Source: Jacque Gibbons, 785-532-4976, jacqueg@k-state.edu
Pronouncer: Jacque is Jack.
Photos available. Contact media@k-state.edu or 785-532-2535.
News release prepared by: Beth Bohn, 785-532-2535, bbohn@k-state.edu

Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010

K-STATE PROFESSOR IS STATE 1xbet online games login WORKER OF THE YEAR

MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University's Jacque Gibbons has been named the 1xbet online games login worker of the year in Kansas.

Gibbons, an associate professor of social 1xbet online games login , was selected for the honor by the Kansas Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. The chapter cited Gibbons' commitment to the values and ethics of the profession; his volunteer service, particularly with the American Red Cross as a certified mental health responder; and his 1xbet online games login to train future social workers.

&1xbet online games login ;Jacque Gibbons embodies what the practice of social work is all about,&1xbet online games login ; said Betsy Cauble, head of K-State's department of sociology, anthropology and social work. &1xbet online games login ;Not only does he educate students to follow in his footsteps, but he lives his values through his work with the Red Cross and his support of other social service organizations. It has been a rare privilege to have Dr. Gibbons as a colleague. He makes us all better.&1xbet online games login ;

Social 1xbet online games login wasn't Gibbons' first choice for a career.

&1xbet online games login ;I started college in 1963 as a physics and biochem major,&1xbet online games login ; he said. &1xbet online games login ;I got caught up in the civil rights struggle, and realized that as much as I liked science and math, it really didn't seem to relate to what was going on in the streets. I found social work as an undergraduate major, took some classes, and stuck with it through a master of social work, a Ph.D and a clinical social work license.&1xbet online games login ;

1xbet online games login service to 1xbet online games login profession includes being chair of the Kansas chapter's ethics committee since 2001, and serving on the Manhattan and Riley County Hospice and Homecare Ethics Committee.

He also has been a volunteer with the Red Cross for nearly 40 years.

&1xbet online games login ;My earliest involvement with the Red Cross was when I was in graduate school in the summer 1972. I stayed involved, mostly from a distance, until the 9/11 attack,&1xbet online games login ; he said. &1xbet online games login ;The social work faculty at K-State discussed how we might put our skills to work in service of the community, state and nation. I decided to put my clinical social work knowledge to work as a disaster mental health specialist for the American Red Cross.&1xbet online games login ;

He completed 1xbet online games login certification training in spring 2002 and has been providing disaster mental health services as a Red Cross volunteer ever since.

&1xbet online games login ;Disaster mental health specialists help the whole disaster operation stay on an even keel, and that is a challenge when there are crises all around,&1xbet online games login ; Gibbons said. &1xbet online games login ;Volunteers work to ensure the mental health of other volunteer staff, to assess the needs of disaster survivors for mental health services, and to help with the work of disaster relief.&1xbet online games login ;

His 1xbet online games login includes assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina who relocated to Kansas, people affected by the 2007 ice storm and 2008 tornado in Riley County, and victims of other disasters like floods and fires.

&1xbet online games login ;I find the work challenging and rewarding,&1xbet online games login ; Gibbons said. &1xbet online games login ;I particularly enjoy working with the Disaster Action Team here in the Riley County area. They all serve as volunteers who try to be there when needed; they are a neat group of people.&1xbet online games login ;

&1xbet online games login ;Jacque's volunteer work and service to the profession of social work are demonstrations of his devotion to helping others, and to his belief in doing his part to ensure the best services possible for the citizens of Kansas,&1xbet online games login ; said Janice Dinkel, an associate professor of social work at K-State who helped nominate her colleague for the honor.

Gibbons' dedication to his profession may be most evident in the classroom. Dinkel said he helps K-State social 1xbet online games login majors develop a passion for the career and the skills they need to 1xbet online games login with communities.

&1xbet online games login ;His students are involved as much outside the classroom as they are in it because of the projects he assigns them to address specific community needs. He teaches students to address problems through grass roots organizational methods, and serves as a role model through his own exemplary volunteer community service efforts,&1xbet online games login ; she said.

&1xbet online games login ;In the 40-plus years that I have been a social worker, it has certainly evolved into profession that requires much more knowledge and many more skills than was the case in the late 1960s,&1xbet online games login ; Gibbons said. &1xbet online games login ;Students today face a much more rigorous and challenging set of courses to complete a social work major.&1xbet online games login ;

Gibbons said social work has found it way into nearly all facets of daily life. &1xbet online games login ;Social work services are available from the prenatal period to the end of life. Social workers are needed in nearly any institution you might name,&1xbet online games login ; he said. &1xbet online games login ;Social work students at the undergraduate level are much better prepared today than at any time in the past. They get large doses of theory, practice and research to complete the degree. They are prepared to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.&1xbet online games login ;

Prior to joining K-State in 1982 Gibbons worked as a social worker in San Joaquin County, Calif.; Jefferson County, Kan.; and as a section supervisor in the Kansas City area office of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. He also serves as a consultant on the state and local level. He earned a bachelor's in social 1xbet online games login from the University of Kansas, and a master's and doctorate in social 1xbet online games login from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

&1xbet online games login ;I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to be a professional social worker. In all my years of practice, I don't recall ever wishing I had chosen another career,&1xbet online games login ; he said.