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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 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. Another key element in the School's outreach efforts is its Social Work Community Outreach Service, or SWCOS. For over 10 years, SWCOS has been extremely active in the Baltimore region and in Maryland helping schools, non-profits, and civic organizations make a difference. 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. The Resource Mentoring Project, a part of the Social Work Community Outreach Service, 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. 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. 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. More University/Community Outreach efforts through the School of Social Work. . |
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