Negin Dadmarz

Negin Dadmarz is a Master of Social Work candidate at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and a clinical social work intern with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health at Harbor–UCLA’s Adult Outpatient Program. Her work reflects a strong integration of clinical excellence, community engagement, and emerging leadership in the field of mental health.

Drawing on her experience with Alzheimer’s Los Angeles and her clinical training in public sector mental health, Negin is committed to advancing trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and equity-driven care. She is particularly passionate about addressing systemic disparities in mental health access and advocating for services that are inclusive, accessible, and grounded in the lived experiences of diverse communities.

As a recipient of this scholarship, Negin is able to further invest in her clinical training and professional development, reducing financial barriers while deepening her capacity to serve individuals, families, and communities with skill and intention.

In addition to her clinical work, Negin has demonstrated leadership through community involvement and professional engagement, contributing to initiatives that promote cultural competence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and social justice. She is dedicated to shaping a more equitable mental health system through both direct practice and broader advocacy efforts.

Melanie Abzun

Melanie Abzun is a second year Master of Social Welfare candidate at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs with an area of concentration in Health and Mental Health Across the Lifespan. With an undergraduate education in criminal justice, she ventured to accumulate over three years of experience in civil litigation and social justice as a paralegal, before a pivot into social work. This legal experience sharpened her advocacy skills, and spearheaded a transition into the mental and behavioral health profession. She began providing direct emergency services and legal aid to domestic violence survivors, and expanded crisis work at an inpatient residential treatment center, serving young adults impacted by severe mental health conditions. She has also supported neurodivergent children through their social development and advocated for their rights. Most recently, her work at a community crisis drop-in center for unhoused and transition-aged youth, allowed her an opportunity to deliver critical crisis interventions, dismantle housing barriers, de-escalate high-risk conflicts, and provide individual and group therapy to youth. Other non-profit service has included macro social work praxis alongside the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC) as a UCLA Luskin Leadership Fellow, to advance equitable access to medical and mental health care for all communities in Los Angeles County. Presently, Melanie has nearly completed her service as a medical social work intern at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Hospital, supporting pediatric patients and their families within both the Intensive Care Unit and Liver/Gastroenterology Transplants service.

Her dedication and future pursuits as a social worker continue towards crisis and trauma work for underrepresented communities. She also plans to deepen her advocacy and aid with international human rights organizations within policy and direct practice, while also amplifying support for current and former athletes in their mental health and development – an area she remains particularly passionate for, as a former collegiate athlete herself. Melanie remains dedicated, optimistic and committed to the relentless grassroots efforts of social work, as she strives to catalyze tangible changes for local and global communities.

Response to Award:

The JAF award comes as an incredible gift and opportunity to my educational and professional endeavors. This award provides a truly meaningful impact to my education, aiding me with the burden of educational costs, allowing me more time to focus on academic pursuits, and in becoming actively involved with a reputable organization that maintains an impressionable reputation in social work. I am deeply honored and humbled to be selected as a recipient, and I am excited for the opportunities the CSCSW will provide me with. Additionally, receiving this scholarship affirms my passion to person-centered work and motivates me to uphold core social work values, serving not only as a recognition to this field, but as a reminder to the hard work I have cultivated, and barriers I have overcome as a first-generation college student and daughter of immigrants. This award not only supports me, but promotes a sense of empowerment to reach my long-term goals in mental health with underrepresented communities, while enhancing my professional development in clinical social work.