School Alumni Associations

IU School of Social Work Alumni Association

Alumni Profiles

Irene Weinberg

The bold purple shirt with vibrant gold words "The Power of Social Work… Real Solutions for Real Problems" which Irene wore during our interview captures both the passion and commitment which she brings to the social work profession.

Born and raised in Chicago, Irene had a distant relative who was a secretary to Jane Adams at Hull House. She decided to cross the state border and attend Indiana University in Bloomington. A bright and talented young woman, Irene entered IU at the age of sixteen and was going to become a math teacher. Adjusting to college life at sixteen was not easy particularly with a problematic dorm roommate. Irene wisely went to her dorm counselor who was studying social work. The counselor was very helpful and even took her to Social Work Club meetings and this is how Irene met social work Professor Theodora Allen. It was Theodora Allen who helped her through the transition and became an inspiration for her interest in social work. In fact, Professor Allen had such an impact that Irene established a scholarship in 2003 through the IU School of Social Work to honor her memory. To date, six Bloomington undergrad students have gotten scholarships and two more have been chosen for the 2007 school year.

A side note which may resonate with some of the other social workers graduating before 1968 when the IU School of Social Work came into existence. When Irene received her Master of Arts degree from the IU Division of Social Service in Indianapolis in 1963, there was not yet an official Masters of Social Work degree designation. For years this caused great consternation for Irene who had to explain how her degree had all the elements of the MSW but just wasn't called that when she graduated. Maybe a wish to discuss this was one of the factors that in 2003 prompted Irene to organize the one and only IU School of Social Work class reunion for her class of 1963.

Irene's field work placements were in the public schools and at Family Service Association. They served her well when she began her career at the Children's Bureau in Indianapolis where she worked in adoptions and foster care. She helped the first blind family in Indiana to get approved for foster care and made the first ever black adoptive placement at the Children's Bureau.

From there she went to the Veteran's Administration (VA) Medical Center in Indianapolis where she could use her Social Work abilities in ever evolving programs over the next 30 years. Irene's compassionate clinical skills were evident in many arenas including her work in outpatient medical and mental health clinics, admissions, community nursing homes, home care, inpatient specialty surgery services, and the nursing home care unit. Once she remembers returning to the hospital medical unit late at night, after an exhausting day, to see a homeless man who was in a coma and not expected to live. Holding his hand and talking with him even though he was unable to respond, Irene felt a special connection; he died peacefully less than an hour after she left. This is just one example of the compassion Irene brought to her social work clients. Over the years she supervised several IU graduate and undergraduate students.

Program development was high on Irene's list of career accomplishments at the VA. She
developed and implemented several programs which included: social services in the medical outpatient clinics; a new residential care/foster home component for veterans with medical and mental health problems; a hospital based home care social service program; and the first quality assurance program for the social service department.

At the VA, Irene excelled in finding and securing concrete services for people and in fighting for benefits for veterans and their families. During the time she was at the VA, she worked with WWI, WWII, Korean War, Viet Nam and Gulf War veterans. She was struck by the devastating, lifelong effects that military service had on the veterans and their families and how woefully ill-equipped the VA was to help these people. She is deeply saddened that not much has changed for those returning from the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Professional and personal growth were important to Irene and over the years she participated in many trainings, workshops and growth experiences. Once when attending a VA workshop in St. Louis in January, 1978, a big blizzard hit and she was stranded for three days so had to use her social work training with weary travelers. On a personal level, her three years of training with Anne Wilson Schaef in Montana in Living in Process were the most significant and life changing for her.

With such energy and creativity, it is easy to see why Irene could not leave social work
completely after thirty three years. She did however want more time to enjoy other interests so she retired from her full time VA position in 1996. She found a part-time position with "Hand in Hand International Adoptions" where she still works doing home studies and follow-up visits for families who have adopted children. Irene has helped place sixty-one children from several different countries. Her career has come full circle.

Now Irene has more time for more of her leisure activities. One of her passions is Ragtime Music and she has been on the Board and been newsletter and e-mail list editor for the Classic Ragtime Society of Indiana. She enjoys traveling around the Midwest for various Ragtime Music concerts and festivals...in late May thru early June she went to Peoria, IL, Versailles, MO, Sedalia, MO, and Columbia, MO. Irene also enjoys listening to her 1923 player piano which has rolls and rolls of songs. It might surprise you to know that Irene loves gambling and trips to the boats are also a source of entertainment.

In ending, Irene's gentle and generous spirit make it easy to see why she was awarded the Spirit of Philanthropy Award in 2006. She also gives back to her profession by serving on the Board of the IU School of Social Work Alumni Association and enjoys writing and gathering bios for the newsletter. In her will, Irene has designated money to establish through the Jewish Federation a college scholarship for children who have experienced abuse. Her heart strings have always been with children. Irene has touched the lives of people of all ages and has brought "real solutions to real problems" in a powerful way.

Written by Jan Lindemann

See the IUPUI Office of Alumni Relations Calendar of Events for upcoming School of Social Work alumni programs.

School of Social Work web site 

IUPUI Office of Alumni Relations contact:
Karen Deery, (317) 274-8959 or kdeery@iupui.edu