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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Sarah Sisco, MPH, MSSW¹, Alissa Yarkony, MPH, PT¹, Peri Rosenfeld, PhD², Jeannine Melly², JoAnn Damron-Rodriguez, LCSW, PhD³, Frances Lawrance, PhD⁴, and Patricia Volland, MSW, MBA¹. (1) Social Work Leadership Institute, New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029, 212-419-3590, ssisco@nyam.org, (2) Division of Health Policy/Center for Aging Policy, The New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029-5202, (3) School of Public Affairs, Department of Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles, 3250 Public Policy Bldg., Los Angeles, CA 90095-1650, (4) Consultant, New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029

Worldwide, several societies face a “longevity revolution” where the aging population is expected to double. By 2030, older adults will compose 20% of the US population—all of whom are entitled to healthy aging. Persistent disparities, however, continue to affect health and mental health of older adult populations long before they qualify for Medicare. Already there is increased demand for medical and social services, yet across all disciplines that serve elders, our workforce will be insufficient to meet patients' needs to effectively access, and navigate these services. The New York Academy of Medicine's Social Work Leadership Institute aims in part to bolster the social work workforce by dispensing seed grants to master's level social work schools to establish an innovative field education model. Funded by the Hartford Foundation, the Practicum Partnership Program (PPP) engages students by exposing them to numerous aging-related careers. Six demonstration sites involving 11 schools adapted the model to their local communities between 2002-2005, with a multifaceted evaluation undertaken to assess accomplishments and shortcomings. Key informant interviews and surveys were used to assess student knowledge, program satisfaction, and reported commitment to pursuing careers in aging. Fiscal measures at the university level were also assessed, including university investment and ability for schools to sustain their programs post-funding. With over 400 social workers trained and nearly 80% in elder-based employment 1-2 years post- graduation, Hartford has expanded PPP support to fund 60 schools by 2008. Lessons learned from pilot sites, and further practice and policy implications, will be explored.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to
• Articulate macro-related issues in aging and their implications for social workers in public health, amongst other professions that care for elders
• Describe the PPP model, its Five Essential Components, how they link to engage and retain social workers to the field of aging, and lessons learned in the model’s implementation
• Explain links and next steps to policy-based workforce issues for social workers responding to large-scale demographic shifts

Keywords: Aging, Social Work

Related Web page: www.socialworkleadership.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No