Hartford Foundation Grant Helps Jewish Family Service Support Local Seniors

DU Graduate Students Gain Real-World Experience at Local Human Services Agency

The John A. Hartford Foundation is touching the lives of seniors in Colorado by supporting the work of graduate students from the University of Denver at Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS), a local human services agency. The Foundation has awarded the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) a three-year grant for The Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education to educate masters-level social workers in the field of gerontology. The DU GSSW program, which is run by and originated from The New York Academy of Medicine, aims to increase the number of students who specialize in working with seniors and ultimately the number of social workers in the field of aging.

Through the grant, eight Master of Social Work (MSW) students receive stipends for their participation in the internship program each year. GSSW selected JFS as one of eight hub sites served by the interns in 2007-2008.

"Seniors are a very important and often overlooked segment of the population. This grant allows students to gain experience with the unique needs of the aging population from expert community organizations," said Susan Stark, MSW, a licensed clinical social worker and geriatric social work specialist at GSSW. "JFS has an excellent reputation of service for older adults and we want our students to work with professionals who are setting an example in the community. JFS gives students cutting-edge, real-world experience."

Amanda Bowers, an MSW student participating in the program, works with the JFS Senior Solutions program providing counseling and conducting basic needs assessments to ensure seniors have food, shelter, proper medication and medical care. Bowers is also gaining experience in grant writing, accounting, fundraising and working with GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) seniors. She recently completed training for Project Visibility, a program that educates administrators and staff of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home care agencies, and other care facilities to provide culturally-competent care to GLBT seniors. She will soon represent JFS as a Project Visibility trainer in the community.

"Through my work at JFS, I've discovered my passion for gerontology and caregiving, particularly in the GLBT community where seniors often face discrimination and don't have a voice," said Bowers. "Many people in my generation do not see the benefits of spending time with older adults. In addition to the help I can provide to seniors, I have truly benefited from my time with them. Their wisdom, life experiences, and lessons are priceless."

The John A. Hartford Foundation seeks to increase the nation's capacity to provide effective and affordable care to its rapidly increasing senior population. For more information about the grant-funded internships, visit www.jhartfound.org or www.du.edu/gssw. To learn more about JFS and the programs available to Colorado seniors, please call ( 303) 597-5000 or visit www.jewishfamilyservice.org.

About Jewish Family Service of Colorado

Jewish Family Service of Colorado is a community agency serving metro Denver that provides professional services, resources and referrals in the areas of mental health counseling, adult care management and in-home support services for the elderly, emotionally vulnerable, people with disabilities, and refugees, regardless of faith or economic status. JFS, a nonprofit and nonsectarian human service agency, is one of the oldest organizations in Colorado and impacts more than 22,000 people each year. For more information, please call( 303) 597-5000 or visitwww.jewishfamilyservice.org.