The Shorthorn - Social work students train with CPS for employment, stipend in the Title IV-E program

Social work students train with CPS for employment, stipend in the Title IV-E program

Written by Michelle Leverett

Thursday, 28 August 2008 09:26 PM

Bachelor Science of Work seniors Maria Grant, left, and Lindsey Richardson, right, attend a gathering Wednesday afternoon in the Social Work Complex with Master of Science in Social Work graduate student Michael Talle, center, regarding their involvement in the Child Welfare Stipend program. The students shared their personal experiences from their field training while at CPS Training Academy in Arlington. (Andrew Buckley)

For the last two weeks, social work students have been busy training at the Child Protective Services Training Academy in Arlington, where they participate in the Child Welfare Stipend Program.

In the program, students work closely with trained Child Protective Services caseworkers.

The Title IV-E Program is a federally funded initiative designed to integrate the social work profession back into child welfare said Title IV-E specialist Carol Gardner. The program works by offering stipends to students interested in child welfare.

Gardner said students benefit from the program because they receive financial aid and, most likely, a job right out of college.

“They are able to network with other social workers in other agencies, as well as learn about the Texas Family Code, which helps them gain a foundation of education that will prepare them for any social work career,” she said.

She said CPS and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services also benefits, because they receive educated, trained social workers.

Social work seniors, Maria Grant and Lindsey Richardson said they are excited about the program so far.

“I have always had a passion for children and their families and by working for CPS, I know I will be able to make a difference in their lives,” Richardson said.

During field training, each student was assigned a supervisor along with five other caseworkers. The students shadowed their supervisor as they interacted with families, attended court hearings and helped with investigations. Grant said being bilingual was a plus.

“Since I am Hispanic, I was able to translate for Hispanic families,” she said. “On one occasion, I not only had the opportunity to help out with an investigation but had to translate for the family who was involved in the investigation.”

The program requires both graduate and undergraduate students to complete their final field placement, child welfare setting at the training academy in Arlington.

Also, undergraduate students receive $4,500 for one semester of fieldwork, while graduates receive $5,000. Both must complete a block field placement and are required to work for CPS following graduation.

A block placement allows a student to complete a field of study in one semester instead of two, Gardner said. Block field training sessions are intensive, with 480 hours required for a Social Work bachelor’s degree and 500 hours for a Master’s in Science of Social Work, she said.

Gardner also recruits eligible CPS employees to come to graduate school. Their stipend is $3,000 each semester, which covers the cost of six credit hours, fees and books.

Gardner said that because the newly hired CPS workers are required to participate in the same program immediately following their date of hire, she hopes the agency will reconsider who is eligible for the program.

“Unfortunately, the CPS agency limits the local universities to a total of only 10 stipend students in the academy in any semester. UTA gets six in fall, five in spring and one to two in the summer,” she said. “In the past, there was no limit to the number we could give.”
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 September 2008 03:47 PM )

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