University of Nebraska at Omaha
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L.E.G.E.N.D.S.
The number of older adults in our society is increasing rapidly and is projected to triple in the coming decades. It is vital to be well-prepared for the future to meet the needs of our evolving population. There is a nationwide shortage of social workers specializing in aging. Thus, the School of Social Work at the University of Nebraska at Omaha is responding to this urgent need by implementing an innovative program called L.E.G.E.N.D.S. (Learning Experience with the Geriatric Elderly Needing Delivery Systems). This program is a means of training the next generation of geriatric social workers.
L.E.G.E.N.D.S. grew out of a grant awarded to UNO School of Social Work to take part in the Practicum Partnership Program. Only a handful of schools throughout the country were selected to pilot such a pioneering program. The program was created by the New York Academy of Medicine’s Social Work Leadership Institute with support from
the John A. Hartford Foundation.
L.E.G.E.N.D.S. is a partnership between the university and community agencies that work with the elderly. Master’s level students in practicum are given a $1,000 stipend and placed in diverse agencies that specialize in geriatric advocacy, health care and mental health. As the students rotate through the agencies, they are exposed to working with adults at various stages of the aging process. L.E.G.E.N.D.S. scholars spend a total of thirty weeks interning at the agencies. They also participate in seminars and field trips to further enhance their learning.
Interested in making a difference? Become a part of the L.E.G.E.N.D.S. experience Contact:
Tanya Seina, LCSW
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