Grand Challenges for the Profession of Social Work Local Effort by the University of Southern California School of Social Work

Presentation by Dean to Faculty Introduced the Grand Challenge concept Faculty voted GC a priority 22 volunteers for GC committee

Grand Challenges Committee 22 members, senior faculty leadership Balanced tenure line, clinical teaching and field faculty Two community leaders

Meetings with Staff, Donors Developed preliminary GC list Encouraged total school involvement Gauged community constituent response

First GC Committee Meeting (December) Described background to Grand Challenges Repeated concept Debated how to achieve focus Practiced generating Grand Challenge statements

First Stage Results Better understanding of goals and the Grand Challenges Initiative 90 Potential Grand Challenge themes and statements

Second Committee Meeting (February) Revisited 90 Grand Challenge statements In three subgroups, eliminated and refined concepts Each subgroup reported perspectives, issues

Second Stage Results Subgroups differed in choice of themes: Group 1: Health, safety and economic security, human potential community, diversity Group 2: Community, human potential, diversity, equity, institutions, technology Group 3: Health, safety and security, sustainability, joy of living

Next Step Subcommittees met in small groups Further refined GC statements and themes Discussed social work domains for each GC and theme

Interim Committee Survey Compiled results of the three subgroups Create survey listing all refined themes and statements Groups selected five statements under each theme they felt were most important

Example: Health Theme Survey Results “Fix” foster care37% Address climate change / the green revolution00% Address family/home care25% Affordable and sustainable housing12% Bring people together so they can create social solutions25% Build peaceful and non-violent communities / End violence12% Building stronger relationships in society. 00% Safe and secure communities created through social inclusion and connectedness 49% Create educational opportunities00% Develop coordinated systems of care818% Discover ways to use technology and media to: end isolation, create social connectedness, give access to available interventions, give access to education, and create community 49% Eliminate social stigma and discrimination 25% End social isolation25% Fragmented neighborhoods12% Heal invisible wounds of war511% Healthy Lives through educational access 12% Housing00% Life transitions/crises – transformations, growth12% Promote social justice12% Reducing violence in society00% Remove barriers to accessing services49% Safe neighborhoods12% Social Work and medicine12%

Survey Results: Most Popular GC Statements –Affordable and sustainable housing –Bring people together so they can create social solutions –Build a model for safe and healthy communities where children and families thrive –Build peaceful and non-violent communities –Create communities that promote health –Created community though social inclusion and connectedness –Develop coordinated systems of care –Develop evidence on effective, indigenous interventions, programs, policies and strategies –Developing coordinated systems of care –Discover ways to use technology and media to end isolation, create social connectedness, give access to available interventions, give access to education and create community –Economic and financial security and sustainability –Eliminate social stigma, discrimination and oppression –Embracing diversity –Fix bureaucracies by addressing organizational systems and issues –Focus on life transitions/crises-transformations and growth –Heal invisible wounds of war –Promote social justice –Remove barriers to accessing services –Safe and secure communities created through social inclusion and connectedness –Strengthening community institutions –Technology solutions for social problems –Use technology to coordinate and monitor care –Voice to the powerless

GCC Meeting 2.5- Small Group Sessions Each small group met to further discuss the themes of their choice Which themes should be chosen? What domains belong to social work? Which Grand Challenge statements have highest priority?

March 2, 2013: GCC Meeting 3 Presentation by small groups which represented a fundamental debate between being interdisciplinary or focusing on social work specific themes Further discussion and refinement of Grand Challenge themes and statements Decision to bring back to USC School of Social Work Faculty

Group 1 Community- Defined as supportive, safe and healthy environments for individuals, families and large populations. This is achieved by designing communities that thrive through safety, empowerment and prevention. Diversity- Defined as the leveraging of equity to combat disparity. This is achieved through the enhancement of social support and economic opportunity Technologies- Defined as the tools, instruments and interventions social workers use to impact the lives of individuals, groups, and large populations to the betterment of those entities. This is achieved through the refinement of effective social interventions to impact individuals, groups, organization and large population Institutions- Defined as service delivery organizations. Change is achieved through refinement and development of efficient, safe, and equitable service delivery models that benefit the clients/population and have the vest value for the money invested.

Group 2 Health (both physical and mental health)- Eliminating barriers and addressing fragmentation by developing coordinated systems of care Safety and Security- Building a model for safe and healthy communities where children and families thrive. Socially and financially secure, addressing stigma and discrimination, free of disparities, quality, appreciating diversity, gun control, using a strengths perspective, empowerment, promoting a positive diversity. Sustainability- Technology solutions to address social problems and create sustainable communities. Leveling the playing field, making connections, reducing social problems, creating opportunities, developing skills, access to jobs and other things like information and connections. Joy of Living- Moving through successful life transitions across the life-span and eliminating social isolation

Group 3 Community-Identify and create or support what is needed so that communities are places where everyone thrives. Human Potential-Maximizing human potential and individual development. Bring people together in mind, body, and spirit. Diversity-Social justice and equity for vulnerable people Institutions-Create true systems of care for families Technology-Harness technology to expand human capacity. Develop technologies that sustain relationship and are a medium for research evaluation and inventions.

March 6, 2013: Faculty Retreat Revisited the challenge Committee presented their results Faculty ranked themes, created new ones Faculty given the survey to consider in their suggestions for Grand Challenge statements

Meeting Takeaways Four main themes gained consensus –Community –Health and wellbeing (or wellness) –Human Potential –Safety and security Shared notion that diversity, equality and technology cut across all four.

Community Build stronger relationships in safe and secure communities through health, social inclusion and connectedness Design communities that thrive through safety, empowerment and prevention. Technology solutions to address social problems and create sustainable communities.. Identify and create or support what is needed so that communities are places where everyone thrives Health and wellbeing (or wellness) Work to provide health and wellness across the lifespan Eliminating barriers and addressing fragmentation by developing coordinated systems of care Human Potential Transformative innovations to improve human potential Maximize human potential and individual development. Bring people together in mind, body, and spirit. Safety and security Work to provide economic security and opportunity Build a model for safe and healthy communities where children and families thrive. Socially and financially secure, addressing stigma and discrimination, free of disparities, quality, appreciating diversity, gun control, using a strengths perspective, empowerment, promoting a positive diversity. In the implementation of all of these things, the school values diversity, equality and the commitment the application of advanced technology in pursing social justice.

Next Steps ThemeGrand ChallengeResearch Needed Dissemination to other schools with leadership from USC and UC Berkeley Statewide dissemination Presentation at NADD Work with the Academy Convening practitioners for feedback Further clarification and look at research needed: