VISION

EDWINA S. UEHARA Professor and Ballmer Endowed Dean in Social Work UW School of Social Work

A Message from the Dean

SCIENCE

IN SERVICE OF CHANGE

THE TEST OF OUR TALENT IS IN THE MEASURABLE, SUSTAINABLE RESULTS WE ACHIEVE

Our vision for the future of social

work is nothing less than this: to be the locus of disruptive

social change. The foundation of that change is science—tested methods, based on unassailable data, that help us achieve impact on a previously unimaginable scale.

At the University of Washington School of Social

Work, we have been developing and testing the science needed to transform communities and improve lives for several decades.

That long history of innovation has led us to a pivotal moment. In 2015, as never before, we are seeing a convergence of new technologies, novel funding models, and unconventional partnerships, all in service of social change. This development could not be more timely: In an era of declining state resources and growing inequality, innovation in social work is no longer just a laudable goal— it is an imperative.

This report has presented a small sampling of the dozens of social impact projects sponsored by our School. Together, they are redefining how social workers can engage with communities, employ technology and forge alliances. Each is designed to create and test tools and approaches that can be adapted and disseminated on a broad scale. Communities in Action, for example, is demonstrating how to build a coalition of community leaders to help prevent poor outcomes for young people at risk. Forefront is showing how social media can bring life-saving tools to millions. Partners for Our Children is proving that Web-enabled tools and technologies can help make services for children and families more efficient and effective. In tandem with these efforts, our curriculum is evolving to prepare a new generation of social-sector innovators. We continue to work tirelessly to attract the brightest and most passionate students and offer them the financial support they need. And we provide them with opportunities to collaborate with faculty and cross-disciplinary teams to incubate the kinds of tools, platforms and data-informed approaches that are taken for granted in the private sector. We plan to continue in this trailblazing tradition, and we look forward to joining with partners in our region and across the country who are ready to apply their intelligence, tenacity and compassion toward shaping a new era of social change. n

In an era of declining state resources and growing inequality, innovation in social work is no longer just a laudable goal—it is an imperative.