Miriam Itzkowitz, director of trauma-informed care at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, was recognized as a Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Minnesota chapter. The award recognizes social workers who embody the qualities of “transforming lives, empowering communities, and advocating tirelessly for social justice.”
As director of trauma-informed care since 2018, Itzkowitz develops curriculum and program initiatives to support clients and students in Mitchell Hamline’s clinical program. She co-developed and teaches the Trauma-Responsive Legal Advocacy course with adjunct faculty Katie Olson, which will enter its fifth year this fall. Itzkowitz also supervises graduate social work students collaborating with the Child Protection Clinic and other clinical programs to provide not only multidisciplinary care for clients but also support and framework to the clinics.
“It’s a wonderful honor to be recognized by my peers and, more than anything, it’s a reflection of the community of people who make the work I do possible—my team, our students, and in particular, the families who trust us to be part of their lives in what is often their most difficult times,” she said.
Professor Natalie Netzel ’15, director of Mitchell Hamline’s clinical program, works closely with Itzkowitz and called the award a “well-deserved honor that reflects the impact of her work and leadership.”
In addition to working with students in the classroom and furthering experiential learning in the clinical space, Itzkowitz creates training, scholarship, and professional and education development for the legal community. She is committed to sharing her expertise about trauma, trauma-responsive practices, burnout, self- and communal-care, and resilient practice. Recently, she led CLEs called “Navigating Therapeutic Services as Attorneys” with Professor Peter Larsen and “Lawyers! You Could be Nicer to Yourselves: An Insider/Outsider Perspectives on Mental Health in the Law,” and she was featured in Minnesota Lawyer to discuss the importance of lawyer well-being.
Itzkowitz will formally accept the award from NASW later in April.