CSWE Compass March 2020

CSWE RESPONDING TO COVID-19 

The Council on Social Work Education is committed to ensuring that when it comes to coping with the challenges posed by the spread of COVID-19, the council's guidance and responses are grounded in safety and facts and not driven by fear. The spread of COVID-19 around globe presents significant challenges for social workers, students, and educators. Each student, teacher, and program is unique, and so must be their response to this pandemic. Educators are encouraged to work with their institutions and community on appropriate contingency plans to continue to deliver quality education to social work students. To assist in that planning, CSWE provides recommendations and guidance ​on a variety of accreditation and education-related topics at www.cswe.org/coronavirus. ​

We also invite you to join the conversations at CSWE's SPARK community to interact with other educators, students, and affiliated professionals about COVID-19 responses, share resources, and a discuss host of other social work topics.

CSWE Alters Field Hours Required for Social Work Students
The safety of students, educators, social workers, and their clients and communities are paramount to CSWE and its Council on Accreditation. 

CSWE announced yesterday that due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, students who have completed 85% of the required placement hours to a satisfactory level may, at program discretion, be evaluated as having met the field placement requirements. This option for reduced hours is for students whose field completion dates occur by December 31, 2020.

"It is our hope that programs continue to evaluate the best and safest ways for students to earn valuable experience in the field. Given the guidance of federal health agencies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, especially the need for social distancing, CSWE believes that this is a necessary step to safeguard the health and wellbeing of faculty and students, so that they can provide outstanding care and services to their own communities," said Darla Spence Coffey, PhD, MSW, president and CEO of CSWE. Read the full statement.

 

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Baylor Social Work Professor Offers Tips, Shares Resources
Baylor University’s Holly Oxhandler, PhD, LMSW, associate dean for research and faculty development and assistant professor at the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, is an expert on mental health, primarily anxiety and depression, as well as religion and spirituality in clinical practice. In a Q&A, Dr. Oxhandler offers suggestions and resources to “help unhook from the baser instincts of fear and anxiety, even momentarily, to monitor and care for spiritual and mental health needs” during the COVID-19 health crisis. Read more here.

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SOCIAL WORK MONTH: GENERATIONS STRONG

A Message From CSWE's President: Addressing the Social Determinants of Health

A Social Work Month message "Addressing the Social Determinants of Health—National Academies Report Recognizes Social Worker Role" by CSWE President and CEO Darla Spence Coffey has been published in a collection of curated invited articles for The New Social Worker. Dr. Coffey highlights how the report details the imperative need for social workers in addressing the social determinants of health in our communities. "This report, along with the resultant recommendations, is a way to bring visibility to the value of our profession in health care, and we need to be ready to step up to that challenge—in our social work education programs, in our continuing education offerings, and in the kind of workforce training that practicing social workers receive." Read more here. 

 

ADVANCING INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Spring 2020 IPEC Faculty Development Institute Canceled
Given current public health concerns related to the coronavirus, IPEC has canceled the Spring 2020 IPEC Faculty Development Institute planned for May 19‒21, 2020, in Washington, DC. The decision was made in the best interest of members’ health and safety, as well as that of their families, students, patients, and communities. See other IPEC event updates here.
 

CENTER FOR DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL & ECONOMIC JUSTICE

 

Creating the Blueprint to Reduce LGBTQ Youth Homelessness
LGBTQ youths who are experiencing homelessness continue to represent a significantly vulnerable group in our communities. Based on interviews with youths, providers, and advocates, this month’s issue of the Educator | Resource provides a research-based assessment of their needs, strategies for engaging in best practices, and recommendations for facilitating successful transitions to adulthood.
 

KATHERINE A. KENDALL INSTITUTE

KAKI Request for Proposals
CSWE’s Katherine A. Kendall Institute for International Social Work Education helps educators create innovative tools that bring a global context into U.S. social work classrooms and are transferable and sustainable across institutions. This 3-year grant cycle closes on April 10, 2020, at 5:00 pm (EDT). Up to five $10,000 grants will be awarded. Click here to view the request for proposals and additional resources.
 

ACCREDITATION

Provide Feedback on Updated Practice Doctorate Accreditation Proposal
CSWE invites feedback on the revisions to the professional practice doctorate accreditation proposal presented on behalf of CSWE’s Commission on Educational Policy (COEP) and Commission on Accreditation (COA). The revisions were made to materials developed by the COEP’s and COA’s Professional Practice Doctorate Committee.
 
ASWB Reports Test Centers Closed
The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) is committed to communicating with the social work community to provide accurate, up-to-date information about testing for licensure. ASWB reports that Pearson VUE test centers are closed through April 15. Read the ASWB letter to its members listing testing updates and resources. 
 

INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH

CSWE COVID-19 Pulse Survey Results
To assist CSWE members in better understanding the quickly changing landscape they and their students are operating in, CSWE conducted two brief "pulse" surveys, one of deans and program directors and another of field directors. The resulting data provide member programs with new ideas for modifying field placements, including potential alternative activities, identifying ways to incorporate the COVID-19 pandemic into coursework, and providing general information on how institutions and programs are modifying their operations. 

GOVERNANCE

Council and Commission Volunteer Applications Due April 30
CSWE members are invited and encouraged to apply to serve on one of our 17 distinguished commissions or councils. Please view the 2017–2018 CSWE Annual Report here to learn more about CSWE’s accomplishments, including the work and achievements of the commissions and councils. Stay tuned for next week’s announcement for more information on how to apply.
 

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES FOR MEMBERS

NCCDP Announces Classes Now Online
The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners is now offering, for an indefinite period of time, their Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia Care Seminar and the Certified Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia Certified Trainer Course live online. All sessions currently offered will be online until further notice.

Roy Scrivner Memorial Research Grant
The American Psychological Foundation’s Roy Scrivner Memorial Research Grant is offering a grant up to $10,000 for empirical and applied research focused on lesbian, gay, and bisexual family psychology and LGBT family therapy. The application deadline is Sunday, November 1, 2020; learn more about eligibility and program benefits here.
 
Doctoral Dissertation and Faculty/Postdoctoral Research Grant Programs 
The Fahs-Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation is offering grants up to $5,000 for dissertation support expenses and $20,000 for faculty/postdoctoral research support in the United States and Canada. Grant applications are considered twice a year with deadlines of April 1 and November 1; learn more about eligibility here.

IN RELATED NEWS

• Managing Anxiety During the COVID-19 Outbreak
• Social Work From a Social Distance: Coronavirus Forces U.S. Child Advocates to Adapt
• Opinion: Recognizing Social Workers
• Faculty Home Work

CAREERS AT CSWE

CSWE is recruiting for the following positions:

• Director, Meetings and Events
• Associate Director, Minority Fellowship Program
• Manager, Member Engagement and Professional Development
• Manager, Communications and Marketing

To apply for these career opportunities at CSWE, please submit a cover letter, résumé, and salary requirements to Human Resources, CSWE, 1701 Duke Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314, FAX: +1.703.683.8099 or [email protected].
 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

External submissions for the CSWE Program Spotlight, Resources, Opportunities for Members, and Events Calendar sections are welcome! View the submission guidelines for more information. CSWE reserves the right to edit or decide not to publish any item. The content deadline for the next issue is Tuesday, April 14, 2020.
 
CSWE welcomes feedback for CSWE Compass.