UAB Department of Social Work Assistant Professor Dr. Laurel Hitchcock recently co-authored a brief based on an initiative of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.

The brief, titled “Harnessing Technology for Social Good,” is part of the academy's Grand Challenges for Social Work, which seeks to solve social problems through science and collaboration.

According to the Academy, the twelve Grand Challenges present a series of policy recommendations "focused on improving individual and family well-being, strengthening the social fabric, and helping create a more just society."

The recommendations in the "Harnessing Technology for Social Good" brief are:

1. Expand Internet connectivity for underserved households
2. Unlock government data to drive solutions to social problems
3. Open the possibility of social work practice across states lines