Training Incentive Program (TIP)

The Training Incentive Program (TIP) provides small grants to NASW state chapters and social work education programs (BSW and MSW) to create new training opportunities in aging for practicing social workers who work with older adults and their families. This year, TIP awarded eleven new grants of $1,000 to support training programs that provide practicing social workers with the gerontological education and the tangible skills required to work effectively with older adults and their families. As part of the program, IGSW will provide assistance in identifying quality local trainers, and free publicity for the event in IGSW publications.

With assistance from the National Association of Social Workers and the National Center for Gerontological Social Work Education, this initiative provides a wonderful opportunity for NASW state chapters and social work education programs to enhance their involvement in the effort to prepare social workers to meet the needs of our aging population. To date, 41 TIP grants have been awarded. Please see our list of 2004 TIP Grantees and 2005-2006 Grantees.

TIP grant recipients were selected using the following criteria:

• Skills-based Training. In addition to providing social workers with knowledge in a given topic area, and opportunities to explore their attitudes and values, the training must also provide practioners with practice-based skills training. Training should address specific skills and competencies necessary for social work practice with older adults.

• Interactive Training Approaches. Training that integrates experiential and participatory approaches to learning, such as role plays, group discussions of case studies, problem-solving activities and interactive exercises, and peer-to-peer mentoring.

• Community Involvement. Proposals that foster community partnerships. Examples include conducting a needs assessment to identify participants’ self-described training interests; involving elders and other stakeholders in co-designing the workshop; and partnering older adults and community members with professional trainers to co-present the workshop.

• Training Scope. Projected number of practitioners to be trained. Additionally, innovative approaches that advance our understanding of how practice skills can be taught in continuing education, and have the potential to be replicated in other settings are also of high priority.