Courtesy Temple University Harrisburg

Temple Harrisburg’s MSW program spans areas across the state. Most recently, the program began with a new cohort at Misericordia University in Luzerne County.

Even in a struggling economy, the human services area continues to demand qualified, highly educated professionals. In Pennsylvania alone, the Center for Workforce Innovation and Analysis reports that employment for social workers is expected to increase in the near future — about 1,000 new opportunities over the next 10 years.

These positions are expected to be mainly in the north, central and western parts of the state. And therein lies the problem, says Link Martin, director of Temple University Harrisburg.

“Often, these areas have a difficult time retaining and recruiting people with a higher education to provide human services,” he said. “And with the economy the way it is, adult workers can’t up and quit their jobs and move, so it’s important to cultivate and upgrade the skills of the people already in the community.”

To that end, Temple Harrisburg has been offering masters of Social Work programs at schools across the state, including Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster County, Schuylkill Community Education Council in Schuylkill County, Juniata College in Huntingdon County, DuBois Business College in Clearfield County, and Mansfield University in Tioga County.

 

This semester, Temple Harrisburg has started a new cohort at Misericordia University, making it the first college in Luzerne County to offer such a program.

“There is a definite need for licensed social work professors in this area due to a number of factors,” said Peggy Rapp, chair of the social work program at Misericordia. “We’ve had students express interest in a master’s program, but there was never a feasible option before.”

Deborah Mills, the Temple admissions counselor for Misericordia, received her MSW from Temple Harrisburg in 2002 and was so impressed with the program she presented it as an option to administrators at Misericordia.

“Temple more than prepared me for my career,” she said. “My experience there was so positive that when I saw the opportunity, I wanted us to offer it here.”

“This is the same stringent program we offer at Harrisburg,” said Martin. “We are bringing the same quality of education to these communities that they would get if they came to Harrisburg.”

At all sites, Temple MSW courses are offered on a part-time basis on nights and weekends so students can continue to work. There are two degree paths: the regular 60-credit program for individuals that have undergraduate degrees in areas other than social work, or the 34.5 credit Advanced Standing Program for individuals who have received a bachelor’s degree in social work within the last five years. In addition, students are taught by Temple Harrisburg faculty who cycle through all the sites across the state, and are supported by local adjunct faculty.

Molly Thomas, who works at a children’s behavioral health agency close to Misericordia, says it almost seemed like fate when she learned about the new program.

“I heard an ad on the radio while I was driving home from work, and it caught my attention because it was close by, and because it was Temple,” she said, adding that her son is a history major at Temple’s Main Campus.

Thomas has a bachelor’s degree in health and human services, and says she has wanted to get her MSW for years, but as a parent and working adult it was never feasible for her.

“I’m really pleased with the professors in the Temple program; they’re so helpful and approachable,” she said. “I think it’s wonderful that they’ve made it available here.”