COLBY – A collaboration between Fort Hays State University and Colby Community College designed to increase the number of licensed social workers in Northwest Kansas was launched in 2019.

FHSU’s Department of Social Work Cohort Program kicked off the fall semester with 17 students enrolled. Twelve students have stayed in the three-year program taking evening and online classes in Colby to date. If all 12 complete the program and work in the area, the number of licensed addiction counselors in the area would increase by 200 percent.

The cohort program makes it possible for Colby area residents to earn a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Fort Hays that is fully accredited by the Council of Social Work Education. In the entire 26-county area served by the Foundation, there are currently 166 licensed social workers, most of whom are in Ellis and Saline counties.