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Goals
Our goals at NASWSI include increasing student enrollment in the field of social work, especially among native communities in New Mexico and beyond. We aspire to be a resource for tribal social workers, tribal communities and Native students coming to New Mexico Highlands University. Learn more about NASWSI below and check out our course offerings and upcoming trainings.
Mission
Our mission is to educate and train social workers to provide services for tribal nations and indigenous communities by promoting resiliency, cultural knowledge, wisdom and healing.
Vision
Our vision is to establish a Native American lens of social work practices that educates and trains helping professionals to successfully respond to Native American families’ and communities’ needs that promote healing and resiliency.
Our Prospectus
The Institute will be situated within New Mexico Highlands University, Facundo Valdez School of Social Work and the first effort anywhere in the country by a school of social work to establish a program of study and development to respond directly to the call of tribal governments for acknowledgement of their sovereign right to determine content and focus of education to prepare students for work in their communities. This accomplishment was reached through centuries’ long struggles by tribal leadership to gain control over the education of their people and the right to define adaptable response to societal change impacting tribal communities as acknowledged in the 2009 Tribal/State Collaboration Act.
Excerpt from the Native American Social Work Studies Institute Prospectus written by Evelyn Lance Blanchard, MSW, Ph.D. Coordinator, NASWSI Advisory/Development Committee.
Our Staff
Oren Shtayermman, PhD
Dean of Social Work
Oren Shtayermman, PhD Dean of Social Work
Rachell Tenorio, MSW, PhD
Director and Assistant Professor
(Santo Domingo Pueblo/Kewa) Pronouns: She/her/hers Dr. Tenorio has served for several years as a tenure track faculty member with the FVSSW and is a member of the Santo Domingo Pueblo.