June 2025

Dr. Shani Saxon was born and raised in Lansing, MI, and grew up the youngest of five children to a single mother. Shani is currently a licensed micro and macro social worker, operating a private practice that provides mental and behavioral health support to individuals, couples, and community organizations. Her work is rooted in advancing equity and healing, with research interests that include clinical practice, healing circles as culturally responsive interventions, race and gender, and the complex trauma experienced by Black women.

With an unwavering commitment to social justice, academic excellence, and community healing, Shani’s journey in the field of social work is marked by her own lived experiences and thirst for equality and racial healing. She began her educational path at Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology, followed by a Master of Social Work. Driven to deepen her impact, she pursued and has now completed her PhD in Social Work at Wayne State University as a Rumble Fellow.

As part of her professional journey, Shani envisioned and directed a documentary, “Chapter 23” that amplifies the voices of Black women and how they heal, find community and meaningful friendships, aiming to foster connection, healing, and visibility. Throughout her academic career, Shani has presented at the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management conference and the Society for Social Work Research conference, where she served on the Communications Committee. She has co-authored multiple research papers, and her scholarship continues to shape her mission: to uplift and empower Black women through healing and research.

The MFP has been transformative for Shani. The fellowship and the experiences Shani has participated in have expanded her professional network, provided access to advanced research training, and reinforced her dedication to serving underserved communities. The MFP has accelerated Shani's academic growth, strengthened her purpose, and opened doors that continue to propel her career forward. Shani is deeply grateful for the support and mentorship the MFP has given her, as it has been more than a fellowship; it is a family and a foundation with a lasting impact.

Looking ahead, Shani aspires to influence mental health policy and promote wellness for underserved communities through her macro practice experience, or to secure a tenure-track faculty position where she can expand her research on race-related stress and healing among Black women clinicians utilizing healing circles as a therapeutic tool. In the long term, she envisions authoring books on complex trauma, traveling globally to explore racial trauma from a cross-cultural perspective, and mentoring the next generation of social work scholars.

Edwin Santos Lepiz, MSW, CSW, is a dedicated Crisis Social Worker at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute Crisis Care Center in Salt Lake City, UT. With more than 5 years of experience across clinical, medical, and community-based settings, he brings a depth of expertise in acute social work assessment and crisis stabilization. Edwin utilizes trauma-informed, evidence-based models—including the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality—to deliver compassionate, person-centered care. Edwin’s clinical focus lies in suicide prevention and intervention, with a strong commitment to advancing culturally affirming mental health care for BIPOC and queer communities. Grounded in the values of equity, justice, and inclusion, he is deeply dedicated to reducing suicide risk while honoring the lived experiences, resilience, and strengths of historically marginalized populations. He envisions crisis response systems that are both accessible and responsive to the diverse cultural and social identities of those they serve.

A proud graduate of the University of Utah, Edwin holds a MSW, a BSW, and a Bachelor of Psychology. He was recognized with the Elise Kasteler Hutchings Award for his academic excellence and leadership within the social work profession. As a board member of the Utah Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, Edwin helps lead statewide efforts focused on legislative advocacy, equity-driven initiatives, and workforce development. In Fall 2025, Edwin will begin his Doctor of Social Work program at Capella University, where his capstone will explore equitable crisis intervention models, systemic barriers to care, and community-centered strategies for behavioral health delivery. As a CSWE MFP fellow, Edwin has gained invaluable mentorship, leadership development, and a national network of peers that continues to elevate his impact as a clinician and emerging leader. Edwin’s journey is a testament to the power of representation, resilience, and collective healing and reflects his unwavering commitment to building ethical, inclusive, and transformative mental health systems.

Mashrafi Anwar is a 2024–2025 MFP master’s fellow with a deep passion for utilizing social work to serve his Bangladeshi, South Asian, and immigrant populations as a whole. As a lower-middle class Bangladeshi American raised in Queens, NY, Mashrafi has seen firsthand how the systemic challenges of immigration, cultural stigma surrounding mental health, and the pressure to live up to expectations have all come together to impact the family dynamics within his community. With his lifelong goal of serving as a “love letter to his people,” Mashrafi chose to pursue social work to provide individualized and family therapy to help bridge gaps created by intergenerational trauma and systemic injustice. 

Throughout his social work journey, Mashrafi has always emphasized the need for culturally conscious care to be holistic and provide services at all levels and capacities. Mashrafi currently provides individual counseling to BIPOC youth as a community Children and Family Treatment and Support Services worker for New York Youth Support Program. At a community level, he has supported newly immigrated Bangladeshis through the provision of immigration resources and welfare benefits with CIANA, a social services agency. At a macro level, he has served as the youth council leader for Healthy Minds, Healthy Kids, a child mental health advocacy campaign dedicated to increasing health budgets and policy reform.

Mashrafi is also a recent advanced standing MSW graduate from the Columbia School of Social Work (CSSW), where he specialized in advanced clinical social work practice for family, youth, and children’s services. During his time at CSSW, Mashrafi completed his practicum placement at Rising Ground, a foster care agency, where he served as a Mental Health Therapist Intern utilizing multiple therapeutic modalities and assessments to support various foster care family dynamics. A year prior, Mashrafi also earned his Bachelor of Social Work degree with a minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies from the New York University’s (NYU) Silver School of Social Work. During his time at NYU, Mashrafi assisted unhoused folks with transitioning into housing with GCN MainChance, conducted ageism research for NYU’s Center for Health and Aging Innovation, and supported a childhood sexual abuse prevention program for the NYU AIM-PCM lab.

From assistance in fostering connection with fellow South Asian social workers in a field where there are very few to begin with, all the way to professional development aimed at developing leadership and building confidence we can do all that we would like to accomplish, Mashrafi believes the MFP to have been deeply impactful upon his career. Mashrafi’s hopes and goals for the future in social work include lessening the stigma of mental health support within the South Asian diaspora, increasing access to culturally and linguistically conscious support, and furthering the importance of being in community and the liberation of all.

We are proud to recognize Dr. Joelisse Galarza, 2024–2025 MFP doctoral fellow, as the recipient of the 2025 Leadership in Advancing Social Work Practice and Social Justice Award, presented by the National DSW Conference Committee. The 2025 Leadership in Advancing Social Work Practice and Social Justice Award honors a current or former DSW student for exceptional contributions to social work practice and social justice. Recipients exemplify a strong commitment to social work values and the Grand Challenges for Social Work through impactful practice, advocacy, leadership, or innovation. Dr. Galarza’s outstanding work in advancing mental health support in schools has made a significant impact in the sector of school social work. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor! 
 

CSWE Fellows Forum 2025 

The 2025 CSWE Fellows Forum held May 12–13 in Alexandria, VA convened CSWE fellows from the CSWE MFP, the Interdisciplinary MFP, and the Substance Abuse Education and Leadership Scholars (SUDEALS) program. The forum's theme, “Advancing Disability Justice: Substance Use in Social Work Research and Practice,” guided 2 days of rich discussion and engagement. The forum explored the intersections of disability justice and substance use, emphasizing the importance of inclusive, community-based approaches in social work research and practice. 

The event featured a powerful plenary session led by Shelly Weizman, JD, titled “A Nation in Recovery: How Law and Policy Shape America’s Response to Addiction.” Additional sessions included a BSW/MSW fellow-focused presentation by Gloria Cain, PhD, LMSW, titled “Disability Justice and Joy: Substance Use and Disability,” and a doctoral session by Grace L. Francis, PhD, titled “The Why and How of Conducting Research with Individuals Who Have Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Diagnoses.” Fellows also participated in a policy training session facilitated by CSWE’s Government Affairs team, Lewis-Burke Associates, which equipped them with advocacy strategies and insights into legislative processes relevant to behavioral health and social work.

On day 2, fellows visited Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where they met with local representatives’ offices and learned how constituent priorities are transformed into legislation. Many fellows spoke in support of continued funding for federally funded programs such as MFP. 

The forum served as a dynamic platform for fellows and professionals to engage in meaningful dialogue, share professional experiences, and collaborate on strategies to enhance social work leadership in advancing disability justice and addressing substance use through research, practice, and policy.
 

JSWE Special Issue Celebrating 50 Years of CSWE's MFP 

We are excited to announce that the Journal of Social Work Education (JSWE) has published a special issue, “Celebrating 50 Years of CSWE's Minority Fellowship Program: Reflecting on the Program's Presence and Impact.” This commemorative special issue of JSWE, guest edited by CSWE’s current MFP Director Dr. Collina Cooke and former Director Dr. Duy Nguyen, honors the 50th anniversary of CSWE’s MFP by reflecting on its profound legacy and highlighting the voices, scholarship, and influence of those impacted by the program. In recognition of CSWE’s MFP, it’s leadership and its legacy, the following articles are available with free access until November 1, 2025. CSWE members can access other JSWE articles through their program’s library subscription:

•    “MFP Origins: A Leadership Journey With Former Directors” by E. Aracelis Francis, Jenny Jones, Duy Nguyen, and Collina D. Cooke
•    “Kafa Taha: I Am the Investment of Many” by Halaevalu F. Ofahengaue Vakalahi
•    “Behind the Mask of Black Women Social Workers: Workplace Integration, Code-Switching, and the Silent Struggles” by Collina D. Cooke, Julia F. Hastings, Cecilia M. Hastings, and Nelia M. Quezada-Horne

We invite you to explore this inspiring collection of articles covering current fellows and alumni perspectives on career, community impact, and MFP contributions to research. Read the Guest Editorial and start exploring your free articles today!
 

MFP’s Legacy