National Child Welfare Workforce Institute

National Child Welfare Workforce Institute Up Stipend Project The ASU School of Social Work (School) through its Office of American Indian Projects (OAIP) proposes to conduct the University Partnerships program by implementing the UP Stipend project to provide MSW student traineeship supports including tuition payments and monthly stipends, child welfare curriculum enhancement activities, and partnerships with a tribal consortium focused on workforce systems development. The need for active, equal partnerships between the School and the tribal governments and their child welfare programs is vital to the development of a workforce capable of delivering effective, culturally responsive Indian child welfare practice. The objectives for this project include providing student traineeships to 5 students per year for 5 years (Academic years 2014/15 through 2018/19) for American Indian MSW students, non-Indian MSW students with a demonstrated interest in working with American Indian populations, and non-Indian MSW students willing to commit to work American Indian populations upon graduation; collaborating with a tribal consortium composed of 4 American Indian Nations/Communities, including Navajo Nation, Ft. McDowell Yavapai Nation, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and Gila River Indian Community, to provide field placements, address workforce challenges and specialized promising American Indian Child Welfare (AICW) practice; developing and enhancing the current Schools child welfare curriculum to include the specialized content of American Indian child welfare, trauma including historical trauma and evidence-based practices including specific American Indian practices; and creating opportunity for Schools Program Directors designee and lead tribal Director to participate in LADD to promote sustainable change to strengthen the AICW workforce, including recruitment, retention and support. The MSW student traineeship supports will include payment for tuition and fees for the MSW program, a $600 per month stipend and travel expenses to attend a local American Indian child and family conference and the CSWE Annual Program meeting. The partnerships between the School/OAIP and the tribal consortium will include collaboratively identifying workforce challenges and developing tribal specific workforce development approaches. The tribal consortium members will assist OAIP in the evaluation activities related to the UP Stipend projects implementation of the proposals goals and objectives. Curriculum enhancements will be developed through the partnership of OAIP with the tribal consortium and the Schools curriculum committee, including the focus on trauma and historical trauma with American Indians. Curriculum enhancements will also focus on the identification of evidence-based practices in American Indian child welfare practice, including practice-based evidence as needed. The Schools designee, OAIP, with the lead program of the tribal consortium, The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC), Tribal social Services (TSS), will participate in the Leadership Academy for Deans and Directors in order to identify change initiatives in the areas of Indian child welfare practices. GRIC TSS is also interested in the optional activities which address additional workforce activities including the participation of TSS staff in the Leadership Academy for Child Welfare Supervisors and the Leadership Academy for Child Welfare Middle Managers. This proposal is grounded in the longstanding relationship of OAIP with tribes in Arizona and the Southwest for over 35 years including field placements, program evaluations and the employment of ASU Schools MSW students. National Tribal Maternal Infant Early Child Home Visiting Technical Assistance Project