NC PUBLIC HEALTH SOCIAL WORK
HISTORICAL TIMELINE

January 16, 2020

PROGRAMS

1961    1961 First social work consultant employed for NC Crippled Children’s Program.

1966    First social worker hired through a special federal Children and Youth grant.

1975    Social workers employed at local health departments through Mothers, Infants and Children   (grants from MCH Section, DHS).

1979    Mothers, Infants and Children funding abolished, causing many health departments to discontinue social work positions.

1987    Maternity Care Coordination (Baby Love) introduced.  Resurgence of social workers employed at local health departments.

1990    Child Service Coordination programs began, creating additional opportunities for employment for social workers at local health departments.

2011 – Pregnancy Care Management (OBCM) and Child Care Management for Children (CC4C) established to replace Maternity Care Coordination and Child Service Coordination programs.

CONFERENCES

1990    First Statewide Public Health Social Work Conference: Families At Risk, held in Greensboro.  Sponsored by the PHSW Steering Committee, UNC School of Public Health – Office of  Continuing Education, NCPHA Social Work Section, Greensboro AHEC, NASW-NC, and UNC School of Social Work.

1990     Short Term and Crisis Intervention Techniques for Public Health Social Workers held in Raleigh. Sponsored by the PHSW Steering Committee and UNC School of Public Health – Office of Continuing Education.

1990    Orientation workshops for newly employed public health social workers offered: Public Health Social Work: Improving Service and Support Using A Community-Based Approach, offered in Hickory and Greenville.  Sponsored by the PHSW Steering Committee and the UNC School of Public Health – Office of Continuing Education.

1991    Integrating Social Work Practice to Enhance Service Delivery, offered in Boone and Greenville.  Sponsored by the PHSW Steering Committee and the UNC School of Public Health – Office of Continuing Education.
1992    (February, November) Public Health Social Work seminars held in Winston-Salem and Greenville, sponsored by the PHSW Steering Committee and the UNC School of Public Health – Office of Continuing Education

1993    Shaping the Future of Public Health Social Work in North Carolina: An Orientation and Information Teleconference. Broadcast to Asheville, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington, Winston-Salem, Ahoskie.

1993    Public Health Social Work training seminar held in Greenville.

1994    Public Health Social Work Intervention in Community Violence Conference.

1994    (February) The North Carolina Public Health Social Work Continuing Education and Training Advisory Committee (CETAC) is convened.  Don Watson is the first chairperson.

1995    Second Annual NCAPHSW Conference held in Greensboro.

1995    Statewide Public Health Social Work Conference held in Winston-Salem.

1996    Documentation for Social Workers, workshops held in Wilmington and Winston-Salem respectively.

1996    Public Health Social Work Makes a World of Difference, A Statewide Public Health Social Work Conference held in Winston-Salem.

1997    Statewide Videoconference: Marketing for Public Health Social Workers. Broadcast to: Chapel Hill, Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Hickory, Sylva and Wilson.

1997    Statewide Videoconference: Public Health Social Work Documentation. Broadcast to: Chapel Hill, Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Hickory, Sylva and Wilson.

1998     Beyond the Year 2000: Planning for Public Health Social Work.  National conference through a grant from MCH Bureau.

1998    Solution Focused Therapy held in Raleigh.

1998     Public Health Social Work Bi-regional Conference: Seeking Our Roots to Guide Our Future, held in Chapel Hill.

1998      Public Health Social Work Beyond 2010: Linking Education Policy and Practice, held in Chapel Hill.

1999    Orientation for Public Health Social Workers held in Asheboro.

1999    Public Health Social Work Bi-regional Conference: Pathways to the 21st Century, held in Durham.

1999    Facing the Dawn: Are You Ready for A New Century? Fifth Annual NC Public Health Social Work Conference held in Winston-Salem.

1999    Conflict Resolution and Mediation Skills, held in Durham.  Sponsored by CETAC, the Public  Health Nursing Continuing Education Advisory Committee and the UNC School of Public Health – Office of Continuing Education.

1999    Statewide Teleconference: Legal Issues in Public Health broadcast to: Asheville, Chapel Hill, Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville, Hickory, Smithfield, Sylva, Wilson and Winston-Salem.

1999    Introduction to Principles and Practice of Public Health Videoconference
broadcast to: Asheville, Boone, Chapel Hill, Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Greenville, Hickory, Morehead City, Sylva, Wilmington, Wilson and Winston-Salem.

2000    Public Health Social Work Orientation held in Durham.

2000    (July) Statewide Teleconference: Legal Issues in Public Health broadcast to Asheville, Chapel Hill, Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville, Hickory, Raleigh, Sylva, Wilson and Winston-Salem.

2000     Family Centered Practice in Public Health Social Work held in Durham and offered twice.

2000     Conflict Resolution and Mediation Skills: How to Disarm Disagreements and Move Toward Positive Solutions held in Sanford.

2001    (March) Promoting Excellence in Public Health Social Work held in Raleigh.

2001    (May, June, July) Emergency Preparedness: Public Health Social Work’s Response to Disasters held in Winston-Salem, Greenville and Hickory respectively.

2001    (September) Introduction to Principles and Practices of Public Health Videoconference (see January 2000).

2001    (October) Statewide Videoconference: Immigration, Cultural Beliefs, Health Care and the Law broadcast to: Chapel Hill, Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Greenville, Hickory, Raleigh, Sylva, Wilmington, Wilson and Winston-Salem.

2002    (February, May) Response to Conflict held in Raleigh and Hickory respectively.

2002    (February) Introduction to Principles and Practices of Public Health Videoconference (see January 2000).

2002    (May) Supporting Families Facing Grief and Loss held in Wilmington.

2003    Critical Issues in Public Health Social Work – Annual Public Health Social Work Conference held in Winston-Salem.

2004   Staying Centered in A Sea of Change - Annual Public Health Social Work Conference held in Winston- Salem.  CETAC 10th Anniversary Celebration.

2004     Motivate, Encourage, Inspire! Social Work in Action – Annual Public Health Social Work Conference held in Asheboro.

2005     NCPHA-Social Work Section Celebrates its 20th Anniversary during the Annual NCPHA Education Conference in Asheville.

2006    Preparing for Tomorrow’s Challenges Today - Annual Public Health Social Work conference .

2006    Principles and Practice of Public Health Training held at Orange County Human Services Center.  Twenty-six individuals participated in a seven-day series.

2007    Striking a Balance: Caring for Yourself and Your Clients. A one-day Annual Public Health Social Work Conference.

2008   Learning, Caring, Advocating: Fresh Approaches to Engagement and Empowerment - A one-day Annual Public Health Social Work Conference.

2009   NO PHSW CONFERENCE

2010    Exploring Organizational Connections and Presenting the Adoption Option Related to Options  Counseling.  A one- day Annual Public Health Social Work Conference held April 20, 2010 in Raleigh.

2012    Birth Matters conference held in Winston-Salem, NC. Sponsored by the OBCM and CC4C programs and local health departments.

2014    All People Matter -A one-day Annual Public Health Social Work Conference held on March 5, 2014 at Wake Commons in Raleigh, NC.

2016    Creating Solutions for Tomorrow Out of Challenges Today - A one-day Annual Public Health Social Work Conference held on October 12, 2016 at the Bryan Park Golf and Enrichment Center, Browns Summit, NC.

2018    Social Workers: Leaders, Advocates, Champions - A one-day Annual Public Health Social Work Conference held on April 25, 2018 at the Guilford Technical Community College Conference Center in Colfax, NC.

2020    Conference cancelled to due to the COVID 19 epidemic.

2022    The Time is Right for Social Work – A one-day Annual Public Health Social Work Conference held on March 31, 2022 at the Guilford Technical Community College Conference Center in Colfax, NC.  

ORGANIZATIONS

1977    (February) First meeting of Eastern Regional Medical and Health Social Workers.  Name changed to A Network of Social Workers Eastern Regional (A.N.S.W.E.R.) in 1977.

1978    Social Work Section, Eastern District NCPHA established.  First meeting in April.  First chairperson, Elizabeth Watkins.

1981    Social Work Section, Western NCPHA established.

1981    Perinatal Social Workers in the South-Central Region began meeting.  Name changed to Social Workers in Medical Settings (S.W.I.M.S.) on December 3, 1985.

1982    Dr. Levine (State Health Director) established the Public Health Social Work Steering Committee to address issues and training needs of public health social workers.  John Freas was the first chairperson.

1985    The Association of State and Territorial Public Health Social Workers was established.

1985    Social Work Section, North Carolina Public Health Association was established.  Janice Inabinette was the first chairperson.

1993   The Charter to establish the North Carolina Public Health Social Work Continuing Education and Training Advisory Committee (CETAC) is signed. There was a transition from the Public Health Social Work Steering Committee.

1993    The North Carolina Association of Public Health Social Workers (NCAPHSW) established.  Dorothy Cilenti is first chairperson.

1993    The seven MCH Regional Social Work Consultant positions established in the Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources.

1994    The North Carolina Public Health Social Work Continuing Education and Training Advisory Committee (CETAC) is convened.

1994    NCAPHSW held meetings in Raleigh and Hickory.

1994    First Chief Public Health Social Worker in North Carolina.

1995    First meeting of the Public Health Social Work Coordinating Committee consisting of the chairs of NCAPHSW, CETAC and the Chief Public Health Social Worker.

2005    CETAC 10th Anniversary Celebration at the Guilford County Health Department, held after an abbreviated quarterly meeting.

2014    CETAC 20th Anniversary Celebration.

2019    CETAC 25th Anniversary.

SCHOOLS OF SOCIAL WORK

1955    MCH Training Project established at UNC School of Public Health.  MCH social workers awarded MPH degree.

1976    Health Specialization established at UNC School of Social Work.

1984    ECU School of Social Work.

1986    Dual MSW/MPH degree program established at UNC-CH.

1993    Doctoral program at the UNC School of Social Work