Dominican awards 2 scholarships to Waukegan residents

Submitted by Dominican University

Dominican University’s Graduate School of Social Work has awarded scholarships to two Waukegan residents which will allow them to enhance their educations at the master’s degree level.

The scholarships are funded through a new $100,000 grant from the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County. The HFNLC Social Work Scholars Program is designed to meet a growing need in northern Lake County for bicultural and bilingual licensed social workers with the skills to serve the medical, behavioral and mental health needs of this increasingly diverse area.

Studies have reported that about 45,000 northern Lake County residents will soon become insured as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Based on Lake County’s growing Latino population, many of these newly insured will be bicultural and bilingual. Key to addressing this increased demand will be skilled social workers who can meet these residents’ particular needs.

The first two recipients of the HFNLC Social Work Scholars Program, Maritza Trevino, an employee of the Lake County Health Department, and Reginald Handy, who works in the substance abuse treatment program at Nicasa, a behavioral health organization in Waukegan, were honored at a reception at the University Center of Lake County on Friday, Jan. 25.

Ÿ To submit Your news, send it to nbrcalendar@dailyherald.com with the subject “Your news.”