Colorado Child Welfare Scholars Consortium (Child Welfare Stipend Program)2021-2022 Scholar Application

Returning MSW Scholars ONLY

Use this application if you HAVE received a child welfare stipend from a participating Colorado university.

All components of the child welfare scholars application are due by midnight on Thursday, March 4th, 2021. Late applications will not be accepted.

Note: The application process is 100% online! This document should be used to plan for all aspects of the application, including the essay questions, but should NOT be submitted as a

final application. Please follow the instructions below to submit your application.

Application Instructions:1. Apply to the applicable social work program (BSSW or MSW) at MSU Denver or DU.

New Students: You DO NOT have to have been accepted into the social work program to apply for the child welfare scholars program.

2. Complete the online application, essay questions and submit all required documents with your application.

3. Required documents (all documents listed below will be submitted electronically with your application):

a. Cover Letter (one page): A brief statement of the reason for your interested in the Scholars Program, a brief summary of the experiences and strengths you would bring to child welfare, and anything special you would like the committee to consider.

b. Résumé (one to two pages): Should include educational and work/volunteer experience(s). c. Letter(s) of Reference: Please use the applicable reference forms available on the MSU

Denver Scholars webpage. These forms should be uploaded into your application. i. First time applicant (BSSW or MSW): Two letters of reference are required and should

come from someone who is acquainted with your writing skills, personal qualities and your professional goals. If applicable, they should also be knowledgeable about child welfare.

ii. Second year applicants (MSW): Only one reference letter is required and should come from your current field instructor or county internship coordinator.

iii. County employees: One letter of recommendation MUST be from your current child welfare supervisor.

d. FERPA Form: Release of Confidential Student Record Information.

4. Provide a signature and date at the end of the electronic application. 5. Click “Submit” and a confirmation window will confirm your submission and provide additional

information.6. Once your application is received, the Child Welfare Stipend Coordinator may contact you for an in-

person or phone pre-interview. Selected candidates will be asked to complete an interview with panelist from the Colorado Child Welfare Scholars Consortium.

Questions? Contact: childwelfarescholars@msudenver.edu or 303-605-7010. P a g e | 1

I. STUDENT INFORMATION

Name: ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________ (Last) (First) (M.I.)

Student ID (800 or 900#): _____________________

Telephone Numbers: cell: __________________ home: __________________

University Email: ________________________________

Additional Email:_________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________

City: ______________________ State: _________ Zip Code: _____________

What University do you plan to attend in the 2021-2022 academic year? University of Denver, Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) I am applying to both and haven’t decided yet. Other, please explain:__________________________________

During the 2021-2022 academic year, I will be (select all that apply): ☐BSSW senior year student☐MSW advanced standing student☐MSW foundation (first) year student☐MSW concentration (second) year student☐Part-time student☐Full-time student☐Fully online student/MSW@Denver student (DU) This is my first child welfare stipend in Colorado This is NOT my first child welfare stipend in Colorado (check this option if you previously received a

stipend from DU-GSSW, CSU Fort Collins or Pueblo, or MSU Denver.

Are you currently a child welfare employee in a Colorado county DHS/DSS office? If yes, which county and for how long have you been in your position:

1. Are you bilingual? ____ yes ____ no

2. Languages spoken: _____________________________________________________

3. Do you have legal status for employment in the USA per 8 U.S.C §1324a? ____ yes ____ no

4. Do you have a valid Colorado driver’s license? ____ yes ____ no

5. Do you have proof of automobile insurance? ____ yes ____ no

6. Your field placement and future employment are conditional upon a satisfactory criminal background check.

Have you been convicted of any crimes as outlined in 26-6-104(7), C.R.S.? ____ yes ____ no

Questions? Contact: childwelfarescholars@msudenver.edu or 303-605-7010. P a g e | 2

If yes, you may explain:I. Essay Questions: Choose from one of the following case scenarios to answer the questions

below. Be sure to identify the scenario you have selected in your response. Use the space below to draft your responses to the essay questions, paying close attention to spelling, grammar and identified word count. Copy and paste your essay responses into the online application. Essay responses will only be accepted via the online application.

Part-time, returning scholars: Please choose n scenario that you have not responded to in a previous application.

CASE SCENARIO 1 - MARY S. Report was by biological mother, Susan, of child, Jason (15 years old). The boy’s mother, Susan, alleged that Mary S., the boy’s maternal grandmother and legal guardian is physically abusive and intimidating to Jason. Yesterday, September 28th, Mary reportedly punched Jason in the face after telling him to clean his bedroom. This is not the first time Mary has used physical force to intimidate Jason. He is afraid of his grandmother, as she has threatened to shoot him if he ever hits her back. Also, the grandmother goes out of town for days at a time and does not leave Jason any money for food. The last time she left was on Saturday and did not return until Monday. Mary does not make an alternate plan for Jason’s care when she travels out of state.

Jason’s mother, Susan, says she and her husband gave custody of Jason to Mary when Susan was 17 because they did not have any health insurance. Susan says she went to court and filed a petition to revoke her mother’s guardianship, and the next court date is October 26th; however, she has to serve Mary the paperwork first. Susan says her mother is a retired New York State corrections officer and may still have her weapon.

CASE SCENARIO 2 - BETTE RP (Reporting Party) is the school social worker. Bette was referred to the school social worker because she became absolutely hysterical when the teacher turned the lights down to watch movies. The teacher often has to sit by Bette and comfort her. Bette is in kindergarten. In one instance when the teacher had to sit with her, the teacher thought that she saw a bruise on Bette’s check. Bette is a very pale child with iridescent white skin. She is so pale that her veins are visible. When RP spoke with Bette, she put her hand to her cheek and put her hair behind her ear. RP saw the imprint of a hand across Bette’s cheek. The finger marks are quite visible. The bruising is in various stages of healing yellows, greens and purple. RP also put the hair on the other side of Bette’s cheek behind the ear. RP observed the same sort of marks there, but it seemed to be more recent. Bette’s ear was very, very purple and blue. The marks of the fingers extended to the side of Bette’s head. When RP told the elementary school principal, he refused to report the family because he knew the father who was “a military man” and wouldn’t think of anything like that. Besides, he said that Bette was so pale she probably bruised easily.

[Additional case scenario, next page]CASE SCENARIO 3 - LILA RP is the school nurse. Lila is 15 and was referred to the school nurse because of frequent infections, absenteeism, and very provocative behaviors with the male teachers with whom she came into contact. The nurse learned that Lila’s mother is divorced, and she has a live-in-boyfriend, Earl. Earl and Lily’s mother work opposite shifts. Lila is frequently alone with Earl, while her mother

Questions? Contact: childwelfarescholars@msudenver.edu or 303-605-7010. P a g e | 3

is working. In the past, Lila has frequently been on prescribed medications for UTIs. She told the school nurse that she was sexually active with her boyfriend, Zach, although the two recently broke up. When the nurse spoke with Lila, Lila appeared very despondent and said she was trying to get a new man fast to fill his place. She wanted an older man---someone who “really knew what he was doing.” She denied having any suicidal thoughts. She just said she is really lonely because now the only person she ever talked to outside school was Earl. She doesn’t have any friends of her own---only friends of Zach’s, who now wanted no part of her. She denies drug usage and alcohol consumption, but she does admit to smoking. She babysits sometimes for the 3 kids who live next door to her.

Essay Questions:

1. Using what you learned during your first year placement and the position you were in, discuss how you would approach this family.

a. What would your next/first steps be? (Please do not exceed 500 words for this question.)

b. What other gray areas or information about the scenario would you need/want to know to best move forward with working with this family? (Please do not exceed 500 words for this question.)

2. Think about what you feel you still need to learn in your second year field placement to be prepared to work with this family. Talk about what you would like your second year internship to focus on to best support your learning? (Please do not exceed 750 words for this question.)

3. How do you know that child welfare is the right fit for your career? (Please do not exceed 500 words for this question.)

Questions? Contact: childwelfarescholars@msudenver.edu or 303-605-7010. P a g e | 4

4. Now that you have experience in child welfare (either currently or past), think about a time where you experienced stress in your role. Answer the following questions related to this stressful experience.

a. What did you notice (internally, physically, etc.) about how you reacted? (Please do not exceed 500 words for this question.)

b. What did you do to handle and manage those reactions? (Please do not exceed 500 words for this question.)

c. What would you have done differently? (Please do not exceed 500 words for this question.)

d. What will you do to ensure you are prepared to manage these reactions in the future? (Please do not exceed 500 words for this question.)

Have you reviewed the Program Announcement for the stipend program? ____ yes ____ no

Do you agree to all of the terms described in the Program Announcement? ____ yes ____ no

______________________________________ ___________________Signature of Applicant Date

Questions? Contact: childwelfarescholars@msudenver.edu or 303-605-7010. P a g e | 5