ABOUT
Welcome, I’m Dr. Dwayne Buckingham, Founder of the Business Academy for Social Workers (BASW).
I am excited that you decided to learn more about me and the academy. To respect your time, let me introduce myself by answering TWO very important questions.
Question #1: Who Am I?
My Story
- Second youngest of eight children
- Raised by my single-parent mother in St. Louis, MO in the Ghetto
- My once a month visiting father told me that I was not his son when I was 10 years old; never saw him again
- Grew-up in a one-bedroom apartment without hot water or heat
- Did not have a bathtub
- Used a woodstove and kerosene heater to keep warm
- Wore secondhand clothes
- Witnessed the negative aspects of violence and mental illness
- Shared my sleeping space with rats and roaches
- My mother passed due to cancer when I was 17 years old
- Financial Hardship – did not have two pennies to rub together
Totaled my car after falling asleep while driving on the highway headed to college my freshman year
Was robbed at gun-point while visiting the library during college break my sophomore year
My 17 year-old nephew, 35-year-old cousin and 22 year-old friend were murdered while I was in college
Managed to graduate from Jackson State University and Michigan State University
My Accomplishments
What I did…
- Became a social worker so that I can help people overcome their hardships.
- Became a successful businessman so that I can help other mental health professionals do the same while also creating a financial legacy for my children.
- Won 2012 Senior Social Worker of the Year from United States Public Health Service.
- Received 6 United States Air Force Commendation Medals.
- Received a National Defense Service Medal.
- Received a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
- Received a Presidential Unit Citation in response to the Ebola outbreak.
- Retired after serving 22 years on active-duty in the USAF/USPHS
Over 24 years in Social Work
- Case Worker, Mental Health Clinician, Substance Abuse Counselor, Psychotherapist, Telemental Health Guru, etc.
- Retired Veteran, USAF/USPHS
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker to over 30,000 clients from around the world
- Commissioned Officer, USPHS
My Business Acumen
- President and CEO, Buckingham Consulting Group, LLC a 6-Figure consulting firm
- President, The Empathy and Resilience Center, Inc. 501 (3) (c)
- Founder, You Deserve More Community
- Founder, vPsychotherapy
- Author x 11, plus Filmmaker x 4
- 2017 DMV Entrepreneur of the Year from Wes Adams’ State’s Attorney Office
My Personal Life
- Married to my God-sent wife, Sandia
- Father to my “Whys’ – Dwayne Jr. and Layla
- World traveler, basketball player, gym goer
Question #2: Why Did I launch BASW?
Like thousands of social workers from around the world, I built a business and realized that I was not very smart when it came to business. When I launched my consulting and counseling firm in 2008, I spent a $15,000.00 in less than two weeks and did not get a return on my investment (ROI).
I allowed my passion to cloud my judgement. I ignored obvious signs that indicated that I was making bad business decisions. However, I continued down the same path hoping and thinking that things would turn around financially because my heart was in the right place. Wrong Kind of Thinking!
Every business needs to generate sufficient capital in the form of resources and fair compensation to operate and thrive. If you can’t generate the necessary capital then your business and your provision of service won’t succeed. It may survive but it won’t succeed and thrive. Particularly social work and counseling businesses need to generate sufficient capital in order to provide quality service to those in need and specifically to vulnerable populations.
My financial situation did not improve over time and I found myself struggling to sustain and scale my business. Given this, I decided that no other social worker should have to endure what I endured…operating a passion-driven business without sufficient capital, without the resources and revenues necessary for my business to operate and thrive and to compensate me at a competitive level of compensation for the service I was providing to and in my business.
The academy hosts live on-line courses, on-demand courses and in-person workshops, which allows social workers to earn easily accessible and free CEUs while also developing knowledge in business development and entrepreneurship. Training and coaching is designed to help you move progressively from idea generation to innovation to impact. Through instructional webinars, videos, community forum discussions, access to live Q&As and other resources you will experience growth both personally and professionally.
In summary I say to you, if you can thrive on a job that gives you a paycheck, you can prosper in your own business and learn how to write paychecks for others. I tell you this to inspire you as social workers and counselors so you can enhance the quality of your life and the lives of others to be able to live the best lives possible and provide the best service possible.
Membership
At BASW, you’ll get the instruction and tools you need to launch VPF businesses, accelerate your compensation growth and build financial prosperity.
Membership in BASW is a 6-month commitment for inspiring and established entrepreneurs.
Social workers are trained in understanding human development and are extremely skilled in fighting social injustices and empowering people, but many social workers lack the business and entrepreneurial acumen need to prosper in business. Thousands of social workers start private practices, only to find themselves struggling with scaling their businesses and acquiring financial compensation comparable to other helping professionals such as nurses, psychologists and psychiatrists. This in return causes a percentage of social workers to occasionally question their value to society from a compensation perspective.
Social workers join BASW to enjoy an array of training opportunities and to work collaboratively to enhance their economic positioning in society. BASW members also enhance their corporate positioning in order to educate other business owners about their corporate social responsibility.
Remaining on the frontline of social empowerment can cause some social workers and counselors to suffer emotionally, psychologically and even financially. Membership in BASW makes it possible for social workers to continue the fight for those who cannot fight for themselves while also creating the lifestyle they desire as vital contributors to this nation.
Enrollment and Course Dates
Enrollment in BASW is a 12-month commitment.
March & September – Enrollment
April & October – Access to Business Courses
CEUs Approval
Buckingham Consulting Consulting Group, LLC is an approved sponsor by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval #886814760) for Category I and Category II continuing education credits.
We are also in the process of becoming an approved sponsor by the ASWB.
Become an Ambassador
Not only can you join BASW and learn how to grow your business, you can get rewarded financially as our partner.
We love partnering with entrepreneurs, organizations, and independent businesses who also serve vulnerable populations.
Commission rate
You’ll earn 20% commission on every course or product your referred customers buy from our store. Also, you will earn 40% commission when your referred colleagues join BASW.
Click here to become a partner and start earning PASSIVE income immediately while also helping others thrive.