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Coordinator: 'Desperate' need for social workers in area
Published 1/13/2012 in Local News
By RACHAEL GRAY
rgray@gctelegram.com
Employment opportunities for social workers are projected to increase faster than other jobs in the next six years.
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Brad Nading/Telegram Lusi Esquivel stirs a roaster full of shredded turkey in December as she and other members of a Fort Hays State University social work class prepare a meal for those less fortunate and/or homeless at the Salvation Army. The meal was a community service project for the class.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for social workers could increase 14 to 19 percent faster than other jobs through 2018.
Kendal Carswell, coordinator for the Bachelor of Social Work Cohort Program through Fort Hays State University, said jobs are expected to increase in rural populations, particularly in elderly care and substance abuse treatment programs.
For mental health and substance abuse social workers, the field will grow by 20 percent through 2018, according to the B.L.S.
Carswell heads the local social work program through FHSU, which enables students to complete their coursework for the bachelor degree in Garden City instead of commuting to Hays.
So far, the program has graduated 20 students. Carswell hopes more enroll in August, which is the next scheduled start time for the three-year program. If students don't enroll this August, they will have to wait another three years before the program starts over again, he said.
Carswell encourages students to take advantage of the program because it's a trade off of having to commute to Hays.
In southwest Kansas communities, Carswell said the need for social workers is great.
"There's a desperate need for social workers in southwest Kansas. There are very few licensed social workers in southwest Kansas. We have nearly 100 percent employment with graduates in the social work field," he said.
Carswell said in southwest Kansas there's a need for workers with degrees and social workers with bilingual skills. He said often employers will recruit out-of-state people who don't have bilingual skills and who end up leaving the area in a few years.
Carswell said a social work degree is one of the most flexible a student can have. Social workers work in nursing homes, mental health centers, social welfare agencies, child and family services agencies, addiction treatment centers, hospitals and health care agencies, foster care and adoption agencies, residential and treatment programs, community organizations, correctional settings, schools, and business and industry.
Carswell said the program has added some addictions curriculum and just a few additional classes can certify students to become addictions counselors.
Becky Upshaw, manager for the Second Chance Reentry Initiative Mentoring Program, ran through the Seeds of Hope Jail Ministry, completed the social work program.
The program helps people who are repeat offenders better their lives through work and rehabilitation.
Upshaw said she recommends the program to people with an interest in social work.
"I think the FHSU social work program is one of the best programs in the state, largely because Mr. Carswell is an excellent professor who is passionate about social work. He's worked very hard to make this program available in southwest Kansas because he knows that the shortage of qualified social workers in this area is detrimental to so many social service agencies and the clients they serve. This is a top notch program that made getting my social work and addiction counseling license a breeze," she said.
Those interested in signing up for the program can contact Carswell at (785) 628-5917 or kjcarswell@fhsu.edu.
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