Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) support the behavioral health and well-being of patients, families and the community. Integrating social workers in primary care settings improves health outcomes, lowers the cost of healthcare and decreases burden on primary care teams.
Ensuring there are behavioral health specialists for the needs of tomorrow, three Arkansas universities have expanded Master of Social Work programs to spread the reach of this work across the state.
Arkansas State University offers a transformative educational experience that prepares graduates for compassionate, ethical, clinical practice for behavioral health and beyond.
The programs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville both work to advance the mission of the social work profession, especially in support of vulnerable populations who are often at greater need of mental health support.
Together, these schools are ensuring that our community is connected to therapeutic resources and social services to make every day a little bit easier.
Workforce Integration
Arkansas State University, the University of Arkansas campuses and the Blue & You Foundation believe that helping train more behavioral health professionals who will learn here and serve here is vitally important when we currently meet only about one-third of our state’s need for mental health professionals. By participating in workforce integration programs with primary care clinics, we can improve on the shortage of behavioral health providers and meaningfully connect patients to the resources needed.