Happy Birthday - Today the Alliance is 1 Year Old

Thank you to all who have shared your creative ideas for building a platform to connect with one another, learn and share resources.  The Alliance came to life one year ago and is helping to strengthen the social service workforce.

At the Social Welfare Workforce Strengthening Conference held in Cape Town, South Africa in 2010, 150 participants from 18 countries recommended that we find a way to continue the inspiring dialogue that the conference stimulated.  As a result, the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance launched one year ago to generate the knowledge and evidence, resources and tools, and political will and action to address key social service workforce challenges around the globe.
 
What do members do?
The Alliance vision is to work toward a world where a well-planned, well-trained and well-supported social service workforce effectively delivers services that improve the lives of vulnerable populations. To realize this vision takes members like you to join and to engage with leaders and colleagues to advance knowledge, explore shared issues and promising practices and be strong advocates to help strengthen the workforce.
 
Over the past year, members have been involved in:

• Sharing tools, resources, models and best practices; contributing to the resource database and E-Updates; and learning about creative initiatives being undertaken by others
• Participating in webinars, events and a Symposium
• Participating in and taking leadership on interest groups to connect with others and contribute ideas and best practices to address workforce challenges in specific thematic areas
• Being part of a global movement to strengthen this key workforce, through initiatives such as Social Service Workforce Week.

Who are the members?
Since our launch on June 6, 2013, we have had 354 individuals join from 52 countries, including staff from NGOs (34%), universities (26%), government (10%), UN agencies (10%), professional associations (5%) and corporations (5%).  Membership is free and open to anyone who is:

• Involved in the area of social service initiatives or interested in learning more
• Interested in supporting and promoting the aims and principles of the Alliance
• Committed to interagency collaboration.

Thank you for joining!  
We would like to thank everyone who has joined this emerging network to share information and make use of the excellent resources related to strengthening the social service workforce and promoting the protection, development and well-being of children and families.  In case you are not yet a member, you can sign up for free membership here.  

More about us  
Are you interested in learning more about who the social service workforce is, why they should be supported, and ways that organizations are working to strengthen this workforce that provides critical care, support and services to vulnerable populations? Take a look at this background information on the workforce on our website.
 
Read more about the history and leadership of the Alliance here.
 
The Alliance receives core funding from PEPFAR/USAID and periodically receives funding for priority activities from other donors. IntraHealth International, the lead partner of CapacityPlus, hosts and acts as fiscal sponsor for the Alliance.
 
Contact Amy Bess, the Alliance Coordinator, at abess@ intrahealth.org with any questions or ideas.
  
We look forward to your continuing involvement in this important initiative to strengthen the workforce and improve lives.  And we look forward to celebrating more Alliance birthdays with you in the years to come.
 
The Global Social Service Workforce Alliance Steering Committee

• Dr. Bernadette J. Madrid, MD, Executive Director of the Child Protection Network Foundation, Inc.
• Dr. Catherine Love, PhD, Trustee, Taranakai Whanui Iwi Authority (WTT/PNMR)
• Dr. James McCaffery, PhD, Senior Advisor, Training Resources Group and CapacityPlus
• Ms. Joyce Nakuta, Deputy Director, Namibia Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Directorate Child Welfare Services, Division Child Care
• Ms. Kendra Gregson, MSc, BA, CYW, Senior Advisor, UNICEF
• Ms. Maury Mendenhall, MSW, Senior Technical Advisor, OVC, United States Agency for International Development
• Dr. Nathan L. Linsk, PhD, Professor of Social Work in Family Medicine, Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Dr. Natia Partskhaladze, MD, MSW, Chairperson, Georgian Association of Social Workers and Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia
• Mr. Patrick Onyango Mangen, Country Director, TPO Uganda
• Dr. Robin Sakina Mama, PhD, Professor and Dean, Monmouth University School of Social Work, US
• Ms. Susan Rubin, MBA, MA, Assistant Director, National Association of Social Workers Foundation, US
• Mr. Ummuro Adano, MSc, Senior Principal Technical Advisor, Management Sciences for Health, US
• Ms. Zenuella Sugantha Thumbadoo (Zeni), Deputy Director, National Association of Child Care Workers – South Africa