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Understanding cultures, encouraging communities

Information sessions scheduled for CSUMB's social work program

Oscar Hernandez wants to help at-risk kids get on the right path. This semester, the CSU Monterey Bay graduate student is doing fieldwork at a local community center, where he mentors youngsters with the goal of encouraging them to stay in school.

Hernandez is in his second year in the Master of Social Work program. His attraction to social work isn’t surprising. Simply put, social workers help people improve their lives. Occupations in the field include public services, counseling and therapy, and address issues including medical, public and mental health.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there is a need for more trained social workers, especially those who can connect with underserved communities – because the nation’s diverse demographics are growing.

Anyone interested in the Master of Social Work program at CSUMB is invited to attend an information session scheduled for Jan. 23 The session will be held in the program’s offices in Beach Hall, located on Divarty Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues, from noon to 1 p.m.

Applications for fall 2012 must be received by Jan. 31.

The three-year program provides an opportunity for people who are interested in a career in social work, or who want to advance in their career, to earn an MSW degree in a way that is accessible and affordable.

Students specialize in Behavioral Health, or Children, Youth and Families, and prepare for a broad array of job opportunities within government and non-profits serving youth, the elderly, low-income families, veterans, those who face health challenges and others.

Classes are currently offered in the evenings. Students must also complete internships of 1,000 hours total, 250 hours per semester starting in the second year, at agencies in Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Santa Clara counties.

“Social workers serve people who are most often overlooked and neglected,” said Dr. Mayleen True, director of the MSW program at CSUMB. “So they often provide care that low-income families can’t afford.”

According to Dr. True, it is imperative that today’s social workers are in tune with the community. CSUMB’s program teaches cultural competence, and, with field placements, the students put it into practice. They are placed with local county and nonprofit agencies, where they practice effective tactics to communicate with different cultures.

“It makes them more versatile,” Dr. True said. “They need to have specialized clinical skills as well as people skills – and with a growing underserved and diverse population, the students must know how to address issues in a culturally sensitive way.”

She added that “our students come from an array of diverse backgrounds: Asian, Latino, African American – many of them first-generation college students. They are proud of what they’ve accomplished and feel the need to give back to their own communities, to become role models for others.”

For more information, contact Vivienne Orgel at vorgel@csumb.edu or 831-582-5315. Admission requirements and application materials are available here.