An evaluation of the GeroRich program for infusing social work curriculum with aging content

There is a national shortage of social workers who have the knowledge and skill competencies needed for practice with our rapidly growing older adult population. In the last decade, research has identified many reasons for the lack of interest in gerontological social work and steps that could be pursued within social work education to remedy the situation. The Geriatric Enrichment in Social Work Education (GeroRich) Program, funded through the John A. Hartford Foundation, engaged 67 social work programs throughout the United States in a process of curriculum change to increase the amount of gerontological content in the foundation social work curriculum. This study examined how the GeroRich program was instrumental in infusing gerontological content into the curriculum. Based on common outcome measures, the GeroRich program was found to be effective in (1) increasing the amount of gerontological content in the curriculum, (2) engaging faculty in the change process, and (3) exposing students to gerontological content. Relatively few variations were found among different program types or geographic settings. The model of curricular change implemented by the GeroRich program may be effective with other curriculum enrichment efforts.