Educational Policy 2.0—The Social Work Curriculum and Professional Practice

The explicit curriculum constitutes the program’s formal educational structure and includes the courses and the curriculum. Social work education is grounded in the liberal arts, which provide the intellectual basis for the professional curriculum and inform its design. The explicit curriculum achieves the program’s competencies through an intentional design that includes the generalist practice offered at the baccalaureate and master’s levels and the specialist curriculum offered at the master’s level. The BSW curriculum prepares its graduates for generalist practice through mastery of the core competencies. The MSW curriculum prepares its graduates for specialized practice through mastery of the core competencies augmented by knowledge and practice behaviors specific to a specialization.

 

Educational Policy 2.1—Core Competencies

Competency-based education is an outcome performance approach to curriculum design. Competencies are measurable practice behaviors that are comprised of knowledge, values, and skills. The goal of the outcome approach is to demonstrate the integration and application of the competencies in practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. The ten core competencies are listed below [EP 2.1.1–EP 2.1.10(d)], followed by a description of characteristic knowledge, values, skills, and the resulting practice behaviors that may be used to operationalize the curriculum and assessment methods. Programs may add competencies consistent with their missions and goals.

 

Educational Policy 2.1.1—Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly.

Social workers serve as representatives of the profession, its mission, and its core values. They know the profession’s history. Social workers commit themselves to the profession’s enhancement and to their own professional conduct and growth. Social workers

  • advocate for client access to the services of social work;
  • practice personal reflection and self-correction to assure continual professional development;
  • attend to professional roles and boundaries;
  • demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior, appearance, and communication;
  • engage in career-long learning; and
  • use supervision and consultation.

 

Educational Policy 2.1.2—Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice.

Social workers have an obligation to conduct themselves ethically and to engage in ethical decision-making. Social workers are knowledgeable about the value base of the profession, its ethical standards, and relevant law. Social workers

  • recognize and manage personal values in a way that allows professional values to guide practice;
  • make ethical decisions by applying standards of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics2 and, as applicable, of the International Federation of Social Workers/International Association of Schools of Social Work Ethics in Social Work, Statement of Principles;3
  • tolerate ambiguity in resolving ethical conflicts; and
  • apply strategies of ethical reasoning to arrive at principled decisions.

 

Educational Policy 2.1.3—Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments.

Social workers are knowledgeable about the principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and reasoned discernment. They use critical thinking augmented by creativity and curiosity. Critical thinking also requires the synthesis and communication of relevant information. Social workers

  • distinguish, appraise, and integrate multiple sources of knowledge, including research-based knowledge, and practice wisdom;
  • analyze models of assessment, prevention, intervention, and evaluation; and
  • demonstrate effective oral and written communication in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and colleagues.

 

Educational Policy 2.1.4—Engage diversity and difference in practice.

Social workers understand how diversity characterizes and shapes the human experience and is critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors including age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, political ideology, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. Social workers appreciate that, as a consequence of difference, a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege, power, and acclaim. Social workers

 

  • recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create or enhance privilege and power;
  • gain sufficient self-awareness to eliminate the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse groups;
  • recognize and communicate their understanding of the importance of difference in shaping life experiences; and
  • view themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants.

Educational Policy 2.1.5—Advance human rights and social and economic justice.

Each person, regardless of position in society, has basic human rights, such as freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, health care, and education. Social workers recognize the global interconnections of oppression and are knowledgeable about theories of justice and strategies to promote human and civil rights. Social work incorporates social justice practices in organizations, institutions, and society to ensure that these basic human rights are distributed equitably and without prejudice. Social workers

  • understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination;
  • advocate for human rights and social and economic justice; and
  • engage in practices that advance social and economic justice.
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Educational Policy 2.1.6—Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research.

Social workers use practice experience to inform research, employ evidence-based interventions, evaluate their own practice, and use research findings to improve practice, policy, and social service delivery. Social workers comprehend quantitative and qualitative research and understand scientific and ethical approaches to building knowledge. Social workers

  • use practice experience to inform scientific inquiry and
  • use research evidence to inform practice.

 

Educational Policy 2.1.7—Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.

Social workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across the life course; the range of social systems in which people live; and the ways social systems promote or deter people in maintaining or achieving health and well-being. Social workers apply theories and knowledge from the liberal arts to understand biological, social, cultural, psychological, and spiritual development. Social workers

  • utilize conceptual frameworks to guide the processes of assessment, intervention, and evaluation; and
  • critique and apply knowledge to understand person and environment.

 

Educational Policy 2.1.8—Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services.

Social work practitioners understand that policy affects service delivery, and they actively engage in policy practice. Social workers know the history and current structures of social policies and services; the role of policy in service delivery; and the role of practice in policy development. Social workers

  • analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance social well-being; and
  • collaborate with colleagues and clients for effective policy action.

 

Educational Policy 2.1.9—Respond to contexts that shape practice.

Social workers are informed, resourceful, and proactive in responding to evolving organizational, community, and societal contexts at all levels of practice. Social workers recognize that the context of practice is dynamic, and use knowledge and skill to respond proactively. Social workers

  • continuously discover, appraise, and attend to changing locales, populations, scientific and technological developments, and emerging societal trends to provide relevant services; and
  • provide leadership in promoting sustainable changes in service delivery and practice to improve the quality of social services.

 

Educational Policy 2.1.10(a)–(d)—Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Professional practice involves the dynamic and interactive processes of engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation at multiple levels. Social workers have the knowledge and skills to practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Practice knowledge includes identifying, analyzing, and implementing evidence-based interventions designed to achieve client goals; using research and technological advances; evaluating program outcomes and practice effectiveness; developing, analyzing, advocating, and providing leadership for policies and services; and promoting social and economic justice.

Educational Policy 2.1.10(a)—Engagement Social workers

  • substantively and affectively prepare for action with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities;

  • use empathy and other interpersonal skills; and

  • develop a mutually agreed-on focus of work and desired outcomes.

 

Educational Policy 2.1.10(b)—Assessment Social workers

  • collect, organize, and interpret client data;

  • assess client strengths and limitations;

  • develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives; and

  • select appropriate intervention strategies.

 

Educational Policy 2.1.10(c)—Intervention Social workers

  • initiate actions to achieve organizational goals;

  • implement prevention interventions that enhance client capacities;

  • help clients resolve problems;

  • negotiate, mediate, and advocate for clients; and

  • facilitate transitions and endings.

 

Educational Policy 2.1.10(d)—Evaluation

Social workers critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate interventions.

 

Educational Policy B2.2—Generalist Practice

Generalist practice is grounded in the liberal arts and the person and environment construct. To promote human and social well-being, generalist practitioners use a range of prevention and intervention methods in their practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. The generalist practitioner identifies with the social work profession and applies ethical principles and critical thinking in practice. Generalist practitioners incorporate diversity in their practice and advocate for human rights and social and economic justice. They recognize, support, and build on the strengths and resiliency of all human beings. They engage in research-informed practice and are proactive in responding to the impact of context on professional practice. BSW practice incorporates all of the core competencies.

 

Educational Policy M2.2—Specialized Practice

Specialized practitioners refine and advance the quality of social work practice and that of the larger social work profession. They synthesize and apply a broad range of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary knowledge and skills. In areas of specialization, specialized practitioners assess, intervene, and evaluate to promote human and social well-being. To do so they suit each action to the circumstances at hand, using the discrimination learned through experience and self-improvement. Specialized practice incorporates all of the core competencies augmented by knowledge and practice behaviors specific to a specialization.

 

Educational Policy 2.3—Signature Pedagogy: Field Education

Signature pedagogy represents the central form of instruction and learning in which a profession socializes its students to perform the role of practitioner. Professionals have pedagogical norms with which they connect and integrate theory and practice.4 In social work, the signature pedagogy is field education. The intent of field education is to connect the theoretical and conceptual contribution of the classroom with the practical world of the practice setting. It is a basic precept of social work education that the two interrelated components of curriculum—classroom and field—are of equal importance within the curriculum, and each contributes to the development of the requisite competencies of professional practice. Field education is systematically designed, supervised, coordinated, and evaluated based on criteria by which students demonstrate the achievement of program competencies.

 

Accreditation Standard B2.0—Curriculum

 

  • The 10 core competencies are used to design the professional curriculum. The program
  • B2.0.1 Discusses how its mission and goals are consistent with generalist practice as defined in EP B2.2.
  • B2.0.2 Identifies its competencies consistent with EP 2.1 through 2.1.10(d).
  • B2.0.3 Provides an operational definition for each of its competencies used in its curriculum design and its assessment [EP 2.1 through 2.1.10(d)].
  • B2.0.4 Provides a rationale for its formal curriculum design demonstrating how it is used to develop a coherent and integrated curriculum for both classroom and field (EP 2.0).
  • B2.0.5 Describes and explains how its curriculum content (knowledge, values, and skills) implements the operational definition of each of its competencies.

 

Accreditation Standard M2.0—Curriculum

 

  • The 10 core competencies are used to design the generalist and specialized curriculum. The specialized curriculum builds on and applies the core competencies in an area(s) of specialization. The program
  • M2.0.1 Identifies its specialization(s) (EP M2.2).
  • M2.0.2 Discusses how its mission and goals are consistent with specialized practice (EP M2.2).
  • M2.0.3 Identifies its program competencies consistent with EP 2.1 through 2.1.10(d) and EP M2.2.
  • M2.0.4 Provides an operational definition for each of the competencies used in its curriculum design and its assessment [EP 2.1 through 2.1.10(d); EP M2.2].
  • M2.0.5 Provides a rationale for its formal curriculum design (generalist and specialized), demonstrating how it is used to develop a coherent and integrated curriculum for both classroom and field (EP 2.0).
  • M2.0.6 Describes and explains how its curriculum content (relevant theories and conceptual frameworks, values, and skills) implements the operational definition of each of its competencies.

 

Accreditation Standard 2.1—Field Education

*The program discusses how its field education program

  • 2.1.1 Connects the theoretical and conceptual contribution of the classroom with the practice setting, fostering the implementation of evidence-informed practice.
  • B2.1.2 Provides generalist practice opportunities for students to demonstrate the core competencies.
  • M2.1.2 Provides specialized practice opportunities for students to demonstrate the program’s competencies. 2.1.3 Provides a minimum of 400 hours of field education for baccalaureate programs and 900 hours for master's programs. 2.1.4 Admits only those students who have met the program's specified criteria for field education. 2.1.5 Specifies policies, criteria, and procedures for selecting field settings; placing and monitoring students; maintaining field liaison contacts with field education settings; and evaluating student learning and field setting effectiveness congruent with the program’s competencies.
  • 2.1.6 Specifies the credentials and practice experience of its field instructors necessary to design field learning opportunities for students to demonstrate program competencies. Field instructors for baccalaureate students hold a baccalaureate or master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program. Field instructors for master's students hold a master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program. For cases in which a field instructor does not hold a CSWE-accredited social work degree, the program assumes responsibility for reinforcing a social work perspective and describes how this is accomplished. 2.1.7 Provides orientation, field instruction training, and continuing dialog with field education settings and field instructors. 2.1.8 Develops policies regarding field placements in an organization in which the student is also employed. To ensure the role of student as learner, student assignments and field education supervision are not the same as those of the student’s employment.

2 National Association of Social Workers (approved 1996, revised 1999). Code of Ethics for Social Workers. Washington, DC: NASW.
3 International Federation of Social Workers and International Association of Schools of Social Work. (2004). Ethics in Social Work, Statement of Principles. Retrieved January 2, 2008 from http://www.ifsw.org

4 Shulman, L. S. (2005, Summer). Signature pedagogies in the professions. Daedelus, 52-59.