Social Work Student Julie Darnell receives Jane B. Aron Doctoral Fellowship

NASW Foundation presents award to University of Chicago Student

Washington— The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) is pleased to announce that Julie Darnell is the recipient of the Jane B. Aron Doctoral Fellowship for 2005-2006. This Fellowship Program provides partial support to doctoral students who are engaged in dissertation research in health care policy and practice.

Ms. Darnell’s doctoral dissertation will explore the emergence of nonprofit, volunteer-led free health clinics in metropolitan communities and will explore why these clinics exist. Free clinics are poorly studied, to this point, but provide an invaluable service to people who are at greatest risk for adverse health outcomes.

Titled “What Factors Predict the Prevalence of Free Health Clinics in Metropolitan Communities,” this dissertation will seek to better understand the scope of healthcare provided to uninsured and underserved persons. Free clinics have emerged as a solution to addressing vast health care disparities in this country.

Coinciding with the guiding principles of social work, free clinics promote health care as a right for all, advocate for social justice and reach out to patients in their communities, removing the barriers to quality health care. A better understanding of free clinics will allow for more effective social work interventions to be developed.

For more information about the NASW Foundation or the Jane B. Aron Doctoral Fellowship, please visit www.naswfoundation.org or email foundation@naswdc.org

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 150,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.