Training Program for Tomorrow's
Child Welfare Professionals

In July 2005, Dr. Michele Hawkins, Director and Professor of Florida Atlantic University’s School of Social Work received a $6.5 million contract from Florida’s Department of Children and Families to educate and train social work graduates to work as child welfare professionals. FAU is serving as the lead institution on this five-year contract. The project is a collaborative effort with other state schools that are members of the Florida Association of the Deans and Directors of the Schools of Social Work (FADD):  Florida A&M University, Florida International University, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida and the University of West Florida. This grant will help educate and train social workers who will be able to work with the complex needs of children in foster care and adoption. As part of the collaborative nature of the grant, the deans of social work from the participating universities will work with Florida’s Department of Children and Families to determine budget, policies and curriculum. All of the schools will receive money to hire one to two new faculty members whose duties include to work individually with stipend students and teach specialized child welfare courses.

After completion of the stipend program, students have employment for one year in a child welfare agency. This type of program is seen as a win-win situation, as students see the program as obtaining specialized professional training in child welfare with post graduation employment while local agencies view the program as a way to hire qualified child welfare professionals. BSW or MSW students interested in this program should contact Patricia Scott at 561.297.0850 or pscott16@fau.edu (Boca Campus, SO 305)

Main Office:

Title IVE Child Welfare Program
School of Social Work
Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Road  PO Box 3091
Boca Raton, Florida 33431-0991
Telephone (561)297-0850  Fax (561)297-2866

Contact information for Staff:

Patricia (Patty) M. Scott, MSW
Coordinator, Child Welfare Education Training Program
Boca Raton Campus SO 305
pscott16@fau.edu
Telephone: 561.297.0850

Xiaowen Ma
Budget Coordinator (Statewide)
Boca Raton Campus, SO 305
xma@fau.edu
Telephone: 561-297-3319

Bettyanne Baum Hutton, MSW
Field Instructor
FAU MacArthur Campus (Jupiter), SR 224
bhutton@fau.edu
Telephone: 561-799-8635, 561-926-2370 (cell)

Joy McClellan, LCSW
Field Instructor
Telephone: 561-634-0313
jmcclel2@fau.edu
Boca Raton Campus, SO 302

Program Assistant
Telephone: 561.297.6494
Boca Raton Campus, SO 303