GOOD FOR
RURAL SC:
The South Carolina Office of Rural
Health (SCORH) recently launched
a pilot program to place social
work students in rural libraries to
connect residents to local resources
such as health care, housing and
employment services.
The premise is simple: Social workers
connect people to the community resources
they need, and libraries are committed to
being welcoming and safe places where
people can access that information.
This project is funded by a $25,000 Catalyst
Grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of
® ®
South Carolina Foundation and will place
students from the University of South
Carolina College of Social Work at rural
libraries across South Carolina as the
program expands. The project will utilize
existing community needs assessments
along with contextual information gathered
from library staff members to inform how
to best implement social worker services in
each location.
This project will allow SCORH to better
understand how access to social services
may be expanded by providing information
and resources in non-traditional locations.
The goal is to close the information gaps that
prevent rural residents from accessing the
services they need, and to encourage better
health outcomes for individuals and the
overall community.
For more information about the South Carolina Office of Rural Health, visit scorh.net
SCORH Places
Social Work
Students in Rural
Libraries
Above: Sarah Fling (Graduate Assistant, UofSC
College of Social Work) and Rieta Drinkwine
(Director, Union County Carnegie Library).
Union County Carnegie Library
The first partner in this pilot project was the
Union County Carnegie Library. Renovated
and reopened in 2018, the library acts as
an innovative partnership facility where
more than 55 organizations at the local, The recently renovated Carnegie
Library in Union, SC
state, and national level are represented.
The latest partnership with SCORH and
the UofSC College of Social Work aims to
improve quality of life for Union’s residents
and continue the library’s efforts of leading
positive change throughout its community.
The Union County Carnegie Library has
earned state and national recognition,
including being named a finalist for the
2019 IMLS National Medal for Museum and
Sarah Fling is the first graduate
Library Service.
assistant to be placed in this new pilot
program.
UofSC College of Social Work
(COSW)
Field education is the signature pedagogy of
the University of South Carolina’s College of
Social Work education. Students integrate
the knowledge, skills and values learned in
the classroom and apply them to real-world
social work situations. Examples of field
practicum placements include health and
mental health, community development,
criminal justice and legal advocacy.