After being out of school for 20 years, Jason Lynch received his bachelor\u2019s degree from Montclair State in May. \u201cI owned two different companies in different industries,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI owned a construction company in my 20s and then, a group of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools in my 30s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, he is among the first 27 students enrolled in Montclair State\u2019s newly launched Master of Social Work degree program. \u201cOne of the reasons that I\u2019m attracted to an MSW is the versatility it offers,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m not averse to change by any means.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are very excited about the addition of the Master of Social Work program to Montclair State\u2019s graduate offerings,\u201d says Vice Provost for Research and Graduate School Dean Scott Herness. \u201cWith its programmatic emphasis on children, youth and families, the MSW not only presents students with strong career opportunities but also serves our mission as a public institution to better the society in which we live.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe program has a cohort-based model \u2013 we accept a small number of students who will progress through the curriculum together,\u201d says MSW Program Director and Social Work and Child Advocacy Professor Svetlana Shpiegel. Because the program is smaller than many other programs in New Jersey, each student benefits from individual attention from a full-time faculty of experts in their field.<\/p>\n
For Lynch, choosing Montclair State\u2019s new MSW program made sense after his positive undergraduate experience. \u201cI get the feeling that the professors and the institution are fully invested in my success,\u201d he says. \u201cI have a personal relationship with each of my professors. They know what\u2019s happening in my coursework, my field placement and my life \u2013 and that\u2019s an important feature of this small cohort model. There\u2019s also a sense of community with the students and a feeling that we\u2019re all in it together.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. Department of Labor predicts an above average growth rate of 16 percent in job opportunities for social workers between 2016 and 2026. According to Shpiegel, graduates of Montclair State\u2019s two-year, full-time program could end up working in a wide range of agencies, such as the N.J. Department of Children and Families; schools; mental health and behavioral health clinics; as well as nonprofits that serve victims of abuse and neglect, at-risk youth and others.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s also a lot of interest in clinical work among our students,\u201d she says. \u201cCertainly many are interested in private practice in the future. However, we also have students who are interested in social policy, working in child protection and in schools and hospitals.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the inaugural MSW cohort includes graduates from schools such as Tulane University, Kean University, Fairleigh Dickinson and Rutgers-Newark, Addrisa Ankrah, like Lynch, is a member of Montclair State\u2019s Class of 2018.<\/p>\n
Ankrah decided to pursue her degree as a result of her own experience with a medical social worker who helped her through a traumatic time. \u201cBeing diagnosed with renal failure and going on dialysis was a huge life event that was hard to navigate,\u201d she says. \u201cHowever, my social worker provided a safe space for me to explore my feelings about this transition. I want to inspire change and jump-start resiliency for others the way my social worker did for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Ankrah\u2019s short-term professional goal is to work for a nonprofit doing in-home therapy with children, her long-term goal is to become a dialysis social worker and create her own nonprofit. \u201cIt\u2019s important for me to create a safe space for children, youth and families to address challenges they may encounter in life by enhancing their coping skills,\u201d she insists.<\/p>\n
Through her field placement internship at the Boys & Girls Club at Newark\u2019s Wellness Center, Ankrah is already gaining hands-on experience in working with children. \u201cI facilitate a group called DateSMART where sixth- through eighth-graders can discuss healthy versus unhealthy relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Lynch, who is currently an intern with a prisoner reentry program for recent parolees, working with prisoners and parolees is a possible post-graduate career goal. \u201cI teach group workshops on life skills and work readiness and also help clients locate services and potential employment opportunities,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a hard job \u2013 even as an intern \u2013 and it\u2019s an invaluable part of my educational experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
To learn more about Montclair State\u2019s MSW program, visit <\/strong>https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/social-work-and-child-advocacy\/programs-of-study\/msw\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n