Please discuss the work of today’s guest lecturers. Where do you think their work overlaps?
Right off the bat, what makes Michael’s work distinctively different from Uzoma’s is that it is more of face-to-face social work and group work as opposed to Uzoma’s work, which is more digital by design and by the nature of the company’s mission. However, Michael’s wide array of work, a lot of which is focused on the mental wellbeing of children and mothers, overlaps with Uzoma’s Ameelio in many ways.
Ameelio helps connect people (through free letters and digital attachments) to their loved ones who are incarcerated by signing up and using the app or website to do so. Uzoma touches on how this is an important piece of technology for children who do not get to be in contact with their parent(s) who are incarcerated for a long time. This lack of communication/connection while the parent is incarcerated (or, even, vice versa), plays a negative role in the continued development (or lack thereof) of the existing relationship. This experience can cause great trauma and disconnect to/from both parties; and Ameelio aims to eliminate or at least soften the blow.
This overlaps with what Michael is doing with the Safe Mothers Safe Children program. The program targets low-income mothers with PTSD and who are at risk for child welfare involvement. Whether the mother is not psychologically stable to be able to provide optimal care for their child at the moment, or feels too disconnected with them due to trauma, this program helps establish a better relationship between the two parties by working to eliminate or at least soften the blow of PTSD or depression that is causing the disparity. Sound familiar?
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