UNCW Department of Social Work

The Training Program offers specific training activities designed to enhance the ability of practitioners and educators to deliver strengths/resiliency-based services. (Strengths-based, Solution-focused, Motivational, and "Why Try?")

The Education Program serves the function of disseminating knowledge about strengths/resiliency-based services. It creates conferences, forums, and continuing education opportunities for the community.

The Consultation Program provides consultation services to agencies, individuals, or groups wishing to develop and evaluate strengths-based practice within their agency or service.

The Research Program serves the functioni of evaluating and developing various aspects of strengths/resiliency-based services. Assists in practice based evidence research.

The Focused Scholars Program works in conjunction with program areas and are focused on specific areas of concern:

DSS/CPS - Faculty and staff work with DSS/CPS agencies developing training for implementing the North Carolina Multiple Response System (MRS). This approach incorporates strengths and solution-focused assessments and collaborations with families and children.

Public Schools - Efforts are directed at bringing strengths/resiliency-based/solution-focused approaches to community schools. Models such as the Garza Independent High School in Austin, Texas; WHY TRY Character Building Program; Learned Optimism; Classroom Solutions Model from New River Middle School; and resiliency based Learning Communities are available for training and consultation.

African-American Youth - As the gap between academic achievement of African-American youth and other groups continues to widen, we witness a disproportionate amount of African-American youth being suspended from school, dropping out of school and becoming involved with the juvenile criminal justice system. In an effort to address these concerns, the collaborative is working on several research and training initiatives focused on utilizing the strengths-based solution focused interventions. The outcomes are intended to assist in better assessment, intervention and outcomes with the African-American youth.

The International Journal of Strengths Based Practice, Training and Research is an electric journal dedicated to providing an international voice to practitioners, educators and researchers focused on strengths-based perspective.


	Strengths Collaborative