Project Summary
The University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work Professional Education Department and the Vankirk Career Center have partnered with Staunton Farm Foundation to develop a four-year program aimed at reducing the barriers to clinical licensure and increasing the mental health workforce in the Greater Pittsburgh area.
Our program accomplishes this by supporting both new LCSWs who wish to become supervisors and LSWs who wish to obtain their clinical licenses, but face barriers in obtaining their supervision hours. This project is specifically focused on social workers at both licensure levels who have traditionally marginalized identities.
This project consists of three main initiatives:
- Our LCSW Supervision Training Institute which offers comprehensive supervisory training to LCSWs
- A supervision matching program which matches trained LCSWs with LSWs for up to 4 years of free supervision
- Specialized career service support to the cohort of LSWs in the program
LCSW Supervision Training Institute
The first step in this project was the development of our LCSW Supervision Training Institute. The asynchronous training consists a total of 20 hours of asynchronous, self-paced learning modules for participants to navigate on their own as well a 3-hour, live and interactive online webinar for our program participants to ask questions, review case studies, meet their fellow trainees, and interact with our lead trainers to gain clarity on any topics that require further discussion. The training institute will exist in perpetuity until the information contained within is inaccurate and in need of updating. LCSWs who are part of this program will access this training free of charge. This training is mandatory to become a supervisor for our program.
Supervision Matching Program
Both LCSWs and LSWs wishing to participate in this program will complete a thorough application, and the program team will select a final cohort of 16 LSWs and 4 LCSWs who will be matched at a 4/1 ratio. The program team will carefully and intentionally match each trained LCSW supervisor with 4 LSWs who have applied and been accepted to our program based on area of practice, skills, age/gender identity, demographics, location, and other factors. Our program specifically focuses on providing support to social workers with marginalized identities, as well as those who work in rural or under-resourced areas or neighborhoods. All these factors are considered on the program application. The LCSW supervisor cohort will commit to provide individual and group supervision to their 4 assigned LSWs over the following 4 years and will be reimbursed through the grant funding at $50/hour for group supervision and $25/hour for individual.
Specialized Career Service Support
Licensed social workers who are a part of this program will receive several career center trainings specific to their needs as soon-to-be clinically licensed professionals. They will also receive assistance with test prep and studying for the LCSW exam as well as free practice tests. Finally, they will have access to general career services such as resume review and mock interview services and the ability to attend trainings on topics such as salary negotiation.
- Our Partner: Staunton Farm Foundation
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The LCSW Training Institute & Supervision Matching Program is made possible by a generous gift from Staunton Farm Foundation. Staunton Farm Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of people who live with mental illness and substance use disorders. The Foundation works to enhance behavioral health treatment, support, and recovery through grant making to nonprofit organizations in 10 southwestern Pennsylvania counties (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland).
- Meet Our Training Instructors
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James H. Andrews, MSW, LCSW, LICSW, CMFSW Mr. Andrews is a clinical social worker with expertise in forensic social work. He has been practicing in the field of behavioral health for over thirty-five years as a clinical social worker, therapist, administrator, risk manager, consultant and educator. He provides forensic social work consultation as an expert witness. He is a fulltime faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh in the School of Social Work and an adjunct faculty member with Chatham University Department of Social Work in Pittsburgh, PA. Andrews holds degrees in general management, psychology and social work. He also holds advanced licensure in social work including the LCSW in Pennsylvania, the LICSW in Massachusetts. He provides expert witness services in both civil and criminal cases involving behavioral health malpractice, wrongful death, sexual abuse allegations and death penalty mitigation. He also provides compliance and risk management consulting to behavioral health professionals. Andrews is very active in his professional association, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and is a Past President of NASW-PA. He is currently a doctoral candidate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. His areas of research are threat assessment and violence prediction.
Sharise Nance LCSW, CCTP (also known as the Compassion Fatigue lady) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Compassion Fatigue Specialist, Adjunct Professor, Award Winning Entrepreneur and Author. She is the co-owner and founder of HandinHand Counseling Services LLC and has over 20 years of experience assisting individuals, couples and families see beyond energy depletion, hopelessness, panic, guilt and feeling overwhelmed and assists them in making a shift to a place of peace, joy, clarity, and gratification. Sharise also dedicates her efforts to running Vitamin C Healing, an organization designed to promote life balance, satisfaction, and fulfillment among those throughout the helping profession and beyond. With considerable experience speaking at keynotes, workshops, and seminars for young professionals, helping professionals, caregivers, entrepreneurs, women, parents, and adolescents across the country; she strives to equip individuals with the tools to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout to live happy, fulfilled lives and careers. With her depth of experience from nearly two decades working with a diverse population of people from all walks of life, Sharise is eager to share all that she is learned. Most recently, Sharise created the S.W.A.G. Awards: Social Worker Appreciation of Greatness Awards, to honor the "heart work" of local social workers in the Greater Pittsburgh area who often go unappreciated and unrecognized. She resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband William Nance. More information on Sharise can be found by visiting www.vitaminchealing.com
- LCSW Supervisor Training Application
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Coming soon
- LSW Supervisee Training Application
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Coming soon
- Project Mission & Goals
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- Reduce barriers to clinical licensure by making supervision affordable, and simple to find a skilled clinical supervisor
- Strengthen the population of licensed clinical social workers in the greater Pittsburgh region
- Increase the amount of licensed clinicians with marginalized identities and those who are from rural areas where access to mental health support is limited
- Provide a built-in network of colleagues through utilizing a cohort model of training and supervision