Teaching & Training
The Hub builds on the Rutgers School of Social Work’s long history of offering specialized programs in aging for students. Our curriculum on aging emphasizes excellence in social work practice with older adults, families, and communities. We help students develop as leaders for the field of aging based on social work skills and values.
Opportunities for Students
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The MSW Aging and Health Certificate is designed for students to specialize in the field of aging as they pursue their graduate degree.
Contact: Lauren Snedeker
Learn more here.
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This competitive scholarship program is for MSW students who complete a field-based leadership project as part of their advanced year field placement.
Contact: Lauren Snedeker
Learn more here.
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The School hosts professionals from the field of aging, health, and social work as speakers. These virtual talks are open to all students.
Contact: Lauren Snedeker
Learn more here.
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Careers in Aging Week is a national initiative led by the Gerontological Society of America. It typically takes place in the spring semester. Careers in Aging Week at Rutgers involves events that connect people from multiple Schools and Departments to encourage students and professionals to pursue work in aging.
Contact: Lauren Snedeker
Learn more here.
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The Rutgers School of Social Work helps infuse aging content in interprofessional health education events organized in collaboration with Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, and others.
Contact: Patricia Findley
Learn more here.
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Supported through a grant from the Rutgers New Brunswick Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, this project is working to develop a toolkit based on university-wide survey findings to support instructors in infusing aging content into their courses. The project also aims to support the development of a university-wide task force in aging to advance initiatives that dismantle ageism and support inclusive aging.
Contact: Lauren Snedeker
Opportunities for Professionals
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The school organizes a series of accredited workshops that social workers and other professionals can take toward continuing education certificates in aging. The School offers a basic certificate in aging, an advanced certificate in aging, as well as a certificate in senior services management and a certificate in senior housing issues.
Contact: Office of Continuing Education
Learn more here.
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Since 1991, the New Jersey Division of Aging Services (Department of Human Services) has contracted with the School to provide training for new employees in Adult Protective Services. The School's Continuing Education Program administers the program and is currently offered as a 64-hour online webinar program with topics such as worker safety and self-care, understanding abuse, and interviewing skills.
Contact: ce@ssw.rutgers.edu
Learn more here.
Engagement
Our engagement efforts span the local, state, national, and international levels. We cultivate partnerships beyond the university to strengthen partnerships for social change on aging and health equity. We advance excellence in engagement by participating and leading multi-organizational groups that allow people from different sectors and geographies to share, connect, and amplify each other’s work.
*background photo credit Tom Franklin
Cross-Sectoral Groups
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The Rutgers School of Social Work (SSW) co-facilitates AFNJ as a dynamic network of community leaders to amplify age-friendly progress, especially at the local level. We work in close partnership with The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation and The Grotta Fund. AFNJ participants include individuals from more than 20 communities in seven counties, as well as statewide partners representing philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, elected officials, older residents, other institutions of higher education, and grassroots community groups. Guided our ongoing research findings on age-friendly community practice, we develop monthly learning sessions, manage AFNJ communications platforms, and arrange peer mentorship opportunities that are responsive to the expressed needs of community leaders.
Contact: Althea Pestine-Stevens
Learn more here.
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This coalition’s mission it is to increase engagement among New Jersey ALP providers and increase their capacity and knowledge exchange of promising practices. The coalition also serves to create a unified voice to support advocacy to scale the New Jersey ALP program across the state and to facilitate connections among ALP providers and key stakeholders, including state administrators, managed care organizations, and property managers.
Contact: Karen Zurlo
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The Aging Advisory Council has been a long-lasting support to the School of Social Work’s Programs on Aging. The Council’s members include professionals in aging services across the state, alumni of the MSW Aging and Health certificate program, and Hub affiliates. The Council meets twice each year to review curriculum, facilitate opportunities for students, and share ideas on how to enhance educational offerings through field and continuing education.
Contact: Lauren Snedeker -
This statewide coalition of organizations is coordinating efforts to advance age-friendly communities and policies in New Jersey. Dr. Emily Greenfield—a founding member of the collaborative—is active on the Steering Committee, which oversees the overarching strategy and direction of the collaborative. Dr. Althea Pestine-Stevens serves on the Local Accelerator Group, which focuses on creating more favorable contexts for a larger number of communities to commit to, and act on, age-friendly community goals.
Contact: Emily Greenfield
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This Governor-appointed advisory committee, on which Dr. Emily Greenfield serves, is led by the NJ Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services. Membership includes leaders from NJ departments, as well as statewide nonprofits and advocacy organizations. By Executive Order, the Council is responsible for advising the State on the development of a blueprint to foster age-friendly communities.
Contact: Emily Greenfield
Learn more here.
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Dr. Pestine-Stevens, along with colleagues in Maine and Illinois, has convened a group of leaders who support age-friendly community initiatives in regional clusters across the U.S. The group meets monthly for sharing best practices and identifying opportunities for collaborative projects, and comprises leaders based in higher education and private consulting firms.
Contact: Althea Pestine-Stevens
Learn more here.
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Multiple Hub members participate in this network of researchers convened through AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. This group meets quarterly and also at major conferences. Through this group, Hub members learn about the latest research endeavors in age-in-community, build collaborative partnerships for dissemination, and connect with graduate students from other universities.
Contact: Althea Pestine-Stevens