New York Community Trust grant will be used to train, educate social workers
WASHINGTON, D.C.— The New York Community Trust (NYCT) has awarded the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) a $585,000 grant that will be used to educate and train more social workers to strengthen the delivery of healthcare services in the United States.
"NASW is honored to receive this grant in partnership with CSWE,” NASW CEO Angelo McClain, Ph.D., LICSW, said. "As a result of this grant, social workers will be better able to help thousands more Americans get access to quality health care, including vulnerable populations such as the poor, the elderly and children.”
Social workers who work in the health care field represent the fastest growing segment of the social work profession, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). BLS projects there will be more than 185,000 health care social workers by 2022, up about 30 percent from 2012.
The five-year grant will allow NASW and CSWE to provide field instruction, course work and leadership opportunities so more social workers are positioned to become a key part of the U.S. health care delivery system and provide better services to clients.
"We are grateful to the NYCT for providing the opportunity to work collaboratively with NASW to enhance the preparation of social workers to assume key roles in the delivery of integrated health care services,” CSWE president and CEO, Darla Spence Coffey, Ph.D., MSW, said. "We are particularly thrilled that social work students across the educational curriculum will be engaged (baccalaureate through doctorate), as this will maximize the impact that social workers can have with historically underserved peoples.”
Social workers will be trained to provide culturally competent, evidence-based practice in health care settings.
NASW and CSWE will also use the grant to build the next generation of social work academic and practice leaders by developing five-year partnerships with 10 schools of social work. These programs will learn from each other and deepen their commitment to infusing health issues into the curriculum.
Through funding at the baccalaureate and master’s levels, approximately 200 students will have the opportunity to experience robust health care education and training, connect with peers, advocate for policy issues, and practice as a member of an interprofessional health care team.
This support will come through scholarships and fellowships and by building learning networks, leadership development and training opportunities.
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The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 130,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.
The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a national association of social work education programs and individuals that ensures and enhances the quality of social work education for a professional practice that promotes individual, family, and community well-being, and social and economic justice. CSWE pursues this mission in higher education by setting and maintaining national accreditation standards for baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in social work, by promoting faculty development, by engaging in international collaborations, and by advocating for social work education and research.