Contributions of Public Health Social Work Students to Their Professions and Communities

In the contemporary public health workforce environment, public health social workers (PHSW) bring integrated skills, from both fields, to meet the needs of vulnerable and underserved populations. They receive training in their Master of Public Health/Master of Social Work dual-degree programs, such...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health promotion practice 2020-01, Vol.21 (1), p.12-15
Main Authors: Forster-Cox, Sue, Nelson, Anna, Lang, Chelse, Gandhi, Shammi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Careers
Community
Cultural Competency
Cultural sensitivity
Health disparities
Health promotion
Health Promotion - organization & administration
Health services
Humans
Interdisciplinary Placement
Marginality
Medical social workers
Medically Underserved Area
New Mexico
Practice placements
Primary care
Professional Role
Professional training
Public health
Public Health - education
Regions
Skills
Social programs
Social work
Social Work - education
Social workers
Students
Underserved populations
University students
Workforce
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Summary:In the contemporary public health workforce environment, public health social workers (PHSW) bring integrated skills, from both fields, to meet the needs of vulnerable and underserved populations. They receive training in their Master of Public Health/Master of Social Work dual-degree programs, such as the one at New Mexico State University, which serves the U.S./Mexico border region. During their studies, dual-degree students are equipped to address health and human service issues at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and complete field experience and practicum hours in their communities. Along with practical skills, these students learn culturally responsive/humble ways of being with communities of color and marginalized individuals. After graduation, these emerging career PHSWs enter the workforce in a variety of settings: nonprofit, educational, government, primary care, and more. In this article, the field of public health social work is described in its historic and present forms, followed by PHSWs’ utility to the U.S./Mexico border region, in particular. Finally, we make the call to action for future career PHSWs to engage with this integrated, dynamic, innovative field, and its unique combination of community- and individual-based services and rewards.
ISSN:1524-8399
1552-6372
DOI:10.1177/1524839919886284