Spalding University announced Aug. 10 that its School of Social Work has received a $1.28 million federal grant to fund scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are seeking a master’s degree.The grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration will fund scholarships that will pay for approximately half the tuition for about 117 students. Recipients must seek careers providing “behavioral health care in primary care settings or medically underserved communities” and treating opioid use disorder, according to the release.
The scholarships will be awarded over the next five years, beginning in the 2020-2021 school year. The new grant continues funding the university has received since 2012 from the HRSA’s Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Program.
Spalding’s School of Social Work plans to increase academic content in its master’s program related to opioid use and expand its practicum program to include more places that treat individuals suffering from substance use, according to the release.
Dr. Shannon Cambron, chair of Spalding’s School of Social Work, said the grant “allows us to offer significant support to our MSW (Master of Social Work) students and reflects both the caliber of the program and our ongoing commitment to prepare our graduates to practice in underserved communities.”
“We are dedicated to ensuring access to an exemplary educational experience that ultimately leads to exemplary social workers. This award and the scholarships it funds help us open the door wide to individuals committed to changing the world.”
