For Immediate Release August 27, 2004

Contact NASW Communications 202-336-8228 lcurry@naswdc.org

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.