UW School of Social Work Vision Book 2018

IMPACT

is our North Star A VISION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

At the UW School of Social Work, we are committed to advancing social and economic justice by discovering, testing and implementing scientifically and culturally sound solutions to the most intractable social problems of our time.

Impact is the measure of our success. Innovation is our mindset and our method of accelerating social change and achieving greater equity.

As we advance and deepen our mission of education, research and service, we are guided by a vision of creating discernible improvement in the quality of life and life chances of the people and communities we serve—particularly those living at the intersection of inequality and poverty.

We invite you to join us on this journey to make a real and lasting impact.

EDWINA S. UEHARA

Professor and Ballmer Endowed Dean in Social Work

ACCELERATIN SOCIAL INNOV

NG VATION

Innovation is at the core of how we educate, explore and engage.

Our quest to discover extends across academic disciplines and beyond traditional pathways.

Driven by a vision of greater equity, we are kick-starting new ideas, large and small; fostering design thinking among our students; and building surprising long-term partnerships across disciplines, organizations and social sectors to tackle problems that no institution alone can solve.

With on-the-ground initiatives and more than a dozen research centers, we are an engine of innovation dedicated to transforming the delivery of social services and devising robust interventions and policy solutions that are sustainable and quickly scalable in real-world settings.

TEACHING TO IMPACT

Our impact curriculum gives students the agency to effect real social change as they learn the complex competencies needed to practice at the top of their profession.

Guided by our teachers and researchers, our students are activist learners, experiencing firsthand how social work knowledge, skills and values can make an enduring impact in diverse, often marginalized communities.

Our collaborative learning environments place students at the center of powerful, partnership-based initiatives, where they learn how to navigate systems and address entrenched practices that stand in the way of systemic change and greater equity.

ADVANCING IMPACT SCIEN

NCE

All of our research is directed toward understanding real-world challenges and shaping rigorously designed initiatives that are anchored in our values of equity, innovation and impact.

The communities we work with are not merely implementation sites—they are rich sources of original ideas and knowledge.

Our model creates a laboratory for learning in the field that honors cultural values and community priorities and harnesses local talent to develop and test innovations with potential for high impact.

The result is a strong scientific foundation co-created by faculty, students, staff, field partners and community members that can be applied quickly and directly to achieve measurable, lasting improvements in people’s lives.

CREATING A N SOCIAL COMP

NEW PACT

As a school of social work at a public university, we have embraced a long-term commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable people in Washington state and beyond.

We serve these populations by acting as a connective hub for the social service sector— harnessing the passion and knowledge of community, nonprofit and private-sector partners while creating avenues for sustained and collective action by our students and faculty.

Armed with the tools of policy advocacy, prevention science, advanced analytics, intervention design and community engagement, we structure all of our efforts so we can help expand the capacity of our community partners and maximize the impact of the social sector as a whole.

SOCIAL IMPAC PROFILES

CT

PARTNERSHIP FOR INNOVATION IN MENTAL HEALTH Our partnership with UW Psychiatry and King County integrates social services with health care to improve outcomes for people with serious and persistent mental illness. Drawing on a rich body of evidence, it focuses on developing, testing and rapidly implementing effective interventions. A key goal is to develop a model that other health systems can use to improve care for people with mental health and substance abuse problems.

The first phase of the partnership focuses on reducing cardiovascular disease, which accounts for 60 percent of premature deaths among adults with serious and persistent mental illness.

“The great significance of this partnership with the School of Social Work is that it incorporates targeted, evidence-based interventions into the well-tested model of collaborative medical and behavioral health care. This integrative approach is seen as the future of health care.�

JIM VOLLENDROFF Director, King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division

WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES Partners for Our Children, one of our leading research and innovation centers, provided strategic direction for the new Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families. The governor created this cabinet-level department with extensive bipartisan support in the summer of 2017.

The department will combine early learning, juvenile justice programs and child welfare services, including foster care.

The new department is required by law to follow principles of collaboration, transparency and accountability. Its charter includes a commitment to use data as a guide and prevention as a lens to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families.

“We want to prevent harm to children and youth rather than just react to it. The vision for this department comes right out of the bill itself: that Washington’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy — thriving physically, emotionally and academically — and are nurtured by family and community.”

JAY INSLEE Washington State Governor

COMMUNITIES IN ACTION Our Communities in Action initiative uses an innovative strategy that draws on the strengths of local communities to foster healthy behaviors among youth. In Southeast and Central Seattle, our faculty and students work with a broad coalition of community-based agencies, government partners and local leaders to assess youth experiences and identify evidenced-based interventions that can mitigate risk factors for harmful behaviors.

This prevention model, called Communities That Care, was pioneered at the School of Social Work and has been used in cities and towns across the country. Research has shown that middle-school students reached by Communities That Care are a third less likely to engage in behaviors such as delinquency and the use of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.

SEE OUR MULTIMEDIA STORY: uw.edu/boundless/communities-that-care

“We’re analyzing the social-emotional piece of the puzzle for these kids. I am thrilled to my heart to give kids all the skills they need to succeed.”

TED HOWARD Principal, Garfield High School Communities in Action Board Leadership Workgroup

A STARTUP INCUBATOR FOR THE SOCIAL SECTOR We are joining with CoMotion, the UW innovation hub, to create a startup incubator for the social sector that will attract and nurture potentially transformative ideas from students, faculty and partners. A diverse, multi-sector planning group is looking into ways to create a pipeline of new technologies and approaches for addressing social problems, including mentorship opportunities and a competitive process that identifies the most promising ideas for development at CoMotion.

From its new headquarters west of UW’s Seattle campus, CoMotion anchors a dynamic and fast-growing innovation zone that serves to advance public-private collaboration in business, science, medicine and social impact.

“So many students, faculty and community partners want to change the world and find meaning in what they are learning and doing. We are joining with the School of Social Work to realize a shared vision of risk-taking innovation that leads to measurable, real-world impact and improves lives.�

VIKRAM JANDHYALA Executive Director, CoMotion UW Vice President for Innovation Strategy

BY THE NUMBERS

AT A GLANCE OUR RANKINGS

#1 WORLD IN THE

#5 NATION IN THE

Among schools of social work

Among advanced social work programs

CENTER FOR WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS (2017)

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT (2019)

OUR STUDENTS

648

Students enrolled

39%

Graduates serve in leadership positions

$5 Nearly

million in student support awarded annually

47%

Students of color

OUR FACULTY

59

Full-time faculty members

9

UW Distinguished Teaching Award recipients

10

Fellows, American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare

OUR RESEARCH AND REVENUE

13

Research and innovation centers

$47.8

million

Training and research funding (FY2017)

Box 354900 Seattle, WA 98195-4900