Published on : February 23, 2016
For Immediate Release
Alexandria, VA, February 23, 2016 – The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is pleased to announce the organization has been accepted as an institutional member of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC). The IPEC focuses on integrating and coordinating the education of nurses, physicians, dentists, pharmacists, public health professionals, and other members of the patient health-care team to provide more collaborative and patient-centered care. To expand the reach of the organization, the IPEC instituted its new institutional membership category, with nine new members including CSWE.
The IPEC’s mission is to ensure that new and current health professionals are proficient in the competencies essential for patient-centered, community and population oriented, interprofessional, collaborative practice. Eligible institutional members must be associations that represent and serve academic units at institutions of higher education that provide an educational program leading to the award of one or more academic degrees to students in one or more of the health professions that provide direct care to patients.
Speaking of the approval of the nine new members, IPEC President Richard W. Valachovic, DMD, MPH said that “today marks a significant and growing commitment across the health professions in the United States to make collaborative, patient-centered care a reality,” Valachovic, who is also president and CEO of the American Dental Education Association, noted that “including such a diverse and comprehensive group of new associations in IPEC’s work brings us that much closer to success.”
CSWE has provided leadership for the engagement of social work in interprofessional education. Many programs have integrated the IPEC competencies into their curricula, and several programs have sent representatives to participate in the IPEC Faculty Development Institutes. In March 2015 the CSWE Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve the principles of the IPEC, facilitating CSWE’s listing on the IPEC website as a “supporting organization.”
“Since the beginning, social work education has prepared practitioners to serve important roles on interprofessional teams,” stated Darla Spence Coffey, president and CEO of CSWE, “Becoming a member of IPEC will serve to expand social work’s reach in having a major influence on the way future health professionals are prepared to enhance the care of individuals and families.”
ABOUT CSWE
Founded in 1952, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the national association for social work education in the United States. Its members include more than 750 accredited baccalaureate and master’s degree social work programs, as well as individual social work educators, practitioners, and agencies dedicated to advancing quality social work education. Through its many initiatives, activities, and centers, CSWE supports quality social work education and provides opportunities for leadership and professional development, so that social workers play a central role in achieving the profession’s goals of social and economic justice. CSWE’s Commission on Accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States and its territories. Learn more at www.cswe.org.
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