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Social Work Joins Collaborative to offer Professional Development Program in Support of AIDS Service Organizations

Mon, 02/03/2020 - 04:05pm | By: David Tisdale

Dr. Susan HrostowskiThe University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Social Work, in collaboration with the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) and the Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy, has developed a 16-week course of study for individuals aspiring to acquire the knowledge, skills, and values needed to establish and manage community based, non-profit AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) service organizations (ASOs).

The program will begin April 3, with classes meeting on the USM Hattiesburg campus Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings every other week. On alternate weeks, participants will complete assignments based on what they learned in class the previous week. An interdisciplinary team of instructors will provide the training and consult with each participant on the application of the concepts.

The MSDH is providing funding for the program, including travel expenses for participants. The Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy is assisting with provision of content and course delivery.

“The purpose of this program is to enhance human capital and develop a workforce of individuals with the capacity to address HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) in Mississippi,” said Dr. Susan Hrostowski, professor of social work at USM and coordinator of the program. “The need for such organizations is vital, as Mississippi’s infection rates are alarming, and we currently have only two such organizations addressing the issue of HIV in the state.”

Assisting Dr. Hrostowski with the project are Dr. Ann Marie Kinnell, director of USM’s Nonprofit Studies Program, and Vickie Reed, instructor in the School of  Health Professions.

Participation will be limited, and an application will be required. For questions, comments or more information, contact Dr. Hrostowski at susan.hrostowskiFREEMississippi; or MSDH at web@HealthyMS.com. For information about the USM School of Social Work, which is housed in the USM College of Education and Human Sciences, visit https://www.usm.edu/social-work/index.php.