The field of social welfare is broad, but in some ways ‘invisible.’ Even a modest-sized rural community will employ dozens, if not hundreds of professionals. So whether you are looking for a career in social work or allied fields, law enforcement or allied fields in the criminal justice system, or simply living in a community and noticing as an observer, social welfare has a great impact on both the quality of life of many people, and on the economic health of a region, in ways that are intertwined.

During weeks 8 and 9 you will work in discussion forums to build a knowledge and information base of the kinds of welfare positions out there, the requirements in terms of form education, the agencies involved (and you will find many similarities from one community/county/state to the next), the number of people employed, and the wide variety of niches and expertise making up the field. This project is designed both to build in some interaction in the course that is collaborative, and to give students a clearer picture of what the field and employment prospects look like. We will share more information as the term progresses, but know that you can be collecting information on your community during the course of the term.

There will be a discussion forum for each week—the normal threads, but focused on the project—and then each student will submit a write-up of their efforts in understanding social welfare in their communities. Make sure as you go you cite all sources—websites, individuals, whatever helps you pull information together—and write up what you discovered and what you learned from the process. I have a pretty good idea of what exists in this field in any given locale. So know that your efforts are being evaluated against how well your research reflects reality on the ground. The discussion threads will be valuable venues for students to collaborate and learn from each other—but you will all have your own communities and the sources you cite should be original sources.

This assignment will be fleshed out as the term progresses, but don’t let that stop you from beginning to identify and document sources as you discover or come across them. Here are some areas to consider:

• Organizations
• Organizational types [e.g., non-profit (e.g., many domestic violence shelters), state (e.g., DHS in Oregon), federal (e.g., SSA, VA, HUD), faith-based, schools, health care providers, etc.]
• Information on workforce–no. of staff employed, kinds of backgrounds required (e.g., bachelors degree, social services experience)
• Populations served (elderly, youth, students, veterans, Medicaid-eligible, means-qualifying eligible (e.g., SNAP, TANF), new or expecting mothers/children …)
• Areas served
• Services provided
• Be able to answer these questions

So you’re compiling a list of social services providers, but also how pervasive they are in your area, what kinds of professional positions might be out there, and you should include the criminal justice system, because there is much interplay between law enforcement, corrections, and social welfare (e.g., through post-prison supervision, probation, juvenile justice …).

50 points possible, due August 26 in Canvas.