The College of Staten Island has received a $200K grant from the New York City Council for the City Council Social Work Fellowship.
The Fellowship represents an essential investment in New York City’s mental health workforce and in the educational infrastructure that prepares future licensed social workers as it bolsters the College’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program.
Commenting on the award, Paul Archibald, DrPH, LCSW-C (MD), LCSW (NY), MAC, C-CATODSW, who is an Associate Professor, as well as Chair and MSW Program Director in the Department of Social Work, School of Education and Social Work, said, “We are deeply grateful to the New York City Council for this extraordinary investment in the mental health workforce of our City. Our curriculum prepares advanced practitioners through a critical disabilities lens and centers equity, social justice, and community engagement. By funding students in unpaid or underpaid internships and removing financial barriers to LMSW licensure for both graduating students and alumni, the Fellowship expands access to the profession and strengthens the pipeline of highly trained social workers entering public-sector roles. This investment will have a lasting impact on our students, our community, and the City’s behavioral health workforce.”
Archibald went on to explain that unpaid internships and licensure-related costs create substantial inequities for social work students, who are disproportionately first-generation, Black, immigrant, or from low-income households. Research demonstrates that unpaid internships exacerbate financial stress, impede academic performance, and disproportionately harm students of color (Smith et al., 2021; Morley et al., 2023). Additionally, licensure costs frequently delay or prevent entry into the workforce (Bouette-Queen, 2004; Lightfoot et al., 2016). By directly funding practicum placements and licensure expenses, this Fellowship removes major structural barriers to graduation, licensure, and employment in the public sector.
The CSI Fellowship budget provides: (1) A Pilot MSW Practicum Fellowship Program that covers full tuition for nine students at $15,000 each and one additional scholarship of $7,000, totaling $142,000 and (2) A LMSW Licensure-Registration-Preparation/Exam-Limited Permit Program for graduating students and alumni, including exam-prep packages, live online instruction, limited permit fees, exam fees, and initial registration for a total of $58,000. Together, these initiatives ensure that MSW students can complete high-quality field placements without undue financial hardship and can transition seamlessly into licensed social work practice, directly bolstering the City’s mental health workforce.
Staten Island is a burgeoning community of nearly half a million people and is part of one of the most opportunity-rich cities in the world. As residents overwhelmingly rely on local schools, hospitals, and community-based social service agencies to meet their needs, the Department of Social Work at the College of Staten Island has long played a critical role in supporting the Borough’s behavioral health infrastructure. Recognizing the Island’s large and diverse population of people with disabilities, and the persistent gaps in accessible, community-centered mental health services, CSI launched its Master of Social Work (MSW) program in 2014. Over the past 11 years, the program has steadily expanded the behavioral health workforce across Staten Island, New York City, and the broader region, preparing graduates for advanced urban practice grounded in disability justice, equity, and social transformation. The New York City Council’s $200K investment through the City Council Social Work Fellowship builds on this legacy, strengthening CSI’s capacity to train and sustain the next generation of highly skilled social workers who are equipped to meet the complex needs of communities locally and globally.
By Paul Archibald and Terry Mares
