COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS

Aging and Mental Health
Care Coordination for Stroke Patients
Center for Human Services Research
Center for the Study of Issues in Public Mental Health
Community and Public Service Program
Community Advisory Committee
Depression Screening and Treatment Program
Family Support and Youth Development
Geriatric Mental Health Program
Internships in Aging Project
Institute of Gerontology
LINKS, Inc.
New York State Evidence-Based Practice Consortium in Mental Health
New York State Social Work Education Consortium
Partnership with NYS Office for Aging
Philip Schuyler Elementary School Partnership
Project Independence
Public Service Workshops Program
Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
Social Work Field Education
Support for Caregivers of Persons with Dementia

Faculty Outreach and Community Service
Adolescent Employability and Skills Plus Program
Albany Citizen Council on Alcoholism
Albany Collegiate Interfaith Center
Albany County Community Service Board
Alzheimer's Association of Northeastern New York
Avila Institute of Gerontology
Capital District Psychiatric Center
Centro Civico
Centro Del Progreso
Council of Community Services of NYS
Daughters of Sarah Jewish Foundation
Girls Inc.
Head Start
Interfaith Partnership For the Homeless
Jewish Family Services
Maternal and Infant Network of the Capital Region
National Association of Social Workers
National Association of Social Workers - NYS
NYS Department of Health Rural Health Project
One Hundred Black Men Technology Center of Albany
PAHL, Inc.
Retired Senior Volunteer Project
Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy
Siena College MLK Advisory Committee
St. Peter's Hospital Home Health Care
United Healthcare
United Jewish Federation
United Way of Northeast New York
Whitney Young Health Center

International Outreach
The Upstate New York National Summit on Africa
Study Mission to South Africa
Social Work Student Exchange, Hallym University, South Korea
Summer Course on International Social Work
Partnerships and Consultation with the Government and Service Providers in Cyprus

Aging and Mental Health
This program provides training and outreach services to health and human services providers servicing seniors across New York State. The program addresses mental health conditions affecting older adults including late life depression, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. Funded by John A. Hartford Foundation, New York State Coalition for the Aging, Institute for Geriatric Social Work, New York State Office of the Attorney General, and the New York State office of Mental Health.
Contact: Zvi D. Gellis

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Care Coordination for Stroke Patients
This project is developing and investigating the effectiveness of a care coordination model aimed at assisting stroke patients who are leaving the Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital inpatient and outpatient stroke programs to make a successful transition to living independently at home.
Contact: Nancy Claiborne and Victoria Rizzo

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Center for Human Services Research
The Center for Human Services Research conducts applied research on human service programs and systems through interdisciplinary partnerships with government, foundations, and non-governmental agencies. Current and recent projects address the impact of programs designed for child well-being in 12 communities in New York State; the assessment of interagency county planning processes for improved child and family outcomes; the evaluation of upstate emergency room hospital services; the effect of mental illness on parenting skills; and the evaluation of efforts to reduce out-of-home residential placements for children with emotional disabilities.
Contact: Cathleen Lewandowski

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Center for the Study of Issues in Public Mental Health
In partnership with the NYS Office of Mental Health's Nathan Kline Institute, the Center's mission is to conduct research that advances public policy and services to persons with serious and persistent mental illness. The Center and School have sponsored a joint seminar series. Recent projects include a study of mothers with serious mental disabilities, a study of mental health recipients who live in adult homes and a study of emergency room staff responses to persons with mental illness and chemical abuse (MICA) problems. Several School of Social Welfare faculty affiliated with the Center have been awarded National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors' Fellowships.
Contact: Lynn Videka

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Community and Public Service Program
This program was established in 1970 and celebrated its 30th anniversary during Fall 2000. Students across disciplines perform 100 hours of service learning in a variety of agencies and institutions ranging from museums to homeless shelters. Each year, the program places over 400 students in the community. These students donate up to 52,500 hours of services, contributing about $420,000 in voluntary community service each year. These partnerships will expand to include Schuyler Elementary School, 100 Black Men and Arbor Hill and other communities.
Contact: Nancy Machold

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Community Advisory Committee
Through a Community Advisory Committee, a blueprint of social services for the Capital Region will be designed with multiple collaborators including MapInfo. In addition, a survey of the shortfalls in health and human service providers has been launched. From this workforce study, a workforce development strategy will be developed.
Contact: Stephanie Wacholder

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Depression Screening and Treatment Program
This program conducts training services and rigorous applied research on mental health issues for older persons. Program initiatives include:

• Depression screening protocol development for Home Health Care settings.
• Training of health care professionals in cognitive-behavioral interventions including Problem-Solving Treatment
• Training of health care professionals, senior services providers, and human service agencies in the assessment of late life depression
• Development of evidence-based practices in gerontology and mental health
• Randomized Control Trial research on behavioral interventions for late life depression
• National Depression Screening Day is conducted annually on the University campus to increase awareness and provide training on major depression and its consequences

Family Support and Youth Development
School and community service innovations, consultation, grant writing and demonstration projects have been undertaken. These include Bill Reid's work with Liberty Partnership Program, Giffen and Schuyler Elementary Schools and other youth-oriented places in NYS on developing interventions to prevent school failure and alleviate individual and family stress. Hal Lawson is fostering school community family partnerships through a series of collaborative initiatives with the Albany School District.
Contact: Hal Lawson

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Internships in Aging Project
The Internships in Aging Project provides education for geriatric social workers and stimulates development of new social and health care services to older persons in the Capital District. It is a collaboration among the School of Social Welfare and community and state agencies that provide services to older adults in the Capital Region and rural northeastern region of NYS. Examples of participating agencies are: The Alzheimer's Association, Centro Civico, Jewish Family Services of Northeastern NY, Northeast Health, St. Peter's Health Care Services, Stratton Veterans Administration Medical Center, Department of Veterans' Affairs, and Whitney M. Young, Jr., Health Center (for more information on participating agencies see http://www.albany.edu/ssw/iap/agencies.htm). Students complete internships in these and other agencies, providing more than 500 hours of social services a year. The students also develop, implement or evaluate new services to older persons. Student projects include training physicians to recognize signs of Alzheimer's disease, developing guidelines for coordinated care in large hospital systems, outreach to isolated older persons in rural areas, and disseminating health care information to older perons throughout the state. The project also provides lectures for all SSW students and community members. Topics include caregiving for someone with Alzheimer's disease, dealing with cultural diversity in residential facilities, and spirituality among older persons.
Contact: Anne E. Fortune

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Institute of Gerontology
The Institute of Gerontology, established in the late 1960s, promotes principles of engagement and social responsibility by joining with community and state agencies to improve services for the most vulnerable older persons in society. Through its Research Center, The Institute conducts applied gerontology research in partnership with NYS and community organizations; fosters collaborative gerontology research within the School of Social Welfare and among other university departments; disseminates sound information and technical assistance to local, state, national and international constituencies resulting from the applied research agenda of the Institute; raises community awareness of the needs and strengths of older persons from diverse cultures; and builds community partnerships that foster innovative practices and policies through demonstration projects. Research projects include "The Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Health Education Program in an HMO" and Minority Supplement to same, "An Evaluation of the National Council of Advanced Illness Care Coordination Program", and "Health Care in the VA: Efficiency and Effectiveness". The Institute includes The Center for Mental Health and Aging (CMHA), which provides training and conducts rigorous applied research on mental health issues for older persons including behavioral interventions for depression and anxiety disorders in Home Care and Behavioral Health settings . It includes the Hartford Internships in Aging Program.
Contact: Ronald Toseland , Anne E. Fortune, Zvi D. Gellis, and Deborah Doolittle

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LINKS, Inc.
Students at the School of Social Welfare are providing resources to LINKS, Inc. to generate oral histories and background research on leading African-American elders in the Capital Region. This will lead to a documentary and library display.
Contact: Evelyn G. Williams

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New York State Evidence-Based Practice Consortium in Mental Health
A statewide Evidence-Based Practice in Mental Health Consortium is being developed in New York State as part of a long-term workforce professionalization and stabilization plan for the State mental health system. A primary goal of the Consortium is to strengthen the skills and knowledge base of New York's mental health workforce. EBP can be considered as an approach for clinical practice helping clinicians stay informed about the best and most cost-effective methods of client service delivery. Consistency in practice is achieved through the development of model or standard practices and through continuous internal assessment and performance monitoring. The consortium is a formal partnership between the New York State Office of Mental Health and the New York State Association of Deans of Social Work Schools. Contact: Zvi D. Gellis

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New York State Social Work Education Consortium
A statewide Social Work Education Consortium is being developed in New York State as part of a long-term workforce professionalization and stabilization plan for the State's child welfare system. The consortium is established as a formal partnership between the New York State Association of Deans of Social Work Schools, the Office of Children and Family Services and the Bureau of Training and Workforce Development. The purposes are to improve the effectiveness of training, evaluation, and research, in turn improving results for children and families. The consortium becomes a vehicle for systems improvement and cross-systems change. It promotes integrative research, evaluation, and education partnerships involving schools of social work, county child welfare services, and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). The long-term goal of the consortium is the design and implementation of an overall Workforce Development Plan to strengthen the knowledge and skills of New York's public agency human services workforce. A combination of statewide and regional activities are underway. Six regional collaborations have been established in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Downstate and New York City to plan and implement programs to achieve our goal. The groups include representatives from local social services districts, and graduate and undergraduate social work programs.
Contact: Mary L. McCarthy

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Partnership with NYS Office for Aging
NYS Office for the Aging and the Center for Excellence in Aging Services jointly support staff and internships that promote evidence based health promotion and furtherance of aging prepared communities, information and assistance, civic engagement, communtiy based dementia care and nursing home diversion. Together they apply for and administer a series of U.S. Administration on Aging grants.
Contact: Ronald Toseland, Philip McCallion, and Zvi D. Gellis

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Philip Schuyler Elementary School Partnership
Americorps/VISTA has awarded a grant to the School of Social Welfare which will assist in the establishment of a Parent Resource Center at the Philip Schuyler Elementary School. Parents will be recruited to work with school teachers to extend the classroom learning experience into the home.
Contact: Alice King Ingham and Katharine Briar-Lawson

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Project Independence
This project aims to assist community-based Project Independence to design and implement a new database incorporating measures of the population served and the program's impact.
Contact: Nancy Claiborne

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Public Service Workshops Program
Under contract to the Professional Development Program, the School provides workshops to public employees on such topics as dealing with aging adults, persons with mental illness and substance abuse problems, dementia, or acting out adolescents, as well as improving organizational effectiveness through team work and goal setting.
Contact: Anne E. Fortune

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Geriatric Mental Health Program
Project investigating the effectiveness of a multi-disciplinary cognitive-behavioral intervention to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms in elderly patients receiving home care through St. Peters Hospital, a University partner.
Contact: Zvi D. Gellis

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Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
RSVP, established in 1972, links retired persons in the Capital District to projects addressing critical needs in the community. Projects include literacy and reading programs, health care and outreach programs for vulnerable older persons confined to their homes. 611 older persons participate actively while membership totals 1,200. 250,000 hours of service are donated per year.
Contact: Lisa Ferretti

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Social Work Field Education
Undergraduate students complete one two-semester social work practice internship totaling 500 hours in a human service agency. Typical services provided by undergraduate and graduate students include after school programs for school children, support groups for children whose parents are divorcing, and staffing agency coordinating bodies. Students in the graduate advanced standing program complete one three-semester internship totaling 750 hours. Graduate students in the regular MSW program complete two two-semester internships in two agencies totaling 1,000 hours. Services provided by graduate students include counseling individuals and families, therapy and support groups, care management, developing new programs, evaluation of services, and legislative advocacy on social issues. Three hundred fifteen graduate students in 300 agencies serve a minimum of 945 clients in the community. Thirty-two undergraduate students in 25 agencies serve a minimum of 64 clients in the community. The financial impact of donated service hours to the community translates to about $3,129,000 in the Capital Region each year.
Contact: Bonita Sanchez

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Support for Caregivers of Persons with Dementia
Several faculty have conducted research and outreach scholarship supports for caregivers. Blanca Ramos has done outreach research in conjunction with Centro Civico in Amsterdam, Ron Toseland through extensive research and consultation with the Veteran's Administration, Philip McCallion through the Alzheimer's Association and the John A. Hartford Foundation.
Contact: Anne E. Fortune and Ronald Toseland, and Philip McCallion

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