Partnership helps social work students, children

Through an Arizona State University partnership with the Arizona Department of Economic Security, students in the graduate and undergraduate social work programs have a chance to pay for their education while bringing a higher quality of service to youths in the child welfare system.

Students who take part in the Master of Social Work Child Welfare Training Project receive full in-state tuition, fees, and a $550 monthly stipend. They must take a concentration of child welfare courses in order to maintain eligibility in the program. In return for this assistance, students must be willing to work for Child Protective Services (CPS), for 18-24 months following graduation.

"The purpose is to educate students to work with CPS when they graduate and to serve vulnerable Arizona families," says Jan Shore, Coordinator of the Child Welfare Training Project in ASU's School of Social Work. The school is part of the College of Public Programs at the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus.

When students graduate and begin their work with CPS, they will have a strong foundation in child welfare and bring a wealth of knowledge with them in the job force, according to Shore. The project began in 1988 and is funded by the Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program.

The MSW project is directed by Drs. Christina Risley-Curtiss and Nora Gustavsson, and is coordinated by Jan Shore, MSW and Tonia Stott, MSW. The BSW program is directed by Dr. Teri Kennedy.

Applicants to the program must show a demonstrated interest in child welfare, capability in communicating with clients and working with at-risk families, and scholastic achievement. Applicants are required to write an essay that clearly defines their interest in working in the field of child welfare.

For information, visit http://ssw.asu.edu/portal/research/cwtp or call 602-496-0082.

Kirsten Martin, Kirsten.A.Martin@asu.edu