| NHSC is offering licensed clinical social workers $50,000 to repay their student loans
A Loan Forgiveness Program for Licensed Clinical Social Workers—$200 Million Is Available for Loan Repayment
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program offers fully trained and licensed clinical social workers $50,000 to repay student loans in exchange for two years serving in a community-based site in a high-need Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) that has been approved by the NHSC as a service site.
NOTE: California licensed clinical social workers qualify for the NHSC Loan Repayment national program only if they have taken the ASWB licensing exam.
For more information about social work loan forgiveness programs NASW is promoting, visit www.socialworkers.org/loanforgiveness Visit the NASW Store
Out With the Old, In With the New: To make room for new inventory, the NASW Store is having a FALL BLOW OUT SALE. Save up to 50% on social work-themed merchandise. Now is a great time to grab holiday gifts for yourself, friends, or colleagues. Visit our brand new NASW Store today. Get your social work merchandise before it's all gone!
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Headlines Career News
First Army Social Worker Training Class Graduates
The first class of a new master of social work program for soldiers and Department of Army civilians recently graduated at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The program was created by Yvonne Tucker-Harris, chief of social work at the Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center. In 2005, Tucker-Harris became concerned about the declining number of social workers within the medical corps, despite the growing need for qualified social workers. Tucker-Harris determined that the only way to meet the Army's need for social workers was to train its own. Fayetteville State University was extremely enthusiastic about partnering with the Army for the program.
Tucker-Harris says the university already had a relationship with the Army since it is located near Fort Bragg, N.C., and many soldiers and family members have graduated from the school. A master of social work degree usually takes two years, but the Army's accelerated program takes 14 months. Classes meet every day, and holidays and other breaks are cut short. Following graduation, program participants must complete a two-year internship at one of nine sites in the Army. The internship is standardized across all nine sites, and students must complete specific rotations in areas such as substance abuse and combat operations stress. The program has been expanded to include noncommissioned officers with a bachelor degree and some Army civilians who have agreed to take a position at an installation that is considered hard to place.
From "First Army Social Worker Training Class Graduates"
Fort Gordon Signal (09/25/09) Brackett, Charmain Z.
Considerations for Repaying Student Loans Early
Most graduates slowly repay their student loans over the course of 10 to 20 years, but some students are following pre-payment options and finding ways to pay back loans at a far faster rate, though they are also learning that these strategies come with their own hurdles. While committing extra funds to paying off student loans quickly may seem like a priority, money may be best used elsewhere. For example, many student loans have an interest rate of approximately 10 percent, but credit cards often have a rate of at least 15 percent, so it makes more sense to pay off credit cards first.
Likewise, it usually makes more sense to contribute up to at least the maximum amount matched by your employer to a 401(k) before diverting extra money to student loans. Consolidating loans also may not be the best choice, as consolidating does not simply weigh the average of all the interest rates, but rather rounds up to the nearest one-eighth of a percentage point. There are some ways to lower the interest rate by accelerating loan repayment, and homeowners, or graduates with willing parents, can tap a home equity line of credit to take out less expensive loans to repay student loans, though variable-rate home equity lines are subject to changing interest rates.
From "How to Repay Student Loans Early"
ABC News (10/18/09) Randall, David K.
After Years in Foster Care, Student Plans Career in Social Work
Ohio Dominican University sophomore Tabitha Bowen is majoring in social work and hopes to one day work as an international social worker. Bowen was put into foster care when she was 14, lived in several different homes, and attended five different high schools. Now, Bowen participates in the Casey Family Program, which is researching what it is like to grow up in foster care, and will attend the program's national conference in Jacksonville, Fla.. Bowen is highly involved in the campus community, both in social work-related activities and other extracurricular activities, working with a campus group that assists disabled students, and as a student ambassador for new students and visitors.
For others coming out of foster care, Bowen suggests they get involved in the community as much as possible and take advantage of whatever services are offered. Franklin County Children Services spokeswoman Delores Calloway Moore says Bowen's success is a testament to her strength and fortitude. "When it comes to children in foster care, you should give them as much as possible, because the emancipated youth—they are kind of on their own," Bowen says. She particularly recommends the emancipated youth program because it gives young adults leaving foster care access to classes and assistance.
From "After Years in Foster Care, Student Plans Career in Social Work"
Columbus Local News (10/30/09) Radcliff, Kathleen L.
State Needs Spanish-Speaking Social Workers
The Spanish-speaking population in Texas is growing rapidly, and social work experts say the number of Spanish-speaking social workers and mental health professionals is not enough to care for their needs. "There is no available data to quantify it, but we know from our anecdotal reports and research studies that have been done over time that there really aren't enough social work providers in Texas or nationally to meet the needs of Spanish-speaking populations," says Merrell Foote, spokeswoman for the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. This semester the foundation gave $386,000 in scholarships to bilingual students throughout the country seeking master's degrees in social work.
To be eligible for the program, students must pass a fluency exam and agree to work in the social work or mental health field in Texas for at least the same amount of time as their master's program. Since its creation in 2008, the foundation has provided scholarships to 51 students. "With the Hispanic population growing as rapidly as it is, we're going to have to find creative ways to respond to the serious mental health workforce shortage, particularly with regard to bilingual providers," says University of Texas School of Social Work associate dean David Springer. "For me, being bilingual isn't just speaking two languages," says social work graduate and Hogg scholarship recipient Denise Baxindine. "It's ensuring that everyone has access to the resources and information necessary to live safely and successfully in our society."
From "State Needs Spanish-Speaking Social Workers"
Daily Texan (11/02/09) White, Audrey
Giving a Stalled Job Search a Jump-Start
Many recent college graduates are finding themselves out of work due to the economic situation, and finding a job in the current market requires far more work than it has in the past. In September, the Labor Department reported that it takes unemployed workers an average of 27.2 weeks to find a new job, up from 19.1 weeks in September 2008 and 16.7 weeks in September 2007. Fortunately, there are several ways job hunters can jump start a stalled job search. One technique is to take a highly targeted approach and write new résumés and cover letters for each application, focusing on a smaller number of jobs that are of greater interest. Job hunters also should focus more on obtaining leads to unadvertised positions, as many companies are reducing the number of postings on job sites due to the overwhelming number of applications they are receiving.
Job seekers also should keep up with news and trends in their desired industries to identify potential job opportunities. For example, noticing that a firm lands a major new client may mean that firm will be hiring to meet increased demands. A prolonged period of unemployment also can be used to strengthen jobs skills. Pay attention to the skills required for jobs that are of interest and take the time to learn those skills, which better qualifies you for those positions. Also, take the time to review your cover letter or résumé for any possible typos or grammatical errors, as employers are increasingly unlikely to ignore these mistakes due to the competitive market.
From "Giving a Stalled Job Search a Jump-Start"
Wall Street Journal (10/20/09) Needleman, Sarah E.
Know What You Can Do, Then Sell Those Abilities
There are a number of things job seekers need to keep in mind when interviewing for a new position, writes job search coach Marvin Walberg. For instance, job seekers must have a thorough understanding of the attributes they have and the accomplishments they have made so they can use them as selling points to prospective employers. In addition, they need to believe that they can do what they say they can do and accomplish what they say they can accomplish in order to convince a prospective employer to hire them.
Job seekers also should have an understanding of what a prospective employer is looking for and how they can help meet that need. Finally, job seekers should be willing to compromise on things such as salary, benefits, and titles in order to get a job. Once a job seeker gets hired, he can then work to show his new employer that he deserves a higher salary, better benefits, and a more prestigious title.
From "Know What You Can Do, Then Sell Those Abilities"
Washington Times (11/09/09) P. B3; Walberg, Marvin
| November 2009
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