Leading the way
Social work and mental health
Social work has always been a calling that attracts those with a passion to help the most vulnerable. Its earliest beginnings in the late 1800s involved volunteers going into New York slums to provide assistance to the abused, mentally ill and marginalized. The profession has changed over the last 100 years, and its value has only increased.
At UA Little Rock, we’re proud of the role our campus has played in social work’s long history, and of our ongoing efforts to chart the future of the profession in Arkansas while providing students with rewarding lifelong careers.
In 1969, the university launched the state’s first accredited master’s degree program in social work. Still the largest in Arkansas, our program has produced over 3,000 certified, job-ready social workers to date, adding to a vitally important profession that now counts more than 293,000 Americans among its ranks of professional social workers.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, social work is one of the fastest-growing career tracks in the United States, projected to grow by 9 percent by 2031. From health-care settings to law enforcement agencies, advocacy for abused children to working with military veterans, the demand for skilled graduates has never been greater, or more crucial to the health of our state.
While the future of these careers in Arkansas is bright, the issues social workers face grow ever more challenging. The covid-19 pandemic unearthed tremendous problems related to resource access and mental health, and pushed many vulnerable people even further from stability.
Social workers all over the state have noted a post-pandemic rise in serious mental illness, anxiety and addiction. Pre-existing conditions worsened due to added stress, financial strain and social isolation.
At UA Little Rock, our social work programs are on the front lines of preparing students to combat these socially corrosive forces. The field is always changing, and we are constantly evolving with it, altering our curriculum and coursework to follow the best evidence-based models and provide students the opportunity to gain real-world experience while still in school. We also provide dozens of internship opportunities for students, providing real-world training for them and hands-on support for the community.
One great example is our partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield’s “Blue and You” program. As part of the partnership, interns from the UA Little Rock master’s program in social work are in medical settings, providing behavioral health intervention to real patients. In medical settings all over central Arkansas, these students are lessening the strain on overworked doctors and nurses while providing counsel and advocacy to patients who may be experiencing a mental health emergency. The criminal justice system is also benefiting from the skills and presence of social workers even while they’re in school. Students intern with local police agencies to provide professional, trained interventions during calls involving a mental health crisis. Not only are these students helping de-escalate those who find themselves in crisis situations and get them the assistance they need, they’re also showing the officers they work with proven strategies for defusing encounters that have the potential to turn violent.
May is Mental Health Month, and whether you’re in health care, law enforcement or looking for an attainable, in-demand profession that can really change lives, I encourage you to recognize the role of social workers in our community’s health, both locally and nationally.
Through innovative partnerships and a core commitment to caring, our students and graduates are truly helping Arkansans while pursuing a rewarding career.