The New York Academy of Medicine’s Social Work Leadership Institute (SWLI) is a national initiative working to ensure that America's older adults receive the care they need to live life to the fullest-and that their caregivers also get the support they deserve.

One of the SWLI’s primary goals is to build the workforce of social workers who are trained in aging care; the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education was designed to serve this goal. Our intention with this leadership training program is to help social work deans and directors further develop as leaders in the field of aging care, which includes advancing the partnership program’s educational model and advocating for policies that make it easier for older adults to benefit from the services of trained social workers.

LEADERSHIP GOALS
By participating in the program, and by becoming leaders in the expanding field of aging education and policy, deans and directors will grow as individuals and will have the opportunity to:

• Raise their school’s visibility and status within the university
• Recruit students by strengthening their school/university’s presence in the field
• Strengthen legislative outreach and education skills
• Strengthen community development skills while increasing their school’s role in the community and broader environment
• Strengthen capacity-building and management skills
• Build strategic leadership skills
• Increase resource development skills
• Mentor or be mentored by senior deans

ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM

• Leadership: How can you advance your leadership skills? What are best practices in the field? How can improved leadership advance your agenda?
• Skill-building: Best practices sessions on fundraising, interdepartmental communications, capacity-building, organizational and staff management, policy analysis and advocacy, time management, faculty relations, and media outreach.
• Mentorship: A senior dean to mentor each participant and to spend at least one day shadowing the mentee.
• Aging Commitment: Each participant will be asked to develop a plan to infuse the aging agenda into their work and school.
• Continued Learning: An online network of participants and alumni, creating a cadre of specialists.

TRAINING SCHEDULE
Session 1: September 19-21, 2008 - Tarrytown, New York
Session 2: October 29, 2008 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (in conjunction with NADD Fall Conference)
Session 3: February 6-8, 2009 - San Francisco, California
Session 4: June 12, 2009 - New York, New York

COST
The cost of the training is covered by the Social Work Leadership Institute’s grant from the Hartford Foundation (estimated value = $10,000 per participant). Participants will need to cover travel costs.

HOW TO APPLY
All deans and directors of social work schools and programs are invited to apply. Please submit the following materials as e-mail attachments to pvolland@nyam.org:

• Personal statement about your strengths and aspirations as a leader (500 words);
• Description of your commitment to your school's aging curriculum (500 words);
• Letter of support from your university's provost;
• Curriculum vitae.

For more information, please contact Patricia Volland, Senior Vice President, New York Academy of Medicine, 212-822-7207, or visit www.socialworkleadership.org.