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Florida State University’s College of Social Work recently held a grand opening for the newly expanded Maryland Building, a joint facility for the Multidisciplinary Evaluation and Consulting Center and the Florida Institute for Child Welfare. (Logan Lowery\/Florida State University)\t\t<\/p>\n
PHOTO GALLERY<\/a><\/p>\n Florida State University is transforming the future of clinical training and community support with the grand opening of the newly expanded\u00a0Maryland Building<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This\u00a0state-of-the-art\u00a0renovation marks a collaborative milestone for the\u00a0FSU College of Social Work<\/a>, serving as a premier joint home for the\u00a0Multidisciplinary Evaluation and Consulting Center<\/a>\u00a0(MDC) and the\u00a0Florida Institute for Child Welfare<\/a>\u00a0(FICW). The addition debuts advanced facilities\u00a0for\u00a0both organizations specifically designed to bridge the gap between classroom theory and the complex realities of supporting children and families.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis building has been transformed into a hub for leadership, innovation and impact,\u201d said\u00a0David Springer<\/a>,\u00a0dean of the College of Social Work. \u201cYet, that vision was never solely about bricks and mortar; it was about creating a collaborative environment where research,\u00a0education\u00a0and practice come together under one roof. It is a place where ideas are tested,\u00a0refined\u00a0and translated into action in a way that strengthens families,\u00a0communities\u00a0and systems across the state of Florida.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The renovation introduces advanced facilities to connect classroom learning with real-world human services challenges. This expansion fulfills\u00a0FSU\u00a0Provost Jim Clark\u2019s original vision for the Maryland Building as a dedicated space for the profession, which he developed while serving as Dean of the College of Social Work.\u00a0<\/p>\n During the grand opening, visitors toured the expanded facility, beginning with\u00a0the\u00a0Multidisciplinary Evaluation and Consulting\u00a0Center. Established in\u00a01983 through the vision of founding director Louise R. Goldhagen, the MDC provides psychological evaluations, diagnostic testing,\u00a0therapy\u00a0and consultation for school-aged children facing complex medical,\u00a0behavioral\u00a0and educational challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n The MDC\u2019s new layout\u00a0will\u00a0serve 22 school districts in the Florida Panhandle and includes specialized therapy rooms for Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, a parent\u00a0workstation\u00a0and a private family room for those traveling from rural districts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The space is equipped with\u00a0state-of-the-art\u00a0training and observation technology, including\u00a0Bluetooth\u00a0audio that allows faculty to live-coach students in real time, video monitoring\u00a0and one-way mirrors that enable supervisors to provide immediate feedback.\u00a0These features ensure students receive hands-on training while clients receive a high level of care.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis building represents every person who believed in our mission, and every partner who cares deeply about the children and families we are privileged to serve,\u201d said Shannon Bennett, MDC director. \u201cI feel incredibly proud of how far we\u2019ve come, deeply grateful to everyone who made this journey possible and genuinely excited about where we\u2019re headed next in our forever home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Visitors also toured the\u00a0Florida Institute for Child Welfare\u2019s\u00a0new experiential learning lab,\u00a0a space designed to immerse students in the reality of field work. This\u00a0fully immersive\u00a0lab features\u00a0an\u00a0explorable home environment\u00a0featuring a kitchen, living\u00a0room\u00a0and bedroom equipped with 360-degree cameras and advanced\u00a0audio-visual\u00a0(AV)\u00a0equipment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In the\u00a0lab,\u00a0students\u00a0can rehearse professional scenarios and refine interpersonal skills, allowing facilitators and peers to watch interactions live from nearby debriefing rooms to provide real-time feedback.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n While simulation labs are a staple in medical and nursing schools, FSU is pioneering this approach for social work, marking the only lab of its kind in Florida.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhat makes this learning lab transformative isn\u2019t the simulated spaces or the technology alone; it\u2019s what the space will allow us to do,\u201d said Lisa Magruder, FICW director. \u201cHere, faculty, students, and professionals will actively engage in experiential learning, trainings and opportunities for collaboration \u2014 things that\u00a0bridge the gap\u00a0between theory and real-world practice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The FICW is also advancing child welfare training through an innovative\u00a0virtual\u00a0reality\u00a0(VR)\u00a0platform<\/a>\u00a0that extends learning beyond the physical lab. Using VR headsets and a computer\u2011assisted system developed in partnership with\u00a0FSU\u2019s Office of the\u00a0Provost, students and professionals can enter \u201cexplorable virtual homes\u201d designed to replicate real-world environments. These tools allow users to navigate complex environments and interact with avatars, ensuring that when a caseworker knocks on a real door, they do so with preparation.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a defining moment for our institute, one that goes beyond building a new space,\u201d Magruder said. \u201cIt represents a new era and how we prepare the child welfare workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Through this shared space, FSU is not only preparing the next generation of\u00a0professionals, but\u00a0also redefining how higher education can meaningfully\u00a0impact\u00a0lives across the state of Florida.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhat unites both\u00a0organizations\u00a0is their shared commitment to translating knowledge into measurable change,\u201d Springer\u00a0said. \u201cWhether through its workforce development and policy leadership, or through direct multidisciplinary service, these centers demonstrate how social work moves from inside to impact\u00a0and they exemplify the true spirit of innovation at Florida State University.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The Maryland Building is located at 2139 Maryland Circle in northwest Tallahassee, conveniently situated near I-10.<\/p>\n Visit the\u00a0FSU College of Social Work<\/a>,\u00a0Multidisciplinary Evaluation and Consulting Center<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Florida Institute for Child Welfare<\/a>\u00a0webpages to learn more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Florida State University’s College of Social Work recently held a grand opening for the newly expanded Maryland Building,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":168543,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[56746,80225,80226,232,234,233],"class_list":["post-168542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tallahassee","tag-college-of-social-work","tag-florida-institute-for-child-welfare","tag-fsu-multidisciplinary-center","tag-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee-headlines","tag-tallahassee-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168542\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}