Featured photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
In 2017, UNE’s School of Social Work was granted a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant to develop The Training in Aging Diversity (TRIAD) Project. The school received a supplemental grant in 2018 to develop coordinated training around substance use disorders.
TRIAD is a training-in-place program for graduate-level clinical social work students. Though TRIAD reaches people of all ages, its primary population focus is Maine’s older adults. The project has two goals:
- Increase the number of behavioral health professionals practicing in rural and underserved areas of Maine
- Increase knowledge about the behavioral health needs of diverse older adults
The grant provides a $10,000 stipend to each UNE M.S.W. student who pursues the TRIAD Certificate. Students can apply as a Traditional TRIAD student and receive quality training in providing clinical services to diverse aging populations 55+, or as a TRIAD Fellow and receive specialized training in working with substance use disorders in diverse aging populations 45+.*Students need to indicate on application whether they are applying to be Traditional TRIAD or TRIAD Fellow.
Visit our website HERE to learn more about TRIAD and hear from our TRIAD students below:
Casey Rogers
Casey Rogers is an Advanced Standing MSW student and Graduate Assistant here at UNE. As an advanced standing student, she entered our program with a BSW and will complete her MSW in just one year. She is a TRIAD student and currently doing her field placement at Maine Medical Center’s Outpatient Psychiatry in the Geriatric department.
In Her Own Words: The Training in Aging Diversity (TRIAD) Certificate offered through UNE’s School of Social Work has been an incredible opportunity during my time in the MSW program. As I move towards the end of my program and the beginning of my career, I feel that I have a deepened understanding of both the opportunities and complexities in working with an aging population. I am completing my field placement with Maine Medical Center’s Outpatient Psychiatry in the Geriatric department, and this has been an amazing experience to couple with my classwork. I enjoy working directly with older adults in a clinical setting, while engaging in discussions with my supervisor and the care team about the diversity within the population we work with. Before applying for this program, I did not know what population I would want to work with, but taking part in the TRIAD program has been eye-opening for me. I would definitely encourage any MSW student to consider becoming a TRIAD student!
Gabrielle Sawyer
Gabrielle Sawyer is a first year traditional full time student. She is currently doing her placement at the Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter and is applying to be part of the 2019/2020 TRIAD Cohort:
In Her Own Words: My current placement (first year) is at the Alzheimer’s Association which is located in Scarborough. This is the Maine chapter, which focuses specifically on the population of those affected by the disease in the state of Maine. This is also a national organization. This experience has been incredible. I was a little anxious at first as I had not worked with this population before, but I truly have learned so much. Not only have I learned the basics of the disease, but I have also learned what resources are available to those living with and affected by the disease. My day to day schedule involves in person care consultation and phone calls with constituents on topics such as the disease process, how to handle specific behaviors, effective communication skills, and association resources. These collected experiences have taught me a lot about how I interact with individuals, and I find myself reflecting in ways different than I previously had.
This opportunity kind of just fell into my lap. I had previous connections to the organization but hadn’t thought to pursue it before now as I’d always envisioned myself working primarily with children. I recently had a conversation with someone about how this placement (and looking forward to TRIAD) has enabled me to step outside my comfort zone and truly grow as a person. I never imagined being where I am now, but I have been able to connect with so many incredible individuals who persist with determination and resilience through their dementia.
Having a placement like the Alzheimer’s Association for my foundation year pushed me to explore the possibility of TRIAD because I want to continue grow to challenge myself to step outside my initial comfort zone. I have realized that I can work with more than just one population, and I am hoping through TRIAD and my next field placement I can keep doing that.
For more information about TRIAD view this PREZI!
Other TRIAD related posts:
A Board Game Helps Families Learn How Their Aging Loved Ones Want To Be Remembered
UNE’s Hospice Immersion Project