Goals & Objectives

Goals

1. Maintain a center dedicated to addressing the social welfare research, training and evaluation needs of the Central California region.
2. Identify and pursue external resources to support the center’s activities.
3. Leverage and coordinate existing resources to support the center’s activities.
4. Identify and address regional social welfare issues through the development and utilization of university intellectual capital, community linkages, and stakeholder partnerships.
5. Engage in research, training, and evaluation activities that are inclusive of appropriate stakeholders.
6. Provide empirical foundation for evidence-based practice in the areas of child welfare, mental health, aging, and other area of practice.

Objectives

1. Facilitate professional development of faculty, staff, students, practitioners, and other community partners in at least three area social welfare issues including child welfare, aging and mental health and child poverty.
2. Coordinate and support faculty research/evaluation, training and curriculum development in five areas of social welfare.
3. Disseminate the findings of evaluation/research activities to community partners.
4. Identify high potential public and private sources of funding.
5. Publicize SWERT to public and private entities through the development of a brochure highlighting the center’s interests and capacity.
6. Disseminate research on evidence-based practice on an ongoing basis to community partners.
7. Serve as a repository of information of current information on evidence-based practice.

Activities

In partnership with regional organizations, providers, and stakeholders, SWERT will pursue activities in participatory and applied research, training, and evaluation that will further knowledge and understanding of social welfare issues in the region.  Through this course, the center will position the university to better engage human services industries and residents of the Central California region.