Social Work News

Pacific awarded $1.7M grant to support occupational therapy, social work students

JAN 26, 2024

Students in University of the Pacific’s occupational therapy and social work programs who have overcome adversity will receive financial assistance and support with funding from a new $1.7 million grant.

The grant, provided by California’s Department of Health Care Access and Information, is intended to increase the number of behavioral health care workers in the state while supporting students who have overcome barriers to pursue their education.

Pacific wins $6 million grant to expand master’s in social work

FEB 05, 2023

A new $6 million state grant will help University of the Pacific meet the growing demand for social workers across California by expanding the Master of Social Work program on the Sacramento campus.

The California Department of Health Care Access and Information is investing $59.6 million to help create more social workers. The grant to Pacific’s School of Health Sciences is the largest among 23 awarded. Other recipients include UCLA, USC and University of California at Berkeley. 

$200K gift will provide scholarships to social work, psychology students

AUG 03, 2023

University of the Pacific students studying social work and psychology will receive help paying for their education with a recent $200,000 donation from the nonprofit HealthForce Partners Northern San Joaquin Valley.

The scholarships are intended to address the shortage of behavioral health care workers in San Joaquin County by educating students who will live and work in the region.

Pacific social work students providing invaluable support to Afghan refugees

JAN 07, 2022

Afghan refugees who have fled to the United States are getting much needed support from students in University of the Pacific’s Health Care Master of Social Work program on the Sacramento Campus.

“People who arrive here need everything you can think of: legal assistance, schooling, medical, social support and much more,” said Nurit Fischer-Shemer, assistant clinical professor and interprofessional education coordinator for the social work program. “These families are coming from extremely traumatic experiences.”

Abbott, Pacific helping create change agents to address diabetes epidemic

FEB 23, 2022

As a woman living with diabetes, Alexis Jones has watched many of her own family members struggle with the disease over the years. Now, she’s on a mission to educate her community about the risks of the chronic condition that impacts nearly 60% of adults in her hometown of Stockton.

In December 2021, the mom of six graduated with a Master of Social Work degree and was one of the first students to finish a new education program – a sub-specialization in Diabetes Care and Management – created by University of the Pacific with support from Abbott’s philanthropic foundation the Abbott Fund.

University of the Pacific working to meet the growing demands of health care

JUN 03, 2020

University of the Pacific’s new School of Health Sciences is building on the university’s longstanding place as an education leader training future health care professionals to meet the demands of a growing health care industry. Pacific has trained health care professionals since 1858 when the university formed the first medical school in California, now the Stanford University School of Medicine.

California’s health workforce faces major shortages. Health care jobs are expected to grow by 14% from 2018 to 2028, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, outpacing all other employment sectors. The future graduates of the School of Health sciences will in part help California meet these demands for more health care workers.

Pacific teams with Abbott Fund to tackle diabetes crisis in Stockton

AUG 18, 2020

University of the Pacific and the Abbott Fund, the foundation of the global healthcare company Abbott, are joining forces to battle one of the most challenging chronic illnesses – diabetes. San Joaquin County sits at the epicenter of the problem, and in Stockton alone, almost 50 percent of adults have prediabetes and 10 percent have diabetes. 

Pacific aims to help improve those numbers thanks in part to a generous gift from the Abbott Fund to hire Pacific faculty and to develop curriculum in diabetes education. In the midst of a global pandemic, where people with preexisting conditions like diabetes are at risk of experiencing more serious complications from COVID-19, the partnership couldn’t come at a better time.