San Diego State College has been awarded a $1.24 million grant from the Conrad Prebys Basis to make its grasp of social work program extra financially accessible to college students from numerous backgrounds, the varsity introduced Wednesday.
The grant is meant to handle a important scarcity of behavioral well being staff, “a necessity exacerbated by the stress and isolation many skilled throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” an announcement from the college reads. It is going to additionally assist graduates of this system on their path to changing into licensed medical social staff in California.
Stipends might be granted over two years to 10 MSW college students who’ve a particular curiosity in youth behavioral well being providers and whose cultural and linguistic backgrounds make them well-suited to handle the wants of underserved communities.
“This further help goes a great distance in serving to college students persist via this system,” stated Natasha Bliss, director of strategic partnerships within the Division of Analysis and Innovation and co-principal investigator on the grant.
Jong Gained Min, director of SDSU’s College of Social Work, stated lots of the faculty’s college students have been influenced by the encouragement of a social employee sooner or later throughout their lives and need to give again to the group in comparable methods.
“The scholars that now we have right here in College of Social Work — none of them are right here for egocentric causes, however for the altruistic motivation that they’ve,” Min stated. “They’re there spending their assets and time to discover ways to professionally assist others.”
The grant may also help 40 MSW candidates and graduates towards licensure by funding supervision on the nonprofit organizations the place they work. MSW graduates working towards licensure often pay out-of-pocket for supervision at massive corporations or organizations, in keeping with SDSU.
The brand new program will assist help alumni who’re captivated with working with small community-based organizations.
Choice might be given to MSW stipend and licensure supervision candidates who communicate Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia), Arabic, Burmese, Khmer, Somali, Spanish or Vietnamese to assist “serve these communities and facilitate their purchasers’ entry to the well being system and cut back the stigma surrounding behavioral well being,” the SDSU assertion learn.
“Supporting profession pathways for college students and alumni with lived expertise within the communities they serve will assist be sure that our susceptible youth can have the chance to profit from behavioral well being providers which can be focused to their particular wants,” stated Hala Madanat, professor within the College of Public Well being and vp for analysis and innovation.
“What’s extra, the partnership with the Prebys Basis can have a ripple impact on the bigger group by growing the general pool of well- certified social staff within the area.”
–Metropolis Information Service
