The University of the District of Columbia is seeking approval for a new master’s of social work degree program, one that could receive significant D.C. funding to boost the pipeline of front-line mental health workers, especially those of color.
The process to add the new degree program is in the early stages and can only proceed with internal approval of the curriculum as well as approval by the Council on Social Work Education, said Lawrence Potter Jr., the university’s chief academic officer.
But there’s already funding being proposed to support students funneling into the program to remove the cost barriers and diversify the talent pipeline at the District’s public historically Black university.
In late September, D.C. Councilman Robert White, D-At large, introduced the Pathways to Behavioral Health Degrees Act, which proposes investing $6 million over four years into scholarships for future master’s of social work degree students at UDC. The scholarships would be reserved for D.C. residents.
White said in an interview that he wanted to shape a pipeline of workers for the mental health field, similar to how some local governments and higher education institutions have partnered on pipelines for other fields.
“Almost every day, I’m talking to or hearing from people who are looking for mental health help and can’t find it,” White said. “I realized that what we have to do is find a way to open up the workforce pipeline so that we are creating an army of mental health professionals who can meet the growing need that we see here in the District.”
Angela Bullock, director of the bachelor’s degree program, and other faculty members spent nearly two years crafting the curriculum for the proposed master’s degree program. It’s based on pedagogy as well as gaps in access for District residents, revealed through undergraduate social work student placements and field research, Bullock and Potter said.
“We know that there are areas that the MSW needs to address, particularly in the areas of behavioral and mental health,” Potter said. “We believe very clearly that our MSW program will address behavioral health, environmental justice, health care and community organizing.”
In September, the university submitted its eligibility application for the new master’s degree program to the Council on Social Work Education, a national nonprofit. With its approval, the curriculum will move through the university’s internal approval process.
“We believe we a have a fairly strong chance for our eligibility application,” Potter said, adding he expects the university will hear back from the council by June.
The program could launch as early as August 2023 or in time for the winter 2024 term, Potter said. That’s also when White hopes to make the city’s funding available.
The bill, co-introduced by eight of White’s council colleagues, would fund full tuition, books, transportation and a living stipend for 20 students per academic year. The next steps require a committee hearing, committee vote and two votes by the full council.
“Any support that our students can get to enter into a program where any and all or some portion of their studies can be paid for, I think, is a great thing,” Bullock said. “Ultimately, our students will benefit, and if our students benefit, they go out into the workforce and they’re able to make a deeper impact on the communities they serve.”
UDC’s accredited bachelor’s of social work degree program offers 100 majors for the 60 to 70 students who are currently enrolled. The program has placed students in the field in governmental organizations, nonprofits and private organizations where a social worker is on staff to supervise. Some students have worked with child welfare, LGBTQ+ youth and housing programs. It’s a requirement for their graduation, Bullock said.
As of September, D.C.’s School-based Behavioral Health Program, which places social workers at D.C. public and public charter schools, had 111 vacant positions, White said. He believes it’s crucial to funnel social work graduates of color, who have similar lived experiences and have cultural competency, into these positions given the DCPS population.
“A lot of people of color, myself included, prefer to seek therapists of color who have shared experiences and shared backgrounds,” White said. “Even before the pandemic, there were not enough people of color in the mental health field.”
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