University of Pittsburgh

Problem:

Recent needs assessment and planning activities document the importance of leadership training and education for social workers in public health MCH systems and the need for skills development to assist in assuming new leadership roles in the changing public health and social welfare environment.

Goals and Objectives:

Goal 1: Train social workers for leadership positions in maternal and child health systems. Objective 1: Develop appropriate course requirements and sequencing for students with a primary interest in MCH, leading to an MPH degree in Behavioral and Community Health. Objective 2: Provide structured MCH related work experiences and projects as part of student training. Goal 2: Provide interdisciplinary training in public health social work for doctoral students as part of the Center for MCH Leadership in Public Health Social Work Program with the School of Social Work. Objective 1: Develop relevant courses and seminars to enhance interdisciplinary training for students in public health social work. Objective 2: Coordinate graduate training of MCH professionals with University-based LEND program Objective 3: Engage community-based MCH professionals in the teaching and mentoring of trainees. Goal 3: Provide public health training with a MCH emphasis to MSW students as part of the emerging MSW-MPH dual degree program. Objective 1: Offer MCH courses and public health social work seminars for students in BCHS MPH program as well as students in the MSW program Objective 2: Provide academic public health training leading to a PhD in Social Work as part of the formal joint program between the School of Public Health and Social Work. Objective 3: Develop and implement a formal MPH-MSW dual degree program at the University of Pittsburgh. Goal 4: Provide support as appropriate to continuing education programs for social workers and other professionals in public health and maternal and child health positions. Objective 1: Develop curriculum materials and continuing education training modules, which are appropriate for use in academic programs or in field-based continuing education sites. Objective 2: Provide technical assistance to MCH systems (Title V agencies and others) through the form of advice and consultation on program planning, evaluation, and data management issues. Objective 3: Conduct evaluation studies with student team involvement. Goal 5: Conduct and promote applied research and program evaluations in conjunction with local and regional MCH programs designed to improve MCH policy development, program planning, and service delivery. Objective 1: Manage and conduct a variety of MCH related applied research and program evaluation activities on which students receive practical experience. Objective 2: Offer technical assistance to various public health and social welfare organizations Objective 3: Offer formal coursework in program evaluation with a strong emphasis on MCH issues.

Methodology:

The program is based in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences and provides academic public health training (leading to the Master's Degree in Public Health) to experienced professional social workers and to students in the emerging MPH-MSW dual degree program. A number of these trainees also pursue the Ph.D. in Social Work as part of the formal joint program between the School of Public Health and Social Work. A major role of the program is also to provide technical assistance and consultation to Maternal and Child Health systems (Title V agencies and others). This technical assistance primarily takes the form of advice and consultation by faculty members and student trainee teams on program planning, evaluation, and data management issues. The project also manages and conducts a variety of MCH related applied research and program evaluation activities on which students receive practical experience. The program also provides limited support as feasible for continuing education for social workers and other MCH professionals in public health. This has been accomplished in recent years through financial support and coordination with other training programs, including the local LEND program.

Coordination:

The project has close working relationships with the MCH Title V Programs in the Allegheny County Health Department and PA Department of Public Health and collaborates with the HRSA funded Pennsylvania-Ohio Public Health Training in coordinating continuing ed activities for regional public health professionals. The project director is a core faculty member of the Pittsburgh LEND Program. There has been enhanced collaboration with School of Social Work and MCH Leadership Training programs.

Evaluation:

Project faculty maintain close contact with state-based PHSW programs and local Title V agencies. These relationships serve as a monitoring mechanism for the project and provide a national perspective. The Project monitors trainee employment and career development through the use of a periodic survey of former trainees. Continuing education activities are evaluated by questionnaires regarding the relevance of the content, quality of the presentations, and overall assessment of the activity.

Experience to Date:

Over one hundred students have graduated from the program, approximately seventy percent with the joint Ph.D.-MPH degrees. Over forty percent of these have been minorities. The former trainees are employed in health care programs in every U.S. Health and Human Services Region. They are also employed in over twenty colleges/universities in the United States, in schools of social work, public health, medicine, and pharmacy. Over twenty Public Health Social Work Continuing Education Conferences have been held over the years, affording continuing education to an average attendance at each Conference of seventy-five professional public health social workers.