Purpose of the Maxie Collier Program

The Maxie Collier Scholars Program is a behavioral health workforce development program for Coppin State University undergraduate students who reside in the State of Maryland. The purpose of the Maxie Collier Scholars Program is to prepare promising undergraduate students at Coppin State University for completion of undergraduate school requirements and placement in professional behavioral health career positions in the State of Maryland.

More specifically, the charge is to prepare Coppin State University students from the fields of Criminal Justice, Elementary Education, Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Nursing, Psychology, and Social Work, with a recommended minimum of two years remaining for completion of undergraduate work, who will be well trained and available to serve children, adolescents and their families in the Baltimore Metropolitan area.

The Program is funded by the Behavioral Health Administration and the Maryland Department of Health. Partners of the Program include the University of Maryland at Baltimore, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Behavioral Health Systems, Baltimore, and the Black Mental Health Alliance.

Criteria for Scholars

Program Goals

The goal of the Maxie Collier Scholars Program is to educate and recruit more African-American professionals into professional behavioral health career positions in the State of Maryland.

Maxie Collier Scholars receive an enriched, career focused, academic background; financial support; graduate school preparation; internship experience; access to a network of career placement resources; and financial resources which encourage and support their educational advancement.

Program Elements

• Behavioral Health Seminar (Emerging Issues in Behavioral Health and Well Being)
• Internships
• Stipends
• Graduate School Mentors
• Individual Advisement
• Coppin Undergraduate Faculty Advisors
• Enrichment Activities

The program is expected to promote college-wide interest in behavioral health issues at CSU. It is also expected to increase community awareness of resources to assist people who are interested in a career in the field of behavioral health.

The project is named for the late Dr. Maxie T. Collier, former Baltimore City Commissioner of Health and practicing psychiatrist.

How to Apply

Please complete no later than February 27, 2026, 5:00pm:

• Program application *Please refrain from using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to complete your application.
• Online Recommendation Form: TWO SUBMISSIONS: One submission from a CSU professor addressing your strengths and why you should be selected as a Scholar; Second submission from a community leader, supervisor, mentor.

Eligible Applicants will be invited for interviews.

Application Process

The Social Work Student Experience

The Social Work program is much more than the curriculum. We educate, advocate, and continuously create opportunities for our students to shine.

Social Work Association

20 years ago, the Department Chair, Eloise Bridges founded the Coppin State University Social Work Association. She established this student organization to:

• help students learn about the field of Social Work.
• assist students in planning social work career goals.
• provide a mutual support system for students' educational and personal needs.
• provide services that support campus, neighborhood, and  community well-being.
• increase awareness on the Coppin campus of the Social Work program.

Social Work Honor Society

Phi Alpha Honor Society is the national honor society for students studying social work. Coppin State University is home to the Theta Rho chapter which was chartered in 1999. A primary goal of Phi Alpha is to nurture closer bonds among students of social work as well as promote humanitarian goals and ideals. It continues to foster high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work.

Theta Rho inducts new members annually, and also conducts 2 meetings every year. The first meeting hosts a speaker, and the second one is a business meeting. Students run the business of the Theta Rho chapter under faculty advisement.

Admissions Eligibility

Any student who meets the eligibility criteria automatically gets an invitation to join. Once a student receives the invitation, they may submit an application. To be eligible for Phi Alpha admission, a student must have:

• Declared social work as a major
• Achieved sophomore status
• Completed 9 semester hours of required social work courses
• Achieved top 35% of the social work major

Social Work Alumni Association

The Social Work Alumni Association commits to support, mentor, and advocate the needs of students, social work faculty, and the University. It also exists to:

• maintain a close relationship between alumni and the University
• support the social work program
• promote the University's growth and development

Membership

Any graduate of the Coppin State University's Social Work Program may join the Social Work Alumni Association. Membership dues cost $40.00 per year.

Maxie Collier Scholars Program

The goal of the Maxie Collier Scholars Program is to educate and recruit more African-American professionals into public mental health and to address the shortage of trained clinicians available to serve seriously emotionally disturbed children, adolescents, and their families.

Influencing State Policy

Influencing State Policy (ISP) is an open group of policy-minded people who are interested in informing, creating, and evaluating state-level policy. Founded in Chicago in 1997 by social workers and educators, ISP works to help increase the efficacy of those in the social work profession in influencing policy and legislation.

Department of Social Work Student Handbook

The Department of Social Work Student Handbook is the catalog for the social work degree program at Coppin State University. The Handbook includes:

• a description of the social work profession.
• social work course descriptions and requirements.
• faculty profiles.
• admissions policies and procedures.

Several appendices include important documents for social work majors, including a degree check sheet that enables each student to track progress through the social work curriculum.

Dorothy I. Height Center for the Advancement of Social Justice

The Dorothy I. Height Center for the Advancement of Social Justice is a community-based resource that focuses on community engagement through social justice-related education, advocacy, research and referrals. The Center honors Dr. Height’s name and contributions by actualizing her visions, applying her strategies, and emulating her determination to affect positive social change locally and beyond. Our mission is to heighten awareness regarding national and international human rights and social justice issues that impact marginalized populations and communities.

Through fieldwork, students get to put their skills, commitment, and knowledge directly to practice, while seeing how interventions can make an impact in clients' lives.

The Value of Fieldwork

Fieldwork is an important part of the social work curriculum because it allows students to the opportunity to apply theories, and concepts learned in the classroom to experiences in the field through a supervised placement.

The goal of field instruction is to engage students in supervised direct and indirect service activities and provide practical experience in all the foundation competency areas as guided by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This effort is accomplished through partnerships with a variety of agencies that meet the required learning outcomes as outlined in the Social Work Field Education Manual.

Through fieldwork, students identify professional strengths and growth areas, while also gaining the skills, knowledge, and values needed to succeed as a social work practitioner and leader.

Fieldwork Eligibility

Each student is responsible for becoming familiar with the social work requirements for the major as outlined in the University Catalog. To qualify for a field placement, a student must:

• Be accepted as a full social work major (no pre-social work majors)
• Complete the following courses with a grade of C or better by the end of the spring semester before field work begins:
  • SOWK 210
  • SOWK 260
  • SOWK 379
  • SOWK 388
• Have a minimum cumulative 2.5 grade point average by the end of the semester before your placement begins
• Be able to graduate within 3 semesters of starting field work
• Submit all application materials by the appropriate deadline:
  • March 31st for fall placement
• Regularly demonstrate responsible and professional student conduct as outlined in the Social Work Field Education Manual.

Field Instruction Forms

Field Application & Guides

Field Forms

Faculty/Field Liaison Forms