Long Island University Announces New
Master's in Social Work (M.S.W.) Program
Classes Begin in September at Both C.W. Post and Brooklyn Campuses
Three In-Demand Specializations Available on Long Island for the First Time

Brookville, NY – Long Island University today announced the launch of its new, two-year, full-time Master's in Social Work (M.S.W.) Program, which can be completed at either the C.W. Post Campus in Brookville or the Brooklyn Campus. This innovative, collaborative program, unlike any available in Nassau County, will offer three in-demand specializations: Gerontology (either Long-Term Care Administration or Senior Community Service), Alcohol and Substance Abuse, or Non-Profit Management. Applications for enrollment at either campus are currently being accepted for the Fall 2004 semester, which begins September 7.

All three of the concentrations represent fields where there is currently significant hiring demand, according to Ilene Nathanson, DSW, BCD, Chief Administrator of the new M.S.W. program and Director of the Social Work Program at the C.W. Post Campus.

Across Campuses, Across Disciplines

“We are taking an interdisciplinary approach,” said Dr. Nathanson. “That means combining coursework not only across campuses but also across departments within campuses. The two campuses are sharing faculty, and in some cases students will be taught using distance learning technology.

“The program also promotes cross-cutting areas of concentrated study,” she added. “That way a student in Gerontology, for example, may prepare for direct service work or for a career in administrative practice. Added breadth of choice lies in the many fields for which that degree is applicable – the full spectrum of work in mental health, community service, social service or legal services. Similarly, the Non-Profit track will prepare students to work in virtually every segment of the service community.”

All three concentrations address the needs of at-risk populations. “Alcohol and drug abuse is a universal problem,” notes Brooklyn Campus Site Coordinator Samuel C. Jones, DSW, referring to the diverse populations served by the suburban and inner city campuses of Long Island University. “Graduates in this field are in great demand,” he adds, noting that students in this concentration will be prepared to work in settings ranging from school social work to community services, from health and mental health to criminal justice.

A Diverse Student Body

One key goal of this two-campus program is to develop a student body that reflects the diversity of the population its graduates will serve—encompassing both the suburban population of Nassau County and the multi-ethnic inner city population of Brooklyn and Queens. “We really want our students to ‘walk the walk' in terms of building collaborative bridges and finding multi-dimensional solutions to universal problems,” Dr. Nathanson states, adding that the new LIU program also differs from those that focus purely on clinical issues in training.

In every concentration, graduates will have completed many or most of the requirements necessary for certification or licensing in their field. Students who successfully complete the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Concentration will have completed everything except an internship required to meet the New York State Department of Education requirements for the Certificate in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling (CASAC). Those in the Long-Term Care Administration track will meet most of the academic requirements for the Nursing Home Administrator's Licensing Exam in New York State. Gerontology and Non-Profit Management students will meet almost all necessary requirements for a New York State advanced certificate in their specialized area.

         “This new M.S.W. program will allow students to master both direct service and administrative skills. It is rich and varied, and, as we are already hearing from prospective students, has powerful appeal,” Dr. Nathanson adds.

For more information, contact Dr. Ilene Nathanson at the C.W. Post Campus at 516-299-3924, Dr. Samuel Jones at the Brooklyn Campus at 718-246-6442, or email betsy.klipera@liu.edu.