NYAM's Social Work Leadership Institute Receives Grant to Improve Long-Term, Community-Based Care for Older Adults

New York, NY ??? The New York Academy of Medicine's (NYAM) Social Work Leadership Institute announces that it has received a $150,000 grant from MetLife Foundation, supporting a national program that expands the workforce of social workers who specialize in aging and improve long-term, community-based care for older adults. The funding will help provide the faculty and staff of participating schools with ongoing technical assistance, training, mentoring, research and identification of best practices, and on-site orientation and training.

Specifically, the MetLife Foundation grant will help:

• Launch the Social Work Leadership Institute’s (SWLI) program in two additional regions;
• Support the recruitment of 22 graduate schools of social work to adopt the SWLI program with a minimum of 14 new schools adopting the program;
• Train 20 faculty from existing funded schools in mentorship and leadership skills; and
• Support two-day-long on-site orientation and training meetings that will be held at every participating school in each region, resulting in 14-28 new faculty members trained in geriatric social work practice and aging education.

"We are pleased to support this program, which addresses some critical issues facing our rapidly aging population," said Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "Social workers will face increasing challenges in the years ahead to meet the needs of older adults, and this program will provide them with greatly-needed recruitment and training tools."

"Leadership in the field of social work ??? as in related disciplines ??? is critical to overcoming traditional barriers to recruit and train new cohorts of professionals to the rewarding area of practice with older adults," said Patricia Volland, NYAM Senior Vice President and Director of SWLI. "MetLife Foundation fully embraces this concept through their support of our work and our long-term goal to support the needs of millions of older adults across America."

About MetLife Foundation
The MetLife Foundation was created in 1976 by MetLife to continue its longstanding tradition of contributions and community involvement. The goal is to help people lead healthy, productive lives and to strengthen communities. Underlying the Foundation's programs is a focus on education at all ages and a commitment to increasing access and opportunity. The Foundation makes grants in health, education, civic affairs and culture.

About the Social Work Leadership Institute
SWLI is a national program whose goals are to grow the workforce of social workers that specialize in aging and to improve long-term, community-based care for older adults so health and social services are coordinated and more comprehensive. SWLI seeks to ensure caregivers get the support they deserve, and advances long-term care and care coordination through policy advocacy, research, education, and alliances with academic institutions, professional groups, government, aging and social work organizations, and public policy institutions.

About NYAM
The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) has been advancing the health of people in cities since 1847. Drawing on the expertise of diverse partners worldwide and more than 2,000 elected Fellows from across the professions, our current priorities are to create environments in cities that support healthy aging, to strengthen systems that prevent disease and promote the public’s health, and to implement interventions that eliminate health disparities. For more information, please visit www.nyam.org.

Posted on August 12, 2010

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Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
1216 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10029
212-822-7285
amartin@nyam.org

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