Increasing geriatric social work content through university/community partnerships

Area of Science:

• Social Work Education
• Higher Education
• Community Partnerships

Background:

• Social work programs traditionally partner with community agencies for field placements and research.
• Limited literature exists on university/community partnership models in social work and their influence on curriculum development.
• Geriatric content integration into social work curricula is an ongoing challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the structures and functions of university/community partnerships within social work education.
• To examine the association between these partnerships and the sustainability of curriculum change efforts, specifically geriatric content infusion.
• To identify the benefits of these partnerships for stakeholders in social work education.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of outcome reports from 67 Council on Social Work Education Geriatric Enrichment Projects (Gero Rich).
• Quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed to examine partnership structures, functions, and sustainability.
• The projects were funded by the Hartford Foundation to infuse geriatric content into B.S.W. and M.S.W. programs.

Main Results:

• University/community partnerships were found to be critical for increasing geriatric curricular content.
• These partnerships significantly contributed to the sustainability of curriculum change efforts.
• Partnerships yielded benefits for faculty, students, and participating community agencies.

Conclusions:

• Strong university/community partnerships are essential for effective curriculum development and sustainability in social work education.
• Integrating geriatric content is more successful and sustainable through collaborative agency-university models.
• These partnerships foster a mutually beneficial environment for academic institutions and community organizations.