Wayne State University to Head Program Addressing Adolescent Violence

Dr. Sandra Schiff is the president of Health Mate, Inc., a training and coaching service provider based in southeast Michigan. In addition to numerous professional coaching certifications, Dr. Sandra Schiff holds a PhD in organizational development from the Union Institute and a master of social work from Wayne State University, where she also serves as an adjunct faculty member.

Wayne State University’s School of Social Work stands out as one of the leading educational institutions in the field. Recently, the college received a $1.8 million federal grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the purpose of creating a program aimed at preventing dating and sexual violence among adolescents.

The funding will support the work of two social work professors, who will spend the next four years establishing and evaluating the evidence-based Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES) curriculum, which will be introduced in three Detroit middle schools. The professors will work alongside academics from the University of Michigan, as well as representatives of the Michigan Department of Community Health Rape Prevention and Education Program.

Following a preparatory year, the program will be administered to eighth-grade students. The students will partake in activities that promote, among many attributes, relationship respect and appropriate use of technology. The two-year program will culminate in a performance art presentation led by the students.