The Department of Social Work has been awarded a $654,450 grant from the Minnesota Department of Education. The funding aims to increase the number of licensed school social workers in the state, with a focus on supporting trainees from historically marginalized communities.
There’s a critical need for school social workers in the state. While the recommended ratio is one school social worker for every 250 students, Minnesota’s rate is 1:852.
With a ratio like this, students who are struggling don’t get the attention they need. Additionally, “When socialworkers are spread thin with high caseloads, the potential for burnout becomes higher,” says Nomi Ostrander, head of UMD’s Department of Social Work.
Ostrander proposed the “Pathways to Practice: Equitable Access to School Social Work Licensure” project to address both the current workforce shortage and the high behavioral health needs of students. A primary goal of the grant is to attract and support a diverse group of trainees from historically underserved communities to ultimately increase the number of licensed school social workers of color in Minnesota.
Statistics show that BIPOC students receive disproportionately higher rates of disciplinary action when there are behavioral concerns. Ostrander stresses that social workers with similar cultural backgrounds can understand and better support underrepresented and marginalized students to help close the equity gap.
The grant runs from 2025–2027, and will allow the department to provide comprehensive support to emerging school social workers. The grant will assist 15 students each year, roughly divided between UMD’s Bachelor of Social Work and the Master of Social Work programs. Financial assistance will cover basics, such as tuition, textbooks, and licensure fees.
Students in the program will also receive a stipend during their placements at schools. This financial help is hugely valuable, as social work students typically have unpaid internships and often need to balance their coursework and internship commitment with a part-time job.
Ostrander says this funding will alleviate some of the pressure students face. “I’m proud of receiving this grant because it gives us a better ability to support our students and help them graduate with less debt," she says. "That brings me tremendous joy.”