For Immediate Release
Contact:
Carrie Murdock deGuzman
1.703.519.2057, cmurdock@cswe.org
June 8, 2008 – In Partnership With
ALEXANDRIA, VA––The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) has been awarded a $75,000 1-year subgrant from the Tides Foundation to conduct a national survey of accredited social work programs in partnership with Lambda Legal.
The grant, beginning in April and ending in April 2009, will fund one of two Lambda Legal projects designed to increase the positive impact that social workers can have on gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender youths in out-of-home care. Lambda Legal’s second partnership is with NASW.
“This survey will provide a more comprehensive picture of how social work students are currently being prepared to serve the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community,” said CSWE Executive Director Julia M. Watkins. “CSWE looks forward to collaborating with Lambda Legal to identify more valuable curricula and resources for our profession’s future.”
"LGBTQ youth are over-represented in out-of-home care facilities," said Flor Bermundez Staff Attorney with Lambda Legal's Youth in Out-of-Home Care Project. "It is essential that social workers and practitioners are trained in how best to serve them."
The survey that CSWE and Lambda Legal design will review the depth and breadth of social work courses, curriculum, and resources related to sexual orientation and gender expression in the United States. This nationwide analysis seeks to uncover best practices to recommend to the social work education community. This will include suggestions on improving course structure and content and increasing resources and student support. CSWE’s Commission for Diversity and Social and Economic Justice and Council on Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression will provide their expertise on the topic throughout the survey development process.
CSWE will first publicize its survey findings at its 2009 Annual Program Meeting in San Antonio November 6–November 9 through various publications and educational sessions.
Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.
The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a nonprofit national association representing more than 3,000 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 1952, this partnership of educational and professional institutions, social welfare agencies, and private citizens is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education.
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