Massachusetts Office of Elder Affairs and IGSW Renew Partnership for Crucial Workforce Training

Efforts to prepare more social workers to care for the burgeoning older population got a boost with the announcement that The Institute for Geriatric Social Work (IGSW) at Boston University School of Social Work and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs will join forces for a second year of geriatric training for agency staff across the state. Continuation of the partnership was announced by Scott Miyake Geron, Director of IGSW, which provides the training as part of its overall program. EOEA will fund the training, while IGSW provides the training, orientation, technical support, and monthly progress reports. “This collaboration is an example of what can be done when community agencies and academic institutions work together to address crucial workforce needs as we prepare for the aging baby boom,” Geron said.

IGSW, which last year trained 269 EOEA staff, will now provide training to an additional 214 case managers employed at Aging Services Access Points throughout Massachusetts. Participants will complete five online courses covering a range of topics essential to effective case management with older adults—for example, geriatric assessment, mental health, substance abuse, and interaction with the aging-services network. Participants will receive a continuing education certificate in aging from Boston University.

“Continuation of the project for a second year means we can move closer to providing the number of trained specialists required in the state,” Geron said. “IGSW will assist EOEA in furthering its commitment to ensure that its staff have access to high-quality professional training and the core knowledge and skills required to work effectively with older adults and their families. And they will be able to apply them directly to their practice.”

The Institute for Geriatric Social Work (IGSW) at Boston University is dedicated to advancing social work practice with older adults and their families. IGSW was established in 2002 through a grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies (USA) Inc. to improve the quality and increase the availability of gerontological social work practice by helping social workers meet the challenges presented by the diverse and growing aging population.

For more information on IGSW, please visit their website at /ssw/igsw/