/news-archive/tag/master-of-social-work/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Wed, 28 Jul 2021 20:51:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2021/07/28/blue-you-foundation-social-work/ Wed, 28 Jul 2021 20:51:20 +0000 /news/?p=79463 ... Blue & You Foundation Awards 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock $605,000 Gift for Master of Social Work Students]]> The endowment will help address the growing behavioral health crisis in Arkansas by increasing the number of behavioral health professionals serving the state鈥檚 communities and training these specialists to practice in primary care settings. 鈥淭he Blue & You Foundation endowment supports the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock School of Social Work in their development of a program component that will train our graduates to specialize in this critical area of health care while providing financial support during their education,鈥� said Dr. Stephen Kapp, director of the Master of Social Work Program at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淚n the end, this program builds the capacity to improve both mental and physical health outcomes in Arkansas.鈥� The funding is part of $5.29 million in grants for behavioral health programs in Arkansas that the Blue & You Foundation announced July 16. The grants focus on eight Arkansas programs led by six established organizations that will address the growing behavioral health crisis in the state. The Blue & You Foundation is a charitable foundation established and funded by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield to promote better health in Arkansas. 鈥淲e believe that addressing the behavioral healthcare needs of our state requires collaboration with local organizations that have demonstrated success in increasing access, improving outcomes and reducing stigma,鈥� said Curtis Barnett, president and CEO of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. 鈥淲e recognize the impact behavioral health can have on the health of individuals, families, and communities as a whole. With these investments, we can help create healthier communities and give hope to those in need, while normalizing the conversation around behavioral health.鈥� The Blue & You Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care Practice Endowment will provide stipends to students in the Master of Social Work Program who are working under the supervision of licensed social workers in primary care physician offices in the state. In turn, these funds will support the education of future social workers while they develop skill sets that would enhance the capacity of primary care physicians to provide meaningful physical and mental health treatment to Arkansans. “We are so grateful to the Blue & You Foundation for supporting our communities by addressing behavioral health head on with this meaningful endowment,鈥� said Michael Johnson, director of development and external relations for the College of Business, Health, and Human Services. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is one of three universities in Arkansas, along with Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, to receive grants of $500,000 from the Blue & You Foundation to create endowments to directly support students in Master of Social Work Programs. The additional $105,000 will support start-up and administrative costs for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Master of Social Work Program. 鈥淔rom the onset of our research and discovery process, we knew that we鈥檇 be more successful in achieving our goal to improve behavioral healthcare in Arkansas by finding established and proven programs within the Natural State,鈥� said Rebecca Pittillo, executive director of the Blue & You Foundation. 鈥淎s we engaged with organizations across the state, I was amazed at the innovative approaches to challenging issues and the tremendous results already achieved. The programs led by the grant recipients announced today will go a long way in helping provide immediate and long-term support for Arkansans in need.鈥� In Arkansas, the issue of behavioral health conditions is particularly serious. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that incidents of suicide, along with symptoms of anxiety and depression, are prevalent in Arkansas at rates higher than the national average. There is also an unmet need for behavioral healthcare in the state with 65.7 percent of adolescents reported having not received treatment for a major depressive episode, also significantly higher than the national average. 鈥淢ental health issues are a growing concern in the U.S.,鈥� Kapp said. 鈥淧eople generally do not seek treatment at a mental health clinic or a therapist, this concern shows up in routine exams with their primary care physicians. Integrated Behavioral Health programs allow social workers in medical practices to treat this condition which not only leads to better mental health but it also minimizes the interference of poor mental health on overall physical health outcomes.鈥� In the upper right photo, representatives from the Blue & You Foundation and 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock celebrate the announcement of a new endowment for social work students at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.聽From left, Curtis Barnett, president and CEO of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement, Dr. Ann Bain, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock executive vice chancellor and provost, Rebecca Pittillo, executive director of Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, Chancellor Christina Drale, Stephen Kapp, director of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Master of Social Work Program, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Michael Johnson, director of development and external relations, and Dr. Shannon Collier-Tenison, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock interim dean of the College of Business, Health, and Human Services. Photo by Ben Krain.  ]]> /news-archive/2021/03/01/concurrent-social-work-public-service-degree-program/ Mon, 01 Mar 2021 21:24:34 +0000 /news/?p=78456 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Clinton School of Public Service Partner on Concurrent MPS-MSW Degree Program]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock School of Social Work. 鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled about the partnership with the School of Social Work,鈥� said Clinton School Academic Dean Susan Hoffpauir, who was once a faculty member in the School of Social Work. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a perfect fit for students in both programs, and many have already reached out for more information.鈥� The concurrent degree program will allow for cross-credit of specified courses, resulting in a savings in the total number of credit hours that would be required for both degrees if completed separately. A student in the concurrent MPS-MSW program must complete all the requirements for the MSW degree as specified by the School of Social Work and all requirements for the MPS degree as specified by the Clinton School. The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock School of Social Work graduates more social work students than any other social work program in Arkansas. Its MSW program is nationally accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. “I am excited about the opportunity to work with the Clinton School. Students who graduate from the concurrent program will have a unique set of skills that they will bring to their communities,鈥� said Catherine Crisp, associate professor and MSW program coordinator. 鈥淚’ve met with several students who are interested in the program, and I am excited to begin working with them.” Questions about the MPS-MSW concurrent program can be emailed to Hoffpauir at聽sahoffpauir@clintonschool.uasys.edu or Morgan Leyenberger, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock School of Social Work admissions coordinator, at socialwork@ualr.edu.]]> /news-archive/2019/02/25/social-worker/ Mon, 25 Feb 2019 18:16:09 +0000 /news/?p=73534 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock alum named 鈥楢rkansas Social Worker of the Year鈥�]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock graduate Mandy Davis had never worked with people experiencing homelessness before she took a job in 2015 as a social worker at , which runs Little Rock鈥檚 only day resource center for the homeless. However, she quickly found ways to serve and has become an outspoken advocate for one of the city鈥檚 most at-risk populations. 鈥淚 was able to build rapport with clients and when they saw what I was able to do, word spread,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淧eople started calling me and coming to see me.鈥� In 2017, she was promoted to director at Jericho Way and she now oversees a staff of seven people. Davis has been named the 鈥淎rkansas Social Worker of the Year鈥� by the Arkansas Chapter of (NBASW-AR) and will be honored March 29 at an awards luncheon at the Marriott in Little Rock. Johanna Thomas, who was Davis鈥� professor at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, nominated Davis for the honor. 鈥淗er passion and drive were evident from the moment she entered the classroom,鈥� Thomas said of Davis. 鈥淗er focus was often on social justice issues in her own community and state.鈥� As a student, Davis received the Bachelor of Social Work Student of the Year award from the NBASW-AR and served on the chapter鈥檚 board. 鈥淢andy epitomizes the values and ethics of the social work profession,鈥� said Thomas, who is president-elect of NASW-AR and an associate professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Arkansas. 鈥淗er passion, drive, and advocacy on behalf of our unsheltered neighbors is not only inspiring, but is making a real difference in the lives of so many people.鈥� Jericho Way, which is run by the nonprofit DePaul USA, operates in six countries and in six U.S. cities: St. Louis, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, Macon, Georgia, and now Little Rock. About 130 people visit Little Rock鈥檚 day resource center at 3000 Springer Blvd. daily. The center provides the city鈥檚 homeless with meals, case management, relief from the elements, help with job searches, hygiene services such as laundry and showers, transportation, telephones, and a computer lab. There鈥檚 also a medical clinic and clothing closet on site, and the agency is building small affordable housing units that will be available to low-income residents. Last year, the center served more than 49,000 meals, paid for countless shelter nights and much needed identity documents. They housed 62 individuals in 2018 with a more than 80 percent success rate. 鈥淗er work at Jericho Way illustrates the monumental impact that a social worker is capable of making,鈥� said Dr. Stephen Kapp, director of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 School of Social Work. 鈥淭he faculty, students, and alumni of the 糖心Vlog传媒LR School of Social Work are very proud of her accomplishments.鈥� Davis, who grew up in western North Carolina, moved to Little Rock in 2009. As a nontraditional student, she started taking classes at 糖心Vlog传媒-Pulaski Technical College and received a full scholarship due to her high GPA and career choice. She then transferred to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to pursue a Bachelor of Social Work. After graduating in 2012, she worked for a year as a medical eligibility specialist before returning to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to complete her graduate degree. After earning a Master of Social Work in 2015, David went to work at at . 鈥淭his job is a perfect fit,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y personal, professional, and organizational values all align. I think that鈥檚 why I鈥檝e been successful. My employer gives me the space to create programs that meet actual needs and address emerging needs from the data. They truly listen to what鈥檚 going on at the ground level and help me implement programs or practices and hire to meet the needs.鈥� Last fall, Davis returned to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock as a part-time instructor and taught field seminar for social work students. Students are required to have internships in their field before they graduate. Davis interned at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families when she was a student. The internship program is one of the strengths of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 BSW program, she said. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students have interned at Jericho Way, and Davis has even hired two of them – Kyle Francis, who completed the MSW program, and Kenya Ray who will complete the program in May 2019. 鈥淚nternships placements are vital, and I think that鈥檚 something 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock does really well,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou have to get out in the community and the field, in my opinion, while you鈥檙e a student. A lot of times you find out what you want to do or what you don鈥檛 want to do. It helps you figure out how you can best serve and which populations are best for you to serve.鈥� 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock graduate Mandy Davis, director of Jericho Way, has been named Arkansas Social Worker of the Year. Photo by Benjamin Krain]]> /news-archive/2019/01/22/online-social-work-graduate-program-ranked-among-best-in-country/ Tue, 22 Jan 2019 14:15:39 +0000 /news/?p=73142 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 online social work graduate program ranked among best in country]]> The University of Arkansas at Little Rock鈥檚 online Master of Social Work program has been ranked among the best in the nation.聽 OnlineMasters.com ranked 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock as 25th on its list of the Best Online Master’s in Social Work Programs for 2019. The research identifies 45 top programs in the nation based on curriculum quality, program flexibility, affordability, and graduate outcomes. The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Master of Social Work online degree program prepares social workers for advanced practice and leadership roles. The 60-hour program particularly focuses on clinical social work practice, where students will learn contemporary, evidence-informed practice approaches that can be used across a wide range of settings and with diverse individuals, families, and groups. This nationally accredited program can be completed in three years, which includes the completion of both course work and field internships. In addition to insights gained from industry professionals, OnlineMasters.com leveraged an exclusive data set comprised of interviews and surveys from current students and alumni. The methodology incorporates the most recent data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System () and statistical data from the . Most importantly, only programs from accredited nonprofit institutions were eligible. “According to the , employment for social workers is expected to increase by 16 percent over the next several years,” said Barbara Montgomery, program recognition manager. “This job growth is much faster than the average for all occupations, which means significant opportunities for new graduates.” Students who pursue a master’s degree in social work can gain employment as a mental health counselor, school social worker, foster care therapist, human service assistant and more. To access the complete ranking, please visit. ]]> /news-archive/2017/10/02/master-social-work/ Mon, 02 Oct 2017 20:47:43 +0000 /news/?p=68144 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 online master鈥檚 in social work ranks in nation鈥檚 top]]> Higher education information and resource provider AffordableColleges.com ranked 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock as ninth on its list of the best online master鈥檚 degrees in social work, citing the program鈥檚 鈥渜uality and affordability.鈥� The rankings factored in criteria such as loan default rates, graduation rates, and financial aid data to draw a distinction between the programs that appear cheap up-front and those that pay off in the long run. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock debuted its online Master of Social Work in 2016 to groom students for leadership roles within the Arkansas social welfare system. Candidates can complete the program, with the exception of internships, entirely online. Emphasizing clinical social work practice, the degree features two concentrations: advanced direct practice working with individuals or groups at clinics, hospitals, prisons, or schools; and management and community practice, where practitioners may work as policy analysts, grant writers, lobbyists, or program directors. The U.S. Department of Labor projects that employment of social workers will grow 12 percent between 2014 and 2024, due to an increased need for healthcare and social services. To see the rankings, visit .    ]]>