Maine Perspective Front Page
Patty Coleman Named Maine Social Worker of the Year
Associate Professor of Social Work Patty Coleman, known for her devotion to students and advocacy for children, families and persons with disabilities, has been named social worker of the year by the state chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
Coleman received the honor at the organization's annual meeting April 16. The NASW represents more than 1,000 social workers in Maine.
"It's a privilege to do what I do. I get the chance, as a social worker, to improve the quality of life of all people and promote community well-being," says Coleman, of Winterport. "I'm very proud of our alumni and my colleagues in the state. For them to honor me is touching."
Prior to joining the University community, Coleman served as a clinical social worker, advocate, policy analyst and college faculty member in Pennsylvania. Coleman began teaching at UMaine in 1989, the year after the master of social work program was established. Two years later, largely under her guidance, the program won national accreditation.
Coleman also has helped to lead the University's efforts to expand initiatives in diversity and equal opportunity as co-chair of the Equal Opportunity Advisory Committee.
Coleman has become a well-known link between the University and the social work community during the past nine years. Many social workers are her former students. Others know her through her work on organizations such as the Maine Center for Economic Policy, the Child Welfare Training Institute of the Maine Department of Human Services, and the Legislative Action Committee of the state's NASW chapter.
Coleman, who has multiple sclerosis, also is known for her advocacy on behalf of persons with disabilities. She regularly speaks to groups throughout Maine to promote understanding of chronic illness. Nationally, she served for two years as a consultant to the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities.
Coleman's efforts reflect her belief that social workers have a responsibility to promote community well-being.
"When I was growing up in the '50s and '60s, my parents were activists in the civil rights and peace movements. I learned that living a good life involves caring about your community and being a warrior for social justice - and in those ways working to promote community well-being. Social workers make a career out of doing just that," Coleman says.