51品茶School of Social Work awarded grant to work with rural, aging populations
The 51品茶School of Social Work has been awarded its third Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA) Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training grant, which provides advanced year students with stipends to work with Maine鈥檚 underserved aging population.
The more than $448,000 Training in Aging Diversity, or TRIAD, grant is a four-year program creatively designed to bring classroom and clinical education to Maine鈥檚 rural communities. 鈥淲e want students in training to be immersed in rural areas so that they fall in love with rural practice,鈥 said Director of the School of Social Work Shelley Cohen Konrad, Ph.D., who is the principal investigator for the grant. 鈥淔ostering students鈥 passion for working with underserved populations will make them that much more likely to seek employment in those areas once they graduate.鈥
鈥淭his award reflects the School of Social Work鈥檚 vision for enhancing Master of Social Work graduates鈥 ability to deliver high quality, culturally appropriate care to aging individuals and their families residing in rural Maine,鈥 said interim dean of the Westbrook College of Health Professions Karen Pardue. 鈥淭his grant serves not only to support the education of aspiring social work students, but also contributes to cultivating a workforce committed to rural care delivery and improving the health and well-being of older adults鈥.
The goals of TRIAD include advancing knowledge of the needs and desires of today鈥檚 older adults and improving workforce understanding of what constitutes best practice behavioral health services for this population.
Through this grant, 51品茶will seek clinical field placements and residencies for students in rural Maine. The School of Social Work will also develop core curriculum in aging and neuroscience in collaboration with the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, establish a TRIAD certificate program and collaborate with UNE鈥檚 Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) grant to advance knowledge of aging and substance use disorders. Additionally, 51品茶will host TRIAD Simulation Summits in conjunction with the Interprofessional Simulation and Innovation Center that bring together educators and practitioners from across professions to share knowledge in aging diversity.
The TRIAD project officially begins on September 30, 2017.
To learn more about the 51品茶鈥檚 Westbrook College of Health Professions visit
To apply, visit