Access, Collaboration, Engagement and Strategy

Ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to reach resources, support, and opportunities without barriers, so they can grow, feel valued, and thrive in the SSW community and beyond.

• Book Lending Initiative: This initiative supports UMSSW's efforts to promote equity by making textbooks more accessible for MSW students.
• Bridging Success Scholarship: The Bridging Success Scholarship is a bridge designed to help students successfully transition from academic life to their careers as social workers. This scholarship covers the $100 cost of the LMSW application fee, paid to the MD Board of Social Work Examiners, and helps to financially support students as they prepare for the critical next steps in their professional journey.
• Accessibility Advisory Group: At the University of Maryland School of Social Work, we value accessibility, neurodiversity, and the varied ways in which we embody and physically engage with content and spaces. A commitment to disability justice is part of our mission to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging both within our school and our greater society.
• Global Mental Health Series: In collaboration The Global Mental Health Learning Series is aimed at increasing access to global learning within the SSW community students through a series of virtual discussions with 8 experts in the field who are engaged in global mental health work through research, practice and policy.
  
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Working together in meaningful and respectful partnerships, fostering mutual understanding, shared goals, and collective action to create positive change and strengthen community bonds.

• Annual Summit – Bringing together faculty, staff, students, and community partners for shared learning and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Faculty Training – Supporting faculty growth through skill-building opportunities aligned with social work values and institutional priorities in collaboration with the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Staff Training - Hosts the annual Professional Development Day in collaboration with the Office of Human Resources.
• JEDI Awards - Recognizing faculty, staff, and students who exemplify commitment to The JEDI Awards honor those committed to a JUST society while inspiring EMPOWERMENT within their communities. These awards recognize those who demonstrate DETERMINATION while advocating for marginalized voices and advocating for fairness. Like a true JEDI, these individuals use their unique strengths and extraordinary abilities to create lasting IMPACT.


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Actively participating in and contributing to initiatives, conversations, and actions that build relationships, promote growth, and create a sense of belonging within the SSW and the broader community.

• The Collaborative Newsletter – Keeping faculty, staff, students, and alumni informed and engaged with updates, achievements, and opportunities.
• LEAD Training Institute - An intensive program designed to deepen understanding of systemic inequalities and equip participants with the knowledge and skills to create meaningful change. Through education, dialogue, and self-reflection, the institute explores historical and contemporary issues and engage participants in interactive learning experience that promote critical thinking and actionable strategies.
• Dialogue, Engagement, and Learning Series – Facilitating conversations around critical social work topics, ethics, and societal issues using the principles of intergroup dialogue.
• Gratitude Project – An initiative designed to foster a culture of appreciation, reflection, and recognition within a community or organization. It encourages individuals to intentionally acknowledge the contributions, support, and positive impact of others, promoting well-being, connection, and a sense of belonging. The project can take various forms, such as written notes, public acknowledgments, storytelling, or creative expressions of gratitude.


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Strategy ensures that our commitment to our social work values is supported by well-defined goals, objectives and systematic evaluation of outcomes.

• Strategic Planning - Engaging stakeholders across the school to align priorities, set goals, and shape the future direction of the institution. Provides coaching and support for unit leaders on effective decision-making and setting short- and long-term goals.
• Pulse Surveys - Administer surveys to assess the experiences, perceptions, of individuals within the SSW. Gathers data on overall workplace or institutional climate, identifying strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement.
• Policy Hub - Offers tools for identifying and addressing inequities within policies and practices.
• Advocacy and Policy Guidance - Providing expertise in navigating institutional politics, external regulatory environments, and organizational changes while fostering collaboration and minimizing resistance.