Gerontological Practicum Partnership (PPP)

The Practicum Partnership Program (PPP) is funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation of NYC, which has provided nearly 49 million dollars for gerontological social work curriculum development and preparation of geriatric faculty scholars and doctoral students.  We encourage you to visit the website of the Hartford Geriatric Social Work Initiative (www.gswi.org) to learn more about the Practicum Partnership Program and the Hartford Foundation.

The goal of the PPP model is to increase the number of MSW students prepared with advanced gerontological social work competencies to enhance the health and well being of older adults and their families.  The intended outcomes of the PPP model are:

• Creation and implementation of an excellent field education program for graduate social work students specializing in aging.
• Increased interest in aging as a field of practice among students
• An increased cadre of well-qualified geriatric social workers available to work in the community.

The primary components of the PPP model are

• Leadership development
• University-community partnerships
• A rotational model of field education
• Competency-driven field education
• An expanded role for field instructors
• Sustainability of the program
• Evaluation

The UW School of Social Work project, which we have named the Gerontology Practicum Partnership, is part of a national network of 36 PPP sites in social work programs.   Schools were selected through a highly competitive review process by national gerontological leaders. Six demonstration sites were funded 2000-04, which allowed the testing and evaluation of the rotational model of field education.  There will be one more round of funding for additional PPP sites in 2008. 

The GPP Fellows, who are all MSW advanced year students, benefit from the following opportunities:

• They receive a scholarship of $2700 at the beginning of fall quarter.

• They experience a unique rotational model for their second year practicum that exposes them to more than one practice setting with older adults.

• They participate in monthly on-line integrative seminars along with quarterly topical Gero Enhancement seminars held in agency settings.

GPP students are responsible for the following:

• Rate themselves on the PPP Competencies Rating Scale in order to select the priority competencies to be achieved in each rotational setting and to identify the learning opportunities to attain those competencies.
• Complete all evaluations required by the Hartford Foundation, including a pre and post self assessment of their competencies. 
• Participate in any special end of the year events, such as a resource fair about their practicum experiences or meetings with the Hartford Foundation

Practicum sites that accept GPP students and support the GPP grant goals and requirements:
Alzheimer’s Association
Asian Counseling and Referral Services, Older Adult Unit
Catholic Community Services, African American Elders Project
Elderhealth Northwest
Group Health Cooperative, Home and Long Term Care
Northshore Senior Center
Northwest Geropsychiatric Center
Providence Elderplace
St. Joseph’s Hospital, Center for Senior Services and Adult Day Health programs
Seattle Human Services, Aging and Disability Services
Senior Services of King County
Snohomish County Human Services
Swedish Homecare and Swedish Cancer Institute
UW Center for Human Development and Disability, Adult and Elders Project
Veteran’s Administration Hospital
Washington Center for Comprehensive Rehabilitation
Washington Department of Social and Health Services

Application materials are available in the spring for summer and fall placements in the Advanced MSW year.

For more information, contact Co-Project Directors Lynn Carrigan at 221-7459 (ltc@u.washington.edu) or Nancy Hooyman at 685-1662 (hooy@u.washington.edu)