Social Work Competencies and Code of Ethics

Core Competency #1

Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

- Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant laws and regulations that may impact practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels

- understand frameworks, personal values, and distinction between personal and professional values

- practice reflection, self-regulation, professional demeanor, and use technology ethically

Core Competency #2

Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice

- understand how diversity and difference characterize and shape the human experience and critical to the formation of identity

- apply and communicate understanding of the importance of diversity and difference in shaping life experiences in each level

- present themselves as learners and engage clients and constituencies as experts of their own experiences

- applies self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse clients

Core Competency #3

Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice

- understand that every person regardless of their position in society has fundamental human rights, such as freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, health care, and education

- understand global interconnections of oppression and human rights violations, knowledgeable of theories of human needs, promotion

- advocate for human rights and engage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice

Core Competency #4

Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice

- understand quantitative and qualitative research methods and their respective roles in advancing a science of social work and in evaluating their practice

- know the principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and culturally informed and ethical approaches to building knowledge

- uses practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research

- applies critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative research methods and findings

- uses and translates research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery

Core Competency #5

Engage in Policy Practice

- understand that human rights and social justice, (social welfare and services) are mediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels

- understand the history and current structures of policy and services

- understand their role in enforcing and practicing policy

- assesses how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery/ access to social services

- uses critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice

Core Competency #6

Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

- understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities

- value importance of human relationships

- understand theories of human behavior and social environment, and critically evaluate and apply the knowledge to properly facilitate accommodations

- understand how personal experiences and affective reactions may impact their ability to effectively engage with diverse clients.

- value relationship-building and inter-professional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients as appropriate

- multidisciplinary frameworks to engage with clients

Core Competency #7

Assess Individuals, Families, Organizations, and Communities

- understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

- collect and organize data, apply critical thinking to interpret information from clients and other constituencies

- apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the analysis of assessment from clients

- develop mutually agreed intervention goals and objectives based on the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within clients, and then select the strategies

Core Competency #8

Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

- critically chooses and implements interventions to achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of clients

- apply knowledge

- use inter-professional collaboration as appropriate to achieve beneficial practice outcomes

- facilitates effective transitions and endings that advance mutually agreed goals and objectives

Core Competency #9

Evaluate Practice with Individuals, , Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

- selects and uses appropriate methods for evaluation of outcomes

- applies knowledge

- critically analyzes, monitors, and evaluates intervention and program processes and outcomes

- applies evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels

Service

- Social workers' primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems.

- evaluate service to others above self-interest

- draw on knowledge, values, and skills to help people in need and to address social problems

- encourage to volunteer some portion of their professional skills with no expectation of significant finanical return (pro bono)

Social Justice

- primary goal is to challenge social injustice

- pursue social change with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals

- efforts are primarily focused on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms

- seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge abut oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity

- strive to ensure access to needed info, sevices, resources, euality of opportunity, and meaning participation

Dignity and Worth of the Person

- respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person

- treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences, cultural and ethnic diversity

- promote and enhance clients' capacity and opportunity to change adn to address their own needs

- seek to resolve conflicts between clients interests and broader society's interests in socially responsible manner consistent with the values, ethical princples, adn ethical standards

Importance of Human Relationships

- recognize the central importance of human relationships

- understand that relationships between and among peopel are an important vehicle for change

- engage people as partners in the helping process

- strengthen realtinships and give effort to promote, restore, maintain and enhace the well-being of people

Integrity

- behave in a trustworthy manner

- continually aware of the profession's mission, values, ethical principles, and standards and practice them with manner

- act honestly and responsively

- promote ethical practices on the aprt of the orgnaizations with which they are affiliated

Competence

- practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise

- continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and skills to apply them

- aspire to contribute to the knowledge base of the profession