THE STATUS OF GERONTOLOGY IN BACCALAUREATE SOCIAL-WORK EDUCATION

Labor force projections indicate that additional personnel will be needed to serve the growing number of older people. However, the current number of social workers trained in gerontology is inadequate, and estimates suggest that the gap between supply and demand of trained practitioners will continue to increase. Since many of the available positions are appropriate for baccalaureate-level practitioners, the Virginia-Louisiana Curriculum Project conducted research on the current status of gerontology in undergraduate education to determine if students are adequately prepared to work with the elderly. Findings in the area of curriculum, faculty expertise, and program/university resources suggest that many programs do not have sufficient content and educational resources related to older persons.