Strengthening Social Welfare Workforce Capacity in Sub Sahara Africa through Para Social Work Twinning Partnerships

1. University of Illinois at Chicago Nigerian Academic Partnership for Para Social Work Strengthening Social Welfare Workforce Capacity in Sub Sahara Africa through Para Social Work Twinning Partnerships Nathan L. Linsk, Ph. D. Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center, University of Illinois at Chicago Satellite Session on Twinning s XIX International AIDS Conference s Washington, DC s 25 July 2012

2. Presentation Overview • What is Social Welfare System Strengthening? • Twinning Partnerships to Strengthen Social Welfare Workforce Capacity • Recommendations for Sustainable Capacity Building Partnerships to Strengthen Social Welfare Workforce Capacity XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

3. 1. What is Social Welfare System Strengthening? • The Social Welfare Workforce--A new buzzword? • The social service workforce describes a variety of workers – paid and unpaid, governmental and non-governmental – who staff the social service system and contribute to the care of vulnerable children and families. • Includes social workers, social welfare officers, but also others who play these roles– local leaders, municipal/district executive, community development workers. • Often para-professionals are included by various names: para-social workers, child and youth care workers, community development workers, child and family probation officers.

4. Role of social work in Social Welfare Workforce • Helping those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged begins in family and community • When this is not fully possible… • We build a social welfare support structure • This involves many-- not only social work • But social work is the profession dedicated to developing, administrating programs and services, systems to meet those needs when family and community need that support • Terms “social service workforce” and “social welfare workforce” are both used—social welfare may refer to the larger structure and is used in this presentation XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

5. Emergence of Social Welfare/Social Service System Strengthening Initiatives • Global Conference in South Africa, November 2010, organized by Technical Working Group for children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS associated with PEPFAR (USAID funded) • Focus on highlighting crisis in providing services needed by vulnerable children at a country and global levelas • Objective to develop and share a growing body of knowledge and resources to support efforts to strengthen the social welfare workforce to assist vulnerable children and their families • Global Social Service Workforce Alliance established to provide follow-up and increase attention and support to the workforce responsible for the care and protection of vulnerable children and families XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

6. Social Welfare Workforce Strengthening Framework: A framework for investing in those who care for children Source: November 2010 Social Welfare Systems Strengthing Conference, Capetown, S. Africa. Conference Report-- AIDS-STAR 2

7. The Social Service Workforce: Challenges • Attracting and retaining qualified workers--Vacancy rates for professional and para-professional positions within Africa range from 50%–60%, half of those employed leave their jobs within five years • Limited workforce planning • Developing workforce staffing plans-- schemes of service, job descriptions, civil service programs, etc. at government & local levels. Often may include unrealistic realistic implementation. • Limited education opportunities to prepare and meet demands for social welfare workers • Those who receive education attracted to other fields XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

8. The Social Welfare Workforce: Challenges, continued • Resources for Education and Training (financial & materials) and harmonization across varying projects • Certifying of workers who have completed the programs (by whom? How?) and accrediting programs • Incentives for the workers (salaries, supplies, transport, support) • Ongoing supervision • Sustainability XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

9. 2. Twinning Partnerships to Strengthen Social Welfare Workforce CapacityOverview of Partnership Models • AIHA has established 3 Twinning Partnerships that address social work and social welfare workforce issues • Initial partnership developed in Tanzania with Institute of Social Work. Each has emerged and collaborated with the others but suggest different strategies that may be adapted to country contexts XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

10. Who is a Para Social Worker?(Psychosocial Care Workerin Ethiopia!) • Staff or volunteers of non-governmental, government and community organizations who have received training to assist in the delivery of social services. • Para Professionals with an array of basic service skills. They may assess needs, provide support and refer clients to needed services. • Equipped to work under supervision of a trained supervisor to support vulnerable children, People Living with HIV and their families, but do not substitute for professionally prepared practitioners. • May include Community-based volunteers, Home-based care workers, Nurses, Charities, societies and association workers, etc. XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

11. Key Partners • Communities, Local Government, NGOs, Traditional Leaders • African Schools of Social Work • Tanzania: Institute of Social Work • Ethiopia: Addis Ababa University School of Social Work • Nigeria: Federal School of Social Work, Department of SW, University of Nigeria Nsukka • Ministries with specific charge to address vulnerable children and families (e.g.Health and Social Welfare (Tanzania), Labor and Social Affairs (Ethiopia), Womens Affairs and Social Development (Nigeria) • Other key government ministries • PEPFAR, USAID, and HRSA • American International Health Alliance-Twinning Center • US Partners: Jane Addams College of Social Work, MATEC, consortium of consultants • Other major NGOs (e.g. IntraHealth-Tanzania Human Resource Capacity Project in Tanzania, PACT, FHI in Ethiopia, etc.) XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

12. Need for a Three Leg Model The Social Work Partnership for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Tanzania Supporting Social Work Education (TESWEP) Improving services for most vulnerable children: para- professional training and infrastructure development Strengthening the Profession: Social Work Association (TASWO) XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

13. Project Implementation • How? • Introduction to Para-Social Work Training • Supervised field experience (6 months) • Para-Social Work II: Enhanced Practice Skills • Additional support and consultation • Social Welfare Assistant Program (Certificate) • Integrated case management model • In collaboration within the existing social welfare structure • System for supervision, follow up, and quality management

14. Training Components/Curricula • Equipped to Care: Building Skills to Assist Vulnerable Children and Families Affected by HIV (Introduction to PSW—8-10 days) : focuses on teaching beginning case management skills within the context of HIV-related issues and child development. Key topics include: outreach, engaging children and families, assessment and service planning, ongoing service management and follow-up (all 3 countries) • Supervising Para-Social Work at the Village Level (4-5 days): focuses on training selected PSWs in supervisory skills to assume oversight of their PSW trainee colleagues. Supervisors complete the initial PSW Course, followed by an additional 4-day supervisory training that includes content presentations and case-based skills (all 3 countries) • Supervised Field Work Experience (6 months) 4) Practice Skills to Intervene with Most Vulnerable Children and Families (5 days).Provided to PSW trainees after six months or more of supervised practice . Sample content: Reducing stigma, Collaboration with local governments, Legal and Policy Update, Care, support for HIV+ children, Improving Assessment Skills, HIV risk reduction (Tanzania, Nigeria) 5) Social Welfare Assistant Certificate (1 year including field practicum) Preparation for paid employment in social welfare system (Tanzania, Nigeria?)

15. Roles within Social Welfare System Tanzania Model

16. Para Social Worker Client Project coordinator PSW Supervisor

17. Program Focus and Number of Participants

18. Selection and Supervision XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

19. Program Support XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

20. Monitoring and Evaluation XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

21. 3. Recommendations for Sustainable Capacity Building Partnerships to Strengthen Social Welfare Workforce Capacity • Usual approach: provide technical support to develop a program and then try to shift responsibility to local partners • However the more success there is the more will be the demand for more activity (opposite is probably also true) • Local partners likely to have other pressing demands and priorities (teaching, accreditation, personal need for funding, etc.) • Withdrawal of partner presence may be seen as lack of confidence in local ability to maintain involvement • Local partners may need considerable support to take advantage of new funding opportunities, networking with donors, more direct funding that may lead to sustainability XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

22. Some Issues and Suggestions for Sustainable Capacity Building • Clarity about sustainability development from the beginning of partnership • Build sustainability, evaluation and technology transfer into the work plan • Transparency about budget resources and challenges • Anticipate changes in leadership, particularly for educational advancement • Anticipate to get local partner to engage in social welfare workforce activities will need modeling, encouragement and ongoing support XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

23. How Twinning Projects Ensure Sustainable Capacity Building Partnerships to Strengthen Social Welfare Workforce Capacity • Clarity of program focus, objectives emerging from local needs and demands • Collaborative program development (training, infrastructure, evaluation) • Comprehensive focus: training, infrastructure, generating national support (financial and policy) XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

24. Towards Sustainable Capacity Building Partnerships to Strengthen Social Welfare Workforce Capacity • Inclusion of (a) service improvement; (b) educational structure; (c) professional network (3 legs) • Incentives and support for ongoing service delivery • Maintenance plan including replacement training, supervision, encourage further education and career development XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012

25. Watoto Kwanza! Children First!! XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington, DC , 25 July 2012