Robert L. Schneider

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.

Outreach to the Elderly in Israel

Only during recent years have outreach services to elderly Israelis been given serious priority by governmental social service agencies. A survey of 21 social service agencies in northern central Israel was conducted in 1980 in order to review these outreach services. The survey identified operational definitions of outreach service, the distinctive characteristics of such services, major problems and barriers to effective outreach, and the training of outreach workers. The authors discuss issues related to effectiveness, personnel staffing, the follow-up aspect of outreach and professional training. Not only Israeli service providers can benefit from a review of the findings and discussion, but also the directors of outreach in other countries can learn about essential tasks and requirements for service delivery.