Nationally, 400,000 youth are in foster care at any given time. Only about half will finish high school, and dropout rates are three times higher than other low-income peers. Those who successfully reach a college campus face overwhelming barriers. Many lack the benefit of consistent adult guidance required to navigate the college experience, and basic needs like housing, food security, and finances can become a daily worry. It is estimated that only 5% of these students will graduate from college. The School of Social Work's Institute for Families (IFF) is working to improve these odds through its IFF Fellows Program, which supports students who are current or former youth with experience in the child welfare system.

Field education is an integral part of each student's journey. Rutgers School of Social Work's field education program is based upon educational policies and standards established by the Council on Social Work Education and provides practical learning opportunities that serve as a foundation for students to become successful practitioners. MSW students spend 1,125 hours in the field working alongside professional social workers while being supervised by experienced field instructors.

The Social Work Policy Network sends weekly resources regarding national & local legislature, events, as well as media. 

Associate Professor of Professional Practice Rebecca Davis, Ph. D., MSW, LCSW is a Representative to the UN for the International Association of Schools of Social Work and Board Member for the Working Group on Girls (UN/NGO). She explains the importance of observing Human Rights Day and what social workers can do to support this year's emphasis on honoring girls' rights as human rights.

Living with HIV is a unique experience for every person; having this infection cannot be categorized in a single story. One’s journey living with HIV is remarkable; therefore, telling their story from a single story lens would be a disservice to them. 

The Social Work Policy Network sends weekly resources regarding national & local legislature, events, as well as media. 

In this edition you'll read about our most recent class of graduates, the exciting new editions to our faculty, and learn about some of the amazing work of social workers across New Jersey and beyond.

Latino sexual minority men who experience racial, ethnic and sexual prejudice are more likely to delay HIV testing, complicating efforts to end the more than 40-year epidemic, according to a new Rutgers School of Social Work study.

The Social Work Policy Network sends weekly resources regarding national & local legislature, events, as well as media. 

November 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance. DSW student Zan Haggerty shares what Transgender Day of Remembrance means to them and how social work students and practitioners can commemorate this month.

The Social Work Policy Network sends weekly resources regarding national & local legislature, events, as well as media. 

Dr. Katherine Marçal is an assistant professor at Rutgers School of Social Work and has expertise in housing insecurity and homelessness among families with children, maternal and child mental health, and community-based system dynamics. She shares the importance of observing Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week from November 11-18, 2023.