The New Social Worker Vol. 19, No. 3, Summer 2012 | Page 13

States who had experience developing and working with competency-based training and educational programs for social workers would be the best option. That’s where I came in. I was brought into this project in 2009 by one of the original group of dreamers, Ruby Johnston from the NGO International Learning and Development Center (ILDC Kyrgyzstan). She, along with Vera Usenovna, President of the Association of Social Workers of Kyrgyz Ruby and I met in the United States Republic and Orozaliev Erick Sadyckovwhile she was conducting training for my ich, Dean of Faculty of Social Work and state child welfare agency. She knew my Psychology at BHU, had been planning passion for teaching and my belief tha t the project for some time. The barriers to teachers—and the way they teach—can inthe dream were many, including expert spire and build confidence in young, detime for consultation on curriculum developing social workers, coaching them velopment, teaching approaches, course through the technical skills required to materials, and practicum design. Access be effective. As one student from BHU to technology that would support the use shared with me, “The faculty at BHU of slides and video “models” for social inspires us. They tell us that we are the work students to follow was nonexistent. generation to change our society.” But Approval by governmental ministries to the faculty will tell you that despite their authorize the specialization was another admirable efforts, they don’t possess hurdle. Through persistence and united all of the knowledge and tools needed. vision, the dreamers cleared many of Many have never been social workers these barriers. The final step was finding in the field. They understand the theory what they came to call an “on the ground behind the practice, but don’t have champion”ad:Layout 1project to fruito bring the 1/28/11 2:48 PM teaching skills or resources necessary to NSW 2011 Page 1 tion. help their students learn. For example, there are few or no current social work textbooks to give students. So they teach mostly through lecture. When a textbook is available, it must be shared among 20, 30, or 40 students, or photocopies can be made for two soms per page, which adds up quickly. There’s no access to technology. Faculty members consider themselves lucky if there’s a chalkboard in the classroom. And so I applied for the Fulbright Specialist Program as a Child Protection Specialist. BHU asked me to replicate a highly successful program model used throughout the United States and Canada to prepare social work professionals for employment in the child welfare field at the university level. The specific focus is a specialization for working with at-risk families and maltreated children. Upon graduation, students are prepared to immediately assume job responsibilities in child welfare organizations, and NGOs, without requiring extensive training and preparation. The curriculum is an adaptation of the Core Curriculum for Child Welfare Caseworkers, developed and published by the Institute for Human Services (IHS), used throughout North America in both in-service training and university MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK • CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE • MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING Fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education Convenient evening and weekend course work for the adult learner Locations: Harrisburg DuBois Huntingdon Lancaster Pottsville Mansfield Dallas For more information and a complete list of programs offered at Temple University Harrisburg, call 717-232-6400 or 1-866-769-1860 (toll-free), email us at [email protected] or visit our website at www.temple.edu/harrisburg LEARN. LEAD. INSPIRE. The New Social Worker Summer 2012 11