School of Social Work Turns 50

The School of Social Work at EWU is celebrating 50 years of success in the Northwest, having produced over 3,000 graduates committed to serving the region’s underprivileged populations.

In commemoration of its half-century anniversary, the School of Social Work hosted a celebration on Oct.12. During the event, held at Hargreaves Hall, EWU students, alumni and staff were able to reconnect and network as they applauded past achievements and shared insights into today’s challenges.

The event program included a keynote address by Alicia Thompson, a 2000 graduate of Eastern’s Master of Social Work program.

The School of Social Work was established to expand the reach of social work and human service education in the Inland Northwest. While social work majors had been part of  EWU’s course catalog since 1959, 1974 was the year the Master of Social Work (MSW) began and the undergraduate social work program was accredited by the Council of Social Work Education.

“We began with a focus on interdisciplinary and rural social work practice in the curriculum,” says Kathryn DePaolis, interim chair of the School of Social Work. “Thus, the school was committed to serving the needs of the Inland Empire that was comprised of small cities and towns, agriculture areas, large areas of wilderness, and a few metropolitan areas.”

Over the course of its five decades, the School of Social Work has continued to serve underrepresented areas of the region, specifically providing hands-on practicum opportunities for its students.

“There is a need for our BASW graduates to fill the roles of case managers, navigators for those most marginalized, advocates for social justice, and agents of change,” says DePaolis.

In order to become “agents of change” upon graduation, she says, Eastern’s social work students move out of the classroom and into the greater Spokane communities. There, they gain experience with the community members they will serve as social workers.

“These opportunities provide students a chance to understand how policies, organizational structures, and resources impact individuals and communities. Through practicums, students are able to apply theoretical knowledge to real problems and see how those theories function in diverse settings,” says DePaolis.

Social work students worked with Spokane’s downtown library, as highlighted in this Inside EWU story, to reach the unhoused population that sometimes seek shelter and services there. Students have also had the opportunity to obtain interprofessional team-based education training—alongside WSU students— to better address the opioid crisis. Over the past five years, all first year MSW students have completed this training.

In addition to serving the community around them, the School of Social Work looks for new ways to serve their students. Recognizing students’ need for flexible schedules and financial support, the social work program has become more accessible than ever.

“We have established part-time options to the full-time, in-person, MSW program,” says DePaolis, “The part-time programs use a hybrid format, meaning that the coursework is a combination of in-person and online instruction. The structure of the part-time programs is designed for individuals interested in social work, but their work and/or family obligations pose a barrier to obtaining a MSW degree in a traditional, full-time program.”

For students with financial barriers, scholarship opportunities such as the one provided through Ballmer Behavioral Health, can be a game changer. The scholarship provides funding to students who demonstrate financial need and a commitment to working in community or tribal behavioral health. It covers the cost of attendance in exchange for three years of work at one of the approved behavioral health agencies in Washington state. Another program, The Child Welfare Training and Advancement Program provides a similar opportunity in which students receive funding provided they work for Washington’s Department of Children, Youth and Families for two years.

These partnerships help EWU students overcome financial barriers while fostering relationships between understaffed social service agencies.

It is the combination of these practicum and scholarship opportunities that give Eastern students an edge as they prepare for their careers. When looking to the future, DePaolis says, “Social work education at EWU will be grounded in a framework of social, economic, racial, and environmental justice to transform how our graduates practice, advocate, research, develop policy, and lead in diverse and global communities.”

Want to learn more? Visit the School of Social Work’s website.