SERVE: Indigenous Community Social Workers for Change

SERVE: Indigenous Social Work for Change

SERVE: Indigenous Social Work for Change (formerly the American Indian Recruitment Program) aims to recruit students interested in serving Tribal Nations into the California Title IV-E Education Program (Cal IV-E) with a specialization in Public Child Welfare. Eligible students who are committed to serving Tribal nations, communities and families can receive financial support as full- or part-time social work students with an emphasis on children and families in the California Title IV-E Education Program.

SERVE was initiated in 1981 at UC Berkeley through the American Indian/Alaskan Native Program in Social Welfare. In 1999, SERVE was adopted by CalSWEC (California Social Work Education Center, now closed) and grew into a statewide effort that operated from CSU Stanislaus, where it helped to form collaborative working relationships with 67 of 110 California Tribal agencies. In 2011, SERVE was expanded and restructured in an effort to strategically increase statewide outreach and development efforts. It now operates from three distinct locations for the state’s Northern, Central and Southern regions as part of the California Title IV-E Education Program, which since 2024 has operated from UC Davis and UCLA, in partnership with the California Department of Social Services. 

Mission

SERVE is committed to full equity, justice, well-being, and cultural preservation of American Indian/Alaska Native children and families by:

  • Increasing the number of social work graduates committed to working with Tribal nations, communities and families;
  • Fostering inclusive leadership development;
  • Developing partnerships between Tribal sovereign nations, indigenous communities, and other stakeholders; and
  • Implementing decolonizing social work curricula to reflect community-based, culturally appropriate Indigenous values and the promotion of Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination.

Vision

SERVE envisions Tribal sovereign nations and Indigenous communities as sustainable healthy communities that use healing interventions to provide empowerment, mentorship, and leadership development; to promote cultural preservation and appreciation of Indigenous cultures by recognizing and supporting Tribal sovereignty, and protecting the cultural rights and identity of Indigenous peoples.

Objectives

  1. To increase the enrollment and graduation of social work students committed to serving Tribal nations from California universities offering Bachelor’s of Social Work (BASW) and Master’s of Social Work (MSW) degrees
  2. To increase the number of opportunities for all BASW and MSW students to complete field placements at Tribal agencies, or agencies that work extensively with Tribal populations
  3. To increase partnerships between Tribal organizations and advocacy groups and schools of social work throughout California
  4. To increase capacity and curriculum of the Cal IV-E Program affiliated schools to train social workers in culturally appropriate service directly related to the values of California’s Native populations.

SERVE Program Regions

Northern Region

  • CSU Chico
  • Cal Poly Humboldt
  • Sacramento State University

Central Region

  • CSU Bakersfield
  • CSU East Bay
  • CSU Fresno
  • CSU Monterey Bay
  • CSU Stanislaus
  • San Francisco State University
  • San Jose State University
  • UC Berkeley

Southern Region

  • CSU Dominguez Hills
  • CSU Fullerton
  • CSU Long Beach
  • CSU Los Angeles
  • CSU Northridge
  • CSU San Bernardino
  • CSU San Marcos
  • San Diego State University
  • UCLA
Map graphic of California split into northern (light blue), central (teal), and southern (orange) regions

SERVE Project Coordinators

SERVE has three designated project coordinators at universities in California's Northern, Central, and Southern regions who work in collaboration with the Title IV-E project coordinators at 20 universities statewide with Title IV-E programs. Please contact your regional SERVE project coordinator for more information

Participating Schools of Social Work/Social Welfare

 

Notes

  • CSU, Long Beach coordinates distance-education sites for other CSU campuses
  • The following schools also participate in the Title IV-E BASW program: Cal Poly Humboldt, CSU Chico, CSU Long Beach, CSU San Bernardino, Fresno State University, San Diego State University
  • The following schools also participate in the MHSA Stipend Program, administered by the California Title IV-E Education Program's Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) Program:  Cal Poly Humboldt, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Chico, CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU Easy Bay, CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, CSU Los Angeles, CSU Monterey Bay, CSU Northridge, CSU San Bernardino, CSU San Marcos, CSU Stanislaus, San Diego State University, San Francisco State University, UC Berkeley, UCLA