Biography

Dr. Bernie Newman has been active in the rape crisis, battered women’s movement and LGBT rights since the early 1980s. Dr. Newman attended one of the first national gay rights marches in Washington, D.C. in 1978 and has since participated in countless collective action demonstrations for LGBT and women’s rights, labor rights, and racial and social justice issues. She was co-chair of the Council on Social Work Education Commission for Lesbian Women and Gay Men from 1987 to 1992. She was an early leader in advocacy for inclusion of content on lesbian and gay issues in the national accrediting standards for schools of social work. Her early scholarship and research in the areas of social work education focused on sexual orientation, gender issues and effectiveness of services for lesbian, gay and transgender populations.

She has been an active full-time faculty member of the School of Social Work since 1989, having served in many administrative roles, including BSW director, MSW director and chair of the school. She has provided leadership in the school's curriculum development and particularly in the clinical practice and research content areas.

Her scholarship and research has also included publications on sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and collaboration among police and social workers in cases of sexual abuse. She is currently involved in evaluation of a human trafficking prevention and intervention project funded by the Department of Justice and is the evaluator of a free after-school program funded through Pennsylvania 21st Century Community Service Learning Projects.

She maintains an active clinical social work role in the community. She has provided sexual abuse and behavioral health therapy to children and adolescents through several Philadelphia programs. She served as clinical director in a group home for adjudicated dependent youth in North Philadelphia for three years. At present, she engages in trauma-focused clinical practice with children, youth and adults through the Survivor Support Services of the Joseph J. Peters Institute.

Education

• PhD, Social Work, University of Pittsburgh 
• MSW, Florida State University
• BS, Elementary Education, University of Pennsylvania

Curriculum Vitae