FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                              January 24, 2007

NORTHWESTERN SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS RECEIVE EDUCATIONAL INTERNSHIPS

            Five students enrolled in the social work program at Northwestern Oklahoma State University have been announced as recipients of educational internship stipends from the Child Welfare Professional Enhancement Program (CWPEP).

            They are senior Jeanetta Bussell of Alva and junior Stephany Wilson, junior Jo Lynne Vendetti, senior Tamera Guymon and senior Shylah Ridgway, all of Enid.

            The CWPEP provides funds for students who plan careers in child welfare services in Oklahoma. The stipends are awarded to full-time students in social work programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. They provide approximately $6,000 a year for educational expenses for participating students.

To qualify for the stipends, students must be declared social work majors, be junior year or above, have cumulative grade point averages of 2.75 or better and be preparing for a career in child welfare. They also must agree to take child welfare jobs in Oklahoma upon graduation.

Students who receive the stipends complete 420-hour educational internships in child welfare agencies within the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS). Upon graduation, those students are assured employment in the participating DHS programs.

            The CWPEP is a partnership between five Oklahoma universities, with the University of Oklahoma managing the child welfare consortium. In addition to Northwestern, other participants include Northeastern Oklahoma State University, East Central State University and Oral Roberts University.

            Northwestern became eligible for participation in the CWPEP when the social work program was granted candidacy for accreditation in 2006. The local program offers courses by distance learning to campuses in Alva, Enid and Woodward and to the Ponca City Learning Center. There are approximately 40 social work majors at the university.

            Social work graduates are offered incentives to remain in the northwest Oklahoma region to meet the needs of social and human service agencies in fields such as child welfare, mental health, substance abuse, corrections and family services.

            The program at Northwestern is administered by Kylene Rehder, an instructor in social work and director of the field practicum program. Rehder, a licensed clinical social worker and 2002 graduate of the social work program at the university, teaches courses in social work at the Alva and Woodward campuses.

            The CWPEP program at the University of Oklahoma is administered by Martha Scales, and is conducted under the supervision of Rebecca Bogard, who is in charge of professional training for the child welfare services of DHS. Funding for the educational program is provided by Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, called the Child Welfare Training Program.

-NW-

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