Funded Projects

Problem:

Many health and social problems that affect the MCH population originate in socioeconomic and environmental conditions. Social workers, as part of public health interdisciplinary teams, need leadership preparation in MCH and public health to effectively address these problems.

Goals and Objectives:

Goal 1: Enhance the MSW and the MSW/MSPH curriculum to increase all MSW students' knowledge of MCH issues Objective 1: Enhance and expand MCH content in the School of Social Work's newly revised MSW Foundation Curriculum (to be instituted Fall 2008). Objective 2: Develop and include leadership content in the revised MSW curriculum, which has "leadership development" as its theme (to be rolled out Fall 2008 and fully implemented by May 2010). Objective 3: Expand the number of MCH field education sites for student training by 1 per yr (net increase of 5 by June 2013) and provide leadership training to on-site field instructors. Goal 2: Train a diverse group of MSW students in public health and MCH leadership competencies Objective 1: Collaborate with the Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health to strengthen the Dual Degree Program (MSW/MSPH) and continue to require it as part of the leadership curriculum for the trainees (ongoing). Objective 2: Continue to collaborate with the other three MCHB-funded leadership training programs at UNC through the MCH Leadership Consortium to provide a nine-month leadership training curriculum based on MCH competencies to all trainees (ongoing). Objective 3: Recruit, select, and enroll a diverse group of 5 long-term trainees each year (ongoing). Goal 3: Develop and disseminate MCH curricula, teaching modules, and other educational resources to other social work educators via the Internet Objective 1: Develop two new MCH modules for social work educators to infuse MCH public health content into MSW courses (in Yrs 2, 4). Objective 2: Update 4 existing modules: family-centered care/ family-professional collaboration (Yr 1), public health social work (Yr 3), epidemiology for social workers (Yr 5) and adolescent health (Yr 5). Objective 3: Send information via email annually to all schools/departments of social work about the modules and how to access them, and develop a more systematic mechanism for tracking use and collecting evaluative data on the modules (ongoing). Goal 4: Support the development of and provide continuing education to maternal and child health public health social workers Objective 1: Establish a national PHSW Continuing Education Advisory Committee to advise the leadership project on continuing education (in Yr 1). Objective 2: Continue to serve on the planning committee and co-sponsor the North Carolina Public Health Social Work annual conference by providing administrative and technical support (ongoing); offer an annual webinar on a current MCH PHSW leadership issue (starting in Yr 1). Objective 3: Collaborate with the two other MCHB-funded social work leadership training programs to develop and offer a pre-conference one-day intensive leadership workshop at the annual Association of State and Territorial Public Health Social Workers conference (starting in Yr 1). Goal 5: Provide consultation and technical assistance to and partner with MCH-related agencies Objective 1: Continue to provide faculty consultation and TA to MCH agencies (ongoing); involve trainees in faculty consultation and technical assistance to MCH agencies (ongoing). Objective 2: Continue to partner with Title V, NC Children and Youth Branch and the NC Family Council in planning and conducting UNC MCH Leadership Consortium activities and trainings (ongoing). Objective 3: Continue to serve on various MCH Advisory Committees (e.g., the Modules Advisory Committee for the U of Maryland MCH Leadership Devt Ctr (Rounds), MCH Info Resource Ctr (Farel)); continue to serve as the social work faculty rep on the NC Continuing Ed and Training Committee (CETAC) (Rounds).

Methodology:

The Leadership Training Program will: 1) Work to increase MCH content and leadership skill content in the MSW curriculum at the UNC School of Social Work; 2) Accept a culturally diverse group of at least four second-year MSW/MSPH students in the leadership training program and provide a comprehensive training program for these long-term trainees through: a) conducting four discipline-specific seminars per year for trainees and an intensive interdisciplinary leadership training workshop series in collaboration with the other UNC MCHB-funded leadership training programs; and b) involving trainees in faculty technical assistance to MCH agencies and in faculty research; 3) Develop and disseminate MCH curriculum materials for other social work educators, primarily through the Internet; 4) Support, plan and conduct MCH public health social work training and continuing education on the local, state, regional, and national level through a) cooperation with professional organizations and advisory committees; and b) collaborating with the two other MCHB-funded social work leadership training programs and the three other UNC MCHB-funded leadership training programs; and 5) Provide consultation and technical assistance to and partner with MCH-related agencies through faculty and trainee involvement.

Coordination:

Training, CE, TA: NC Div of PH, Women's & Children's Section UNC MCH Leadership Consortium NC PH Inst APHA - SW Section ASTPHSW UNC LEND Program NC Continuing Ed Advisory Committee Trainee field sites: International Justice Mission Ctr for Maternal & Infant Health, UNC Community Food Security Coalition Creative Consultants Inc. (autism services and advocacy) Honduras Health Alliance Finca Peru Polaris Project SAMSHA

Evaluation:

The evaluation focuses on the process of implementing project objectives and on the achievement of outcomes. The evaluation collects data on: trainee selection, preparation, and activities; faculty activities and products; development and dissemination of curriculum materials; continuing education; technical assistance and consultation to MCH-related agencies; and progress in meeting relevant MCHB Performance Standards. Findings are used to continuously improve various components of the project.

Experience to Date:

Over the past year, the PHSW Leadership Training Program has: 1) provided MCH leadership training to 9 long-term trainees completing the MSW/MSPH or MSW/MPH dual degree program in the School of Social Work and the Dept of MCH; 2) providing training on MCH issues to 144 medium-term trainees (86 had 40-149 contact hours; 58 had 150-299 hours) and 131 short-term trainees in the MSW program; 3) developed and provided intensive interdisciplinary leadership training as part of the UNC MCH Leadership Consortium to fellows in the MCHB-funded leadership training programs on campus and to members of the NC Family Council (leadership assessment, conflict management and facilitation, cultural competency, minority health and health disparities, family/professional collaboration, leadership reflection); 4) updated online curriculum modules on adolescent health and is developing modules on epidemiology and refugee health; 5) produced 6 products including a book chapter on public health social work; 6) collaborated with the 2 other MCHB-funded leadership training programs including reviewing module materials on developmental disabilities for the University of Maryland program; 7) partnered with the Continuing Education and Training Advisory Committee, NC Division of Public Health, and the NC Public Health Institute to sponsor a public health social work leadership summit for 27 invited emerging leaders; 8) provided technical assistance to a range of local, state, and national MCH programs.