LISA MARIE BEDNARZ

Silver School of Social Work

Bachelor of Science, May 2008

Master of Social Work, May 2009

Social Work, Public Health Policy, Gerontology

Bio and Resume (.pdf)

Lisa Bednarz recently completed her Bachelor of Social Work degree at NYU and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in the field. She has spent much of her education concentrating on the relationship between social epidemiology, health policy, and the psychosocial consequences of disease. Next year, she will continue to develop that knowledge through her participation in the new integrative geriatric mental health policy program at the NYU Silver School of Social Work. Lisa hopes to use her background in health services to change how society views and addresses the causes of illness.

Lisa’s passion for health and social services was sparked at a young age, when she frequently accompanied her health-professional mother to work, where she witnessed the deep disparities that exist within healthcare access. This initial observation has grown into an internal drive for healthcare reform. Lisa has since focused on accumulating the knowledge and skills necessary for such an undertaking. She interned at City Hall, gaining experience to allow her to further a plan for social change. She also participated in the Connecticut Advisory Board on Child Welfare, which examined health problems targeting area youth.

Since moving to New York City, Lisa has become interested in the relationship between underprivileged elderly and dual diagnoses. Lisa was an active member of Visiting Neighbors, a program that promotes independence in the elderly, and will be working with mentally-ill, chemically-addicted elderly individuals in a geropsychiatry unit starting in September 2008.

Lisa has also worked extensively with children whose health has been affected by poverty. She created the program 1st STEP (Services to Empower Parents) at Bellevue Hospital, a division of Project HEALTH, to partner with adolescent parents and their children in order to create healthier families. This summer, she is interning with the social entrepreneurial advocacy organization, Docs for Tots, on “Project Practice Transformation”, which hopes to bring social services into the pediatrician’s office.

These diverse roles allow Lisa to more clearly see the connection between wealth, physical health, and emotional wellbeing, and mirror her personal principles of empowering, advocating for, and leading others through education and example. She is excited to use her position as a Reynolds Scholar to redefine those links.