A shortage of master of social work (MSW) programs in the Worcester area, combined with a high demand for that degree there, led Westfield State University into a collaboration with the YWCA Central Massachusetts in Worcester. “This partnership has a natural synergy,” says Shelley Tinkham, Ph.D., dean of the College of Graduate and Continuing Education. “This is a unique model. It is very powerful.”
Linda Cavaioli, executive director of the YWCA Central Massachusetts, says the joint effort between the YWCA and Westfield State offers local professionals from the Worcester area a convenient place to learn near their work or homes. The MSW program content is no different, whether students take classes at Westfield State or at Worcester’s YWCA. “The biggest advantage is the opportunity for a quality program in central Massachusetts that is also affordable,” Cavaioli says. “Working people in greater Worcester can come to a safe and accessible place to gain credentials and maintain the balance of work and life.”
Robert Kersting, Ph.D., chair of the Westfield State MSW program and a professor in the YWCA classes, says the YWCA makes an ideal partner. “It has a strong social justice focus, as does the field of social work and our program,” he says. “We see great potential for placing students in internship experiences at the YWCA.”
The MSW program is intentionally designed as a hybrid so that course material is delivered in the classroom by a professor and online. By creating a program using both methods, the MSW professors are attempting to take advantage of the strengths of these educational deliveries, Dr. Kersting says.
To further meet workforce needs, social work professor Nora Padykula, Ph.D., secured a federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant for $1,299,235. The four-year grant will provide $10,000 in stipends to MSW students during the final-year field internship at integrated behavioral health settings. “MSW students interning in Worcester County will directly benefit from the opportunities this grant will provide,” she says. The HRSA grant was one of the largest faculty grants in the college’s history.
Albert Muñoz ’14, a Worcester resident, is one of 18 students enrolled in the program in his city. He graduated from Westfield State with a double major in Spanish and criminal justice. “Professors have been encouraging throughout the process, and all have great knowledge of the field,” says Muñoz, who currently holds a Social Worker Assistant license and plans to either continue working with an adolescent population in Massachusetts or join a police department. “The YWCA is a great organization with many services, and being around the facility has really given me a different perspective of the work.”
Broad Scope of Study
Set to earn a bachelor of science in nursing in May in the first graduating class for the University’s RN to BSN program, Emma Dubovaya feels skilled at patient care. A nurse at a local nursing home, she says the program boosted her knowledge and experience.
“My peers’ opinions and thoughts gave me new perspective,” she says. “I have gathered better assessing skills. I am able to read and analyze studies for better appliance of evidence-based practice, and I have learned better leadership skills.”
Westfield State partnered with Springfield Technical Community College to offer this RN-to-BSN program, recognizing that the healthcare industry is setting the standard that nurses should have a bachelor’s degree, explains nursing professor Jessica Holden, the program coordinator.
“It is a great option for either practicing nurses or those who choose to gain their associate’s degree so that they may begin working as an RN sooner while earning their bachelor’s degree,” she says.
In the fall, Westfield State and Greenfield Community College also announced an RN-to-BSN completion program partnership at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School in Northampton. The new agreement strengthens the University’s existing relationship with GCC and helps Westfield State to continue its mission of delivering accessible, affordable degrees.
