The UA School of Social Work invites submissions from UA and UAB students for the 2024
IOP Services Essay Writing Contest. Last year, IOP Services sponsored an essay contest on the
topic of “Barriers to Mental Health Care in Alabama.” According to the winning essay,
underserved rural populations confront a significant accessibility barrier, and a key to
overcoming this barrier is to expand and improve telemental health care. Building on last year’s
research, the topic for this year is Improving Telemental Health Care in Alabama (and Beyond).
The contest is open to ALL social work students (BSW, MSW, DSW, PhD) at UA and UAB.
A winning essay and 2nd and 3rd place essays will be selected from EACH institution. The authors
of each winning essay will receive a cash prize of $1,500. Winning authors will be invited to
present their essays at a colloquium scheduled on April 23rd, 2024, at 6:00 pm at The University of
Alabama School of Social Work (Little Hall). Each 2nd and 3rd place essay will receive prizes
of $500 and $250, respectively. They will be invited to present a poster presentation at the
colloquium reception on April 23rd. Awards will be given without regard to race, color, religion,
age, sex, national origin, disability status, or financial need.
If the winners of the essay contest are online students, they will be provided transportation costs
so that they may present their essays on campus.
Specifications:
Submissions must adhere to the following submission guidelines. Each
contestant may submit only one essay to the contest. Each essay must be double-spaced, 5-7
pages in length, include citations and reference lists according to APA professional standards and
include an abstract of no more than 100 words. A single cover sheet should specify the title,
author, and university. To permit blind reviewing, the author should not be cited or identified
within the essay.
Deadline:
The deadline for submissions is April 4th at 11:59 pm (CST). Papers should be submitted by
email to Sarah Epperson at sepperson@ua.edu. If you have any questions, please call Sarah at
205-348-5020.
Sponsor:
This essay contest is sponsored by IOP Services. Originally based in Birmingham and
now with locations in Huntsville and Tuscaloosa, IOP Services was created to fill a critical gap
in mental health care in Alabama. Students may contact IOP Services to learn more about the
services provided and specific challenges faced by the agency.