Community Outreach At The University of Maryland School of Social Work Historically, the University of Maryland has contributed its expertise and talent to the surrounding communities. Social work students participate in community outreach programs and research projects that fulfill a wide range of social needs. For social work students in particular, the surrounding communities become extensions of classroom learning. Students can choose from a long list of field placements in urban, suburban, and rural areas, where they assist children, adults, and the elderly. See Where The School of Social Work Is Working To Make Maryland Even Better The Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC) is a program supported by the Office of University Partnerships (OUP) in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. OUP’s mission is to encourage and expand the number of partnerships formed between colleges and universities and their communities. The COPC program enables colleges and universities to engage in outreach and applied research activities that address problems of urban areas. The intent of the COPC program is that lasting structural changes will result in the manner in which the participating institution will relate to its neighborhood. Another School-based outreach effort includes Family Connections. Family Connections helps bring families and communities together by combining service, education, and research to promote safety and well being for children, families, and communities. Maternal and child health (MCH) social workers are concerned with psychosocial and societal factors that affect the health of infants, children, adolescents and their families, especially mothers. They are also concerned with access to quality health care. Maternal and child health social workers work in a variety of settings, play a variety of roles, and are involved in direct and indirect services. The mission of Promise Heights (PH) is to create a comprehensive child, family and community building model in West Baltimore that provides children 0-21 with educational, social, physical, and economic opportunities and which allows them to thrive and succeed in work and family life. It involves a unique partnership between the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), non-profit agencies, faith-based organizations, government, and communities in West Baltimore, all with a deep commitment to finding solutions to meet the needs of vulnerable families. Based on a number of opportunities, the community of Upton was identified as the first neighborhood to be served. Upton has some strong characteristics: churches that continue to serve as social service providers and community anchors; a history of civil rights activism; the creation of African American institutions and a once renowned entertainment district on Pennsylvania Avenue. Upton and historic West Baltimore have large percentages of child residents; of 6,320 residents in Upton a third are children, and over 50% of these children live in poverty. In addition close to 50% of area adults lack a high school diploma or equivalency, and at the last census, 60% of community adults were either unemployed or not in the work force (Census, 2000). The Ruth H. Young Center for Families and Children promotes the safety, permanence and stability, and well-being of children, youth, families, and communities through education and training, research and evaluation, and best
practice service programs. Consolidated under the Ruth H. Young Center are the School’s growing portfolio of family and children’s services education, training, and research. These programs and research include Family Connections, Grandparent Family Connections, Family Connections National Program Replication Project, Title IV-E Education for Public Child Welfare Services Program, training programs, extensive ongoing research involving foster care, independent living, and recruitment and selection of the child welfare workforce; as well as community-based research focused on children youth, and families. Another key element in the School's outreach efforts is its Social Work Community Outreach Service, or SWCOS. For close to 20 years, SWCOS has been extremely active in the Baltimore region and in Maryland helping schools, non-profits, and civic organizations make a difference. Other SWCOS Initiatives:
Maryland's Public Allies Chapter delivers innovative forms of public service throughout Maryland by providing leadership experiences and training to a diverse group of young future leaders. The Peace Corps Fellows program allows students interested in working with children and youth to incorporate 27 months of Peace Corps service into their MSW program. Students in this program participate in the Master's International program with the Peace Corps and earn a MSW degree from the University of Maryland--all in four years. ReServe Maryland matches continuing professionals 55+ (“ReServists”) with rewarding part-time service opportunities at nonprofit organizations and public institutions in order to strengthen their communities while earning a modest stipend.
Resource Mentoring Project is dedicated to empowering community and faith based organizations, through a mentoring process, to build their organizational capacity in an effort to gain and maintain organizational health. It is our belief that healthy organizations will deliver sustainable programs and services which in turn will lead to healthier communities.
More University/Community Outreach efforts through the School of Social Work.
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