The mission of the New York State Social Work Education Consortium is to improve the quality, professional status, and stability of the public sector child welfare workforce, including better ways to recruit and retain qualified workers.
Our primary goal is the identification and implementation of programs and activities, which promote a forward-looking approach to training and education, emphasizing workforce stabilization and professionalization.
Over the past five years, the Consortium initiated regional collaborations between local social work education programs and local social services districts. There are currently 7 active regional groups. The regional structure allows for the design of programs responsive to the unique needs of the region, thereby targeting resources effectively. Activities include: tuition for social work courses at the associates, baccalaureate and masters level, stipends for student's participating in internships in local, public child welfare agencies, support for MSW field instructors, funds for continuing education programs designed for child welfare practice improvement through integration with the Program Improvement Plan, and support for regional coordination.