Sheridan Student Member of First UW Master of Social Work Class |
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May 27, 1999 -- Christine Leigh of Sheridan, who helped create a community substance abuse prevention program in Sheridan, is among students who this spring earned a degree in the first master of social work class at the University of Wyoming.
The MSW program began in fall 1997, providing students with classroom and practical experience to prepare them for careers in social work. The program focuses on issues related to rural, sparsely populated areas, says Pat Conway, UW Department of Social Work head.
"The program involves students in mental health, schools, gerontology, children and families, criminal justice, and health care," Conway says. "In addition to their classroom education, students experienced field practicums in communities throughout Wyoming that gave them first-hand knowledge of social work practice in private and public settings."
Leigh conducted her practicum at the Northern Wyoming Mental Health Center in Sheridan. She credits the center's administration and staff with providing "a warm, and professional environment in which to learn."
The quality of the MSW program impressed Leigh, who drove from Sheridan to Laramie and back on a weekly basis to complete the program.
"The social work department faculty and staff have been dedicated to making this first MSW graduation class have a successful experience," Leigh says. "A person looking for a graduate degree program that teaches rural, generalist social work practice will find the UW program excellent."
Leigh plans to continue working with the Northern Wyoming Mental Health Center's substance abuse program.
Conway credits students like Leigh for enhancing the MSW program in the two years since it started.
"The quality of the students was amazing," Conway says of the first MSW class members.
"Their feedback was critical in the development of the program now and as they move into their practice."
As the first MSW students receive their degrees, the success of the program is being recognized. It has been accepted into an accreditation process that will place it among the recognized social work programs in the region. Posted on Thursday, May 27, 1999
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