For Immediate Release
August 27, 2004 |
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Melissa Hayden Bellin receives the
Jane B. Aron Doctoral Fellowship from the National
Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF)
Washington The National Association
of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) is pleased to announce that
Melissa Hayden Bellin is the recipient of the Jane B. Aron Doctoral
Fellowship for 2004-2005. This Fellowship Program provides partial
support to doctoral students who are engaged in dissertation research
in health care policy and practice.
Ms. Bellin's dissertation, An ecological model of adjustment for
adolescent siblings of youth with spina bifida, will increase knowledge
of protective factors associated with favorable psychological and
behavioral outcomes that inform the development of prevention and
intervention programs for these children.
Spina bifida is regarded as one of the most complex chronic health
conditions and can result in a range of health complications including
hydrocephalus, paralysis, or neurocognitive deficits. Because of
these complications, the impact of spina bifida on one child may
heighten risk for psychosocial difficulties for parents and siblings.
This research is important to these families because it will help
those who provide family support programs better serve them, decreasing
the stresses of having a child with special needs.
Ms. Bellin is a doctoral student in the School of Social Work at
Virginia Commonwealth University .
For more information about the NASW Foundation or the Jane B. Aron
Doctoral Fellowship, please visit www.naswfoundation.org or
email foundation@naswdc.org
The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF),
in Washington , DC , focuses
on enhancing the well-being of individuals, families, and communities
through the advancement of social work practice.
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