Social Work Advanced Standing Program (MSW)
The MSW program requires the completion of 23 credit hours, including a 600-hour internship. The program takes 10 months to complete for students that attend full-time (four classes per semester plus internship) or two years to complete for students who attend part-time (two courses per semester). The Advanced Standing MSW program begins in the Fall semester.
Eligibility
To be considered for the Advanced Standing program, the following requirements must be met:
- The applicant has earned a BSW from an institution accredited by the CSWE within the last five years prior to the start of the term to which they are applying, OR
- If the BSW has been received from an institution accredited by the CSWE more than five years prior to applying to the Advanced Standing program, the applicant must prove an active involvement in practicing the social work profession during the time between graduation and application to the program. Examples of how to prove this active involvement are certifications of employment and/or volunteer work and some level of officially recognized licensure in social work.
- 3.0 or higher overall GPA
Related Programs
Curriculum
Students must have completed a BSW degree at an accredited school of social work.
Students will complete 23 credit hours based on the requirements of their specialization.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Specialized Courses | ||
| Courses Required of All Students | ||
| SOWK 680 | Advanced Micro-Level Practice | 3 |
| SOWK 682 | Advanced Mezzo and Micro Practice 1 | 3 |
| or SOWK 681 | Advanced Mezzo & Macro Practice | |
| SWII 632 | Internship Instruction III & Simulated Experiences | 0.5 |
| SWII 632S | Integrative Seminar | 1 |
| SWII 633 | Internship Instruction IV & Simulated Experiences | 0.5 |
| Specializations & Tracks | 9 | |
| All students must choose a Specialization and Track. | ||
| Micro Practice Specialization | ||
| Schools/Professional Educator's License (PEL) Track | ||
| The Exceptional Child | ||
| School Social Work Policy and Practice I | ||
| School Social Work Policy and Practice II | ||
| Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselors (CADC) Track | ||
| Clinical Practice in Addiction | ||
| Substance Abuse Treatment in Groups | ||
| Introduction to Alcohol and Other Drug Disorders | ||
| Migration Studies Track | ||
| Immigration Dynamics and U.S. Social Policy | ||
| Social Work Practice with Refugees and Immigrants | ||
| Migration, Social Justice, and Human Rights | ||
| Advanced Clinical Practice Track | ||
3 Track Courses | ||
| See Course Options for the Advanced Clinical Track 2 | ||
| Leadership, Mezzo & Macro Practice (LMMP) Specialization | ||
| Leadership, Community, Advocacy, and Policy (LCAP) Track | ||
| Leadership & Supervision in Service Organizations | ||
| Organizations, Program Development, and Evaluation | ||
| Community Organizing and Policy Practice | ||
| Electives | ||
| All students will choose to take two electives. Any 600 or 700-level course may be considered an elective. | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 23 | |
- 1
Students who matriculated before Fall 2025 should take SOWK 681. Student who matriculated in Fall 2025 or after should take SOWK 682.
- 2
See Course Options for the Advanced Clinical Track.
Internship
The MSW Advanced Standing program requires a 600-hour internship, performed at the rate of 24 hours per week. Internships are typically on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during regular business hours.
Students may pursue an internship from fall-spring, spring-summer, or a limited number of summer block internships are available. A summer block consists of 35-40 hours per week, Monday-Friday, during regular business hours.
Specializations & Tracks Options
The Master of Social Work program have the following specialization and track options:
- Leadership, Mezzo, and Macro Practice (LMMP) Specialization
- Micro Practice Specialization
Suggested Sequence of Courses
The below sequence of courses is meant to be used as a suggested path for completing coursework. An individual student’s completion of requirements depends on course offerings in a given term as well as the start term for a major or graduate study. Students should consult their advisor for assistance with course selection.
Leadership, Mezzo, & Macro Practice (LMMP) Specialization
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| SOWK 652 | Organizations, Program Development, and Evaluation | 3 |
| SOWK 653 | Community Organizing and Policy Practice | 3 |
| SOWK 681 | Advanced Mezzo & Macro Practice | 3 |
| SWII 632 | Internship Instruction III & Simulated Experiences | 0.5 |
| SWII 632S | Integrative Seminar | 1 |
| Hours | 10.5 | |
| Spring | ||
| SOWK 650 | Leadership & Supervision in Service Organizations | 3 |
| SOWK 680 | Advanced Micro-Level Practice | 3 |
| SWII 633 | Internship Instruction IV & Simulated Experiences | 0.5 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 12.5 | |
| Total Hours | 23 | |
Micro Practice Specialization
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| SOWK 680 | Advanced Micro-Level Practice | 3 |
| SWII 632 | Internship Instruction III & Simulated Experiences | 0.5 |
| SWII 632S | Integrative Seminar | 1 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Track Course | 3 | |
| Track Course | 3 | |
| Hours | 13.5 | |
| Spring | ||
| SOWK 681 | Advanced Mezzo & Macro Practice | 3 |
| SWII 633 | Internship Instruction IV & Simulated Experiences | 0.5 |
| Track Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9.5 | |
| Total Hours | 23 | |
Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations
Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.
MSW Program Specialized Micro Learning Outcomes
Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant policies, laws, and regulations that may affect practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand that ethics are informed by principles of human rights and apply them toward realizing social, racial, economic, and environmental justice in their practice. Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision making and apply principles of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Social workers recognize and manage personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. Social workers understand how their evolving worldview, personal experiences, and affective reactions influence their professional judgment and behavior. Social workers take measures to care for themselves professionally and personally, understanding that self-care is paramount for competent and ethical social work practice. Social workers use rights-based, antiracist, and anti-oppressive lenses to understand and critique the profession’s history, mission, roles, and responsibilities and recognize historical and current contexts of oppression in shaping institutions and social work. Social workers understand the role of other professionals when engaged in interprofessional practice. Social workers recognize the importance of lifelong learning and are committed to continually updating their skills to ensure relevant and effective practice. Social workers understand digital technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice.
Social workers:
- Demonstrate professional use of self as a social worker, reflecting knowledge of personal professional strengths, limitations, challenges, and cooperatively resolving interpersonal conflicts.
- Demonstrate ethical use of advanced modalities in practice and any related technological applications in the micro field of social work.
- Recognize and manage ethical violations and resolve conflicting ethical obligations.
Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Social workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights. Social workers are knowledgeable about the global intersecting and ongoing injustices throughout history that result in oppression and racism, including social work’s role and response. Social workers critically evaluate the distribution of power and privilege in society in order to promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice by reducing inequities and ensuring dignity and respect for all. Social workers advocate for and engage in strategies to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social resources, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that civil, political, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected.
Social workers:
- Articulate human rights violations the client and client’s system are experiencing, including environmental and economic issues that endanger the health of the client system.
- Demonstrate understanding of the impact of intersectionality of marginalized identities, systemic racism, and associated oppressions and plan practice accordingly.
- Demonstrate ways in which social workers can advocate for human rights at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community system levels as it relates to the micro field of social work practice
Competency 3: Engage in Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice
Social workers understand how racism and oppression shape human experiences and how these two constructs influence practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community levels and in policy and research. Social workers understand the pervasive impact of White supremacy and privilege and use their knowledge, awareness, and skills to engage in anti-racist practice. Social workers understand how diversity and intersectionality shape human experiences and identity development and affect equity and inclusion. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of factors including but not limited to age, caste, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, generational status, immigration status, legal status, marital status, political ideology, race, nationality, religion and spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that this intersectionality means that a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege and power. Social workers understand the societal and historical roots of social and racial injustices and the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination. Social workers understand cultural humility and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, racial, technological, and cultural exclusions, may create privilege and power resulting in systemic oppression.
Social workers:
- Understand and demonstrate an understanding of anti-racism practice at the individual, group, organizational, community, research, and policy levels that will allow for diversity, equity, and inclusion practice in the micro-level field of social work.
- Demonstrate an understanding of discrimination patterns in society and how micro-level oppression impacts micro-level social work practice regarding race, class, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, age, and any other social categories in which oppression occurs.
- Demonstrate the ability to formulate how an anti-racist practice will advance the client and client system’s human rights.
Competency 4: Engage In Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice
Social workers use ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches in conducting research and building knowledge. Social workers use research to inform their practice decision making and articulate how their practice experience informs research and evaluation decisions. Social workers critically evaluate and critique current, empirically sound research to inform decisions pertaining to practice, policy, and programs. Social workers understand the inherent bias in research and evaluate design, analysis, and interpretation using an anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspective. Social workers know how to access, critique, and synthesize the current literature to develop appropriate research questions and hypotheses. Social workers demonstrate knowledge and skills regarding qualitative and quantitative research methods and analysis, and they interpret data derived from these methods. Social workers demonstrate knowledge about methods to assess reliability and validity in social work research. Social workers can articulate and share research findings in ways that are usable to a variety of clients and constituencies. Social workers understand the value of evidence derived from interprofessional and diverse research methods, approaches, and sources.
Social workers:
- Demonstrate understanding of and be able to contribute to the evaluation of social research regarding advanced micro practice.
- Critically evaluate and select potential practice models relevant to the client’s systems.
- Use their experience from their internship or practicum placement to identify real-life challenges and address the practical needs of clients
- Engage in partnerships with experienced social workers to help bridge the gap between theory and practice and broaden knowledge of social work practice as it relates to the micro field of social work.
Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
Social workers identify social policy at the local, state, federal, and global level that affects wellbeing, human rights and justice, service delivery, and access to social services. Social workers recognize the historical, social, racial, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. Social workers understand and critique the history and current structures of social policies and services and the role of policy in service delivery through rightsbased, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist lenses. Social workers influence policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation within their practice settings with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers actively engage in and advocate for anti-racist and anti-oppressive policy practice to effect change in those settings.
Social workers:
- Communicate to stakeholders and policymakers the implications of policies and policy change in the lives of clients.
- Conduct and design a plan for organizational analysis and change, working with relevant constituencies to evaluate interventions that impact clients and communities utilizing best practice models reflecting social work values, ethics, and the organization's mission.
- Collect, maintain, interpret, and analyze data from both internal and external organizational environments, the community of stakeholders, and diverse client groups to identify and prioritize social problems.
- Recognize how oppression and social injustice affect client groups, organizations, and communities and intervene proactively for human rights and justice.
- Understand strategies and techniques for advocating at local, state, and federal levels in policy development.
Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Social workers value the importance of human relationships. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to facilitate engagement with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are self-reflective and understand how bias, power, and privilege as well as their personal values and personal experiences may affect their ability to engage effectively with diverse clients and constituencies. Social workers use the principles of interprofessional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other professionals as appropriate.
Social workers:
- Apply culturally appropriate resources available to assist with problem-solving.
- Recognize and describe self-reflective competency in identifying bias, countertransference, and potential microaggressions when engaging diverse client systems.
- Implement and describe the use of reflective listening tools when needed to engage and empower members of families and groups.
Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and they critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in culturally responsive assessment with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Assessment involves a collaborative process of defining presenting challenges and identifying strengths with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities to develop a mutually agreed-upon plan. Social workers recognize the implications of the larger practice context in the assessment process and use interprofessional collaboration in this process. Social workers are self-reflective and understand how bias, power, privilege, and their personal values and experiences may affect their assessment and decision making.
Social workers:
- Collect and organize data to support their professional decision-making as well as demonstrate critical thinking to interpret information from clients and constituencies.
- Illustrate knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the analysis of assessment data from clients and constituencies, understanding the lack of political neutrality in their work.
- Exemplify a process in which mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives are generated based on the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within clients and constituencies in their social environment; and
- Convey a deeper understanding of how to select appropriate intervention strategies informed by assessment, research knowledge, and values and preferences of clients and constituencies through the exercise of antiracist practice principles.
Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human behavior, person-in-environment, and other interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and they critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in selecting culturally responsive interventions with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing, and implementing evidence-informed interventions and participate in interprofessional collaboration to achieve client and constituency goals. Social workers facilitate effective transitions and endings.
Social workers:
- Practices self-reflective understanding of the professional use of self in interventions with diverse types of client systems in order to understand and challenge oppressive social forces as well as to avoid perpetuating racist biases, microaggressions, and disempowerment of clients.
- Use supervision and consultation appropriate to developing skills for advanced and interdisciplinary practice.
- Demonstrate an ability to intervene collaboratively and collectively with clients in choosing treatment plans and their implementation.
Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers evaluate processes and outcomes to increase practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. Social workers apply anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspectives in evaluating outcomes. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes. Social workers use qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness.
Social workers:
- Demonstrate understanding of the logic and method of single case evaluation of practice from diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives.
- Competently demonstrate case evaluation, including identifying problems and their resolution, the fulfillment of goals co-identified with client, and managing systemic problems that impinge on client well-being.
- Demonstrate competence in incorporating client feedback processes in planning and carrying out the intervention plan.
MSW Program Specialized LMMP Learning Outcomes
Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant policies, laws, and regulations that may affect practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand that ethics are informed by principles of human rights and apply them toward realizing social, racial, economic, and environmental justice in their practice. Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision making and apply principles of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Social workers recognize and manage personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. Social workers understand how their evolving worldview, personal experiences, and affective reactions influence their professional judgment and behavior. Social workers take measures to care for themselves professionally and personally, understanding that self-care is paramount for competent and ethical social work practice. Social workers use rights-based, antiracist, and anti-oppressive lenses to understand and critique the profession’s history, mission, roles, and responsibilities and recognize historical and current contexts of oppression in shaping institutions and social work. Social workers understand the role of other professionals when engaged in interprofessional practice. Social workers recognize the importance of lifelong learning and are committed to continually updating their skills to ensure relevant and effective practice. Social workers understand digital technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice.
Social workers:
- Practice self-reflection and self-evaluation in working through competing personal and professional values.
- Apply and anti-racist and anti-oppressive framework to macro practice decision-making, considering NASW and IFSW ethical codes, research and practice-based knowledge, and applicable legal and policy information.
- Promote policies for organizational, community, and policy change that reflect social work values and challenge inequities.
- Demonstrate an understanding of social work supervision as an accountability mechanism in supporting ethical and professional social work practice.
- Identify discrimination and marginalization and prioritize the voices of affected populations.
Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Social workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights. Social workers are knowledgeable about the global intersecting and ongoing injustices throughout history that result in oppression and racism, including social work’s role and response. Social workers critically evaluate the distribution of power and privilege in society in order to promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice by reducing inequities and ensuring dignity and respect for all. Social workers advocate for and engage in strategies to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social resources, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that civil, political, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected.
Social workers:
- Integrate knowledge of international human rights conventions and covenants, as well as human rights theories and frameworks, into practice that addresses social, economic, and environmental justice.
- Critically examine the political process to participate in organizational, community, and policy change addressing human rights and social justice
- Identify human rights and justice issues of clients and constituents.
- Develop strategies to address human rights and justice issues and to evaluate outcomes with key stakeholders.
Competency 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice
Social workers understand how racism and oppression shape human experiences and how these two constructs influence practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community levels and in policy and research. Social workers understand the pervasive impact of White supremacy and privilege and use their knowledge, awareness, and skills to engage in anti-racist practice. Social workers understand how diversity and intersectionality shape human experiences and identity development and affect equity and inclusion. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of factors including but not limited to age, caste, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, generational status, immigration status, legal status, marital status, political ideology, race, nationality, religion and spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that this intersectionality means that a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege and power. Social workers understand the societal and historical roots of social and racial injustices and the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination. Social workers understand cultural humility and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, racial, technological, and cultural exclusions, may create privilege and power resulting in systemic oppression.
Social workers:
- Demonstrate proficiency in choosing and using a variety of communication styles to engage with people of various political ideologies, religious and cultural backgrounds, and points of view.
- Create engagement strategies that are inclusive and consider systems of power and intersectional identities, including areas of racism, sexism, nativism, etc.
- Recognize the discrepancies that may arise between respecting cultural differences of clients and constituencies and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Develop leadership and other teams that reflect the diversity of the communities in which they work.
Competency 4: Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice
Social workers use ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches in conducting research and building knowledge. Social workers use research to inform their practice decision making and articulate how their practice experience informs research and evaluation decisions. Social workers critically evaluate and critique current, empirically sound research to inform decisions pertaining to practice, policy, and programs. Social workers understand the inherent bias in research and evaluate design, analysis, and interpretation using an anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspective. Social workers know how to access, critique, and synthesize the current literature to develop appropriate research questions and hypotheses. Social workers demonstrate knowledge and skills regarding qualitative and quantitative research methods and analysis, and they interpret data derived from these methods. Social workers demonstrate knowledge about methods to assess reliability and validity in social work research. Social workers can articulate and share research findings in ways that are usable to a variety of clients and constituencies. Social workers understand the value of evidence derived from interprofessional and diverse research methods, approaches, and sources.
Social workers:
- Critically analyzes research results on best practices in management and supervision from a variety of disciplines.
- Develop research questions with input from stakeholders and analysis of how the research process may impact, both positively and negatively, clients, programs, organizations, communities, and/or policies. Intentionally include the voices and experiences of those most affected by any type of inequality into the research process
- Critically analyze research findings and practice models to inform practice at all levels of macro practice, including teams, organizations, community, and policy
- Identify possible barriers and resistance to the conduct and dissemination of research, as well as any ethical, political, and other dilemmas that may arise.
Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
Social workers identify social policy at the local, state, federal, and global level that affects wellbeing, human rights and justice, service delivery, and access to social services. Social workers recognize the historical, social, racial, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. Social workers understand and critique the history and current structures of social policies and services and the role of policy in service delivery through rights-based, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist lenses. Social workers influence policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation within their practice settings with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers actively engage in and advocate for anti-racist and anti-oppressive policy practice to effect change in those settings.
Social workers:
- Communicate to stakeholders and policymakers the implications of policies and policy change in the lives of clients.
- Conduct and design a plan of organizational analysis and change, working with relevant constituencies, to evaluate interventions that impact clients and communities utilizing best practice models reflecting social work values, ethics, and the mission of the organization.
- Collect, maintain, interpret, and analyze data from both internal and external organizational environments, the community of stakeholders and diverse client groups to identify and prioritize social problems.
- Recognize how oppression and social injustice affects client groups, organizations and communities and being proactive in intervening for human rights and justice.
- Understand strategies and techniques for advocating at local, state, and federal levels in policy development.
Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Social workers value the importance of human relationships. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to facilitate engagement with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are self-reflective and understand how bias, power, and privilege as well as their personal values and personal experiences may affect their ability to engage effectively with diverse clients and constituencies. Social workers use the principles of interprofessional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other professionals as appropriate.
Social workers:
- Demonstrate ability to identify a comprehensive range of stakeholders in the relevant practice setting: organization, community, and/or policy.
- Demonstrate self-awareness and professional behavior in engaging with individuals, teams, community groups and organizations.
- Demonstrate verbal, written, and digital skills to engage multiple, diverse constituencies.
- Understand and demonstrate effective group and team facilitation and mediation process skills that facilitate engagement and collaboration.
- Define and recognize their own and others’ leadership skills to effectively promote stakeholder engagement and change.
Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and they critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in culturally responsive assessment with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Assessment involves a collaborative process of defining presenting challenges and identifying strengths with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities to develop a mutually agreed-upon plan. Social workers recognize the implications of the larger practice context in the assessment process and use interprofessional collaboration in this process. Social workers are self-reflective and understand how bias, power, privilege, and their personal values and experiences may affect their assessment and decision making.
Social workers:
- Analyze power distributions to identify influential decision-makers, whether formal or informal, among individuals, teams, organizations, communities, and other institutional entities
- Identify and create mezzo and macro interventions based on an assessment and analysis of assets, needs, benefits, service gaps, rights, and power and resource distributions.
- Demonstrate ability to collaborate with stakeholders throughout the assessment process.
- Analyze collected data and communicate summaries of the data in written and oral form as appropriate.
- Present options for intervention based on data-informed assessments.
- Articulate the benefits and drawbacks of various metrics, analytical methods and tools, and data sources (primary & secondary, quantitative & qualitative)
Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human behavior, person-in-environment, and other interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and they critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in selecting culturally responsive interventions with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing, and implementing evidence-informed interventions and participate in interprofessional collaboration to achieve client and constituency goals. Social workers facilitate effective transitions and endings.
Social workers:
- Articulates ethically sound, social work value-centered supervision strategies for employees, including performance reviews and corrective action plans.
- Engage with stakeholders in the identification of issues and policies that impact individual well-being and the communities and organizations that support them.
- Mobilize constituents to participate and lead in issue analysis and formulation of corresponding advocacy agendas with effective strategies and tactics to advance meaningful change for social justice, equity, and inclusion.
- Participate in coalitions, networks, professional associations, and community based organizing efforts to leverage political capital to challenge unjust structures of power and effect positive change.
- Formulate and persuasively communicate cogent arguments through effective written and oral formats that reach diverse audiences and utilize varied platforms.
Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers evaluate processes and outcomes to increase practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. Social workers apply anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspectives in evaluating outcomes. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes. Social workers use qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness.
Social workers:
- Demonstrate ethical knowledge and awareness of evaluation guidelines that can be employed in assessment of practice and ensure confidentiality of engaged participants.
- Comprehend evaluation norms, benchmarks and guidelines as approved by NASW and CSWE that allow accurate and impartial assessments at all levels of social work practice.
- Illustrate comprehensive knowledge of human rights-based understanding of evaluation design, methods, approaches, and analysis that can be applied in simple to complex settings within social work mezzo and macro policy and organizational environments.
- Distinguish, explain, and apply various types of theories of change and logic models to understand systems thinking to identify and facilitate growth-oriented evaluative mindsets among all stakeholders.