As the School of Social Work launches its Hybrid MSW pathway, it will partner with NYC nonprofit The Door to address youth mental health needs.
New York, NY, September 5, 2024 — Our nation is facing a growing youth mental health crisis, yet the field lacks a sufficient, sustainable pipeline of professionals who can meet the need for treatment. A promising model for addressing this shortfall can be found in a partnership between the NYU Silver School of Social Work and The Door, a New York City youth development nonprofit. Funded by private philanthropy, this program will commence with the launch of NYU Silver’s Hybrid Master of Social Work (MSW) program and enable Door staff members to obtain MSW degrees at a significantly reduced cost, while remaining fully engaged in their work at The Door. The partnership will increase their capacity to serve the mental health needs of young people from New York City’s underserved communities.
A New MSW Pathway at NYU
NYU Silver’s Hybrid MSW pathway is designed for professionals with prior experience providing direct social services, and will combine virtual and in-person classes with a hands-on practicum education. The first cohort will be comprised of 14 staff members from The Door, who will begin their studies in September 2024 and be eligible to obtain their degree as early as summer 2026. Due to generous philanthropic support from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation and Trinity Church, The Door cohort members will only have to pay $10,000 out of pocket for tuition.
“NYU Silver is launching a new, part-time Hybrid MSW pathway because we are committed to making a graduate education more accessible to working social services professionals,” said the school’s Dean Michael A. Lindsey. “We must open up paths to advancement that can lead to upward mobility and create more social workers at a time when they are needed more than ever. That is why we are excited to have The Door participate in our inaugural Hybrid MSW cohort. We share their commitment to addressing the growing mental health needs of young people and see this partnership as a model for how schools of social work and nonprofits can work together, with the support of philanthropy, to ensure that the social service sector has the capacity to support our communities.”
Investing in the Mental Health Workforce
“The dual crises of COVID-19 and race-based violence, coupled with long-standing inequities, have hit younger generations harder than almost anyone else. For several years now, The Door has experienced an exponential uptick in young people confronting complex mental health challenges, and the severity of trauma and symptoms has increased correspondingly,” said Kelsey Louie, CEO of The Door.
“The good news is that more young people know they need support and are seeking out help. More than ever, youth who visit The Door from across New York City are being proactive in addressing their mental health needs. The challenge is that our current workforce is not equipped to handle the explosive level of demand. Nationwide, there’s a dire shortage of mental health practitioners, especially those of color and who identify as LGBTQIA+.
“A serious investment in the front-line professionals of the mental health workforce is long overdue. Groundbreaking partnerships like this one are critical to building a sustainable social services sector, by shoring up its infrastructure and expanding its capacity. We are grateful for NYU Silver’s partnership and the philanthropic support of the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation and Trinity Church, whose generous contributions will make the pursuit of an MSW degree more accessible for working professionals.”
Most classes taken by The Door staff will be held online, reducing barriers related to time and travel. They will also be able to complete their practicum internship hours at The Door. “The program’s structure and flexibility ensure that no staff member is forced to choose between a paycheck and their educational and career aspirations,” said Louie. “Those who may have thought an MSW was out of reach will now have the opportunity to pursue the degree at a significantly lower cost and without barriers to success.”
Capacity Strained as Demand Rises
Young people are increasingly burdened by mental health challenges, noted Dr. Lindsey. Nearly 29% of high school students surveyed by the CDC in 2021 reported experiencing poor mental health within the past 30 days, and 42% said they experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness—a 50% rise over the past decade. Meanwhile, the demand for social workers is skyrocketing. Nearly 64,000 social work job openings per year are projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has projected that by 2025, the supply of U.S. social workers who focus on mental health and substance abuse would fall short of demand by as much as 31%.
“NYU Silver’s Hybrid MSW program and our partnership with The Door provide one promising solution for the workforce gap in social work by lowering the barriers to obtaining an MSW degree for professionals who have already dedicated themselves to providing social services,” said Dr. Lindsey. “Graduates with MSWs often have access to higher paying social work and social service jobs, an important factor in attracting and retaining these highly needed professionals.”
About the NYU Silver School of Social Work
Founded in 1960 and renowned for a strong tradition of excellence in direct social work practice and dedication to social justice, NYU Silver has provided rigorous training to more than 20,000 social work practitioners and leaders in every area of the field, making it the leading destination for students who want to become innovative practitioners at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work practice. The School has four campuses in the heart of New York City, Rockland County, Westchester County, and Shanghai.
About The Door
The Door is an unparalleled model for youth development, offering a comprehensive range of integrated services for up to 11,000 New York City youth annually across our four New York City locations: our lower Manhattan and South Bronx youth centers and two supportive housing sites on the Lower East Side. At The Door, youth can access health care and education, mental health counseling, legal assistance, career and education programs, housing supports, arts, recreational activities, and nutritious meals.
The Door’s on-site charter high school, Broome Street Academy (BSA), has up to 330 students and prioritizes applicants who are experiencing housing instability or have been involved in the child welfare system. Learn more at door.org.
For more information, contact:
Sheryl Huggins Salomon, silver.communications@nyu.edu
Mika De Roo, mderoo@door.org