Office of American Indian Projects (OAIP)

Office of Latino Projects (OLP)

MSW Child Welfare Training Project

Undergraduate Child Welfare Training Program

Office of American Indian Projects (OAIP)

The Office of American Indian Projects (OAIP) was founded in 1977, based on the advocacy of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, the Indian Health Services, the Navajo Nation, the Phoenix Indian Center, and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. The purpose of OAIP is to develop the capacity of American Indian communities and programs. The vision of the project is to develop strengths in both individuals and systems within the social work arenas of American Indian communities, in conjunction with the emerging federal mandate for tribes to assume responsibility for the delivery of social services to American Indian people. The mission of OAIP includes the development of a site where American Indian research and grant projects can be coordinated and monitored to ensure a focus that is beneficial to the tribes and one that reinforces a government-to-government approach. The mission also includes recruiting American Indian social work students and faculty, mentoring students, and providing American Indian people with a friendly reception within the University.

As the following list of accomplishments indicates, OAIP has carried out its mission by developing student resources and a mentoring program; conducting projects for American Indian agencies, programs and tribal governments; and providing a resource for the School of Social Work and the University to develop research concerning Indians.

To accomplish the stated goals, OAIP conducted the following activities:

• Secured federal grants from the National Institute on Mental Health; the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children and Families; and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism;

• Secured contracts with numerous tribes including the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, the Gila River Indian Community, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, Ft. McDowell Yavapai Nation, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes;

• Provided assistance and collaborated with American Indian agencies including the Phoenix Indian Center, the Native American Indian Community Health Center, the American Indian Prevention Coalition, KidsCare/Native American Outreach Project, and Native American Connections;

• Collaborated and delivered technical assistance to the tribes of Arizona through a relationship with the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona; developed a contract with Dine College; and assisted the Navajo Nation in an educational needs assessment of the Division of Social Services staff, leading to formation of a career track for social services personnel;

• Through a contract with Oklahomans for Indian Opportunity, provided technical assistance to tribes on TANF and social and economic development;

• Through contact with tribes and American Indian agencies and programs, recruited field sites and associated financial support for students;

• In association with a former American Indian faculty member, Dr. Suzanne Cross, created the American Indian Social Work Student Association;

• In conjunction with American Indian social workers, created and maintained the Arizona American Indian Social Work Association;

• Created a scholarship program through an endowment (the Nauwich Endowment), established by Kenneth and Marilyn Buresh;

• Developed curricula for working with American Indian children and families; and

• Provided tribes and American Indian agencies with policy analyses, legislative analyses, interpretation of federal and state regulations, and technical assistance and training.

Projects include a U.S. Health and Human Services grant to develop a training curriculum for state and tribal child welfare workers; technical assistance to the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community for the development of a Family Reunification Project, with assistance from Dr. Jose Ashford; development of foster care standards, policies and procedures for the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation; and analysis and interpretation of an employee survey, with assistance from Dr. Ann McEachron, for the Navajo Nation Division of Social Services. Dr. Layne Stromwall is currently working as a consultant doing evaluations on the "Learning Circles" project with the Phoenix Indian Center. For more information, go to http://ssw.asu.edu/oaip 

Office of Latino Projects (OLP)

The primary goals of the Office are to:

1. Conduct culturally-grounded social work and social welfare research focusing on Latino/a populations of the Southwest borderlands;
2. Conduct policy analysis to develop and promote effective and just policies in areas such as immigration, migrant labor, health/behavioral health and children, youth and families;
3. Identify, evaluate and disseminate information on new culturally-sensitive models of service delivery with Spanish-speaking individuals, families, and communities, including documented and undocumented immigrants; and
4. Develop and promote strategies for expanding the Spanish-speaking social work force in Arizona.
For more information, go to http://ssw.asu.edu/olp

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOCUSING ON CHILD WELFARE

MSW Child Welfare Training Project

The Child Welfare Training Project represents a collaborative effort between Arizona State University and the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Child Protective Services Division, which focuses on protecting children from maltreatment. The Project is comprised of three interrelated facets: The Child Welfare Specialization, Stipend Program, and Child Protective Services Field Training Units. The goal of the MSW Child Welfare Specialization is to recruit and educate MSW students interested in this particular area of social work practice, and ultimately produce graduates who have the skill and expertise to pursue professional child welfare careers. Additionally, a number of stipends are available for specialization students interested in accepting employment with Arizona's Child Protective Services upon graduation. Stipend students are placed in child welfare field settings and receive a stipend of $550 a month and in-state tuition and fees. In an effort to provide a structured quality educational and hands-on internship experience for MSW students interested in child welfare, the Project has developed three field training units located in Phoenix, Tempe, and Tucson. For more information, contact Tonia Stott at 602-496-0081.

For additional information, go to http://ssw.asu.edu/portal/academic/child-welfare-training-program/msw-child-welfare-training-project

Undergraduate Child Welfare Training Program
(ASU Bachelor of Social Work Program/Tucson Component & Downtown Phoenix Campus)

The Undergraduate Child Welfare Training Program is a collaborative effort between the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program of the Arizona State University (ASU)/School of Social Work and the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES)/Child Protective Services (CPS), which provides family preservation and support services in local communities to prevent and respond to the occurrence of child abuse and neglect. The goal of the program is to recruit and train bachelor's level social workers to work with CPS. Applicants may specify their desire to work in an urban or rural Arizona community upon graduation. In the event of limited funding and/or changing workforce needs, priority for selection will be given to applicants willing to relocate to a rural Arizona community identified by DES as being in need of trained professional social work personnel. The ability to award new and continuing scholarships is dependent upon the availability of funding.

Scholarship recipients, referred to as DES Scholars, are placed in CPS settings during the internship portion of their professional education program. Students selected to receive the scholarship receive tuition (in-state only) and fees (except application fees) for courses required to complete the BSW degree. In exchange, upon graduation DES Scholars agree to work for DES as Child Protective Services Specialist II (or higher) positions in communities within Arizona where DES has determined there is a need for CPS workers.

BSW students in Tucson and Phoenix are eligible to apply during the semester in which they are enrolled in SWU 301/Human Behavior in the Social Environment I. Applications are accepted prior to each fall and spring semester, depending upon the availability of scholarships. The application includes contact information and a personal statement, resume, fingerprint clearance, criminal background check, and select DES forms. Applicants who have submitted a complete application packet by the deadline will be interviewed by a selection panel representing DES and the School of Social Work.

For additional information go to, http://ssw.asu.edu/portal/academic/child-welfare-training-program/bsw-child-welfare-training-program