Social Work students among first scholarship recipients

SUNY Fredonia senior Social Work majors Briana Palmer of Silver Creek, Craig Felton of Jamestown, and Jessica Slomiany of Dunkirk will have an opportunity to complete their field placement in a local public child welfare agency, take a course specific to child welfare practice and put their skills to work right after graduation. They are among the first beneficiaries of the New York State Child Welfare Scholarship Program, an effort to recruit high-achieving undergraduate social work students into the field of public child welfare.

Scholarship recipients (left to right) Briana Palmer, Craig Felton and Jessica Slomiany.

The program offers scholarships to senior year Bachelor of Science in Social Work students with a dedication to public child welfare practice. After they successfully complete the program, scholarship recipients make a two-year commitment to work in the local district as a child welfare caseworker. Resulting from collaboration between the N.Y.S. Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and the Social Work Education Consortium (SWEC), the scholarship program seeks to address the issues of turnover and retention of child welfare staff. Studies conducted by the consortium revealed the need for a stable workforce that is based on a good fit between the attitudes and abilities of the staff and the expectations of their job. The effort is a pilot effort modeled after a successful program in Kentucky, and kicked off this year with 25 scholarship recipients from public and private colleges throughout the state.

SUNY Fredonia is partnering with the Chautauqua County Department of Social Services. Field coordinator of Fredonia’s Social Work program, Robin M. Hartinger-Saunders, is serving as the faculty field liaison to oversee the students’ field practicum, as well as participate in the ongoing development of the program. Equally as important is the Chautauqua County Department of Social Services, who will provide experienced staff, time, and resources in support of the collaboration. Ms. Slomiany will be completing her field practicum in conjunction with the Erie County (N.Y.) Department of Social Services.

In conjunction with the students’ social work practicum, they will be participating in a required Child Welfare Seminar taught by Richard Holody, DSW, LMSW, assistant professor of social work from Lehman College/CUNY. The course will be taught from New York City by connecting to a network of smart classrooms. These classrooms will use videoconference technology that allows students from Albany, Buffalo, and Fredonia, to join the class and fully interact with Dr. Holody and one another. Developed in concert with the participating schools, the course is a comprehensive introduction to child welfare practice and the delivery of child welfare services in New York State.