Jacksonville – There are approximately 28 million Americans with some degree of hearing loss, but they often have no or very limited access to mental health and other social services.

     To help fill that need, the Social Work Department at MacMurray College has initiated a unique program that qualifies its students to provide services to the deaf and hard of hearing population. MacMurray is the only small college in Illinois that offers the fully accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree.

     The College has a strong connection to the Illinois School for the Deaf and is now preparing its social work majors to communicate in the deaf and hard of hearing client’s preferred mode of communication without interpreters.

     By establishing a program that combines social work practice with deaf and hard of hearing, MacMurray will equip students with an in-depth understanding of their client’s cultural and personal identity.

     To complete this new program, students must first fulfill the requirements for the BSW degree. Then, they are required to complete American Sign Language (ASL) levels I-IV, score at least at the Advanced Level on the Sign Communication Proficiency Interview, complete at least two courses on Perspectives in Deafness-Deaf Culture and Foundations, complete a field practicum within the Deaf Community and maintain an overall GPA of 2.5.

     Professor William Tennill (MSW, ACSW, LCSW) said, “Through my clinical practice I’ve been aware of this need for some time and am excited to meld two of our quality programs to address it. We’re now able to provide a unique but very essential service to residents of the Deaf Community in a very practical manner.”

     Located in Jacksonville, Ill., MacMurray College is a private, four-year, liberal arts, coeducational college, founded in 1846, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Its friendly, informal environment stresses academic excellence, personal attention, career experience, and well-rounded development of each individual.