scholarly journals Dual Master of Social Work / Master of Public Health Degrees: Perceptions of Graduates and Field Instructors

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 507-521
Author(s):  
Trina C. Salm Ward ◽  
Patricia M. Reeves
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Field Instructors ◽  
Skill Sets ◽  
Master Of Social Work ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
University Of Georgia ◽  
The University

Despite growing interest in Master of Social Work/Master of Public Health (MSW/MPH) programs, limited research literature is available on MSW/MPH graduates and none has examined field instructors’ perceptions of MSW/MPH students. This study describes the perceptions and experiences of MSW/MPH alumni and field instructors from a recently implemented MSW/MPH program at the University of Georgia. Electronic surveys were administered to 32 alumni and 34 field instructors; response rates were 71.9% (n=23) and 70.6% (n=24), respectively. Alumni reported satisfaction with the dual degree and utilization of both social work and public health skills in the workplace. Field instructors underscored the complementary skill sets of dually-trained students and noted the added value of MSW/MPH professionals in their agencies. Dually-trained MSW/MPH practitioners are uniquely prepared to address the need for transdisciplinary and interprofessional collaborations to address long-standing social and health issues.

scholarly journals Dual Master of Social Work – Master of Public Health (MSW/MPH)

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 478-492
Author(s):  
Patricia M. Reeves ◽  
Trina Colleen Salm Ward
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Collaborative Partnerships ◽  
Critical Component ◽  
Master Of Social Work ◽  
Evaluation Plan ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
Mph Program ◽  
Minimal Research ◽  
The U.S

While there has been a proliferation of MSW/MPH programs concurrent with dramatic changes in the U.S. health system, there is minimal research on these programs. The purpose of this article is to describe the conceptualization, development, and implementation of an innovative MSW/MPH program at a southeastern university—the only such program in the state. Our goal as the first two directors of the program, serving consecutively, is to share knowledge and offer “lessons learned” for universities seeking to develop or enhance an MSW/MPH program, as well as agencies interested in forming collaborative partnerships. “Lessons learned” include the importance of strong ongoing communication among all MSW/MPH stakeholders, thoughtful consideration of the time demands associated with the program director’s role, viewing a developmental evaluation plan as a critical component for success, and recognizing the benefits of purposeful linkages between the two disciplines.

scholarly journals Contributions of Public Health Social Work Students to Their Professions and Communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-15
Author(s):  
Sue Forster-Cox ◽  
Anna Nelson ◽  
Chelse Lang ◽  
Shammi Gandhi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Underserved Populations ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Border Region ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Dual Degree ◽  
The U.S

In the contemporary public health workforce environment, public health social workers (PHSW) bring integrated skills, from both fields, to meet the needs of vulnerable and underserved populations. They receive training in their Master of Public Health/Master of Social Work dual-degree programs, such as the one at New Mexico State University, which serves the U.S./Mexico border region. During their studies, dual-degree students are equipped to address health and human service issues at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and complete field experience and practicum hours in their communities. Along with practical skills, these students learn culturally responsive/humble ways of being with communities of color and marginalized individuals. After graduation, these emerging career PHSWs enter the workforce in a variety of settings: nonprofit, educational, government, primary care, and more. In this article, the field of public health social work is described in its historic and present forms, followed by PHSWs’ utility to the U.S./Mexico border region, in particular. Finally, we make the call to action for future career PHSWs to engage with this integrated, dynamic, innovative field, and its unique combination of community- and individual-based services and rewards.

The Tennessee Public Health Workforce Development Consortium

2011 ◽  
pp. 204-211
Author(s):  
Aleshia Hall-Campbell ◽  
Pamela Connor ◽  
Nathan Tipton ◽  
David Mirvis
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
Certificate Programs ◽  
University Of Tennessee ◽  
Health Workforce Development ◽  
Online Distance ◽  
The University

From 2003 to 2009, the Tennessee Public Health Workforce Development Consortium (The Consortium) served as a multi-institutional collaborative effort to develop and implement academic continuing professional education programs for public health professionals in Tennessee. The Consortium included the Tennessee Department of Health (DOH), East Tennessee State University (ETSU), the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK), and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis (UTHSC). Utilizing online, distance education techniques and technologies to provide graduate level certificate programs in epidemiology, health system leadership and health care management, as well as a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree to meet the specific needs of DOH’s professional staff, the Consortium successfully implemented an innovative, cross-institutional model for the provision of public health education. The online technology not only facilitated the use of active learning approaches appropriate for older adult learners who are returning to academic work, but also helped students and faculty meet the challenges of learning and teaching across multiple, geographically distant sites. This chapter describes the central role technology played in the project in terms of fostering inter-organizational cooperation and collaboration and providing measurable educational impact. The chapter also illustrates the project’s role in forming community partnerships, as well as explaining the best practices/strategies learned from this project.

scholarly journals Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public health: online and integrated into core Master of Public Health subjects

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynnell Angus ◽  
Shaun Ewen ◽  
Leanne Coombe
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Student Evaluation ◽  
Indigenous Health ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
The Public ◽  
Core Subjects ◽  
The University ◽  
Integration Project ◽  
Mph Program

The Master of Public Health (MPH) is an internationally recognised post-graduate qualification for building the public health workforce. In Australia, MPH graduate attributes include six Indigenous public health (IPH) competencies. The University of Melbourne MPH program includes five core subjects and ten specialisation streams, of which one is Indigenous health. Unless students complete this specialisation or electives in Indigenous health, it is possible for students to graduate without attaining the IPH competencies. To address this issue in a crowded and competitive curriculum an innovative approach to integrating the IPH competencies in core MPH subjects was developed. Five online modules that corresponded with the learning outcomes of the core public health subjects were developed, implemented and evaluated in 2015. This brief report outlines the conceptualisation, development, and description of the curriculum content; it also provides preliminary student evaluation and staff feedback on the integration project.

scholarly journals Lessons Learned from a Writing to Learn Program for Public Health Students at the University of Tokyo

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 238212052110320
Author(s):  
Tsuyoshi Okuhara ◽  
Hiroko Okada ◽  
Takahiro Kiuchi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Writing To Learn ◽  
Master Of Public Health ◽  
Main Target ◽  
State Of Mind ◽  
Curse Of Knowledge ◽  
The University ◽  
Learn Approach

We have taught writing for public health to students completing a Master of Public Health since 2016 in Japan. We adopted a writing-to-learn approach and assigned work to students to write health materials that encourage recipients to perform health behaviors (eg, drafting a poster to encourage lay audiences to adopt preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic). We collected students’ work assignments and products from 2016 to 2020 and reviewed them to identify distinctive trends common to all years. We found that there was a curse of knowledge (ie, difficulties to imagine the state of mind of not knowing when knowing something) among students. Students strongly embraced the adage “knowledge is power” and underestimated the difficulties lay audiences face. Their writing was somewhat dogmatic, whereby experts imparted privileged knowledge to ignorant non-experts. However, it is well known that merely imparting knowledge often does not work to educate lay audiences about making better decisions. Debiasing this curse of knowledge among students will be the main target of our writing education.

scholarly journals Innovative Strategies for Building Community Among Faculty Who Teach in Virtual Environments

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1103-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L. Schwartz ◽  
Eugenia L. Weiss ◽  
June L. Wiley
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
University Of Southern California ◽  
Faculty Experiences ◽  
Virtual Technology ◽  
Master Of Social Work ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Building Community ◽  
School Of Social Work ◽  
Virtual Platform ◽  
The University

A previous qualitative study (Schwartz, Wiley, & Kaplan, 2016) described the faculty experiences and reflections of delivering Master of Social Work (MSW) education via a virtual platform at the University of Southern California, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work during its initial years of operation. Thematic analysis revealed a need for community building amongst geographically diverse faculty. Given social work’s emphasis on the person-in-environment perspective, it is imperative to consider the experiences of those individuals responsible for executing virtual technology-supported programs and delivering education via virtual platforms. The current paper describes innovative institutional and programmatic interventions implemented to promote community and collaboration among faculty who teach virtually. Creating strategic opportunities for virtual and ground-based faculty to connect informally and formally has the potential to foster a culture of inclusivity, connection, and a productive community of practice.

scholarly journals A qualitative analysis of the information science needs of public health researchers in an academic setting

2018 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanda L. Hunt ◽  
Caitlin J. Bakker
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Data Management ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
University Of Minnesota ◽  
Skill Levels ◽  
Skill Sets ◽  
Data Policy ◽  
The University

Objectives: The University of Minnesota (UMN) Health Sciences Libraries conducted a needs assessment of public health researchers as part of a multi-institutional study led by Ithaka S+R. The aims of the study were to capture the evolving needs, opportunities, and challenges of public health researchers in the current environment and provide actionable recommendations. This paper reports on the data collected at the UMN site.Methods: Participants (n=24) were recruited through convenience sampling. One-on-one interviews, held November 2016 to January 2017, were audio-recorded. Qualitative analyses were conducted using NVivo 11 Pro and were based on the principles of grounded theory.Results: The data revealed that a broad range of skill levels among participants (e.g., literature searching) and areas of misunderstanding (e.g., current publishing landscape, open access options). Overall, data management was an afterthought. Few participants were fully aware of the breadth of librarian knowledge and skill sets, although many did express a desire for further skill development in information science.Conclusions: Libraries can engage more public health researchers by utilizing targeted and individualized marketing regarding services. We can promote open science by educating researchers on publication realities and enhancing our data visualization skills. Libraries might take an institution-wide leadership role on matters of data management and data policy compliance. Finally, as team science emerges as a research priority, we can offer our networking expertise. These support services may reduce the stresses that public health researchers feel in the current research environment.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document