MSW GOALS AND PRACTICE BEHAVIORS
Graduate students are expected to achieve MSW Program goals and practice behaviors based on the Program's mission statement and the 2008 Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). ―EPAS supports academic excellence by establishing thresholds for professional competence‖ (CSWE, 2008).
Goal 1: Professional Development
Graduates continue their professional development to become globally competent social workers, social entrepreneurs and/or leaders in their field.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Foundation Year:
1.1: Students participate in social work advocacy practice to ensure people‘s access to services in the context of diverse and multidisciplinary settings.
1.2: Students are knowledgeable about the history of social work profession, and are committed to promote the profession.
1.3: Students practice personal and critical reflection to assure continual professional development and career-long learning.
1.4: Student develop their professional knowledge and skills, and adhere to professional roles with continuous use of supervision and consultation.
1.5 Students analyze the contributions that social workers make to social entrepreneurship and to the knowledge building and leadership of the profession.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Concentration Year:
1.1: Students advocate ensuring people‘s access to services of social work in the context of diverse and multidisciplinary settings.
1.2: Students analyze and interpret the history of the social work profession and its contemporary structure and challenges.
1.3: Students practice personal and critical reflection to assure continual professional development and career-long learning.
1.4: Students synthesize and apply a broad range of knowledge and skills, and advance their professional roles with continuous use of supervision and consultation.
1.5: Students develop and apply specific strategies to contribute to social entrepreneurship and to the knowledge-building and leadership of the profession.
Goal 2: Values and Ethics
Graduates are professionally competent to practice according to social work values and ethics.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Foundation Year:
2.1: Students recognize the significance of adhering to the standards of social work license and/or credentials.
2.2: Students integrate their personal and professional social work values into an ethical worldview that promote personal integrity and guide their practice.
2.3: Students make ethical decisions in practice and research by critically applying ethical standards including, but not limited to, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics and, as applicable, of the International Federation of Social Work (IFSW).
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Concentration Year:
2.1: Students are motivated to acquire and practice within the standards of social work licenses and/or credentials.
2.2: Students reconcile their personal and professional social work values into refined ethical worldview that promote personal integrity and advance the quality of their practice.
2.3: Students resolve ethical conflicts in practice and research by critically applying ethical standards including, but not limited to, the NASW Code of Ethics and, as applicable, of the IFSW.
Goal 3: Critical Thinking
Graduates demonstrate critical thinking to apply the generalist perspective, ecosystems theory, and advanced social work methodology to client systems of all sizes.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Foundation Year:
3.1: Students demonstrate building productive professional relationship, effective communication, critical and creative thinking as tools of social work practice.
3.2: Students critically analyze multiple sources of information and knowledge, including research, evidence, strength and community-based models.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Concentration Year:
3.1: Students demonstrate building productive professional relationship, effective communication, critical and creative thinking as tools of social work practice.
3.2: Students critically analyze and utilize multiple sources of local and global information and knowledge, including research, evidence, strength and community-based models.
Goal 4: Diversity
Graduates are culturally competent to analyze and apply the dimensions of diversity and intersectionality, with diverse populations in systems of all sizes.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Foundation Year:
4.1: Students demonstrate self-awareness particularly about their personal values, prejudices and biases, and manage them appropriately to the best interest of their client systems.
4.2: Students recognize and describe how cultural and social structures affect the life experiences of clients in different contexts.
4.3: Students demonstrate cultural competence that reflects awareness of and respect for diversity as a value that shapes practice with diverse populations.
4.4: Students recognize clients as experts of their own life experience, and collaborate with them to design and implement effective culturally sensitive practices.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Concentration Year:
4.1: Student demonstrate self-awareness particularly about their personal values, prejudices and biases, and manage them appropriately to the best interest of their client systems.
4.2: Students critically analyze and demonstrate how cultural and social structures affect the life experiences of clients in different contexts.
4.3 Student integrate indigenous and culturally sensitive/appropriate practices in the context of diverse and multidisciplinary settings.
4.4 Student affirm and respect clients as experts of their own life experience, and collaborate with them to design and implement effective culturally sensitive practices.
Goal 5: Social and Economic Justice
Graduates implement strategies of social work policy practice and social change that promote human rights and advance socio-economic justice locally, nationally, and globally.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Foundation Year:
5.1: Students critically analyze intersectionality of various political and socio-economic factors that affect civil and human rights at local, national and global levels.
5.2: Students are committed to promote the civil and human rights of marginalized populations including the rights of indigenous people (e.g., Native Hawaiians).
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Concentration Year:
5.1: Students integrate social and economic justice content grounded in an understanding of humanity, human an civil rights, and the global interconnections of oppression.
5.2: Students initiate social actions in collaboration with other professionals and communities to promote the rights of indigenous people (e.g., Native Hawaiians).
Goal 6: Research/EPB
Graduates demonstrate proficiency to evaluate and apply research-generated data and methods in social work practice.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Foundation Year:
6.1: Students are knowledgeable about quantitative and qualitative research in social work practice, and understand scientific and ethical approaches to research related practice.
6.2: Students are knowledgeable about social research methodologies including positivism, post positivism, critical theory and constructivism for social work research.
Student understand the significance of policy analysis, evidence, strength and community based models in social work research and social work practice.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Concentration Year:
6.1: Students critically integrate the practical implications of quantitative and qualitative research in social work practice, and apply scientific and ethical approaches to research related practice.
6.2: Students are guided by social research methodologies, including positivism, post positivism, critical theory and constructivism for social work research.
6.3: Students integrate policy analysis, evidence, strength and community based models to appropriately apply synthesized knowledge in social work practice.
Goal 7: HBSE
Graduates demonstrate critical analysis to apply theories and practices of biological, psychological, social, and spiritual variables to interactions between individuals and socio-economic system.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Foundation Year:
7.1: Student critically understand the generalist social work model and eco-system perspective to their chosen populations and their interactions with social/cultural/political/economic environment or systems.
7.2: Student critique and ally human behavior and social environment theories to guide assessment, intervention and evaluation at multiple system levels.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Concentration Year:
7.1: Student critically understand the generalist social work model and eco-system perspective to their chosen populations and their interactions with social/cultural/political/economic environment or systems.
7.2: Student critique and ally human behavior and social environment theories to guide assessment, intervention and evaluation at multiple system levels.
Goal 8: Policy Practice
Graduates demonstrate policy practice to ensure effective delivery of social work services to promote social and economic well-being.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Foundation Year:
8.1: Students demonstrate a critical understanding of the history and current form of social welfare and social service policies, and use this understanding to formulate strategies that advance social and economic well-being.
8.2: Students critically understand the results of policy analysis relevant to social service delivery.
8.3: Students collaborate with social workers, other professionals, clients, and communities to advocate for social and economic well-being to influence policy change.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Concentration Year:
8.1: Students demonstrate a critical understanding of the history and current form of social welfare and social service policies, and use this understanding to formulate strategies that advance social and economic well-being.
8.2: Students demonstrate policy practice skills in regard to economic, political, and organizational systems, and use them to influence, formulate, and advocate for and with client systems.
8.3: Students initiate and collaborate with social workers, other professionals, clients and community to advocate for social and economic well-being to influence policy change.
Goal 9: Contexts
Graduates develop and apply strategies in response to the changing social/ cultural/ economic/ political contexts at local, national and global levels that influence socio-economic well-being of people.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Foundation Year:
9.1: Students acquire evidence-based information on changing social, cultural, economic, and political contexts, innovations and global trends that affect diverse populations.
9.2: Student develop strength-based strategies to utilize scientific and technological advancement to provide relevant and effective services to client systems of all sizes.
9.3: Students acquire leadership skills in promoting sustainable change to improve quality of service delivery.
9.4: Students recognize and develop understanding of local and global contexts of social work practice.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Concentration Year:
9.1: Students apply research and evidence-based skills to access information on changing social/cultural/economic/political contexts, innovations and global trends that affect diverse populations.
9.2: Students develop strength-based strategies to utilize scientific and technological advancement to provide relevant and effective services to client systems of all sizes.
9.3: Students provide entrepreneurial and leadership skills in promoting sustainable change to improve quality of service delivery.
9.4: Students recognize and critically analyze local and global contexts of social work practice.
Goal 10: Generalist Model
Graduates administer the application of generalist perspective, ecosystems theory, and advanced social work methodology to client systems of all sizes.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Foundation Year:
10.1: Students demonstrate partnerships with and among clients, constituents, organizations and communities that are based on participation, empowerment, collaboration and leadership.
10.2: Students recognize clients‘ strengths and analyze assessment data to develop agreed-upon intervention strategies and outcomes.
10.3: Students collaborate with client systems, communities and/or organizations to develop culturally appropriate mechanisms and strategies in preventing and resolving problems.
10.4: Student utilize evaluation tools to critically analyze monitor, evaluate and document intervention outcomes and effectiveness.
Practice Behaviors upon completion of the Advanced Generalist Concentration Year:
10.1: Students demonstrate and initiate partnerships with and among clients, constituents, organizations and communities that are based on participation, empowerment, collaboration and leadership.
10.2: Students recognize clients‘ strengths and analyze assessment data to develop agreed-upon intervention strategies and outcomes.
10.3: Students collaborate with client systems, communities and/or organizations to develop culturally appropriate mechanisms and strategies in preventing and resolving problems.
10.4: Students utilize evaluation tools to critically analyze, monitor, evaluate and document intervention outcomes and effectiveness to ensure sustained changes.
