First Statewide Social Work Research Summit To Focus On Poverty Reduction In Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Arkansas School of Social Work and the UA Social Work Research Center in Fulbright College will hold the first Arkansas Social Work Research Summit on Tuesday, August 13, in the Caraway Room of the Little Rock Convention Center.

Researchers, caseworkers and constituents in the field of social work will gather with state agency directors and policy makers to assess the needs and concerns of communities across the state of Arkansas. This information will be used to design a research agenda for the UA Social Work Research Center and for scholars throughout the state, who are working to reduce poverty and alleviate its effects on individuals and families.

"It’s not uncommon for research in the field of social work to be driven by past events and findings while more recent policy changes and programming needs go unanswered," said Zettie Page, director of the Social Work Research Center. "We're taking a different approach by trying to pinpoint the immediate needs and perspectives of communities in our state and keep the research immediately relevant."

Titled "Poverty: What Do We Need to Know?" the summit will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will include four panel discussions, covering Economic Development; Family, Youth and Children; Wellness; and Technology. Each panel will consist of an academic scholar, a services provider, a consumer of services/client, and a policy-maker. The panelists, who represent the various constituencies of poverty research, will lead audience discussions on the topics.

The event will open with a video message from Asa Hutchinson and Governor Michael Huckabee. Dr. Joan Zlotnik, director of the Institute for the Advancement of Social Work in Washington D.C., will serve as the luncheon keynote speaker.

Following the summit, researchers from the UA School of Social Work and the Social Work Research Center will meet with other members of the Academic Partnership in Social Welfare, a statewide child-welfare consortium with representatives from Arkansas Tech, Arkansas State, Southern Arkansas University, Harding University, Philander Smith College, and the UA campuses in Fayetteville, Little Rock, Monticello and Pine Bluff. These scholars will prioritize and delegate research initiatives for the coming two years.

"This approach is important for two reasons - first, the intensity of need in the state of Arkansas. Second, we're living in a time when federal dollars are being scrutinized more. They're not as readily flowing," Page explained. "That’s a national concern, but because of our state’s need, it becomes critical for us to prioritize our research and keep an eye on its impact. That has to be done now rather than years down the road."

Indeed, access to mental and physical health care, housing and basic utilities, as well as access to technologies such as telephones and computers, have become critical barriers to the growth and prosperity of the state. In 1997, Arkansas held the third highest poverty rate in the nation, with 17.3 percent of its population living below the poverty line. More than 18,000 homes throughout the state lack even rudimentary plumbing facilities, and Arkansas ranks second lowest in the nation for the percentage of homes with telephones, home computers and Internet access. In addition, nearly one out of every four Arkansans lacks any form of health insurance.

According to Page, the Social Work Research Center will address many of these issues, but the purpose of the event is not to devise solutions. "The panels should stimulate questions about those issues. The intent of this summit is not to answer those questions but to formulate and prioritize them from the community perspective," he said. "We want to fine-tune and focus our research questions and determine the most urgent concerns according to what the communities feel is critical."

Established in 2001 by a congressional appropriation of $921,000, the UA Social Work Research Center will work through collaborative projects, grants, scholarship and instruction to assess, analyze and develop policy and practice recommendations for the purpose of alleviating poverty throughout the state. It operates under a collaborative philosophy of sharing information and resources with other researchers, service providers and decision makers, as evidenced by the inclusive nature of the research summit.