Northcentral University

Darren Adamson, PhD Chair, Department of Marriage and Family Sciences Warm Greetings to Each of You! As I reflect on what a remarkable year we had in 2019 and consider what 2020 will hold, my gratitude is profound for each of you and for the "system" we have created and continue to nurture. We are part of something quite extraordinary in the Department of Marriage and Family Sciences. Together we have made history in the MFT world and our programs continue to grow in number, in quality, and in reach. Our MSW program achieved candidacy status with CSWE and is approaching 100 students – what a great start! Leadership in the MFT programs has shifted and we have the unique opportunity to not only have new leaders that bring added emphases and vantage points that will take us into the future, but to also retain, as colleagues, former leaders who continue to add their voices and their efforts to what we are trying to accomplish. The MSW leadership and teaching faculty are now very stable, and what a remarkable group of social workers they are! They bring such experience to have a positive and lasting impact on our vision as we add value to social work education with our unique model. We are beginning a new decade and it seems to be starting off with more of the same issues our world faced in the previous decade. Somehow though, the issues seem more intense and ominous. The work that we do as helping professionals is needed in deeper and broader ways than perhaps any other time in history. Family and other systems are bombarded with information and experiences that traumatize. We are in a very unique position of opportunity and responsibility to make a difference in the quality and quantity of services that are available to the members of these systems and to heal, strengthen, and face the challenges we all, humankind, share. We are in a very unique position of opportunity and responsibility to make a difference in the quality and quantity of services that are available. 17

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