The Center for Aging & Disability Research & Education Helps Boston Firefighter Serve Community
Abdul Jabbar Muhammad, a Boston firefighter known to many as Brother Jabbar, was so motivated to bring change to his community, he completed three certificate courses from The BU School of Social Work (BUSSW) so he could better understand the behavioral health needs of those he encountered on the job. After learning more about the aging population through certificate programs at The Center for Aging & Disability Research & Education (CADER), he went on to earn a certificate in training from The Network for Professional Education at BUSSW so he could share his new knowledge with his colleagues. Brother Jabbar decided to take his journey a step further and pursue an MSW degree by completing the MSW Pathways Program at BUSSW. The program is focused on to diversifying the field of social work by preparing individuals from underrepresented groups for the MSW application process.
Excerpt from “CADER Training Leads Boston Firefighter to Pursue a Master’s in Social Work” by Maura King Scully, originally posted in The Network for Professional Education:
Brother Jabbar has been so inspired by his experience at the Center for Aging & Disability Education & Research (CADER) that he now wants to earn a Master’s in Social Work. ‘Going through all of these programs reconnected me with my roots in social service,’ he explains. ‘Before I was a firefighter, I worked in public health as a housing coordinator for a program serving individuals with HIV/AIDS.’ This fall, he started the MSW Pathway training program at BUSSW, which seeks to increase the number of professionally trained social workers from underserved culturally and linguistically diverse BIPOC communities by preparing them for a master’s in social work program. He hopes to enroll in the BUSSW MSW program once he completes the training.
Brother Jabbar sees the value in having a licensed social worker as part of the Investigation and Enforcement team, both for the city of Boston and for individual older adults. ‘A licensed social worker can diagnose,’ he concludes, ‘and with diagnosis comes services, which leads to city involvement and family involvement.’”