CSI Receives $200K Grant for City Council Social Work Fellowship

Awards/Kudos, Institutional Awards, Newsmakers

Editor’s note: The Administration for Children’s Services recently announced new Master’s of Social Work scholarships for Licensed Social Workers in their own workforce. This provides their employees with opportunities for advancement they may not otherwise be able to afford, often for the same reasons as those described below that act as barriers to these degrees among those wishing to pursue them.  

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

 

CSI Announces New Four-Year Nursing Bachelor of Science Degree

 

The College of Staten Island (CSI) will launch the first four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program offered by a public institution on Staten Island, beginning Fall 2026. Students will complete 120 credits combining liberal arts, sciences, and nursing coursework, with opportunities for hands-on learning through clinical rotations, practice labs, and simulation experiences. Graduates will be prepared to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) licensing exam and enter the workforce as professional nurses.

This new degree program makes CSI the fourth CUNY college to provide a direct-entry BS in Nursing pathway.

Commenting on the new program, Dr. Nathalia Holtzman, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at CSI said, “CSI is proud to lead as the first public institution on Staten Island to offer a four-year Nursing degree, expanding access to high-quality education and addressing the region’s critical need for healthcare professionals. The program’s blend of academic rigor, clinical experience, and community partnership embodies our mission and showcases the excellence of our faculty.”

Upon completion of the program, students will begin their careers as Registered Nurses, having earned the degree needed for clinical positions, promotional opportunities, and a robust foundation for graduate study.

Graduates will be well-prepared to immediately launch their careers in a variety of healthcare settings, having met the BS educational regulation upon graduation. This degree provides a solid academic foundation for advanced study, research, and leadership roles in healthcare.

Graduates will be eligible to apply for advanced study in master’s- and doctoral-degree nursing programs.

Some of the degree’s selling points include affordable CUNY tuition; offering a high-value degree recognized nationally for cost effectiveness, an emphasis on state-of-the-art simulation and practice labs, local clinical partnerships providing real-world training opportunities, and a  pathway to graduate education with CSI’s existing Master’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.

The program will be staffed by expert faculty with specialties in adult health, psychiatric nursing, pediatrics, women’s health, obstetrics, medical-surgical nursing, leadership, and community health. Faculty members bring credentials that include doctoral preparation, national certifications such as Certified Nurse Educator (CNE), certifications in clinical expertise, and extensive experience in both clinical and teaching settings. Select faculty are involved in research and have presented their research both nationally and internationally.

The new BS degree will augment CSI’s Nursing program, which was re-accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) through 2031. In 2025, U.S. News & World Report ranked CSI a Best School for its Nursing Master’s program.

The new four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program has received letters of support from Northwell Health and Clove Lakes Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, and the curriculum is aligned with national standards, including ACEN, AACN, NLN, and NCSBN.

By Terry Mares