, MSW ’02, is a Department of Defense Air Force sexual assault response coordinator in Niagara Falls, NY. She recently completed her first deployment to Iraq with the Army.

Elizabeth McPartland, MBA/MSW ’03, is the president and CEO of Child & Family Services in Buffalo, NY.

The John R. Oishei Foundation, Western New York’s most comprehensive private foundation, has named Esther Annan, MSW ’06, as a program officer. She assists in developing, managing, and evaluating a portfolio of grants and initiatives, with a special focus on health and human services.

Andrea Barber, MSW ’06, is a social worker on the acute and rehabilitation units at the Bath VA Medical Center in Steuben County, NY.

Jennifer Dunning, MSW ’09, is the Western New York regional representative for the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.

Jenna Witkowski, MSW ’09, is in private practice offering psychedelic integration therapy and is pursuing certification in the practice through Fluence, a psychedelic education company training mental health providers in psychedelic treatments. Her certification is anticipated this summer.

Laura Haseley-Woodworth, MSW ’10, is a care manager with MLTC plan members at iCircle Services.

Rich Rutherford, MSW ’10, is a social worker at the Albion Correctional Facility in Albion, NY.

Sandra Sheppard, PhD ’10, MSW ‘97, is an evaluation associate at Community Connections of NY Inc. She manages and writes reports for mental health, aging-in-place, and ACEs projects. 

Samantha Goodson, MSW '11, is a senior consultant at Community Solutions, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN. 

Kathryn L. Diebold, MSW ’11, was accepted to the Tulane University DSW program and began classes in January 2021.

Amy Manning, PhD ’11, MSW ’03, joined the Buffalo State College Department of Social Work as an assistant professor.

Danielle Donner Eadie, MSW ’13, was appointed the clinical director of Counseling Services at Daemen College in Amherst, NY. 

Sarah Hedden, MSW ’13, is a supervising attorney at the Center for Elder Law and Justice. She was recently appointed as a member of the Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, a prestigious and selective position under the act of the same name.

Carl Stokes, MSW ’13, earned his EdD in Education from St. John Fisher College. He has published the book, Reclaim Your Visibility: A Straightforward Guide for Black Fathers to Improve Themselves and Their Relationships with Their Children.

Elizabeth Agnello, MSW ’14, established Brave Little Fighters Foundation, in 2018. The nonprofit organization which provides “joyful and carefree opportunities for children and their families year round to ease uncertainty along their medical journey,” has served over 75 children with terminal illnesses, and their families, in Buffalo, NY.

Timothy Shaughnessy, MSW ’15, is an inpatient social worker at the Eastern Niagara Hospital Reflections Recovery Center.

Brandy Loveland, MSW ’16, has been named the first achievement coach for the WNY Women's Foundation Economic Mobility HUB.

Diana Springer, MSW ’16, was promoted to clinical supervisor at Horizon Health Services.

Mary Hinterberger, MSW ’17, was promoted to unit supervisor at Erie County Department of Social Services in Buffalo, NY. She is on the board of directors at Friends of Night People.

Aimee Rachel, MSW ’17, is the trauma-informed care coordinator at the Texas Association of Community Health Centers.

Victoria Rader, MSW ’17, is a float counselor II at BestSelf Behavioral Health in Buffalo, NY.

Danielle Dylik, MSW ’18, is a founding social worker of the Buffalo Creek Academy Charter School.

Anna Linde, MSW ’18, is a social worker for the Bar Association of Erie County Assigned Counsel Program in Buffalo, NY.

Emily Louisos, MSW ’18, recently passed her clinical licensure exam and is a clinical therapist with Dominion Hospital in Alexandria, VA.

Natalie Geisbuesch, MSW ’19, is a master social worker at Highland Hospital in Rochester, NY.

Mariah Mann, MSW ’19, a mental health counselor at Noyes Mental Health and Wellness in Dansville, NY, also runs a mental health clinic out of a local high school.

Elizabeth Chandonait, MSW ’20, is a behavioral health assessment specialist at Arnot Ogden Medical Center, in Elmira, NY.

Corinne Fiegl, MSW ’20, is a social worker at the Greenfields Health and Rehabilitation Center in Lancaster, NY.

Michael Leff, MSW ’20, was recently named as accreditation specialist at the Council on Social Work Education; while the organization is based in Alexandria, VA, he will work remotely and continue to reside in Western New York.

Ziv Noam, MSW ’20, is a social worker, assisting hospice patients with their needs at Supportive Care of Orleans, in Albion, NY.

Haneul Park, MSW '20, is a multisystemic therapist worth with youth at Catholic Charities of Buffalo, in Buffalo, NY.