March 2, 2002

La Salle University's Social Work Program Now Offered At Bucks County Campus

La Salle University's Social Work Program is now offering a bachelor's degree in Social Work at its Bucks County Campus in Newtown, PA. The program offers students a wide perspective of social work. The program enables students to enter a number of different fields, such as older adult services, child and family services, or drug and alcohol treatment, just to name a few. Graduates learn to develop critical and systematic thinking. La Salle students are grounded in the empowerment tradition of social work, and utilize generalist practice skills in a variety of settings. The program challenges students to examine issues of human diversity, populations-at-risk, and social injustices, so that they will become agents of social change. "There are so many options in social work, and each direction provides a rewarding work experience," said Bonnie Zetick PhD., Director of the Social Work Program.

"While there might be many problems that need addressing, the good new is that social work positions are plentiful right now," she said. The program, according to Zetnick, instills in the students' social work's intrinsic mission to eliminate social problems, such as homelessness or substance abuse, on a global level. Students work individually with clients, but the goal is to promote change that reaches beyond the individual to the society as a whole. Field placement and community involvement are two key areas of the Program. Students engage in a total of 600 hours of field practica beginning in their junior year. Students work hand in hand with trained social work practitioners who supervise as they apply new knowledge, develop skills, and integrate the values of the social work profession. Graduates have been successful in locating positions providing individual, family and group counseling, community organizing, social administration, policy planning, and advocacy. For more information please contact Bonnie Zetick at (215) 951-1119.