Social Work in Health Care - Training Program (SWIHC-TP) Wrap-Up
April 25, 2024 SWIHC-TP Final In-Person Event
Our time with the Social Work in Healthcare – Training Program (SWIHC-TP) flew by so quickly! In 2023, the SWIHC-TP recruited ten emerging or practicing social workers who self-identify as people of color, LGBTQAI+, and/or individuals living with a disability and/or chronic condition. Over the past seven months, our participants immersed themselves in learning how to provide equitable social work services within a healthcare setting. The program included a variety of components such as:
A twenty-five-hour online certificate with five courses focused on social work in health care
One-on-one mentorship with diverse social work practitioners
Three in-person half-day sessions for cohort building, in-person learning, panel discussions, and networking
Professional development webinars
A library of relevant clinical texts
Regular cohort case study discussions
On April 25, 2024, we celebrated our participants with an invigorating in-person event. We kicked things off with a social work social hour, encouraging participants to network with social work practitioners from RUSH who also self-identify as people of color, LGBTQAI+, and/or individuals living with a disability and/or chronic condition. Next, the event featured two engaging panel discussions: one led by diverse social work practitioners in various settings at RUSH, and another led by Illinois Representative Jan Schakowsky and NASW Illinois Chapter President Joel Rubin, who delved into social work and policy. The day concluded with a graduation ceremony and lunch to honor everyone’s time, commitment, and hard work.
Reflecting on our program, we find the resilience, vulnerability, and growth of our participants to be truly inspirational. We're excited to continue supporting them as they apply their new skills and knowledge in their careers and look forward to seeing the paths their futures will take. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this successful program – here's to many more achievements in the future!
This program was a collaboration between the Center for Health and Social Care Integration (CHaSCI) at RUSH's Social Work and Community Health Department and the Department of Social Work in the College of Health Sciences.
The SWIHC-TP, generously funded by the CIGNA Foundation, sought to combine two key efforts:
Train social workers in the essential components of healthcare social work, and
Enhance representation of diverse social workers in the field of healthcare social work.