To fulfill its mission, the Social Work Leadership Institute consists of two important initiatives: The Practicum Partnership Program (PPP) and The Center for Aging Policy (CAP)

The Practicum Partnership Program (PPP)

The Practicum Partnership Program (PPP) is an eight year project that aims to educate over 1,000 social workers to specialize in working with older adults. In addition, the PPP aims to establish the PPP as the norm for developing leaders in the field of aging in MSW programs across the country. The eight year initiative involves funding 60 MSW programs via a 3 cohort strategy, which is to be implemented in 2 grant cycles. A hiatus between cohorts 2 and 3 will help build leverage for the third cohort and provides an opportunity to fine-tune the PPP and adjust to the foundation’s grant making goals.

The PPP demonstration sites were originally funded by the John A Hartford Foundation beginning in 1999. Because of the success of the initial PPP demonstration, as well as the continued shortage of aging-savvy social workers, expansion of the PPP is timely. Already, these six PPPs have educated over 400 aging-savvy social workers. Excitement and momentum for change has been created within these academic and practice communities, and potential for expansion is greatly anticipated.

The Center for Aging Policy Aging (CAP)

The Center for Aging Policy aims to build upon the work of the NLC, in collaboration with NYAM’s Department of Health Policy, by solidifying initiatives in public policy so that health and support services for older adults will be enhanced. Objectives include developing a long range policy agenda, adopted by relevant national and regional organizations, to ensure that the social work profession can meet the needs of a rapidly aging population. The Center would also design a systematic process for coordinating and monitoring the public policy-relevant activities of entities involved in promoting the future of social work with older adults. By articulating evidence-based research for social work practices in serving elderly, as well as for public policy agendas, the Center plans to develop comprehensive and targeted communication plans for consumers, practitioners and policy-makers as to the value and contributions of geriatric social workers.

Funded through Atlantic Philanthropies starting in June 2005, the CAP’s activities will lay the groundwork to lead and coordinate public policy advocacy campaigns to ameliorate key barriers to social work’s effective role in elder care.

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