Joining university affiliated programs and schools of social work: A collaborative model for disabilities curriculum development and training

Schools of social work vary widely in their ability and commitment to prepa re students for practice with individuals with disabilities. Given their te aching and training expertise and resources, University Affiliated Programs (UAPs) are uniquely positioned to partner with schools of social work to r emedy this situation. This article describes a model of collaboration to de velop and actively promote specialized curriculum and training opportunitie s in the field of men tal retardation and developmental disabilities. The m odel builds on the "best practices" of existing collaborative efforts betwe en UAPs and social work programs.