importance of community education and training in social work

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Introduction—community development in social work education: themes for a changing world

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Catherine Forde, Deborah Lynch, Athena Lathouras, Introduction—community development in social work education: themes for a changing world, Community Development Journal , Volume 56, Issue 4, October 2021, Pages 561–565, https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsab027

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Community Development occupies a marginal and sometimes uncertain place in Social Work education, particularly in the Global North ( Hanna and Ife, 2019 ; Westoby et al. , 2019 ) leading to questions about its relevance in a neoliberal Social Work environment that focuses on individuals and on actions to manage risk. This environment restricts collective and generative practices that attempt to engage groups and communities in processes of social change. In contemporary global conditions that bring pressing new challenges and widening polarities, Community Development’s place in Social Work needs urgent re-examination ( Forde and Lynch, 2015 ). What is the place of Community Development within Social Work education? How can Community Development pedagogy enable Social Work students to identify and pursue social justice and human rights goals? In what ways can qualifying Social Work education prepare practitioners to use Community Development in a range of contexts and settings? What can Community Development knowledge and ideas bring to the new and emerging challenges facing Social Work?

In 2018, the Joint World Social Work, Education and Social Development (SWSD) conference in Dublin drew social work educators and practitioners from around the globe. Participating in a workshop on Community Development in Social Work education, it became clear that educators from across the five continents were grappling with the effects of neoliberalism on Social Work. In every country neoliberal policies and practices have moved education and practice towards individualised, behavioural and problem-based approaches and understandings ( Fenton, 2019 ). Educators expressed concern about the marginalization of Community Development within Social Work training but strongly agreed that teaching Community Development on Social Work programmes enables students to think critically and consider collective and grassroots approaches that can both complement and enhance their practice as Social Workers.

Since 2018 much has changed globally and the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has thrown many important issues into relief, including democracy versus authoritarianism, personal freedoms versus public safety, economy versus environment and colonialism versus decolonialization. Rosie Meade’s editorial in the Community Development Journal ( April 2020 ) identifies a set of key social, political, economic and environmental questions that arise in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In her response, Sue Kenny writes about how COVID-related circumstances are creating new challenges for groups and communities. She argues for critical changes to social arrangements and the need for community organising drawing on fundamental principles of social and environmental justice and deliberative democracy ( Kenny, 2020 ). She highlights the urgency of what lies ahead and how current responses will be crucial in finding a way forward to address global concerns and future sustainability in the context of climate change. Similar questions confront Social Work. Fong et al. (2018 ) identify twelve ‘grand challenges’ (GCSW) for American Social Work, however most of these challenges also face Social Work beyond the United States. Fong et al. speak of meeting these challenges through creating ‘new partnerships, deep engagement with local communities, and innovations to strengthen individual and collective assets’ (ibid, p. 10; see also Field et al. , 2020 ). This task will involve ‘everyone: families, communities, researchers, educators, practitioners and policymakers—all working together to achieve social progress’ (ibid, p. 16). The grand challenges include responding to environmental change with creativity, using digital technology for social good, reducing economic inequality and achieving economic opportunity and justice. This themed section will address these key areas and will be based on three main premises. Firstly, grounding Social Work teaching in values such as social justice and human rights, critical thinking and working collectively helps to nurture dynamic, innovative forms of practice that can respond to community and societal issues. Secondly, critical and network thinking can foster new ideas and facilitate influence in key areas including decision-making and policymaking where new thinking is needed now more than ever. Thirdly, engaging in a vigorous interchange of knowledge, practice and skills between disciplines like Community Development and Social Work strengthens these areas of work, side-steps separate and distinct professional silos and emphasises the importance of humanistic values and approaches.

The authors of the five articles are social work educators who teach Community Development and Community Pedagogy on Social Work programmes in different countries and contexts in the Global South and Global North. All are educators and researchers and several have experience of engaging in policymaking processes. Inclusion of ideas and experiences from different countries and parts of the world provides a wide-angle lens to explore these critical themes and discuss challenges for teaching social work students in the contemporary context. This themed section offers a unique opportunity to share rich pedagogical and practice knowledge from a wide range of contexts.

In the first paper Lynch, Lathouras and Forde identify the need for pedagogical approaches to prepare social workers for shifting and demanding social, economic, political and environmental conditions. Through the lens of key community development principles—connected, relational and critical—the paper explores the challenges and opportunities facing educators, social work students and practitioners. The authors argue for the generation of a process of collaborative critical inquiry between educators, students and the wider social work field. The goal is to engage students in reflective praxis enriched by contemporary theory and research and to foster a deep perspective and engagement on global and local issues that produces adaptable, critical and connected practitioners.

In a world in which borders have become more porous but also more contested, it is crucial to explore how a sense of community and agency can be preserved by those who move across geographical boundaries. Marlowe and Chubb’s paper presents a longitudinal digital ethnography that examines how people from refugee backgrounds maintain relationships and community when separated from their communities of origin, and how online activism emanates from their situations. The paper argues that migrants’ use of online spaces represents an opportunity to explore the implications for social work and community development. Using the theory of the social organization of difference, this paper articulates the challenges and possibilities of digitization for social work and community development pedagogy and practice.

The climate crisis demands responses that traverse north–south global divides and bring critical ecological approaches to the forefront of practices and pedagogy in social work and cognate disciplines like community development. Located within the contemporary socio-geopolitical context Ranta-Tyrkkö and Närhi mark out a new phase of ‘ecosocial transition in social work’ which they discuss as an emerging form of community-based practice. Drawing on primary discursive research into students’ attitudes to the introduction of ecosocial pedagogy to the social work curriculum, the paper isolates and discusses the key elements of this pedagogy. The aim of the paper is to nurture and empower a new generation of practitioners equipped to engage in ecosocial practices with relevant knowledge, and with a range of conceptual as well as practical tools.

The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates a renewed emphasis on critical social work practice approaches. In India, the catastrophic effect of the pandemic compounds the prevailing neoliberal landscape in which poverty is widespread and elites including corporations exert increasing control. In her paper Vyas reflects on the ‘messiness’ and complexity of the Indian community practice field, in which social work, community development and Community Organization co-exist. She questions how community practice educators should respond to the continuing concerns of poverty, inequality and vulnerability. The paper concludes by arguing for a critical, counter-hegemonic and value-infused curriculum to develop future community practitioners capable of political analysis and action.

The shifting social, economic and political context and its implications for community development practice and pedagogy on social work programmes is the theme of Anleu-Hernández and García-Moreno’s paper. The paper examines the continuing socio-economic crisis in Spain and its impact on social policy, the social work profession and on professional social work formation. Drawing on an in-depth documentary review the paper seeks to establish the extent and nature of community development pedagogy on social work programmes in Spain and specifically in Catalonia. The paper reignites debate about the position of community development in both the education and practice of the social work discipline.

A post-COVID-19 world is not yet imagined. As we write this editorial, the COVID-19 pandemic continues as an unfolding tragedy with deep and devastating impacts across many regions and countries of the world. Now more than ever, we see the fault lines which expose and reveal the economic, health and social disparities between peoples within and between nations and the environmental crisis that affects everyone. Grounded in the pre-eminent value of social justice as embodied in the practices and perspectives of social workers, in this themed section we move forward together with hope to meet the challenges of this human crisis of our times.

Fenton , J. ( 2019 ) Talkin’ about iGeneration: a new era of individualistic social work practice?   British Journal of Social Work , 50 , 1238 – 1257 , accessed at:   https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcz099   (20 August 2020) .

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Fong , R. , Lubben , J. , Barth , R. P. ( 2018 ) Grand challenges for social work and society , Oxford Scholarship Online , 1–18 , accessed at:   10.1093/oso/9780190858988.001.0001   (1 July 2020) .

Forde , C. and Lynch , D. ( 2015 ) Social Work and Community Development: A Critical Practice Perspective , Palgrave Macmillan , Basingstoke, UK .

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Hanna , A. and Ife , J. ( 2019 ) Community development and social work – creating field education opportunities for social work students , New Community , 16 ( 4 ), 48 – 51 .

Kenny , S. ( 2020 ) Covid-19 and community development , Community Development Journal , 55 ( 4 ), 699 – 703 , accessed at:   https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsaa020   (29 October 2020) .

Meade , R. R. ( 2020 ) CDJ editorial – what is this Covid-19 crisis?   Community Development Journal , 55 ( 3 ), 379 – 381 , accessed at: . https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsaa013   (29 October 2020) .

Westoby , P. , Lathouras , A. , Shevellar , L. ( 2019 ) Radicalising community development within social work through popular education – a participatory action research project , British Journal of Social Work , 49 ( 8 ), 2207 – 2225   accessed at:   https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcz022   (1 July 2020) .

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The Critical Role of Community Development in Social Work Education

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• Narayan Gopalkrishnan 3  

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Social work, and social work education, is increasingly challenged by the changing nature of the globalized environments that it works within. The local and the global are deeply intertwined, leading to complex transnational problems and shared risks that continue to impact heavily on communities. Cultural diversity plays a key role in this, providing a number of opportunities as well as threats to the ways in which people and communities interact. This chapter explores some of the responses of the social work profession in India and Australia to the challenges experienced in the globalized world and discusses these responses in relation to human rights and social justice. The role of community development in this context is then examined, and its relevance to social work education is discussed. We argue that traditional forms of community development have not been very effective at working with diversity and look towards new ways in which professionals can engage with this realm of activity. The chapter closes with an exploration of possible future directions for social work educators to consider.

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Gopalkrishnan, N. (2020). The Critical Role of Community Development in Social Work Education. In: Ponnuswami, I., Francis, A.P. (eds) Social Work Education, Research and Practice . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9797-8_8

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• Am J Public Health
• v.107(Suppl 3); Dec 2017

Advancing Social Work Education for Health Impact

All authors contributed to the conceptualization, writing, editing, and revision of the article.

Social work education plays a critical role in preparing social workers to lead efforts that improve health. Because of the dynamic health care landscape, schools of social work must educate students to facilitate health care system improvements, enhance population health, and reduce medical costs.

We reviewed the existing contributions of social work education and provided recommendations for improving the education of social workers in 6 key areas: aging, behavioral health, community health, global health, health reform, and health policy. We argue for systemic improvement in the curriculum at every level of education, including substantive increases in content in health, health care, health care ethics, and evaluating practice outcomes in health settings.

Schools of social work can further increase the impact of the profession by enhancing the curricular focus on broad content areas such as prevention, health equity, population and community health, and health advocacy.

Social work has long played an important role in the promotion of human health and well-being. Starting with the settlement house movement, social workers have led and participated in public health efforts to promote population health. Today, social workers are deeply integrated into health settings, with close to one half of all social workers employed in such settings, with additional growth expected over the next decade. 1

Because of the dynamic changes in the health arena, it is helpful to better understand the origins of the involvement of social work in health. Although the inception of the profession lays in community and public health, the professionalization of social work in the 20th century resulted in several distinct areas of practice. Early hospital social work evolved into medical social work, which prioritized clinical practice roles and emphasized individual and family services within health care institutions. Public health social work, which linked both clinical and macrosocial work to epidemiology, case finding, prevention, and health promotion, remained a smaller area of practice. 2 The demands of the current era suggest that a renewed focus on public health–informed approaches can unite the disparate activities of health social work and expand the impact of the profession.

Major national health issues, such as problems presented by an aging population, chronic conditions, emerging and reemerging infections, and the profound health inequalities that result from social injustice, require significant recalibration of social work education. To respond to these challenges, social work must broaden its practice to include a specific focus on improving patient care and the best ways this can be accomplished, strengthen outcome evaluation to underscore the value of the profession, and widen the practice lens to engage more in prevention, population health, advocacy, and health equity promotion. Although dual-degree programs in social work and public health have long emphasized the importance of educating social workers in these areas, only a small number of students complete these programs each year. Thus, as the profession expands into the new arena, a broader set of social work skills is needed by all social workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that health and behavioral health will be the fastest growing practice areas for the social work profession, with almost one half of all social workers in 2024 employed in these areas. 3 Furthermore, all social work students can benefit from learning about health because it is important in every practice setting and for all individuals across the life span. 4

Unfortunately, content related to improving public health is limited in all levels of social work education. 5 Many leaders of the profession understand the need for a serious reassessment of social work education in health. 6 A 2014 summit of 50 social work leaders, educators, and practitioners identified numerous ways to maximize the role of the profession in health. 7 The ensuing report suggested improvements in social work education; these included the integration of health policy literacy content, leadership development training, and other skills needed in new health practice environments. The report also emphasized the importance of interprofessional education and affirmed the need for additional social work effectiveness research.

Building upon this work, the Boston University Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health (CISWH) created 7 learning communities relevant to the collaboration of social work with public health: health reform, community health, aging, behavioral health, policy, global health, and advancing social work education in health. 8 The mission of the CISWH is “to expand the impact of social work in health, public health, and global health in order to reduce health costs, improve outcomes and the patient experience, and to promote population health and health equity nationally and globally.” The CISWH uses the learning community model 9 to engage national experts and stakeholders in the areas that were chosen because they are high priorities in public health social work, and together they can best fulfill the mission of the center. Each learning community identified challenges and suggested solutions to expand the impact of social work in health reform, community health, aging, behavioral health, policy, and global health. The social work education learning community is elucidating the challenges, gaps, and opportunities associated with each of these 6 content areas as they relate to improving social work education.

We examined these areas to determine existing social work educational opportunities and to further identify ways to strengthen such training (see the box on page S233 for a summary of social work education recommendations related to each area). Social work education includes baccalaureate (BSW), master (MSW), and doctoral (DSW or PhD) degrees. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) creates core competencies and oversees accreditation for BSW and MSW programs. 10 The Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education has created guidelines related to educational quality in social work PhD programs. 11

SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION RECOMMENDATIONS

Health reform.

• Educate all social work students on health policy, including specific content on health care reform and its implications for social work and for health care financing.
• Focus on teaching the skills needed for both practice and leadership in health, such as care management and coordination, navigation, integration, collaborative work with community health workers, interprofessional team science, prevention and population health skills, health information technology, health literacy, participation and leadership in patient-centered health teams and Accountable Care Organizations, quality improvement, and evaluation of social work outcomes and value in health settings.

Community Health

• Teach students to think broadly about and to conceptualize practice in the health of all communities and community settings.
• Ensure students emerge with the skills to assess and map communities, including the capacity to use large data sets; participate in community-based participatory research; and to use social epidemiology to inform community-health activities.
• Ensure all students graduate with knowledge and skills in community organizing and culturally responsive engagement in community practice.
• Incorporate community and public health concepts and theories into social work courses.
• Provide students with interprofessional classroom and field placement opportunities at the community level.
• Train students to collaborate with and supervise community health workers.
• Include content on coalition-building and cross-sectoral work with nontraditional partners, such as businesses and other types of organizations.
• Teach students about emerging community health impact assessment tools and how they can be used to promote community health.
• Use resources from the National Center of Gerontological Social Work Education.
• Provide content on aging and health to all social work students.
• Involve students in interprofessional initiatives to promote healthy aging.
• Integrate concepts of productive aging and “healthy aging” to enable students to participate in maximizing the aging process.
• Educate students to integrate the concepts of healthy aging into their practice.
• Educate students about health promotion initiatives and integrating prevention in health aging.
• Prepare students to be leaders and evaluators of the emerging field of telehealth and technology assistance initiatives for older adults.

Behavioral Health

• Strengthen the transition to behavioral health by collocating and integrating content on behavioral health and substance abuse in practice courses.
• Use resources from the Social Work and Integrated Care Project, and prioritize the integrated health model as the primary method for teaching health social work.
• Include prevention, evaluation, and team leadership skills needed in behavioral and integrated health settings.
• Require students to take a discrete course in health policy that will cover all aspects of health, including health care reform.
• Encourage and equip students to pursue policy careers by establishing policy practice concentrations, in which policy analysis, advocacy, and implementation skills are taught.
• Teach students how to conduct health policy implementation studies.
• Create an online, updatable directory of social workers employed in policy and legislative settings nationwide to foster policymaking internships.
• Use resources from the Coalition for Policy Education and Practice in Social Work, Social Work Policy Institute and Influencing Social Policy Organization.

Global Health

• Establish global health as a specific area of research and learning.
• Create opportunities for students and faculty to engage in global health learning opportunities, including field placement, research, and teaching opportunities, as well as collaborations with schools of public health.
• Integrate content on global health into curricula, including global public health and social work, ethics of social work in global settings, disaster responsiveness, cultural humility, and the promotion of community resilience.
• Link to major organizations that prioritize global health, identify social workers in global health practice, and integrate major priorities of leading health organizations into social work curricula.

HEALTH REFORM

When passed into law in 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) 12 increased access to care by expanding insurance coverage, improving the health care delivery system, and increasing public health capabilities to improve overall health outcomes. The ACA fundamentally changed the health system by shifting from acute, disease-focused interventions to person-centered, preventative, and coordinated care. Although the future of the ACA is unclear because of ongoing efforts to repeal and replace it, the initiatives and reforms that resulted from its enactment highlighted the important roles social work can play in health care innovation.

The goals of health reform connected to the historical disciplinary competence of social work emphasize life span, ecological, and human development frameworks while underscoring the role of social, familial, and environmental factors in health. 6 Because of its micro (individual), mezzo (small communities), and macro (population) practice competencies, social work is well-positioned to continue to build upon its strengths to work within and provide leadership to the many possible changes that may occur. 6,13 Various efforts in patient navigation, care management, patient-centered medical homes, and accountable care organizations provide evidence of the diversity and value of social work to contemporary health.

However, as the Social Work & the Affordable Care Act: Maximizing the Profession’s Role in Health Reform summit report reflects, 7 social work education must change if social workers are to achieve the skills needed for leadership in improving the health of the nation. Social workers at all levels, from those with BSWs to those who are continuing their education, need additional knowledge and skills to practice effectively. This analysis suggests that a key skillset has emerged for successful practice in health. First, because of the complexity and impact of the health system, all social workers need a basic understanding of health policy. Every social worker is somehow involved with individuals, communities, and systems that influence the social determinants of health. Health affects every single individual in this country. Issues related to health transcend every social work practice setting. 4,5 Second, practitioners must accordingly understand how to engage in quality improvement as it relates to promoting a healthy population and increasing health equity. Third, social work educators must teach students to engage in practice outcome evaluation so they can demonstrate the value of their work. Finally, all social workers need to be able to engage in prevention and population health improvement. 13

These skills can be further delineated according to level of education. For instance, at the BSW level, schools can emphasize learning in community health work, case management, and navigation. At the MSW level, roles can expand to include care coordination, chronic disease management, community health advocacy, prevention, and public health approaches to address health inequality. At the doctoral level, students can be encouraged to work across disciplines, to integrate public health content into their doctoral education and to choose dissertation topics that focus on social work and health system improvement.

COMMUNITY HEALTH

The development of healthy communities is essential to achieving health equity for all US residents. Historically, social workers, particularly those in public health, have played key roles in community health. However, in recent decades, social work has emphasized the acquisition of clinical practice skills for work with individuals, families, and small groups. Yet, the education of students for community health is central to promoting the health impact of the profession and achieving health equity.

At the close of the 19th century, Jane Addams wrote about the importance of community health, citizen organization, and community engagement for the betterment of all people. 14 More recently, the National Prevention Strategy called for the development of partnerships among government, industry, and private sector entities to improve population health and achieve health equity. 15 Community health social work can be central to these partnerships, which are accomplished by 4 strategic directives: creating healthy, safe communities; expanding clinical and community-based preventive services; empowering people to make healthy choices; and eliminating health disparities. 15 Each relies on citizen participation and cross-sectoral partnerships to help bring about community development, improved population health, 16 and sustained change. 15 For example, community coalitions maximize opportunities for citizens to bring about sustained change. 17 Coalitions help build community capacities that enhance the work of community-based organizations, faith institutions, schools, parks, cultural institutions, and small businesses, which help communities and neighborhoods provide health promotion activities. 18 Public health social work, in particular, is capable of providing support and leadership in the multilevel strategies needed for creating community health, but these efforts require broad knowledge of prevention. Yet social work research, practice, and theories underpinning prevention remain underdeveloped. 19

To bring the field forward, practitioners must connect their work to prevention theories that focus on current efforts to achieve health equity. 20 Macrolevel practice competencies, first developed by social workers and later adopted by public health practitioners, help to increase health promotion; however, the case for the use of macrosocial work competencies in improving community-level health has not been widely stated. 21

Social work educators can address this deficiency by incorporating public health in their courses. Educators must emphasize interprofessional collaborations that teach undergraduate and graduate students across both fields how to develop community collaborations using multilevel, ecological theories and building local policies, resources, and capacities for health equity. BSW and MSW interprofessional internships that require students to learn both clinical and community practice skills are needed. Social network analyses, coalition building, and community group facilitation are examples of community practice skills that can facilitate the building of health equity. At the doctoral level, community-based participatory research skills are essential to building the scholarly competence of the profession in community health.

Advances in medical technology and public health have led to increased life expectancy. However, increasing age remains a well-established risk factor for the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. 22 Older people often live with multiple chronic conditions that require significant formal and informal resources. Social work and other public health professions possess disciplinary competencies that enable them to play a role in advocating for and optimizing the allocation and use of such resources. In the next decades, interprofessional efforts will assist aging populations to adapt to aging-related life span issues and manage chronic conditions.

The impact of the population shift on an aging society is enormous, perhaps best underscored by a statistic from a Pew Charitable Trust report. 23 The report noted that on January 1, 2011, and every day for the next 19 years, 10 000 Americans would turn 65 years old. 23 The inclusion of foreign-born Americans increases those projections, and results in 80 million new retirees seeking entitlements, including health care, during the next 16 years. 23 As the number of older Americans increases, they will require more health-related resources than will their younger counterparts and have greater risk for disadvantages in health outcomes.

Encouragingly, the CSWE National Center of Gerontological Social Work Education (GeroEd Center) provides a wide variety of educational materials for educating BSW and MSW social work students on aging ( https://www.cswe.org/Centers-Initiatives/Centers/Gero-Ed-Center/Educational-Resources ). In addition, the GeroEd Center provides resources at professional meetings and for continuing education. Yet, although social work education has made progress in integrating content on aging, reforms are necessary 24 ; too few students are taught gerontology, and only a small minority specializes in aging. All BSW and MSW social workers should graduate with a fundamental understanding of aging, gerontology, and health and doctoral students need training in research and advanced clinical practice in these areas.

Finally, although much of aging practice is clinical in nature, opportunities exist for broader efforts. For instance, public health–informed social work can lead interprofessional initiatives to promote healthy aging, prepare society to work effectively with the increasing numbers of older people with multiple chronic diseases, and engage in secondary prevention.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Because social workers constitute a large percentage of the behavioral health workforce, the profession is able to shape a new service-delivery model consistent with the principles of prevention, integrated health care, and health equity. Social workers, who are already dominant in these areas, are likely to fill emerging roles in behavioral health. 3,25 Preparing social workers to navigate a changing landscape of health care delivery will equip them for leadership positions on health care teams, and can facilitate opportunities for integrated health models that reduce disparities and promote equity. 26

Recent Health Resources and Services Administration funded projects have incentivized social work programs to develop training models that prepare MSW graduates for behavioral health practice in integrated health, leading to an increase in behavioral health education within social work. Effective preparation for behavioral health is characterized by a focus on prevention and population health, leadership development, and interprofessional team practice. Social work educators must incorporate prevention and integrated health content into BSW and MSW courses and develop internships that include interprofessional team-based practice as core components.

Several curriculum-based resources are available to support these efforts. Suggested prevention competencies for social workers and a detailed example of a prevention-focused behavioral health course have been described elsewhere. 25 Professional competencies and training needs of social workers in integrated health settings have also emerged. 26 The Social Work and Integrated Care Project, an initiative to infuse integrated behavioral health in MSW-level social work education, provides fully developed practice and policy courses designed to prepare students for behavioral health practice in integrated settings. 27 Finally, detailed competencies and training methods have been developed for an innovative program centered on the dual goals of preparing students to become both highly skilled leaders and behavioral health practitioners in emerging integrated health models. The training program, which emphasizes prevention-focused approaches, teaches students to practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro practice levels in integrated behavioral health, 28 and is an example of the new content needed for behavioral health innovation. However, such training should be expanded; undergraduate students also need training in behavioral health social work, and doctoral social students need to be prepared to do research and advanced practice relevant to behavioral health practice and policy.

Strengthened attention to social work education in policy and policy practice is essential so that social workers can expand their impact on the United States and global health. There is increasing recognition that public health approaches are vital to addressing the social problems facing the United States. Thus, a focus on developing population-based solutions, social policies, prevention efforts, and health promotion strategies is occurring. 29 This contemporary view resonates with the historical person-in-environment perspective in social work, in which social workers act as agents of change, and parallels the tactics used by the nascent social work profession in the early 20th century. 30 The creation of the Children’s Bureau is a significant example of social work leaders’ active involvement in creating social policies that targeted preventing infant mortality and disease, and promoted the health and well-being of children at that time. A century later, the need for social workers to engage in policy and advocacy, especially to address health inequities, continues.

The dominance of clinical social work education has resulted in less attention to the influence that legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government have on policymaking and on social work jobs. Yet, social work’s roles in child welfare, behavioral health, health care, and aging are often expanded or limited by federal and state laws. BSW and MSW social work curricula include policy content to help students learn social welfare history, to understand key laws governing federal and state health and social service systems, and to facilitate policy practice. Although policy analysis is a regular part of the social work curriculum, an increased emphasis on policy practice is needed by the social work academy, as evidenced by the creation of the Coalition for Policy Education and Practice in Social Work to increase policy advocacy and practice in social work education. This coalition hosted a 2017 Policy Practice Summit that discussed ways that schools of social work could increase efforts to train students in policy practice. Such efforts are necessary, because although some schools have outstanding attention to and opportunities for policy training, both explicit and implicit biases remain among social work educators and practitioners related to policy practice. 31

The implementation and potential dismantling of the ACA underscores the need for all social workers to engage in policy practice and to hold policy positions at local, state, and federal levels. Students at all levels need to be informed and socialized into opportunities for policy careers. Beyond legislative and executive branch positions, social workers can serve in policy positions with professional organizations, unions, foundations, think tanks, and public interest advocacy groups.

Several efforts have emerged to enhance policy education in social work. These include the Special Commission on Macro Practice, the Coalition for Policy Education and Practice in Social Work, the annual Policy 2.0 conference sponsored by Influencing Social Policy, and the creation of the National Association of Social Work’s Social Work Policy Institute. Together, these have highlighted the need for infusing policy content into all social work curricula, providing students with meaningful policy practice experiences, encouraging students to pursue policy careers and encouraging employers to hire social workers with policy experience. 32 The Social Work Policy Institute developed a set of recommendations for schools of social work, employers, and national organizations to strengthen social work policy competency. 32

At the doctoral level, students should be encouraged to conduct policy implementation studies on various components of the ACA, particularly in light of their variability across states. Doctoral programs should also encourage students to pursue fellowships, such as those offered by the Society for Research on Child Development or the Health and Aging Policy Fellowship, to further hone policy practice skills. Finally, doctoral graduates can be ideal candidates for policy practice positions nationally and globally.

GLOBAL HEALTH

The interest of the profession in global health has grown in recent years. As a result, schools and professional social work organizations have identified the need for expanded global health content in social work education. 33 The CSWE Commission on Global Social Work Education has developed global health content and launched the China Collaborative, in which American schools of social work partner with Chinese universities to build Chinese social work educational capacity. In addition, New York University hosted a national, transdisciplinary global health conference that focused on Global Health: The Social Work Response.

International social work and social welfare have been longstanding subdisciplines within the profession and share a commitment to improving the social and material well-being of people worldwide. However, global health represents a larger, transdisciplinary field that addresses health issues that transcend national boundaries while prioritizing health equity and prevention. The integration of global health content is essential for students seeking to practice in international settings, and is also valuable to those seeking to understand global migration, poverty, and the lack of resources that inform health inequality. 34

Although some MSW and MPH programs offer global health specializations or majors, only a small number of schools of social work infuse global health into MSW curricula and programs. 5 Findings from a recent study of global health majors from a prominent MSW and MPH program suggested the need for a greater conceptualization of the role of social work in global health. Although public health coursework was identified as central to the success of global health social workers, specific educational efforts were recommended, including global health field internships, global health ethics, and professional activities to brand social work as a global health profession. 35

To date, only a small number of schools of social work infuse global health into their curricula and programs. The social work education establishment could promote additional initiatives to expand learning in global health, such as international research projects, international faculty and student exchanges, or the development of international field placements. 35 In addition, strengthening the link between global social work and social work with immigrants and refugees within the United States is also needed.

Global health requires creative adaption of curriculum at every level. For instance, the use of bidirectional approaches, as described by Chowdhury, 36 might diminish the possibility of paternalistic practices that sometimes accompany global efforts and inadvertently reinforce colonialism by saving “victims” of oppression. The concept of critical consciousness by Freire, 37 in which those who are oppressed should act on the roots of the oppression they face, can help social workers grapple with the ethical issues they face in global health. Teaching global health allows for innovative approaches where content is taught by interdisciplinary or global teams. Doctoral social work programs can encourage relationships with public health researchers on global health issues or direct research on international social work. Through an enhanced effort, social work can become a valuable partner in transdisciplinary collaborations to improve global health.

IMPLICATIONS

The enactment and implementation of health reform, together with other emerging health concerns, has highlighted numerous issues for the social work profession regarding its future as a participant in the larger health workforce. Transforming the education of social workers at all levels is necessary to strengthening the presence and impact of the profession in health. Such transformation is necessary for all social work students because health transcends all practice areas as an important contributor to individual and population well-being; social determinants related to all social work practice areas affect health. Our analysis focused on 6 areas of overlapping interest to public health and made 3 key recommendations.

First, the 6 areas included in this analysis are complex and require collaborative intersectoral efforts. The profession brings together many clinical and integrative strengths; however, to better prepare for transdisciplinary collaboration, social workers would benefit from substantive grounding in broader population health approaches. Integrated and public health–informed content must be infused into social work education across all domains so that all students graduate with competencies to practice in integrated health settings and to work collaboratively with public health.

Second, this transformation relies upon the inclusion of interprofessional approaches that facilitate skill in working across disciplines, particularly public health. Promising interprofessional education models in schools of social work have evolved, 38,39 and CSWE is now included in the Interprofessional Education Collaborative. Interprofessional practice competencies are required as part of the 2015 CSWE Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards. 40 Such efforts will help to break down siloes and inform public health and other health professions of the competencies of social work.

Finally, social work educators and organizations must act decisively in a coordinated and intentional process to transform social work education. Although one-time summits and analyses are helpful, social work education needs a strategic plan for transforming health practice. We call on the CSWE to create a sustained process by which a broad cross-profession set of initiatives can be created. Multiple organizations, including the American Public Health Association’s Public Health Social Work Section, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Society for Social Work Leadership in Healthcare can participate in coordinated efforts to provide leaders, practitioners, and educators with opportunities to engage in crafting health social work competencies that can be integrated quickly and at every level, including into continuing education. Beyond that, a commitment to resource development and evaluation is needed so that all social work education programs can participate in educational innovation for a more impactful health social work. Historically, social work has had an important role in improving public health, and as health care in the United States is reformed, schools of social work and social work organizations will need to make a concerted effort to work together to prepare students for leadership that will improve the health of the nation.

HUMAN PARTICIPANT PROTECTION

This article did not involve human participant research; therefore, no institutional review board approval was necessary.

PERSPECTIVES ON THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION MODEL OF SOCIAL WORK: IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION AND PRACTICE

• LK Engelbrecht Stellenbosch University

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What Is Community Social Work?

The field of social work is broad, and many practitioners spend their time advocating for the well-being of entire communities. Those who perform in this capacity are engaged in what’s called community social work .

Individuals who are drawn to social work and wish to see entire communities flourish may find this to be a rewarding field. The first step toward success in community social work involves obtaining an advanced degree to master the skills and competencies to successfully advocate for communal change.

Understanding Community Social Work

The role of the community social worker is to help empower communities to thrive. While many social workers intervene on behalf of individuals or families, community social work may focus on the broader well-being of a neighborhood, a school system or a city or state.

By its very nature, this type of social work is complex and multi-faceted, which means different professionals may focus on different types of issues or different types of change. For example, someone engaged with community social work may focus their attention on promoting economic justice, advocating for environmental stewardship or pushing for superior educational outcomes. One community social worker may direct their attention to mitigating the communal effects of climate change , while another may work toward greater racial justice.

Social workers in this field may find employment in a number of environments but often work for government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or nonprofit organizations.

What Do Community Social Workers Do?

Specific duties and responsibilities vary from one position to the next, but community social work entails a number of common tasks.

1. Building and Organizing Community Engagement

One of the primary jobs of a community social worker is to raise awareness around a specific issue and to organize the community’s interest in and involvement with that issue. This involves a number of different elements.

• Providing adult education, alerting community members to what the issue is and why it matters
• Identifying and nurturing leaders within the community, empowering them to build, organize and advocate on their own
• Creating alliances and fostering collaboration with business organizations and nonprofits within the community

In this way, a social worker might rally support for positive initiatives to address racial discrimination, educational inequity, houselessness or other issues.

2. Shaping Policy

Some community social workers analyze, research and advocate for specific policies. This might mean determining the potential root causes of specific social issues. The goal is to arrive at a more informed conclusion about how those roots might be addressed. It could also mean participating in creating public programs and building community buy-in for those programs.

3. Listening

Community social work isn’t just about dictating policy initiatives. It is just as important for the social worker to engage in active listening to better understand the community’s needs. This might mean holding town halls and public listening sessions or conducting more rigorous community health assessments. Regular listening can be important for matching the right solutions to the most clearly identifiable problems, and for communicating with community members in a way that earns their trust and engagement.

Working in Community Social Work

Those who are interested in this field will likely have questions about work environments, educational requirements and salary.

Work Context

Community social workers can find work in a range of contexts. Some examples include:

• Disaster relief and recovery
• Crisis mitigation
• Managing and developing community programs (for health, education, etc.)
• Coordinating pilot and research programs designed to gain a better understanding of trends in community needs and resources

Educational Requirements

To pursue a career in social work, it is crucial to develop foundational skills and education, starting with earning an undergraduate degree. Many positions also require a master’s degree in social work or a related field, including positions with higher salaries and greater leadership responsibilities.

In addition to pursuing an advanced education, aspiring social workers might also wish to become licensed. Serving as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) usually entails a higher salary range, and many positions require a license. Licensure means earning a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.), completing a set number of supervised clinical hours that vary by state and passing licensing exams.

The annual median salary for social workers was $55,350 in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A number of factors can affect salary range, including level of education, years of experience and geographic location. The BLS also projects strong job growth for social workers, with positions in the field expected to grow 7 percent between 2022 and 2032.

Pursue a Career in Community Advocacy 

Flourishing communities don’t emerge by accident — they come about through a concentrated effort among citizens and can be supported by experienced social workers. Community social work can be a rewarding option for anyone who longs to advocate for change on a large scale.

To prepare for long-term success in the field, consider pursuing an advanced degree through the Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) Program online format from Virginia Commonwealth University. The program is designed to provide a well rounded set of skills that can translate into a career of maximum impact, whether in a neighborhood, school system or other community setting. 

Discover more about advanced social work training today.

Credit Reviewed by Kathleen M. Korndoerfer, M.A., LPC. *

* Kathleen Korndoerfer, M.A., is a licensed professional counselor with over 10 years of experience in the fields of mental health and social work. Kathleen currently practices in Colorado and specializes in the treatment of PTSD & trauma-related disorders and child and adolescent counseling.

Kathleen Korndoerfer, Licensed Professional Counselor, Montrose, CO, 81401 | Psychology Today

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National Association of Social Workers, Types of Social Work

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Social Workers

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PREAMBLE RATIONALE THE SCHOOL     1. Core Mission, Aims and Objectives     2. Resources and Facilities     3. Curriculum     4. Core Curricula             Social Work in Context             Social Work in Practice             Practice Education (Placement)     5. Research and Scholarly activity THE PEOPLE     1. Educators     2. Students     3. Service Users THE PROFESSION     1. A shared understanding of the Profession     2. Ethics and Values     3. Equity and Diversity     4. Human rights and Social, Economic and Environmental Justice MEMBERS OF THE JOINT TASKFORCE

back to top The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) and the International Association of  Schools of Social Work (IASSW) have jointly updated the Global Standards for Social Work Education and Training. The previous version of the Global Standards for Social Work Education and Training document was adopted by the two organisations in Adelaide, Australia in 2004. Between 2004 and 2019, that document served as an aspirational guide setting out the standards for excellence in social work education.

With the adoption of a new Global Definition of Social Work in July 2014, and the publication of the updated Global Social Work Statement of Ethical Principles in 2019, the Global Standards for Social Work Education and Training document should be updated to integrate the changes in these two documents and to reflect recent developments in global social work.

To this effect, the two organisations created a joint task group comprising the IFSW Interim Global Education Commission and IASSW’s Global Standards Taskforce. This task group engaged with the global social work community through a rigorous consultation that lasted for over 18 months and included feedback from 125 countries represented by 5 Regional Associations and approximately 400 Universities and Further Education Organisations. In addition, members of the joint task force facilitated two international seminars involving service user representatives.

Therefore, we are confident that the present document has been the product of a dynamic and collective process. It has also been the culmination of a rigorous exploration of epistemological, political, ethical and cultural dilemmas.

The main objectives of the Global Standards are to:

• Ensure consistency in the provision of social work education while appreciating and valuing diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Ensure that Social Work education adheres to the values and policies of the profession as articulated by the IFSW and IASSW.
• Support and safeguard staff, students and service users involved in the education process.
• Ensure that the next generation of social workers have access to excellent quality learning, opportunities that also incorporate social work knowledge deriving from research, experience, policy and practice.
• Nurture a spirit of collaboration and knowledge transfer between different social work schools and between social work education, practice and research.
• Support social work schools to become thriving, well-resourced, inclusive and participatory teaching and learning environments.

While appreciating the overarching objectives, we are also mindful of the fact that the educational experience and policy framework in different countries varies significantly. The Global Standards aim at capturing both the universality of social work values and the diversity that characterises the profession through the articulation of a set of standards that are divided between compulsory (those that all programmes must adhere to) and aspirational (those standards that Schools should aspire to include when and where possible). The former represents foundational elements, which are intended in part to promote consistency in social work education across the globe.

Professor Vasilios Ioakimidis Professor Dixon Sookraj

back to top We took the following realities of social work across the globe into account in developing the standards:

• Diversity of historic, socio-cultural, economic and political contexts in which social work is practiced, both within countries and across the globe.
• Diversity of practices according to: 1) practice setting (e.g. government, NGO, health, education, child and family services agencies, correctional institutions, other community-based organizations and private practice settings); 2) field or area of practice (e.g. population served, type of personal and social, economic, political and environmental issues addressed); and 3) practice theories, methods, techniques and skills representing practice at different levels – individual, couple/family, group, organization, community, broader societal and international (i.e., micro, mezzo and macro levels).
• Diversity of structures and delivery methods of social work education. Social work education varies in terms of its position within the structures of education institutions (e.g., units, departments, schools, and faculties). Some social work education programs are aligned with other disciplines, such as economics and sociology, and some are part of broader professional groupings such as health or development. In addition, the level, attitudes toward, and integration of distance education and online learning vary a great deal among programs.
• Diversity of resources available to support social work education, including social work educators and directors across the globe.
• Diversity in levels of development of the social work profession across the globe. In many countries, it is a well-established profession backed by legislation and accompanying regulatory bodies and codes of ethics. A recognized baccalaureate social work degree is often the minimum educational requirement for professional practice. These mechanisms serve in part to protect the use of the title of ‘social worker’, define the scope of practice (what social workers can or cannot do in practice), ensure that practitioners maintain competence and protect the public from harm by social workers. In other countries social work takes different forms. Social work educational programs may be added to existing curriculum offerings rather than standing as separate academic units. They may range from individual course offerings, to one-year certificate programs, to two-year diploma programs. The curriculum standards presented in this document apply primarily to social work degree programs. Shorter certificate and degree programs may use the standards, but they may not be able to incorporate all the standards.
• The adverse effects of colonization and educational imperialism on the development of social work in the Global South. We believe and stand firm that the theoretical perspectives and practice methods, techniques and skills developed in the Global North should not be transported to the Global South without critical examinations of their suitability and potential effectiveness for the local contexts.
• The growing number of common issues and challenges affecting social work education and practice across the globe. These include growing inequalities produced by neoliberal globalization, climate change, human and natural disasters, economic and political corruption and conflicts.
• Many new developments and innovations, especially those relating to sustainable development, climate change and UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, are occurring in the Global South. Thus, connecting the global and the local within the curriculum would strengthen the academic preparation of social workers everywhere; it will facilitate assessments for transferability of social work education across jurisdictions, including international borders;  it will also help strengthen students’ professional identities as members of a global profession.
• Finally, curriculum specializations’ contribution to fragmentation in education and practice. Regardless of the area of specialization delivered in the curriculum, the program should prepare students to understand the interconnectedness of practice at all levels – individual, family, group, organization, community, etc. (i.e., micro, mezzo, macro). This broader understanding will help students to become critical, ethical and competent practitioners.

This version of the Global Standards is organised around three overarching domains that capture the distinct, yet intertwined, elements of Social Work education: The School, The People and The Profession 

back to top Social Work education has historically been delivered by a wide and  diverse range of organisations, including Universities, Colleges, Tertiary, Further and Higher Education bodies- public, private and non-profit.  Notwithstanding the diversity of education delivery modalities, organisational and financial structures, there is an expectation that social work schools and programmes are formally recognised by the appropriate education authorities and/or regulators in each country. Social Work education is a complex and demanding activity that requires  access to adequate resources, educators, transparent strategies and up- to-date curricula.

1. Core Mission, Aims and Objectives

back to top All Social Work Programmes must develop and share a core purpose statement or a mission statement that:

• Is clearly articulated, accessible and reflects the values and the ethical principles of social work.
• Is consistent with the global definition and purpose of social work
• Respects the rights and interests of the people involved in all aspects of delivery of programmes and services (including the students, educators and service users).

Where possible, schools should aspire to:

• Articulate the broad strategies for contribution to the advancement of the Social Work profession and the empowerment of communities within which a school strives to operate (locally, nationally and internationally).

In respect of programme objectives and expected outcomes, schools must be able to demonstrate how it has met the following requirements:

• Specification of its programme objectives and expected higher education outcomes.
• Identification of its programme’s instructional methods that support the achievement of the cognitive and affective development of social work students.
• A curriculum that reflects the core knowledge, processes, values and skills of the social work profession, as applied in context-specific realities.
• Social Work students who attain an initial level of proficiency with regard to self-reflective use of social work values, knowledge and skills.
• Curriculum design that takes into account of the impact of interacting cultural, political, economic, communication, health, psychosocial and environmental global factors.
• The programme meets the requirements of nationally and/or regionally/internationally defined professional goals
• The programme addresses local, national and/or regional/international developmental needs and priorities.
• The provision of an education preparation that is relevant to beginning social work practice interventions with individuals, families, groups and/or communities (functional and geographic) adaptable to a wide range of contexts.
• The use of social work methods that are based on sound evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions whenever possible, and always promote dignity and respect.
• Governance, administrative supports, physical structure and related resources that are adequate to deliver the program.
• The conferring of a distinctive social work qualification at the certificate, diploma, first degree or post-graduate level, as approved by national and/or regional qualification authorities, where such authorities exist.

In order to further enrich their mission and objectives, schools should aspire to:

• External peer evaluation of the programme as far as is reasonable and financially viable. This may include external peer moderation of assignments and/or written examinations and dissertations, and external peer review and assessment of curricula.
• Self-evaluation by the education programme constituents to assess the extent to which its programme objectives and expected outcomes are being achieved.

2. Resources and Facilities

back to top With regard to structure, administration, governance and resources, the school and/or body  designated as the education provider must ensure the following:

• Social work programmes are independent of other disciplines and should therefore be implemented through a distinct unit known as a Faculty, School, Department, Centre or Division, which has a clear identity within education institutions.
• The school has a designated Head or Director 1 who has demonstrated administrative, scholarly and professional competence, preferably in the profession of social work.
• The Head or Director has primary responsibility for the co-ordination and professional leadership of the school, with sufficient time and resources to fulfil these responsibilities.
• The social work programme’s budgetary allocation is sufficient to achieve its core purpose or mission and the programme objectives.
• The budgetary allocation is stable enough to ensure programme planning and delivery in a sustainable way.
• The necessary clerical and administrative staff, as well as educators, is made available for the achievement of the programme objectives. These staff members are provided with reasonable amounts of autonomy and opportunity to contribute programme development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Irrespective of the mode of teaching (in the classroom, distance, mixed-mode, decentralised and/or internet-based education) there is the provision of adequate infrastructure, including classroom space, computers, texts, audio-visual equipment, community resources for practice education, and on-site instruction and supervision to facilitate the achievement of its core purpose or mission, programme objectives and expected outcomes.
• Internet-based education should not fully substitute spaces for face-to-face instruction, practice learning and dialogue. Face-to-face spaces are critical for a well rounded social work education and therefore irreplaceable.

Social Work courses tend to be administratively complex and resource-demanding due to the synthesis of the theoretical, research and practice-based elements, including relational training and service user interaction. Therefore, Schools could aspire to achieve the following:

• Sufficient physical facilities, including classroom space, offices for the educators and the administrative staff and space for student, faculty and field- liaison meetings.
• Adequate equipment necessary for the achievement of the school’s core purpose or mission and the programme objectives.
• High quality of the education programme whatever the mode of delivery. In the case of distance, mixed-mode, decentralised and/or internet-based teaching, mechanisms for locally based instruction and supervision should be put in place, especially with regard to the practice component of the programme.
• Well-resourced on-site and online libraries, knowledge and research environment, and, where possible, internet resources, all necessary to achieve the programme objectives.
• Access to international libraries, international roaming services (e.g., EduRoam), e-journals and databases.

3. Curriculum

back to top With regard to standards regarding programme curricula, schools must consistently ensure the following:

• The curricula and methods of instruction are consistent with the school’s programme objectives, its expected outcomes and its mission statement.
• Clear mechanisms for the organisation’s implementation and evaluation of the theory and field education components of the programme exist.
• Specific attention to undertaking constant review and development of the curricula.
• Clear guidelines for ethical use of technology in practice, curriculum delivery, distance/blended learning, big data analysis and engagement with social media

Schools should always aspire to develop curricula that:

• Help social work students to develop skills of critical thinking and scholarly attitudes of reasoning, openness to new experiences and paradigms and commitment to lifelong learning.
• Are sufficient in duration 2 and learning opportunities to ensure that students are prepared for professional practice. Students and educators are given sufficient space and time to adhere to the minimum standards described herein.
• Reflect the needs, values and cultures of the relevant populations.
• Are based on human rights principles and the pursuit of justice.

4. Core Curricula

back to top Social work education programs vary by economic and political contexts, practice settings, population served, type of personal and social, economic, political, or environmental issues addressed, and practice theories and approaches used. Nevertheless, there are certain core curricula that are universally applicable. Thus, the school must ensure that social work students, by the end of their first Social Work professional qualification 3 , have had sufficient/required and relevant exposure to the following core curricula which are organised into the following broad conceptual components:

a) Social Work in Context: refers to the broader knowledge that is required in order to critically  understand the political, socio-legal, cultural and historical forces that have shaped social work.

b) Social Work in Practice: refers to a broader set of skills and knowledge required to design and  deliver e ff ective, ethical and competent interventions.

The above two conceptual components are interdependent, dynamic and should be considered simultaneously.

Social Work In Context

back to top In relation to Social Work in Context, education programmes must include the following:

• Critical understanding of how socio-structural inadequacies, discrimination, oppression, and social, political, environmental and economic injustices impact human development at all levels, including the global must be considered.
• Knowledge of how traditions, culture, beliefs, religions and customs influence human development across the lifespan, including how these might constitute resources and/or obstacles to growth.
• Knowledge of theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledges
• Critical understanding of social work’s origins and purposes.
• Critical understanding of historical injustices affecting service user communities and the role of social workers in addressing those.
• Sufficient knowledge of related occupations and professions to facilitate interprofessional collaboration and teamwork.
• Knowledge of social welfare policies (or lack thereof), services and laws at local, national  and/or regional/international levels
• Understanding of the roles of social work in policy planning, implementation, evaluation and in social change processes.
• Knowledge of – human rights, social movements and their interconnectedness with class, gender and ethnic/race-related issues.
• Knowledge of relevant international treaties, laws and regulations, and global standards  such as the Social Development Goals.
• Critical understanding of the impact of environmental degradation on the well-being of our communities and the promotion of Environmental Justice.
• A focus on gender equity
• An understanding of structural causes and impact of gender-based violence
• An emphasis on structural issues affecting marginalised, vulnerable and minority populations.
• The assumption, identification and recognition of strengths and potential of all human beings.
• Social Work contribution to promoting sustainable peace and justice in communities affected by political/ethnic conflict and violence.

Social Work in Practice

back to top In relation to Social Work In Practice, education programmes must prepare students to:

• Apply knowledge of human behaviour and development across the lifespan.
• Understand how social determinants impact on people’s health and wellbeing (mental, physical, emotional and spiritual).
• Promote healthy, cohesive, non-oppressive relationships among people and between people and organisations at all levels –individuals, families, groups, programs,  organizations, communities.
• Facilitate and advocate for the inclusion of different voices, especially those of groups that have experienced marginalisation and exclusion.
• Understand the relationship between personal life experiences and personal value  systems and social work practice.
• Integrate theory, ethics, research/knowledge in practice.
• Have sufficient practice skills in assessment, relationship building, empowerment and  helping processes to achieve the identified goals of the programme and fulfil professional obligations to service users. The programme may prepare practitioners to serve purposes, including providing social support, and engaging in developmental, protective, preventive and/or therapeutic intervention – depending on the particular focus of the programme or professional practice orientation.
• Apply social work intervention that is informed by principles, knowledge and skills aimed at promoting human development and the potentialities of all people
• Engage in critical analysis of how social policies and programmes promote or violate human rights and justice
• Use peace building, non-violent activism and human rights-based advocacy as intervention methods.
• Use problem-solving and strengths-based approaches.
• Develop as critically self-reflective practitioners.
• Apply national, regional and/or international social work codes of ethics and their applicability to context-specific realities
• Ability to address and collaborate with others regarding the complexities, subtleties, multi-dimensional, ethical, legal and dialogical aspects of power.

Practice Education (Placement) 4

back to top Practice education is a critical component of professional social work education. Thus practice education should be well integrated into the curriculum in preparing students with knowledge, values and skills for ethical, competent and effective practice. Practice education must be sufficient in duration and complexity of tasks and learning opportunities to ensure that students are prepared for professional practice. Therefore, schools should also ensure:

• A well-developed and comprehensive practice education manual that details its practice placement standards, procedures, assessment standards/criteria and expectations should be made available to students, field placement supervisors and field placement instructors.
• selection of practice placement sites;
• matching students with placement sites;
• placement of students;
• supervision of students;
• coordination of with the program;
• supporting students and the field instructors;
• monitoring student progress and evaluating student performance in the field; and
• evaluating the performance of the practice education setting.
• Appointment of practice supervisors or instructors who are qualified and experienced, as determined by the development status of the social work profession in any given country, and provision of orientation for practice supervisors or instructors.
• Provision of orientation and ongoing supports, including training and education to practice supervisors.
• Ensuring that adequate and appropriate resources, to meet the needs of the practice  component of the programme, are made available.
• Policies for the inclusion of marginalized populations, and reasonable accommodation and  adjustment for people with disabilities and special needs.
• The practice education component provides ongoing, timely and developmental feedback to students.

Schools also should aspire to:

• Create practice placement opportunities that correspond to at least 25% of the overall education activity within the courses (counted in either credits, days, or hours).
• Nurture valuable partnerships between the education institution and the agency (where applicable) and service users in decision-making regarding practice education and the evaluation of student’s performance.
• If the programme engages in international placements, additional standards, guidelines and support should be provided to both students placed abroad and agencies in the receiving end. In addition the programme should have mechanisms to facilitate reciprocity, co-learning genuine knowledge exchange.

5. Research and Scholarly activity

back to top As an academic discipline, social work is underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences,  humanities and indigenous knowledges. Social work knowledge and scholarship are generated  through a diverse range of sources, including education providers, research organisations,  independent researchers, local communities, social work organisations, practitioners and service users.  All education providers should aspire to make a contribution to the development, critical  understanding and generation of social work scholarship. This can be achieved, when and where  possible, through the incorporation of research and scholarship strategies, including:

• An emphasis on the process of knowledge production in social work, by explaining  different methodological approaches within the discipline and how these have evolved.
• An appreciation of the rigorous and diverse methods used by social workers in order to  appraise the credibility, transferability, confirmability reliability and validity of information.
• Teaching that is informed by current, valid and reliable evidence.
• Provision of opportunities for students to critically appraise research findings and acquire  research skills.
• Involvement of students in research activities.
• Support students to acquire and develop programme/practice evaluation skills, including  partnering with them in such work.

1 Depending on the setting, other titles may be used to signify administrative leadership. 2 In many contexts, a first professional qualification (or baccalaureate degree in social work) is completed in within three  or four years of full-time  studies, although the amount of non-social work course contents included may  vary. 3 See description above. 4 The terms “field education” and “field instruction” are also commonly used.

back to top Social Work programmes comprise a dynamic intellectual, social and material community. This community brings together students, educators, administrators and service users united in their effort to  enhance opportunities for learning, professional and personal development.

1. Educators

back to top With regard to social work educators 5 , schools and programmes must ensure:

• The provision of educators, adequate in number and range of expertise, who have  appropriate qualifications, including practice and research experience within the field of  Social Work; all determined by the development status of the social work profession in any given country.
• Educator representation and inclusion in decision-making processes of the school or programme related to the development of the programme’s core purpose or mission, in the formulation of the objectives, curriculum design and expected outcomes of the programme.
• A clear statement of its equity-based policies or preferences, with regard to considerations of gender, ethnicity, ‘race’ or any other form of diversity in its recruitment and appointment of members of staff.
• Policies regarding the recruitment, appointment and promotion of staff are clearly articulated and transparent and are in keeping with other schools or programs within the education institution.
• Policies that are in-line with national labour legislation and also take into consideration International Labour Organisation guidelines. f. Educators benefit from a cooperative, supportive and productive working environment to facilitate the achievement of programme objectives.
• Institutional policies regarding promotion, tenure, discipline and termination are transparent and clear. Mechanisms for appeal and decision review should be in place.
• Teaching and other relevant workload are distributed equitably and transparently.
• Variations in workload distribution in terms of teaching, scholarship (including research) and service are inevitable. However, workload allocation should be based on principles such as equity and respect for educators’ diverse skills, expertise and talents.
• When there are differences and conflicts, transparent and fair mechanisms are in place to address them.

All Schools should also aspire to:

• Provide a balanced allocation of teaching, practice placement instruction, supervision and administrative workloads, ensuring that there is space for engagement with all forms of scholarship including creative work and research.
• With regards to educators involvement, a minimum of a Master’s level qualification in social work is preferred.
• Staff reflect the ethics, values and principles of the social work profession in their work on behalf and with students and communities.
• The school, when possible, nurtures interdisciplinary approaches. To this effect, the School, strives to engage educators from relevant disciplines such as sociology, history, economics, statistics etc.
• At least 50% of educators should have a social work qualification, and social work modules or courses should be taught by educators with a Master of Social work qualification, in line with the status of the profession in each country.
• The School has provisions for the continuing professional development of its educators.

2. Students

back to top In respect of social work students, Schools must ensure:

• Clear articulation of its admission criteria and procedures. When possible, practitioners and service users should be involved in the relevant processes.
• Non-discrimination against any student on the basis of race, colour, culture, ethnicity, linguistic origin, religion, political orientation, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, functional status, and socio-economic status.
• Explicit criteria for the evaluation of practice education
• Grievance and appeals procedures which are accessible, clearly explained to all students and operated without prejudice to the assessment of students.
• All information regarding, assessment, course aims and structure, learning outcomes, class attendance, examination rules, appeals procedures and student support services should be clearly articulated and provided to the students in the form of a handbook (printed or electronic) at the beginning of each academic year.
• Ensure that social work students are provided with opportunities to develop self-awareness regarding their personal and cultural values, beliefs, traditions and biases and how these might influence the ability to develop relationships with people and to work with diverse population groups.
• Provide information about the kinds of support available to students, including academic, financial, employment and personal assistance
• Students should be clear about what constitutes misconduct, including academic, harassment and discrimination, policies and procedures in place to address these.
• Comprehensive retention policies that prioritise student well-being.
• Positive action should be taken to ensure the inclusion of minority groups that are underrepresented and/or under-served.
• Democratic and sustained representation of students in decision-making committees and fora.

3. Service Users 6

back to top With regards to service user involvement Schools must :

• Incorporate the rights, views and interests of Service Users and broader communities served in its operations, including curriculum development, implementation and delivery.
• Develop a proactive strategy towards facilitating Service User involvement in all aspects of design, planning and delivery of study programmes.
• Ensure reasonable adjustments are made in order to support the involvement of Service Users.

Also aspire to:

• Create opportunities for the personal and professional development of Service Users involved in the study programme.

5 Different terminologies are used to represent and or describe the people providing the education (ie academics, faculty, instructors, pedagogues, teachers, tutors, lecturers etc.). For the purposes of this document we have adopted the term “Social Work Educators” to represent these diverse terminologies. 6  Depending on the context, other terms, including clients and community constituents are used instead of service users.

The Profession

back to top Social Work Schools are members of a global professional and  academic community. As such, they must be able to contribute to  and benefit from the growth of scholarly, practice and policy  development at a national and global level. Nurturing, expanding  and formalising links with the national and international  representative bodies of the social work profession is of paramount  importance.

1. A shared understanding of the Profession

back to top Schools must ensure the following:

• Definitions of social work used in the context of the education process should be congruent with the Global Definition of Social Work as approved by IASSW and IFSW including any regional applications that may exist.
• Schools retain close and formal relationships with representatives and key stakeholders of the social work profession, including regulators and national and regional associations of social work practice and education.
• Registration of professional staff and social work students (insofar as social work students develop working relationships with people via practice placements) with national and/or regional regulatory (whether statutory or non-statutory) bodies.
• All stakeholders involved in social work education should actively seek to contribute to and benefit from the global social work community in a spirit of partnership and international solidarity.

Schools should also aspire to:

• monitor students’ employability rates and encourage them to actively participate in the national and global social work community.

2. Ethics and Values

back to top In view of the recognition that social work values, ethics and principles are the core components of the profession, Schools must consistently ensure:

• Adhered to the Global Ethics Statement approved bythe IFSWW and IASSW.
• Adherence to the National and Regional Codes of Ethics.
• Adherence to the Global Definition of Social Work as approved by the IFSW and IASSW.
• Clear articulation of objectives with regard to social work values, principles and ethical conduct. Ensuring that every social work student involved in practice education, and every academic staff member, is aware of the boundaries of professional practice and what  might constitute unprofessional conduct in terms of the code of ethics.
• Taking appropriate, reasonable and proportionate action in relation to those social work students and academic staff who fail to comply with the code of ethics, either through an established regulatory social work body, established procedures of the educational institution, and/or through legal mechanisms.

Schools should also aspire towards:

• Upholding, as far as is reasonable and possible, the principles of restorative rather than retributive justice in disciplining either social work students or academic staff who violate the code of ethics.

3. Equity and Diversity

back to top With regard to equity and diversity Schools must :

• Make concerted and continuous efforts to ensure the enrichment of the educational experience by reflecting cultural, ethnic and other forms of diversity in its programme and relevant populations.
• Ensure that educators, students and service users are provided with equal opportunities to learn and develop regardless of gender,socioeconomicc background, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and other forms of diversity.
• Ensure that the programme has clearly articulated learning objectives in upholding the principles of respect for cultural and ethnic diversity, gender equity, human rights.
• Address and challenge racist, homophobic, sexist and other discriminatory behaviours, policies and structures.
• Recognition and development of indigenous or locally specific social work education and practice from the traditions and cultures of different ethnic groups and societies, insofar that such traditions and cultures are congruent with our ethical codes and human rights commitments.

4. Human rights and Social, Economic and Environmental Justice

back to top Social, Economic and Environmental Justice are fundamental pillars underpinning social work theory, policy and practice. All Schools must :

• Prepare students to be able to apply human rights principles (as articulated in the International Bill of Rights and core international human rights treaties) to frame their understanding of how current social issues affect social, economic and environmental justice.
• Ensure that their students understand the importance of social, economic, political and environmental justice and develop relevant intervention knowledge and skills.
• Contribute to collective efforts within and beyond school structures in order to achieve social, economic and environmental justice.

They should also aspire to:

• Identifying opportunities for supporting development at grass roots level and community participatory action to meet the aspirations of the Social Development Goals.
• Making use of opportunities to exchange knowledge, expertise and ideas with global peers to support the advancement of social work education free from colonial influences.
• Creating platforms for Indigenous social workers to shape curricula and relevant courses.

Members of the Joint Taskforce 

back to top

IFSW Interim Education Commission

Chair : Vasilios Ioakimidis

Members: African Regional Commissioners: Lawrence Mukuka and Zena Mnasi Asia and Pacific Regional Commissioner: Mariko Kimura European Regional Commissioner: Nicolai Paulsen Latin American and Caribbean Regional Commissioner: Marinilda Rivera Díaz North American Regional Commissioners: Dr.  Joan Davis-Whelan and Dr. Gary Bailey

IASSW Global Standards Taskforce

Chair: Dixon Sookraj

Members: Carmen Castillo (COSTA RICA): Member, Latin American Rep. Karene Nathaniel-DeCaires (TRINIDAD & TOBAGO): Member, North American/Caribbean Rep. Liu  Meng (CHINA): Member, China National Rep. Teresa Francesca Bertotti (ITALY): Member, European Association Rep. Alexandre Hakizamunga (RWANDA): Member, African Association Rep. Vimla Nadkarni (INDIA): Member, Past IASSW President Emily Taylor (CANADA): Student Rep. Ute Straub (GERMANY): IASSW Co-Chair & Board Representative

Consultants: Carol S. Cohen (USA): Commission on Group Work in Social Work Education of the International Association for Social Work with Groups, Co-Chair. Shirley Gatenio Gabel (USA). Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, Co-Editor Varoshini Nadesan (SOUTH AFRICA). Association of South African Social Work Education Institutions, President.

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Professional Development and Training

Social work is a dynamic profession, requiring you to stay current in the field, whether it’s applying the latest research, understanding a new regulation and its implications, maintaining your license or professional credential, or acquiring additional training to meet the needs of an aging population, for example. Look to the following resources to. . .

• grow and manage your career;
• maintain a practice of excellence; and
• better serve individuals, families, and communities.

Continuing Education Resource Center

The cornerstone of professional development is continuing your education. Increase your knowledge and skills by attending face-to-face continuing education programs, receive relevant and timely information about the clients and community you serve, or plan to complete an online course in the privacy of your home or office. All social workers need continuing education to enhance their career. Below are resources that provide you with the continuing education you need to enhance your professional skills:

• Continuing Education Portal The CE Portal is a national listing of quality continuing education offerings. A wealth of information at your finger tips where you can search by topic, location, and/or date. 
• NASW Chapters NASW Chapters connect you to NASW chapter/state annual conferences and local continuing education programs and activities. Review an NASW Chapter Web site where you live and work to access continuing education events and a network of colleagues.
• Online Courses NASW WebEd online courses educate social workers on today’s practice topics. Free CEUs can be used for licensure, NASW credential application and renewal, professional development, and can enhance social work curricula.
• Risk Management Workshops NASW Assurance Services, Inc. (ASI) offers risk management workshops with CEUs and online resources to reduce a social worker’s risk and exposure to an ethics complaint, licensing board complaint, or malpractice law suit. To learn more, visit the ASI Education Center .
• NASW Lunchtime Series NASW members can take advantage of one-hour live teleconferences and earn 1.0 free CEUs. Can’t make a teleconference, but still want to earn the CEU? Listen to the pod cast, download the audio file, or read the transcript later. The Lunchtime Series covers current topics of interest to social workers. Register to listen right away.
• NASW Specialty Practice Sections Teleconferences NASW Sections sponsor practice-based teleconferences exclusively for section members. The live teleconferences provide you with the opportunity to earn more free CEUs. The courses are available 24/7 by downloading the audio file or reading the transcript.

Professional Networking

Strengthen and grow your social work career through networking with your colleagues around the globe and in your community.

• Attend NASW Chapters face-to-face events to meet professional social workers in your community.

• Comment on the latest social work issues at socialworkblog.org
• Expand your list of professional contacts by joining NASW’s LinkedIn official group page .
• Friend NASW on our official Facebook group page and introduce yourself, post comments on our Wall, and add topics for discussion.
• Tweet  on NASW’s Twitter Feed
• Tune in to social work happenings on NASW’s YouTube Channel and comment on what you have seen and heard.

Read, Research and Write for the Social Work Profession

• Publications NASW Press is a leading scholarly press in the social sciences. It serves faculty, practitioners, agencies, libraries, clinicians, and researchers throughout the United States and abroad. Known for attracting expert authors, the NASW Press delivers professional information to hundreds of thousands of readers through its scholarly journals, books, and reference works.
• Research Review the NASW Web site Research Page that provides information on social work research to help inform policy, practice, and education; visit the NASW Center for Workforce Studies Clearinghouse , an on-line library for those searching for information about the social work workforce; read Social Work Speaks Abstracts to research policy issues related to the social work profession; and apply for the dataset to conduct research on the social work workforce to strengthen your knowledge of professional social work!
• Write for Your Profession Submitting content to www.HelpStartsHere.org , publishing for the NASW Press, and writing in the NASW Sections newsletters is a great way to inform and connect with like-minded colleagues, build an impressive portfolio of writing samples, and enhance your opportunities for leadership and advancement in the social work profession.

Advocating for social work and the clients/communities we serve is critical to securing the future of social work. 

• The Social Work Reinvestment Initiative is a collaborative effort comprised of leading social work organizations and other stakeholders committed to securing federal and state investments related to recruitment, training, retention and research that strengthen the social work profession and the communities it serves. 
• Grassroots advocacy teaches you how to take action on federal and state issues important to social workers.  The Grassroots Toolkit is a great resource for lobbying and contacting your members of congress.

A state social work license is. . .

• Issued to regulate the practice of social work
• Issued to protect the public
• Issued by and useful only in the jurisdiction (state) where the holder plans to practice. 

Licensing requirements vary from jurisdiction. Visit the state regulatory board directly or the Association of Social Work Boards , for a list of social work state licensing agencies or for a comparison of state regulations .

Credentials and Certifications

NASW credentials and certifications provide recognition to those social workers who have met national standards for higher levels of specialized knowledge, skills, and experience.  Credentials and certification enhance your state license and attest to your commitment to advanced social work practice.

Ethics and Best Practices

The NASW Code of Ethics is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers.  NASW. Our Code of Ethics addresses: