Homelessness isn’t a problem unique to Nassau County, but it’s certainly a persistent and pervasive issue that’s getting a lot of attention in Uniondale in recent months. As of July 2023, the deputy county supervisor for the county’s Department of Health and Human Services reported that efforts to help this at-risk population are falling behind.
Here’s why: In early 2022, the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal eliminated the Section 8 voucher contract from Nassau County and awarded it to the Community Development Corporation of Long Island (CDCLI), a local nonprofit. However, CDCLI is being less responsive to callers and hindering the process for many. While the county provides emergency housing for the unhoused population, they now don’t have the ability to connect them with long-term housing options.
As a result of this increase in unhoused citizens, Nassau County is restructuring its Homeless Intervention Team, which consists of small teams of people who provide the homeless with assistance wherever they are. They’ve also developed the Nassau County Mobile Crisis Team, which provides immediate assistance to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.
Other nonprofits are also stepping in. For example, the Mary Brennan INN Soup Kitchen in Hempstead Village, largely considered one of the most successful nonprofits in the county, has begun working with Nassau County Social Services to help place unhoused families in shelters.
This growing effort to help the most vulnerable individuals and groups in Nassau County has become one of the reasons why social workers here and throughout NYC are in-demand. Meeting that demand with the right set of skills all starts with a BSW or MSW degree.
How to Earn the MSW That Will Make You a Force to Be Reckoned with In the Social Services Profession
Licensed social workers are critical to keeping the underserved and underrepresented people of Nassau County from slipping through the cracks. And the good news is they have an incredible network of state and county agencies directed at social welfare to help them do it.
Right here in Nassau County you’ll find Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSW) and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) hard as work leading the programs offered through these agencies:
- NYS Office of Minority Health, which aims to secure high-quality, affordable healthcare for all New Yorkers
- Nassau County Department of Social Services, which seeks to preserve and strengthen families through assistance and resources
- Nassau County Veterans Service Agency
- Nassau County of Hispanic Affairs
- Nassau County Office of Asian American Affairs
- Nassau County Department of Human Services, which includes a number of offices for the most vulnerable, including the Office for the Aging; the Office of Mental Health, Chemical Dependency, and Developmental Disabilities Service; the Office for the Physically Challenged, and the Office of Youth Services.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Remembering a Champion for Women’s Rights
“Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means don’t do it just for yourself. You will want to leave the world a little better for your having lived.”
~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Known fondly as simply RBG by many, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is best known for being a progressive Supreme Court Justice — and the first Jewish woman, and only the second woman ever at the time she was appointed to hold this post. But it would be an injustice not to recognize her work that inspired the masses and advanced women’s rights.
Some of that recognition came at the time of her passing in 2020 when Nassau County Executive Laura Currant conveyed the sense of loss we all felt at the time, saying, “Justice Ginsburg was an inspiration to countless women including me. I am privileged to have known her and my heart goes out to her children.”
RBG was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933 to a native New Yorker mother and an immigrant father. When she attended Harvard Law School, she was just one of nine women in a class of 500 students. She spent her last year of law school studying at Columbia and graduated at the top of her class in 1959.
She landed a position as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, followed by research associate at Columbia Law School and Professor of Law at Rutgers University School of Law. During this time, she became involved with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and was an important founding member of the Women’s Rights Project in 1971, where she served as a litigator and director. She was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeal for the D.C. Circuit by Jimmy Carter in 1980 and served there for 13 years until she took her seat on the Supreme Court (nominated by President Bill Clinton) in 1993.
It was during her time on the Supreme Court that she fought for gender equality and women’s rights, including gender pay discrimination.
Becoming a licensed social worker in New York State – whether as an LMSW or eventually an LCSW – you need to earn an MSW that’s accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
You can certainly earn a bachelor’s degree in a related field like sociology, psychology, or community health counseling on your way to getting there, but there’s a more streamlined path to consider if you’re just getting started. By earning a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) as your undergrad degree, you’ll be able to enroll in your MSW program as an advanced standing student, allowing you to complete the program in as little as a year. That can mean a significant cost and time savings, which is something any aspiring social worker can appreciate.
To help you along your journey, a number of universities in Nassau County offer CSWE-accredited BSW and MSW programs:
Long Island University, Post & Brooklyn Collaborative
School of Health Professionals
Accreditation: MSCHE
Brookville, NY
MSW (on-campus)
Also Offers:
- BSW
- PhD in Social Work
The Long Island MSW program is a unique collaboration between LIU Post (Brookville) and LIU Brooklyn, offering students courses, resources, services, and a coalition of faculty from both locations. This outstanding graduate program allows students to specialize in one of five areas: substance use and addictive behaviors; child and family welfare; forensic social work; gerontology; or nonprofit management. Varied fieldwork experiences ensure a well-rounded academic experience, and the design of the program’s curriculum also prepares students to earn the New York Certification in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling (CASAC) designation and advanced state certification in forensic social work.
Adelphi University
School of Social Work
Accreditation: MSCHE
Garden City, NY (other locations including Brooklyn and Long Island)
MSW (on-campus, online, hybrid)
Also Offers:
- BSW
- PhD in Social Work
Adelphi University’s School of Social Work, a longstanding institution with a 70-year history, champions social justice and diversity through its top-ranked programs. With four convenient locations across New York State, Adelphi offers flexible learning options, including part-time, full-time, online, and in-person modalities for both its BSW and MSW degrees. The school’s commitment to community engagement is evident in its partnerships with over 1,000 human service agencies, offering students hands-on experience and valuable connections in the field. Students here participate in the school’s annual Social Action Initiative, where they engage in projects addressing critical issues like racism and discrimination.
Molloy University
School of Education & Human Services
Accreditation: MSCHE
Rockville Centre, NY (other locations include Manhattan and Farmingdale)
MSW (on-campus)
Also Offers:
- BSW
Molloy University’s collaboration with Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service offers a transformative Master of Social Work program designed to prepare students for impactful careers in the dynamic field of social work. Graduates are equipped to address complex social issues, making significant impacts in various settings, including mental health clinics, schools, and community organizations. The program’s robust curriculum and commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice prepare students to pursue advanced studies or enter the workforce as well-rounded, generalist practitioners.