MSW Competencies

Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant policies, laws, and regulations that may affect practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand that ethics are informed by principles of human rights and apply them toward realizing social, racial, economic, and environmental justice in their practice. Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision making and apply principles of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Social workers recognize and manage personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. Social workers understand how their evolving worldview, personal experiences, and affective reactions influence their professional judgment and behavior. Social workers take measures to care for themselves professionally and personally, understanding that self-care is paramount for competent and ethical social work practice. Social workers use rights-based, anti- racist, and anti-oppressive lenses to understand and critique the profession’s history, mission, roles, and responsibilities and recognize historical and current contexts of oppression in shaping institutions and social work. Social workers understand the role of other professionals when engaged in interprofessional practice. Social workers recognize the importance of lifelong learning and are committed to continually updating their skills to ensure relevant and effective practice. Social workers understand digital technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice. 

Social workers: 

1. make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics within the profession as appropriate to the context; demonstrate professional behavior; appearance; and oral, written, and electronic communication;
2. use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes; and
3. use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior.

Family-centered social workers embrace the identity of the social worker who works under the Family-in-Environment perspective and the guidelines of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. They articulate the profession’s philosophy and purpose in two specific contexts: 1) the context of their own role in the agency, and 2) their own role as agency representatives in the community consistent with the profession’s history and mission. They keep aware of the laws and regulations that impact families on multiple levels. They manage increasingly complex ethical decision-making through conscious use of self and self-initiated consultation. They conduct ethical decision-making in the context of current practice in the agency and community setting relative to practice, research and policy with attention to its impact on families and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. Their plans for professional growth are developed within the context of the agency and its constituents. Supervision is sought independently as needed.

Family-centered social workers:

• Articulate to colleagues the role of the family-centered social worker in the practicum setting and to a variety of agency constituents with a professional demeanor using oral, written, and electronic communication in an ethical manner;
• Independently seek out supervision as needed; engage in self-reflection related to increasingly complex client situations;
• Articulate a systematic ethical decision-making process with colleagues based on the NASW Code of Ethics and a consideration of family impact;
• Carry out multi-level planned change as a result of a systematic ethical decision-making process consistent with current practice in the agency and with attention to the needs of families
• Use technology ethically and appropriately in work with and/or on behalf of families
• Through consultation, develop a list of continuing education resources and articulate a plan for future professional growth; and
• Demonstrate active participation in the social work

Social workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights. Social workers are knowledgeable about the global intersecting and ongoing injustices throughout history that result in oppression and racism, including social work’s role and response. Social workers critically evaluate the distribution of power and privilege in society in order to promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice by reducing inequities and ensuring dignity and respect for all. Social workers advocate for and engage in strategies to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social resources, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably, and that civil, political, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected. 

Social workers: 

1. advocate for human rights at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community system levels; and 
2. engage in practices that advance human rights to promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. 

Family-centered social workers continuously refine the professional use of self through learning about diverse family forms and their inherent strengths. They understand that those elements of diversity that often result in racism, oppression, poverty, and marginalization are likely to include strengths that may be utilized to enhance individual and system functioning.  They explore their own definition of family and their own family history to develop the self-awareness that allows them to understand their own values and biases. Ever cognizant of its diverse geographic service area, the Kutztown University Social Work Program places an emphasis on working with diverse client systems.

Graduates are comfortable enough with their own elements of diversity to recognize the strengths of diversity in others.

Family-centered social workers:

• Actively engage in multi-level practices toward social, racial, economic, and environmental justice with and/or on behalf of families;
• Articulate an inclusive, strength-based definition of diversity as it relates to multi-level client systems; and
• Recognize family members as experts in their own definition of family;
• Study their own definition of family and its historical context, identifying potential obstacles to work in the context of diverse family forms.
• Articulate the program’s strength-based definition of diversity;
• Use sources of knowledge regarding diverse populations for multi-level, strengths perspective assessment of client situations;
• Articulate the impact of personal behaviors and values on others;
• Examine own attitudes and values; engage in self-reflection with consultation;

Social workers understand how racism and oppression shape human experiences and how these two constructs influence practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community levels and in policy and research. Social workers understand the pervasive impact of White supremacy and privilege and use their knowledge, awareness, and skills to engage in anti-racist practice. Social workers understand how diversity and intersectionality shape human experiences and identity development and affect equity and inclusion. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of factors including but not limited to age, caste, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, generational status, immigration status, legal status, marital status, political ideology, race, nationality, religion and spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that this intersectionality means that a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege and power. Social workers understand the societal and historical roots of social and racial injustices and the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination. Social workers understand cultural humility and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, racial, technological, and cultural exclusions, may create privilege and power resulting in systemic oppression. 

Social workers: 

1. demonstrate anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, community, research, and policy levels; and 
2. demonstrate cultural humility by applying critical reflection, self-awareness, and self- regulation to manage the influence of bias, power, privilege, and values in working with clients and constituencies, acknowledging them as experts of their own lived experiences. 

Family-centered social workers understand that families share the same rights as their constituent members. They employ critical self-reflection to consider forms and mechanisms of racism, oppression, and discrimination as they impact the family and develop and carry out multi-level strategies for change that advance social, racial, economic, and environmental justice for all families, local and global. These workers analyze the impact of social policies on client systems, workers and agencies. They demonstrate skills for influencing policy formation and change toward promoting family well-being. Due to the Kutztown University Social Work program mission to respond to the needs of its immediate community, graduates promote an effective, efficient and humane social service delivery network in the program service area through community need-driven, specialized knowledge.

Family centered social workers:

• Articulate the impact of racism, oppression, and discrimination on families affected by agency service;
• Identify and manage the influence of bias, power, privilege, and values in working with families and constituencies, acknowledging clients as experts of their own lived experiences, using workers’ critical self-reflection and self-regulation; 
• Develop a strategy for change to facilitate human rights and social and economic justice for families of diverse forms;
• Identify and explain the agency’s role in meeting the social, economic, and environmental needs of diverse family forms and constituencies;
• Articulate organizational needs and propose rational, family-centered solutions;
• Discuss mutual areas of study within student learning goals and agency needs; and
• Present specialized learning effectively to identified agency

Social workers use ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches in conducting research and building knowledge. Social workers use research to inform their practice decision making and articulate how their practice experience informs research and evaluation decisions. Social workers critically evaluate and critique current, empirically sound research to inform decisions pertaining to practice, policy, and programs. Social workers understand the inherent bias in research and evaluate design, analysis, and interpretation using an anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspective. Social workers know how to access, critique, and synthesize the current literature to develop appropriate research questions and hypotheses. Social workers demonstrate knowledge and skills regarding qualitative and quantitative research methods and analysis, and they interpret data derived from these methods. Social workers demonstrate knowledge about methods to assess reliability and validity in social work research. Social workers can articulate and share research findings in ways that are usable to a variety of clients and constituencies. Social workers understand the value of evidence derived from interprofessional and diverse research methods, approaches, and sources. 

Social workers: 

1. apply research findings to inform and improve practice, policy, and programs; and 
2. identify ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive strategies that address inherent biases for use in quantitative and qualitative research methods to advance the purposes of social work. 

Family-centered practitioners refine, evaluate and advance social work knowledge, service provision and the profession using a critical evaluation of scientific literature and systematic practice evaluation. They bring a family-in-environment perspective to multi-level practice-based research that is informed by anti-racist and anti-oppressive strategies. Viewing family as the pivotal social institution, they develop research questions with a full consideration of the potential for family impact. They complete independent evaluations of programs and multi-level practice interventions from a family-centered perspective.

These practitioners:

• Use family-centered practice to inform scientific, anti-racist, anti-oppressive, family-centered research;
• Consult with supervisors to develop relevant family-centered program evaluation plans that are culturally informed;
• Use critical thinking to engage in family-centered quantitative and qualitative research;
• Complete independent, single system research designs from a family-in-environment perspective for their own practice evaluation; and
• Translate research evidence to inform and improve family-centered

Social workers identify social policy at the local, state, federal, and global level that affects well-being, human rights and justice, service delivery, and access to social services. Social workers recognize the historical, social, racial, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. Social workers understand and critique the history and current structures of social policies and services and the role of policy in service delivery through rights- based, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist lenses. Social workers influence policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation within their practice settings with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers actively engage in and advocate for anti-racist and anti-oppressive policy practice to effect change in those settings. 

Social workers: 

1. use social justice, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lenses to assess how social welfare policies affect the delivery of and access to social services; and 
2. apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. 

Family-centered social workers question the ethical and practical implications of traditional definitions of family. They demonstrate an ability to articulate an inclusive definition of family built on the premise that no single-family form is by its nature superior to others. They critically analyze policies and practices that affect family members using an anti-racist, anti-oppressive practice lens. Family-centered practitioners function autonomously within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems and seek necessary organizational level change. They analyze the impact of social policies on families, client systems, workers, and agencies. In response, they influence policy formation and change toward promoting family well-being. Family-centered social workers promote an effective, efficient and human social service delivery network through community need-driven specialized knowledge. They respond to the dynamic nature of population and science through family-centered service grounded in their agency’s mission.

These practitioners:

• Identify and explain the agency’s role in meeting community needs to a variety of constituents;
• Articulate a historical analysis of a social policy using the family-in-environment perspective and an international comparison with an eye toward the historical complicity of the social work profession in racism and oppression;
• Identify and explain the agency’s role in meeting community needs to a variety of constituents;
• Analyze and discuss the impact of local, state and federal policies on families and service provision; and
• Articulate organizational needs and propose rational solutions from a family-centered
• Advocate for client systems via discussion of the impact of social, economic and environmental policies on families and service provision;
• Explain the relevance of an empirically-based, relational definition of family in the context of agency function;
• Explain to a variety of constituents the relevance of this definition in the context of agency function; and
• Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights, social, economic, and environmental justice from a family-centered

Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. 

Social workers value the importance of human relationships. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to facilitate engagement with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are self-reflective and understand how bias, power, and privilege as well as their personal values and personal experiences may affect their ability to engage effectively with diverse clients and constituencies. Social workers use the principles of interprofessional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other professionals as appropriate. 

Social workers: 

1. apply knowledge of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, to engage with clients and constituencies; and 
2. use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to engage in culturally responsive practice with clients and constituencies. 

Family-centered practitioners exhibit a knowledge concentration in the practice perspective family-in-environment. Placing a high value on relationship, they recognize understand power dynamics within families and the multi-faceted variety of family forms knowing that individuals and policy makers often hold the preconception that “family” only means persons related by marriage or blood ties. This informs engagement strategies that are ongoing, dynamic and interactive on multiple levels of practice. Practitioners collaborate with supervisors to identify areas of specialized study that intersect individual learning goals and agency needs.

Family-centered social workers:

• Apply knowledge of the Family-in-Environment perspective in the process of preparatory empathy;
• Substantively and affectively prepare for multi-level work with and on behalf of families of diverse forms being mindful of potential unconscious bias and the power inherent in the social work role; and
• They work with client systems of all sizes with attention to the importance of helping individuals to recognize their family

Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and they critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in culturally responsive assessment with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. 

Assessment involves a collaborative process of defining presenting challenges and identifying strengths with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities to develop a mutually agreed-upon plan. Social workers recognize the implications of the larger practice context in the assessment process and use interprofessional collaboration in this process. Social workers are self- reflective and understand how bias, power, privilege, and their personal values and experiences may affect their assessment and decision making. 

Social workers: 

1. apply theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as other culturally responsive and interprofessional conceptual frameworks, when assessing clients and constituencies; and 
2. demonstrate respect for client self-determination during the assessment process by collaborating with clients and constituencies in developing a mutually agreed-upon plan. 

Family-centered practitioners understand that assessment is an ongoing process used to analyze complex problems and propose multi-level, family-centered solutions.

Family-centered practitioners: 

• Develop strengths-based, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive assessment of client systems from the family-in-environment perspective;
• Create mutually developed, multi-level service plans based on strengths-based, family- centered assessment of client systems;
• Develop mutually agreed on intervention goals with and on behalf of others; and
• Select appropriate intervention strategies based on the assessment, research knowledge, and values and preferences of families and constituencies.

Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human behavior, person-in-environment, and other interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and they critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in selecting culturally responsive interventions with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing, and implementing evidence-informed interventions and participate in interprofessional collaboration to achieve client and constituency goals. Social workers facilitate effective transitions and endings. 

Social workers: 

1. engage with clients and constituencies to critically choose and implement culturally responsive, evidence-informed interventions to achieve client and constituency goals; and 
2. incorporate culturally responsive methods to negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of clients and constituencies. 

Family-centered social workers respond with multi-level practice to the needs of the institution of the family so that its members realize their fullest potential for personal fulfillment and social contribution. These practitioners understand the family to be a pivotal social institution. They integrate knowledge from generalist social work practice and the liberal arts and sciences with theories of family functioning and family-centered analyses of social welfare policy and social work practice research. In addition, they develop specialized knowledge consistent with individual and agency goals. Family-centered practitioners conduct multi-level intervention in the context of agency function, worker role and family impact. Intervention is informed by the family-in- environment perspective and based in an eclectic, empirically evaluated knowledge base.

These practitioners:

• Articulate culturally-responsive, evidence-based practice principles and the knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frames works for family-centered interventions;
• Define family from an empirically-based, relational perspective;
• Articulate the family’s impact on person and environment; and
• Critically choose and implement intervention to achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of families and constituencies;
• Conduct multi-level prevention, intervention, and inter-professional collaboration in the context of agency function, worker role and family impact;
• Identify systems of oppression and negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of diverse clients and constituencies; and
• Facilitate effective transitions and endings that advance mutually agreed-on goals for families and other client systems on multiple levels.

Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers evaluate processes and outcomes to increase practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. Social workers apply anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspectives in evaluating outcomes. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes. Social workers use qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness. 

Social workers: 

1. select and use culturally responsive methods for evaluation of outcomes; and 
2. critically analyze outcomes and apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. 

Family-centered social workers see evaluation as an ongoing component of practice with and on behalf of families. They recognize the importance of culturally responsive evaluation to the advancement of family-centered practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. They apply the Family-in-Environment perspective to critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes using both qualitative and quantitative methods.

They:

• Select and use appropriate methods for evaluations to develop and carry out independent, systematic evaluations of practice that are family-centered and culturally informed in nature;
• Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate intervention and program processes and outcomes from a family-centered, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive perspective; and
• Apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.

All Council on Social Work Education programs measure and report student learning outcomes. Students are assessed on their mastery of the competencies which comprise the accreditation standards of the Council on Social Work Education. These competencies are dimensions of social work practice which all social workers are expected to master during their professional training. A measurement benchmark is set by the social work programs for each competency. An assessment score at or above the benchmark is considered by the program to represent mastery of that particular competency.

Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes for the Kutztown University Master of Social Work Program