Hope For The Warriors Partners with the USC School of Social Work to Deliver Social Work Education Nationwide

Nonprofit to work with first research university in the nation with a military-focused social work program

NEW YORK, NY, January 16, 2013  – Hope For The Warriors® is excited to announce its partnership with the top-ranked University of Southern California School of Social Work to train Master of Social Work students who are enrolled in the online MSW@USC program.  This is the first partnership of its kind, matching a top-ranked social work program with a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that specializes in meeting the needs of today’s active duty members and veterans.  Hope For The Warriors® is a national nonprofit organization that assists combat wounded service members, their families, and families of the fallen.

USC is the first prestigious research university to offer a national accredited, web-based MSW degree  through its Virtual Academic Center. As with the on-campus program, the MSW@USC includes hands-on training through internships in students’ communities.

USC was the  first social work program at a research university to offer a military social work specialization that prepares graduate-level students to address the unique mental health needs of veterans and their families.  In addition to coursework, each student must also complete a 550-hour internship working with a military-focused population.  Through the partnership, students will be able to complete their internship with Hope For The Warriors® under the supervision of an experienced master social worker. 

“Hope For The Warriors® has witnessed the needs of our military families grow significantly due to the impact of more than 10 years of combat operations,” Tina Atherall, LMSW, Hope For The Warriors® Executive Vice President, said. “We are excited to work with USC students who have a passion for working with this population and increasing their competency in the specific culture of the military and their families.”

According to the National Association of Social Workers, the United States has an estimated 207 social workers for every 100,000 people nationally. By 2018, the country will need an estimated 100,000 more.

“USC is committed to addressing this mental health professional shortage head on and helping positive change take root across the nation. The first step was making our flagship MSW degree program available to more students who can now actively engage in the learning process— wherever they live—and one day create the change they seek in their own communities,” said USC School of Social Work Vice Dean R. Paul Maiden.

Launched in the fall of 2010, the Virtual Academic Center’s highly advanced web-based platform uses social networks and face-to-face, interactive technology to conduct live classes and connect students across the United States.

About Hope For The Warriors®:

The mission of Hope For The Warriors® (www.hopeforthewarriors.org) is to enhance the quality of life for post-9/11 service members, their families, and families of the fallen who have sustained physical and psychological wounds in the line of duty.  Hope For The Warriors® is dedicated to restoring a sense of self, restoring the family unit, and restoring hope for our service members and our military families.

Hope For The Warriors® has earned a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org), an independent organization that evaluates fiscal responsibility and accountability of nonprofits.

About the USC School of Social Work:

The University of Southern California’s School of Social Work (www.usc.edu/socialwork) ranks among the top social work graduate programs in the nation. Its mission to prepare students for leadership roles in public and private organizations that serve individuals, families and communities in need is achieved through value-driven, scholarly and creative social work education, research and professional leadership. Known for the quality of its MSW clinical training in mental health and child welfare, the articulation of “policy practice” and advocacy as professional skills, the school has also gained national repute for its military social work program, the first of its kind at a research university.

Hope For The Warriors® (Federal Tax ID 20-5182295) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity as defined in sections 509(A)(1) and 170(B)(1)(A)(VI) of the Internal Revenue Code.  Combined Federal Campaign, CFC #27800.