The Child Welfare Training Project
NAU Social Work students work with Arizona DCS to make a difference
The Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Project (CWTP) at NAU is a collaborative effort between the Northern Arizona University Department of Social Work and the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS). Directed by Principal Investigator, Dr. Natalie Cawood, “the mission of the CWTP is to prepare social work students to be effective child welfare specialists, who are able to promote the well-being of the children and families involved in the public child welfare system”.
The project recruits and trains master and bachelor-level social workers to be competent Child Protective Service professionals. Student participants receive payment of their in-state tuition and social work program fees for up to two years. In exchange, students contractually agree to work full-time in Arizona’s DCS upon graduation. The work commitment is between one and two years, depending on the level of tuition assistance received. This tuition assistance represents an investment in the DCS workforce and in the vulnerable families of Arizona.
Funding provided by the Child Welfare Field Education and Student Support Project, a Title IV-E grant.