Social Work Program Hosts Continuing Education Event
In partnership with Bucks-Mont Collaborative, GMercyU’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program hosted a continuing education event titled A Day in the Life of a Social Work Leader: A Demonstration of How Social Work Skills and Ethics Create Effective Leaders in January 2025. The event was the result of several requests from field instructors, alumni, and local social work professionals seeking continuing education credits.
The event’s trainers included Johanna Crocetto, DSW, LCSW and Carrie Barcia, LSW of Ronald McDonald Charities of the Philadelphia Region. Through the BSW program’s accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education, GMercyU offered continuing education credits for the Pennsylvania Board of Social Workers, Professional Counselors, and Marriage-Family Therapists.
The trainers provided attendees with an engaging and interactive presentation on how the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) code of ethics can be applied on a daily basis, including practical examples of how to apply the code into decision-making and organizational policies.
“The best part was that participants left the workshop with their own list of ideas for how they could enhance their use of the code of ethics into their own organizational and supervisory practices,” shared Janice Nuss, DSW, LCSW, GMercyU Associate Professor and BSW Program Director and Director of Field Education.
As part of the event, Social Work student Erin Huggard ’25 presented about a service project GMercyU’s Resident Hall Association (RHA) hosted with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Philadelphia. As an executive council member of RHA, Erin worked with fellow classmate Krista Schofield ’28 to create a service project making blankets for children staying at the Ronald McDonald House.
“RHA has worked to make sure that we have been making the blankets in the best way possible, with so much love that the children are able to pick a blanket that they’ll cherish forever,” Erin shared.
There were approximately 35 attendees, and course evaluations consistently request for GMercyU to offer more continuing education events for social workers, professional counselors, and marriage-family therapists. Such events go hand-in-hand with a mini grant the BSW and Counseling programs obtained through GMercyU’s Connelly Faculty Grant program. With the assistance of the grant, GMercyU’s BSW and Counseling programs remain committed to providing high quality, ongoing continuing education and licensure supervision to alumni and community members.
“My experience at the social work ethics event was very impactful. Being able to listen to all the amazing work that social workers do only made my love for the career expand,” shared Erin. “Listening to the workshop gave me insight into what a day-in-the-life of a Social worker is like. I loved hearing the passion and drive that these social workers carry with them every day in the field.”