University Partnership Program (UPP)

The University Partnership Program (UPP) is a unique collaboration among the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Ohio's public schools of social work, the Public Children Services Association of Ohio, Ohio's PCSAs, and the OCWTP. A major goal for the UPP is to address Ohio's child welfare staffing shortages by increasing the number of BSW and MSW graduates entering the child welfare workforce.

UPP's Participating Universities:

	University of Akron		The Ohio State University
	University of Cincinnati		University of Toledo
	Cleveland State University		Wright State University
	Ohio University

UPP's Vision:

In the future, all Ohio PCSA caseworkers will:

• Have MSW degrees and be considered the best trained and educated child welfare workers in the nation;
• Be competent, satisfied career professionals who continue to be enthusiastic, creative, and respected for their work;
• Work in supportive agencies with excellent supervision that provides personal reward and incentives that focus on the career line social worker;
• Be advocates empowered to coach and mentor children and families based on best-practice standards.

UPP Requirements:

BSW seniors and MSW candidates admitted to the UPP are required to take two specialized, standardized child welfare courses and complete a one-year internship at an Ohio PCSA. UPP graduates receive $5,000 of tuition reimbursement per year of UPP participation, with a two-year maximum, provided they secure full-time employment in direct services at an Ohio PCSA within 180 days of graduation.

Potential Waiver of Caseworker Core Training for UPP Graduates:

Completion of required social work courses, along with completion of the UPP's two requied child welfare courses and one-year internship have been deemed by the UPP planning committee to provide the equivalent to all the competencies covered in Caseworker Core training, with the exception of the Legal Aspects Core Module. Some UPP students take the Legal Aspects Module through an OCWTP Regional Training Center (RTC) before graduation. Those that do not must complete the Legal Aspects Module within their first year of PCSA employment. Based on this, Ohio House Bill 95 stipulates that PCSA directors have the option to waive Caseworker Core training requirements for newly hired UPP graduates, provided they have already taken the Legal Aspects Module or will take it within their first year.

Link to UPP Resources