"PROGRESS prepares you for a gerontology career by offering a much more holistic approach than you would typically find in an MSW program," says Kevin Thrailkill, (MSW '07). He also earned GSSW's Certificate in Animal-Assisted Social Work.
In addition to his "hub" internship at Denver's University Hospital, Thrailkill's field education included rotations at a community-based senior center and a hospice. Even within the hospital, he was able to divide his time between an outpatient seniors' clinic and the orthopedic/neurology unit, where he did discharge planning and case management.
And, because he was also earning the Certificate in Animal-Assisted Social Work, Thrailkill used his field experience to research the impact of interaction with animals on self-reported loneliness among the elderly.
Paired programs add career opportunities
"PROGRESS and the certificate program really went hand-in-hand for me, especially since my dream is to incorporate the 'Eden Alternative' into my professional work," Thrailkill says, alluding to a model created by Dr. William H. Thomas and others that brings nature, children and animals into settings that serve older adults.
If you choose a gerontology career, Thraillkill says, "you'll never lack for a job." Just as he predicted, Thrailkill was hired soon after graduation as Social Services Coordinator for an independent living facility. Today, he's implementing the facility's first animal-assisted therapy program for older adults and working toward his clinical licensure.
