[412] MTSU EARNS ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD FROM D.C.-BASED ORGANIZATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 6, 2009
CONTACT: Department of Social Work, at 615-898-2868.

MTSU EARNS ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD FROM D.C.-BASED ORGANIZATION
Social Work Department Programs, Collaborative Partnership Garner National Honor

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU has been presented with an Academic Award of Excellence from the American Public Human Services Association, a nonprofit, bipartisan organization of individuals and agencies concerned with human services that is based in Washington, D.C.
Frank Solomon, spokesman for APHS, said the award is given annually to a human service, social work or social service department or program at a nationally accredited college or university that has distinguished itself in its academic achievements.
MTSU was selected to receive this year’s award during APHSA’s spring conference on April 5-7 at the Fairmont in Washington, D.C., because of its record as “a strong collaborative partner of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.”
Since August 2004, MTSU has assumed the lead responsibility of a multimillion-dollar training grant awarded by the Department of Children’s Services.
MTSU houses two programs that have had a significant impact on the public child welfare reform effort in Tennessee—specifically, the Department of Social Work, which served as one of key catalysts for the creation of the Tennessee Work Education Consortium, the first consortium of its kind in Tennessee, and the Tennessee Center for Child Welfare, an MTSU program that, in 2004, began as the DCS child-welfare training operations base.
The TCCW subcontracts with TSWEC members for the implementation of regional learning centers that provide professional training programs for DCS staff in the states’ 13 regions. In addition, the center has pioneered a corps of MSW supervisory specialists who work as consultants and coaches to support direct-service supervisors across the state.
Most recently, the center established the Tennessee Child Welfare Learning Collaborative—a partnership of TCCW, the consortium, DCS and private provider staff— in developing a statewide training system that promotes practice excellence.
“The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services has made great strides to reform public child welfare,” said Viola Miller, commissioner of the department, who nominated the university for the award. “Without the strong support of MTSU, we could not have achieved so much so quickly.”
For more information about APHSA, please contact Soloman at fsoloman@aphsa.org.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For more information, please contact Dr. Rebecca Smith, chairwoman of the Department of Social Work, at 615-898-2868.