Social Work Competencies and Behaviors

Ineshia Goods
Integrative Field Seminar
 Competency One
Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

1. Make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW Code of

Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making,
ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to
context.
Using the Code of ethics to further engage with students in need to make sound judgments based
upon their specific issues
 Competency One
Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

2. Use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain

professionalism in practice situations.
Set aside personal biases and opinions against students and parents
 Competency One
Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
3. Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior; appearance; and oral,
written, and electronic communication.
Maintaining dress code policies at school and code of ethics for social workers
 Competency One
Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
4. Use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes.
Sending emails to faculty and staff; calling home to students and parents
 Competency One
Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
5. Use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and
behavior.
Let supervisor observe and engage in practice settings with me while teaching me practice techniques
 Competency Two
Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice

6. Apply and communicate understanding of the importance of diversity and

difference in shaping life experiences in practice at the micro, mezzo, and
macro levels.
Work with different target populations and cultural competency when
working with students of diverse backgrounds
 Competency Two
Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
7. Present themselves as learners and engage clients and constituencies as
experts of their own experiences
Actively seek opportunities to engage with students and faculty
 Competency Two
Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
8. Apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of
personal biases and values in working with diverse clients and constituencies.
Remembering cultural competency and code of ethics to regulate behaviors in the workplace
 Competency Three
Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice

9. Apply understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice to

advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels.

Working with teen pregnancy group with resources and advocating specific time constraints for those
close to due date
 Competency Three
Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic,
and Environmental Justice
Engage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice.
Leadership meetings; role play practices; sitting in on meetings with advisor
 Competency Four
Engage in Practice-informed Research and
Research-informed Practice
11. Use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and
research
Use data collection for student attendance to conclude dropout rates
 Competency Four
Engage in Practice-informed Research and
Research-informed Practice
12. Apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative
research methods and research findings.
Find intriguing ways to get students back to school with excessive absences
using student records from previous years and IEP records
 Competency Four
Engage in Practice-informed Research and
Research-informed Practice
13. Use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice,
policy, and service delivery.
Use data from attendance records to implement new policies and criteria for students to stay in
school and make up lost hours due to absences if applicable
 Competency Five
Engage in Policy Practice
14. Identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that impacts well-
being, service delivery, and access to social services
Keep up with school board policies and procedures that may affect social work practices
 Competency Five
Engage in Policy Practice
15. Assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of
and access to social services.
Research students and families receiving social services set up by supervisor and how well students
are doing after receiving assistance
 Competency Five
Engage in Policy Practice
16. Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies
that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice
Complete needs assessment on student population receiving social services provided by the school
to engage in future policy practices
 Competency Six
Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups,
Organizations, and Communities
17. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment,
person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks
to engage with clients and constituencies
Apply skills from social work practice two/three to engage with clients and create trusting rapport
 Competency Six
Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups,
Organizations, and Communities
18. Use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage
diverse clients and constituencies
Create a trusting environment for students to actively engage with intern
 Competency Seven
Assess Individuals, Families, Groups,
Organizations, and Communities
19. Collect and organize data, and apply critical thinking to interpret
information from clients and constituencies
Collect and review student records to understand student information and
background
 Competency Seven
Assess Individuals, Families, Groups,
Organizations, and Communities
20. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment,
person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in
interventions with clients and constituencies.
Apply skills from social work practice two/three to engage with clients and create trusting rapport
 Competency Seven
Assess Individuals, Families, Groups,
Organizations, and Communities
21. Develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives based on
the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within clients and
constituencies;
Create future goals with students after accessing needs of the student and track progress throughout the
semester
 Competency Seven
Assess Individuals, Families, Groups,
Organizations, and Communities
22. Select appropriate intervention strategies based on the assessment,
research knowledge, and values and preferences of clients and constituencies
Make goals designed to help the student that are in their means to meet
 Competency Eight
Intervene with
Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

23. Critically choose and implement interventions to achieve practice goals

and enhance capacities of clients and constituencies
Analyze 504 plans to choose interventions best suited for student and parents
 Competency Eight
Intervene with
Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
24. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment,
person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in
interventions with clients and constituencies
Apply skills from social work practice two/three to engage with clients and create trusting rapport
 Competency Eight
Intervene with
Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

25. Use inter-professional collaboration as appropriate to achieve beneficial

practice outcomes.
Work beside supervisor on different cases and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team
 Competency Eight
Intervene with
Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

26. Negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of diverse clients
and constituencies
Work with social worker to advocate for student rights in and out of school setting
 Competency Eight
Intervene with
Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

27. Facilitate effective transitions and endings that advance mutually agreed-
on goals
Meet with students on their progress with 504 plans and assess goals met and ones that need to be
changed
 Competency Nine
Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups. Organizations,
and Communities
28. Select and use appropriate methods for evaluation of outcomes.
Use code of ethics and school policies to evaluate goals and outcomes of student
performance
 Competency Nine
Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups. Organizations, and
Communities

29. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment,

person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in
the evaluation of outcomes
Apply skills from social work practice two/three to engage with clients and create trusting
rapport
 Competency Nine
Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups. Organizations, and
Communities

30. Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate intervention and program

processes and outcomes
Track progress of student intervention and goal completion with face-to-face meetings and
teacher follow ups
 Competency Nine
Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups. Organizations, and
Communities

31. Apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro,

mezzo, and macro levels
Use practices conducted throughout the semester to advocate on different levels for school
social work and students