UMB News

http://w w w .oea.umaryland.edu/communications/new s?View Status=FullArticle&articleDetail=5495 June 27, 2011

As the national economic crisis worsens, the University of Maryland School of Social Work is developing new courses for social workers who can assist families in economic distress. In addition to offering current students a two-day minimester in financial social work this month, the School is launching a 9-month certificate program in financial social work beginning with the spring 2009 semester. More than 21 master's degree students enrolled in the minimester, which consisted of 15 hours on economic literacy and the psychosocial aspects of money that can either hinder or help people in their efforts to make behavioral changes. The certificate program is open to alumni, veteran social workers, and mental health professionals wanting to improve their understanding of the issues that lead to poverty, to address them, and to assist their clients in making necessary behavioral changes for long-term financial health. "The School is providing national leadership in developing financial social work courses, trainings, and certificate programs to help social workers successfully undertake a range of activities, including counseling about debt and foreclosure," says Richard P. Barth, PhD, MSW, dean of the School. "They are also learning to organize communities to develop alternative housing and lending options, and reforming policies to reduce abusive lending, tax preparation, and credit card practices." Reeta Wolfsohn, CMSW, a nationally known motivational speaker and expert who founded the financial social work discipline and led the January minimester, will conduct the 40-hour certificate program, slated to begin in March. "Reeta speaks and trains people around the country," says Regina Alston, MSW, the program manager for the Office of Continuing Professional Education (CPE). In addition, Robin McKinney, MSW '01, director of the Maryland Cash Campaign-a statewide network of free tax preparation providers and asset building programs-will also be an instructor during the program. McKinney created and manages the MoneyWISE caf at the East Harbor Community Development Corp. in Baltimore, a one-stop shop for asset building programs, a key component helping low and moderate income earners become financially stable. "The certificate program will cover program seminar content such as ethics and boundary issues with clients and help them to develop a specific strategic plan to create long-term financial behavioral changes that result in a more emotionally and financially stable future," says Bronwyn Mayden, MSW '77, executive director of the CPE. "The School wants to standardize the approach to financial social work, educating current students, alumni, and veteran social workers about what they can do to help people who are struggling through foreclosures and debt in this economy," Mayden adds. "Right now, there's a hunger for more information and a sharper skillset as social workers are striving to do their best to help people in crisis," she adds. Wolfsohn developed Femonomics-or the consideration of how money has affected women throughout time-and the Money-Wise University, an interactive, introspective educational program designed for students and veteran social workers wanting to assist clients with financial issues, as part of her work as a therapist, author, and speaker on money from a psycho-social perspective. "In our culture, we talk about sex before we talk about money. We have indirect conversations about money when we talk about that second job we want or that new dress we want to buy, but a direct

conversation about money is taboo because it is connected to power and control," says Wolfson. "Economic literacy has been around for a long time, and having economic literacy does not bring about behavior changes. Why do budgets not work? Because social workers are unable to get clients engaged in the budget. For social workers to be able to help their clients, they themselves must model healthy financial behavior and control over their money so that they can feel comfortable raising money issues with their clients," she says. The School of Social Work is also creating a semester-long elective course on asset building in communities, which is planned for the next academic year. For more information on the program leaders, content, schedule, cost, and application deadlines, visit the School's CPE Web site: www.ssw.umaryland.edu/cpe.