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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) .

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

• LK Engelbrecht Stellenbosch University

The purpose of this paper is to construct perspectives on community education as a model of community work by unpacking the knowledge of community education that exists in social work, and packaging it in the context of social work's response to contemporary risk issues, in order to identify implications for social work education and practice. This is done by motivating the addressing of risk issues by means of community education, exploring the roots of the community education model, examining the relationship between community development and community work, analysing the theoretical foundation of the community education model, and by conceptualising an ideal type of community education. Core concepts of community education arising from these contexts are also elucidated.

Author Biography

Lk engelbrecht, stellenbosch university.

Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

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• LK Engelbrecht, Editorial , Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk: Vol. 59 No. 1 (2023)

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• 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.

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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Canadian Association of Social Workers, Social Work Practice in Community Development

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Indeed, “16 Types of Social Workers and How They Make an Impact”

National Association of Social Workers, Types of Social Work

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Social Workers

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2024 CSWE Annual Conference

New from cswe press, 2022 epas toolkit now available, spark a conversation, shanéa thomas, edd, appointed as cswe executive director of accreditation.

September 6, 2024

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is excited to announce the appointment of Shanéa Thomas, EdD, LICSW, CSE, (he/she/Dr.) as its new Executive Director of Accreditation. Dr. Thomas is a seasoned scholar-practitioner with over 20 years of professional clinical social work and educational experience. In his new role, Dr. Thomas will oversee the accreditation operations of more than 900 social work programs and post-Master’s social work fellowship programs across the United States and its territories.

CSWE Advocacy Update – September 4, 2024 

September 4, 2024

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced $65.7 million in prevention, treatment, and workforce enhancement awards and funding opportunities. 

New book release: what do social workers do all day.

August 6, 2024

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is delighted to announce the release of the insightful new book, What Do Social Workers Do All Day? Real-Life Cases for Generalist Practice , edited by Jacqueline Corcoran, PhD, LCSW. This new book from CSWE Press offers an in-depth look into the important roles that social workers play in various settings, making it an essential textbook for the generalist curriculum in social work education.

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Founded in 1952, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the national association representing social work education in the United States. Its members include over 750 accredited baccalaureate and master’s degree social work programs, as well as individual social work educators, practitioners, and agencies dedicated to advancing quality social work education. Through its many initiatives, activities, and centers, CSWE supports quality social work education and provides opportunities for leadership and professional development, so that social workers play a central role in achieving the profession’s goals of social and economic justice.

The CSWE organizational mission includes the charge to advocate for social work education and research. CSWE's strategic plan outlines the need for research to inform policy and practice and to serve the needs of CSWE member programs—their deans, directors, faculty members, and students. The CSWE Commission on Research (COR) and CSWE research staff work to serve that need. The COR developed research priorities with input from the CSWE commissions and councils to guide their work; they will report on progress periodically.

Current Number of Social Work Programs  (as of June 2024)

accredited baccalaureate programs

accredited master's programs

candidate baccalaureate programs

candidate master's programs

pre-candidate baccalaureate programs

pre-candidate master's programs

accredited post-master's fellowship programs

• American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
• Association of Social Work Boards
• The Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors
• Consortium of Social Science Associations
• Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy
• Eldercare Workforce Alliance
• Federal Student Aid
• Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work
• Grand Challenges for Social Work
• Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition
• The International Association Of Schools Of Social Work
• Interprofessional Education Collaborative
• Mental Health Liaison Group
• National Association of Black Social Workers
• National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work
• National Association of Social Workers
• National Academies of Practice
• National Collaborative for Improving the Clinical Learning Environment
• SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program
• Society for Social Work and Research
• St. Louis Group for Excellence in Social Work Research and Education
• Washington Higher Education Secretariat

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3 Theories, Approaches, and Frameworks in Community Work

Sama Bassidj, MSW, RSW and Dr. Mahbub Hasan MSW, Ph.D.

• Why Is Theory Important in Community Work?
• Systems Theory
• Anti-Oppressive Practice
• Cultural Humility and Cultural Safety
• Indigenous Worldviews

Introduction

This chapter focuses on theories and why theories are required in community development practice. There are many theories in social work; however, we will discuss four main theories that community workers should integrate into their practice. These theories are Systems Theory, Anti-Oppressive Practice, Cultural Humility and Safety, and Indigenous Worldviews.

1. Why Is Theory Important in Community Work?

Theories help us make sense of the world – and communities – around us. They allow us to explore problems and solutions with evidence and research to support our practice, instead of grasping at straws. This is particularly important as community workers need to be aware of personal assumptions and biases that may interfere with effective community practice.

Theories may also help us avoid doing harm , unintentionally . Good intentions are not enough for community development work. As social service professionals, it is critical for us to be aware of the ways that our work can perpetuate harm and oppression – and intentionally take steps to disrupt harmful systems and practices today. In order for us to avoid repeating harmful mistakes of the past, community work must be grounded in anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and decolonizing practices and relations.

In order for us to explore different theoretical frameworks for working with communities, we must first understand what exactly we mean by community . At the most fundamental level, a community is based on relationships, identity, and a sense of belonging.

How can theories support our practice with diverse communities? What can they offer to community development work?

We will be introducing the following theoretical frameworks for community work:

• Cultural Humility and Safety
• Anti Racism 

Note: Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list. Continually evolving our practice, drawing on multiple theories from our toolbox, allows for deeper and broader understanding and engagement with diverse communities.

2. Systems Theory

Like every ecosystem , individuals require ongoing input (e.g. food, energy, relationships) in order to survive – and hopefully thrive. When a system’s needs are not met, we may feel out of balance, which prompts action. Preserving a state of balance (or equilibrium ) is critical for systems to survive.

According to systems theory (Healy, 2005) :

• Individuals do not live in silos (or isolation).
• We are constantly interacting with multiple systems (e.g. family, neighbourhood, city, globe) across different levels.
• Our interactions, whether big or small, have an inevitable ripple effect throughout the entire system.
• All systems operate in relationships with other systems.

This perspective allows us to develop a holistic view of individuals and communities in our practice.

Healy (2005) suggests that in addition to your self as the primary system, reflect on some of the following systems you interact with (from smallest to largest):

• Microsystem – the small immediate systems in your day-to-day life (e.g. family/friends, workplace environment, classrooms, places of worship, etc.)
• Mesosystem – the network of interactions between your immediate systems (e.g. how your family experience can impact your participation at school)
• Exosystem – the larger institutions in society that impact your personal systems and networks (e.g. government agencies, economic systems, social policies, etc.)
• Macrosystem – the intangible influences in society (e.g. ideologies, culture, common beliefs, social relationships and expectations, etc.)

3. Anti-Oppressive Practice

Q – What is the difference between more mainstream approaches and anti-oppressive practice (AOP)? How does AOP help communities understand problems as linked to social inequality?

Part of this section is adapted from:  Canadian Settlement in Action: History and Future  by NorQuest College is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Oppression can be defined as the experience of widespread, systemic injustice (Deutch, 2011). It is embedded in the underlying assumptions of institutions and rules, and the collective consequences of following those rules. Oppression is often a consequence of unconscious assumptions and biases and the reactions of well-meaning people in ordinary interactions (Khan, 2018).

The following are some of the ways oppression can manifest itself:

Intersectionality Venn diagram by  SylviaDuckworth is licensed under a  CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Generic license

  Intersectionality is a core concept in the discussion of oppression. Crenshaw (1989) pioneered the term “ intersectionality ” to refer to instances in which individuals simultaneously experience many intersecting forms of oppression. Since individuals don’t exist solely as “woman”, “Black”, or “working class”, among others, these identities intersect in complex ways, and are determined by a set of interlocked social hierarchies.

Video: The urgency of intersectionality | Kimberlé Crenshaw. Ted Talk.

Source: YouTube. https://youtu.be/akOe5-UsQ2o

Therefore, all our oppressions are interconnected and overlapping . Intersectionality rejects the idea of “ranking” social struggles (sometimes referred to as “ Oppression Olympics ”), as this is divisive and unnecessary, undermining solidarity (the willingness of different individuals or communities to work together to achieve common goals).

In an intersectional analysis, a person’s identity is layered, and the presence (or absence) of oppression is context-specific. The same person could feasibly be oppressed in one situation, and the oppressor in another (for example, a Black man who experiences racism in the workplace but is domestically abusive). What is important is to look at the social forces that are at play and to remember that “the personal is always political”.

It would be difficult to discuss the importance of understanding oppression without understanding privilege . Garcia (2018) describes privilege as unearned social benefits or advantages that a person receives by virtue of who they are, not what they have done. Much like oppression, privilege can also be intersectional; however, because privilege is unearned, it is often invisible because those who benefit from it have been conditioned to not even be aware of its existence. Privilege is thus a very important concept because the relationship that community workers have with communities is often a privileged standing, as they have power over the lives of the communities they work with.

Video: What is Privilege ? Source: YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD5f8GuNuGQ&feature=youtu.be

Among the most important roles that can be played by a community worker is that of an ally – when a person with privilege attempts to work and live in  solidarity  with marginalized peoples and communities. Allies take  responsibility  for their own education on the lived realities of oppressed individuals and communities and are willing to openly acknowledge and discuss their privileges and the biases they produce (Lamont, n.d.).

  A thorough understanding of power, privilege, and oppression can help community workers develop an anti-oppressive approach to their practice. Being able to engage in anti-oppressive practice requires community workers to be able to deconstruct and challenge the Great Canadian Myth and expressions of Canadian exceptionalism , and to be able to discuss the often-complicated role played by social service professionals in the perpetuation and execution of harmful government policies towards racialized communities (Clarke, 2016, p. 119). As such, an anti-oppressive approach requires community workers to continually and critically reflect on their work with communities and to challenge the status of “expert” assigned to them.

Anti-oppressive practice is also a strengths-based approach   in that the starting point of a conversation with communities is what they can do, not what they cannot do or are lacking . Strengths-based approaches separate people from their problems and focus more on the circumstances that prevent a person from leading the life they want to lead (Hammond & Zimmerman, 2012, p. 3).

Anti oppression approach addresses the prejudicial and inequitable relations that communities experience (Parada et al. 2011). Anti-oppressive social workers and community workers help communities understand that their problems are linked to social inequality and why they are oppressed and how to fight for change (Baines, 2011). Anti oppression practice addresses root causes of poverty and marginalization and promote collective actions by community.

4. Anti-Racism 

Anti-racism is the active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies and practices and attitudes, so that power is redistributed and shared equitably” (attributed to NAC International Perspectives: Women and Global Solidarity- Source: Calgary Anti-Racism Education ).

In an academic context, anti-racism represents a proactive ideological orientation and mode of engagement aimed at reshaping the societal and community landscape. Given the pervasive nature of racism across various strata and domains of society, it (racism) serves as a mechanism for establishing and perpetuating exclusive hierarchies and domains. Consequently, the imperative for anti-racism education and activism extends comprehensively across all facets of society, rather than being confined solely to the workplace, educational institutions, or specific sectors of individual existence. According to Calgary Anti-Racism Education , Anti-racism theory analyzes/critiques racism and how it operates, which provides us with a basis for taking action to dismantle and eliminate it (Henry & Tator, 2006; Kivel, 1996).  Ontario Anti-Racism Secretariat defines Anti-racism is the practice of identifying, challenging, and changing the values, structures and behaviours that perpetuate systemic racism” (Source: Calgary Anti-Racism Education ).

5. Cultural Humility and Cultural Safety

Material in this section is adapted from  Introduction to Human Services  by Nghi D. Thai and Ashlee Lien is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

5.1 Cultural  humility  is the ability to remain open to learning about other cultures while acknowledging one’s own lack of competence and recognizing power dynamics that impact the relationship.

Within cultural humility it is important to:

• engage in continuous and critical self-reflection
• recognize the impact of power dynamics on individuals and communities
• embrace a perspective of “not knowing”
• commit to lifelong learning

This approach to diversity encourages a curious spirit and the ability to openly engage with others in the process of learning about a different culture. As a result, it is important to address power imbalances and develop meaningful relationships with community members in order to create positive change. A guide to cultural humility is offered by  Culturally Connected.

Video: Cultural Humility, Source: YouTube, https://youtu.be/SaSHLbS1V4w

5.2 Cultural Safety

Culturally unsafe practices involve any actions that diminish, demean, or disempower the cultural identity and well-being of an individual.

According to Population Health Promotion and BC Women’s Hospital :

Culturally unsafe practices involve any actions that diminish, demean, or disempower the cultural identity and well-being of an individual. Creating a culturally safe practice involves working to create a safe space that is sensitive and responsive to a client’s social, political, linguistic, economic, and spiritual realities. Ultimately, adopting a cultural humility perspective is one of the most effective ways to enable cultural safety – one that will help clients feel safe receiving and accessing care.

Indigenous Cultural Safety and Cultural Humility

As a result of Canada’s legacy of colonization with Indigenous Peoples, working towards cultural safety and trust requires humility, dedication, and respectful engagement. Indigenous Cultural Safety is when Indigenous Peoples feel safer in relationships and communities.

According to BC Patient Safety and Quality Council , working towards culturally safe engagement with Indigenous communities requires:

• Acknowledgement of the history of colonialism in Canada and the impacts of systemic racism.
• A level of cultural awareness and sensitivity . (e.g. Provide a meaningful land acknowledgement. Get to know Indigenous Peoples from the Land you work and live on. Be a lifelong learner. )
• Deep humility and an openness to learning . (e.g. Research local cultural practices and protocols. Read the Truth and Reconciliation Recommendations. )
• Time for relationship building, connection , collaboration, and cultivating trust . ( e.g. Work towards balancing power dynamics. Be mindful of experiences of intergenerational trauma in building relationships. Integrate trauma-informed community practices . )

According to  San’yas Anti-Racism Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program a commitment to Indigenous Cultural Safety recognizes that:

• cultural humility aims to build mutual trust and respect and enables cultural safety
• cultural safety is defined by each individual’s unique experience and social location
• cultural safety must be understood, embraced, and practiced at all levels of community practice
• working towards cultural safety is everyone’s responsibility

6. Indigenous Worldviews

Community development practice owes much of its ways of knowing, doing, and being to Indigenous communities worldwide. Indigenous values of interdependence and caring for all are at the heart of this practice.

According to activist and academic Jim Silver (2006), who is non-Indigenous:

The process of people’s healing, of their rebuilding or recreating themselves, is rooted in a revived sense of community and a revitalization of [Indigenous] cultures…The process of reclaiming an [Indigenous] identity takes place, therefore, at an individual, community, organizational, and ultimately political level. This is a process of decolonization that, if it can continue to be rooted in traditional [Indigenous] values of sharing and community, will be the foundation upon which healing and rebuilding are based. (p. 133)

Many Indigenous authors acknowledge one’s identity as intricately connected to community (Carriere, 2008). In fact, family, kinship, and community are viewed as a significant determinant of well-being (Kral, 2003). This community identity is often place-based , connected to the Land and one’s place of origin.

Baskin (2016) shares an example of an Indigenous community program that emphasizes the well-being of the community and family above that of the individual:

[At] Mino-Yaa-Daa (meaning “Healing Together” in the Anishnawbe language), [t]he individual is seen in the context of the family, which is seen in the context of the community… when an individual is harmed, it is believed that this affects all other individuals in that person’s family and community… By coming together in a circle, women learned that they were not alone, and that their situations and feelings were similar to those of other women… [building relationships and a community of empowered women] can only be achieved by individuals coming together in a circle. This kind of community-building cannot happen through individual counselling or therapy (pp. 164-165).

Key Takeaways and Feedback 

We want to learn your key takeaways and feedback on this chapter.

Your participation is highly appreciated. It will help us to enhance the quality of Community Development Practice and connect with you to offer support. To write your feedback, please click on Your Feedback Matters .

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Baines, D. (2017).  Doing anti-oppressive practice: Social justice social work  (Third ed.). Fernwood Publishing.

Baskin, C. (2016).  Strong helpers’ teachings: The value of Indigenous knowledges in the helping professions  (Second ed.). Canadian Scholars’ Press.

Bergland, C. (2017, August 3). Sizeism is harming too many of us: Fat shaming must stop.  Psychology Today .  https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-athletes-way/201708/sizeism-is-harming-too-many-us-fat-shaming-must-stop

Carriere, J. (2008). Maintaining identities: The soul work of adoption and Aboriginal children. Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health, 6 (1), 61-80. Retrieved from http://www.pimatisiwin.com .

Clarke, J. (2016). Doing anti-oppressive settlement work in Canada: A critical framework for practice. In S. Pashang (Ed.),  Unsettled settlers: Barriers to integration  (3rd ed., pp. 115–137). de Sitter Publications.

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Deutsch, M. (2011). A framework for thinking about oppression and its change.  Social Justice Research, 19 (1), 193–226.

Eisenmenger, A. (2019, December 12).  Ableism 101: What it is, what it looks like, and what we can do to fix it.  Access  Living. https://www.accessliving.org/newsroom/blog/ableism-101/

Healy, K. (2005). Under reconstruction: Renewing critical social work practices. In S. Hick, J. Fook, & R. Pozzuto (Eds.), Social work: A Critical turn (pp. 219-230). Toronto: Thompson Educational.

Garcia, J. D. (2018).  Privilege (Social inequality) . Salem Press Encyclopedia .  https://guides.rider.edu/privilege

Illing, S. (2020, March 7). What we get wrong about misogyny. Vox.  https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/12/5/16705284/elizabeth-warren-loss-2020-sexism-misogyny-kate-manne

Khan, C. (2018).  Social location, positionality & unconscious bias  [PowerPoint presentation]. University of Alberta Graduate Teaching and Learning Program.  https://www.ualberta.ca/graduate-studies/media-library/professional-development/gtl-program/gtl-week-august-2018/2018-08-28-social-location-and-unconscious-bias-in-the-classroom.pdf

Kral, M.J. (2003). Unikaartuit: Meanings of well-being, sadness, suicide and change in two Inuit communities. Final report to the National Health Research and Development.

Lamont, A. (n.d.).  Guide to allyship . amélie.studio.  https://guidetoallyship.com/

Ontario Human Rights Commission. (n.d.a).  Ageism and age discrimination (fact sheet).   http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/ageism-and-age-discrimination-fact-sheet

Ontario Human Rights Commission. (n.d.b).  Racial discrimination, race and racism (fact sheet).   http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/racial-discrimination-race-and-racism-fact-sheet

Parada, H, Barnoff L, Moffatt K, & Homan, S. (2011). Promoting  community change: Making it happen in the real world.   Toronto: Nelson Education

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Silver, J. (2006). In their own voices: Building urban Aboriginal communities. Black Point, NS: Fernwood Publications.

Community Development Practice: From Canadian and Global Perspectives Copyright © 2022 by Sama Bassidj, MSW, RSW and Dr. Mahbub Hasan MSW, Ph.D. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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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:   for a complete copy of the in English and Spanish. Leadership Series Documents Social work can be a very rewarding profession.  However, transforming passion for your profession into a vibrant and satisfying career is not always easy.    The NASW Leadership Ladders series is designed to assist social workers with successfully navigating their careers.  Whether you are new to the profession, a second-career professional or a mid-career professional, these tips will help you broaden your sphere of influence and take on the challenges that can catapult you to the next level in your career! U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children & Families Upcoming Events Teaching Practices Open an Email-sharing interface Open to Share on Facebook Open to Share on Twitter Open to Share on Pinterest Open to Share on LinkedIn Prefill your email content below, and then select your email client to send the message. Recipient e-mail address: Send your message using: Creating a Caring Community Caring refers to a set of prosocial skills and behaviors like being helpful, respectful, kind, thoughtful, understanding, and comforting. It also includes more complex behaviors such as cooperation, generosity, and empathy. Children need prosocial skills to fully take part in the many daily group activities in early learning environments. A caring community of learners refers to learning environments where children and educators engage in warm, positive relationships, treat each other with respect, and learn from and with each other. These environments include center-based classrooms, family child care settings, socialization spaces, and homes. Caring behavior is like a drop of water that ripples out as education staff establish positive relationships with every child in their care. In a caring, equitable community of learners, educators intentionally make it a priority to: D esign a caring environment R espond to individual needs O rganize awareness activities P romote and encourage a sense of community Check out this 15-minute In-service Suite and find tips, tools, and worksheets to extend your learning. Caring Community Narrator: Welcome to this short presentation on creating a caring community. Learn about the importance of a caring community for young children and how to use practices that create a sense of belonging for everyone in the program. Quality teaching and learning practices incorporate the experiences, languages, perspectives, and cultural backgrounds of children and their families. By doing this, learning becomes more meaningful and interesting for children. The Framework for Effective Practice describes effective everyday practices that lead to school readiness for all children. There are six parts to the Framework for Effective Practice: a strong siding, emphasizing equitable experiences for all children, a foundation of engaging interactions and environments, the supporting pillars of research-based curricula and effective teaching practices as well as ongoing assessment, highly individualized teaching practices that ensure every child makes progress toward school readiness, and, at the center, parent and family partnership and engagement.  Creating a caring community is an essential part of the foundation. This presentation on how to create a caring community is one in a series of suites designed to help adults connect and build strong relationships with children and create an atmosphere of caring and belonging that permeates the program. [Video begins] Teacher: We're ready. Good morning, boys and girls. Children: Good morning! Boy: Sabah al-khair! Teacher: Now let's try saying it in Arabic. Children: Sabah al-khair. Teacher: Sabah al-khair. [Video ends] Narrator: What does it mean to create a caring community? Think about words such as "respectful," "affirming," "kind," "thoughtful," and "understanding." A learning environment that exudes a sense of caring is one where the children and the adults value and respect each other, think about each other, and help each other. Caring behaviors in children develop over time and through many thoughtful interactions. Educators model respect and caring. And they encourage children to care by helping them learn to share and cooperate and show empathy towards each other. Kindness can create a ripple effect in the learning environment. As educators demonstrate respect and kindness with children and families and other adults, the children feel more value and secure. Why is it so important to create a caring learning community? Research tells us that children who are taught caring behaviors when they are young continue to show caring behaviors as they grow older. Positive social behaviors also predict children's performance in academic and social areas. And children who show higher levels of caring behaviors tend to be more ready for school than those who do not. Let's look at some of the ways that educators help children learn to be kinder and more respectful. Teacher: We want to respect Amy's space. Let's slide over a little more. She's building something, and we don't want to keep knocking it down. Teacher: Or you could ask Silvan to move his hand. Child: Move your hand. Teacher: Here, Silvan. Let's move our hand. Maz wants to put it down. Thank you for using your words, Maz. Teacher: Si tu tienes oportuno, puedes anutar tu nombre y podemos contaro través el tiempo. Gracias por ayudante. Narrator: Educators are purposeful in designing welcoming learning environments that reflect and affirm children's culture, language, and individual identities. They nurture a sense of belonging for all children and families. They display family pictures and children's artwork, use children's languages and integrate familiar books, stories, music, and objects that celebrate and sustain children's diverse social identities. Teacher: Help. Narrator: Educators build on the strengths, abilities, and interests of children to make each child feel valued and confident. They are aware of and responsive to the individual needs of children to help children feel supported and secure. Educators help children learn how their own actions affect others. They model and teach children about fairness and respect for differences. And educators acknowledge children's developing attempts at caring, kindness, and being fair. Educators let children know that their kind actions are valued. Teacher: Where did you learn to write it in rainbow? Oriel: He did. Teacher: Thanks for teaching Oriel about the rainbow. I know you like to do that each day. Narrator: It takes time and planning to create a caring learning community. Caring learning communities make wonderful and joyful places for children to thrive and learn the many things they need to know to be ready for school. We hope you have new ideas to expand on the ways you already support the social and emotional well-being of all children and can continue to build an atmosphere of caring, belonging, and fairness in your program. For more information and more ideas on creating a caring community, see our 15-minute in-service suite videos, tips and tools on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, or ECLKC . Why is the practice important? Caring communities help both educators and children by providing them with equitable, supportive, and welcoming learning environments. Caring creates a ripple effect. The children begin to feel safe and secure knowing adults have their best interests at heart, and the ripple continues. This sense of security allows the children to look beyond their own immediate needs to the needs of others. Children who are taught and encouraged to show caring behaviors early on are more likely to continue these behaviors in later years. Prosocial behaviors also predict children’s strengths in other developmental areas, such as academic and social and emotional skills. Sustaining Children’s Cultural, Ethnic, and Language Identities Educators view all children as valued members of the learning community. They know that learning caring behaviors may be influenced by various caregiving practices and values like, for example, a family environment that emphasizes interdependence rather than independence. Here are some ways educators can sustain children’s cultural, ethnic, and language identities: Work closely with families and community members to learn about children’s cultural and language experiences and create meaningful learning activities that affirm children’s familial and cultural backgrounds. Design environments that reflect and celebrate children’s diverse cultures and languages. Teach children pride in their cultural, linguistic, and individual identities. Show children ways to help a peer feel fully included in their learning community. Plan activities where children share and learn about each other’s cultural and language backgrounds and experiences. Practices for Children with Disabilities or Suspected Delays In a caring and equitable community, educators model appreciation for children’s diverse abilities. They display pictures and use books that portray people with disabilities in positive ways. They support the success of all children and offer individualized support when children experience difficulties in social situations. Educators provide varying levels and types of support, depending on a child’s learning needs. Here are some effective practices and examples: Arrange the physical environment so that a child using a wheelchair or walker can independently move around. Post a visual of classroom rules to help a child with a language delay better understand expected social behavior. To provide more support for a child who struggles to participate in social interactions with peers, educators can invite a more socially competent peer to model a social behavior or directly invite the child to join in an activity. Educators can use an activity matrix to plan when and how to do this teaching practice during daily activities and routines. Provide intensive instruction to teach a child who struggles with social interactions important skills, like asking a peer to play, offering to help a peer who is struggling with a task, or consoling a peer in distress. Infants – Early On Children at an early stage of developing caring behaviors are ready to learn how to: Show interest in other children by smiling, touching, reaching, or making sounds directed to the child. Engage in simple back-and-forth interactions with another child by vocalizing, imitating each other’s sounds, using gestures, or sharing or exchanging a toy or object. Vocalize, gesture, or cry to seek adult help, or offer a toy or object to comfort another child who is crying or upset. Interact with children who have diverse physical, language, and ability characteristics. Toddlers – Emerging Skills Children at an emerging stage of developing caring behaviors are ready to learn how to: Actively move near other children to play or engage in simple conversations. Show a preference for a playmate, such as greeting friends by name or seeking a friend to play with and moving toward them. Use words or actions to comfort another child who is hurt or crying. Engage in conversations about biases and injustices. Adults can support when they see instances of unfair behavior, such as when a child grabs another child’s toy, or when a group of children reject a peer who does not yet speak English. Preschoolers – Increasing Mastery Children who are increasing their proficiency in caring behaviors are ready to learn how to: Use a variety of skills to enter social situations with other children, such as suggesting something to do together, joining an existing activity, or sharing a toy. Play cooperatively with other children by communicating with each other and working toward a common goal. Recognize biases and injustices and speak up or offer support when another child is being treated unfairly. Describe their own cultural, language, and ability identities and how they are similar and different from those of other children. Practices in Action This playlist features examples of practices that facilitate creating a caring community in early childhood learning environments. As you watch these short videos, think about what you already do to foster a caring community and what additional practices you can implement. Finger Play with Infants [Speaking in Spanish] Teacher 1: Very good. Teacher 2: Very good. Estelita, Rubén... [Inaudible] OK? Ready? Come on, Estela. One, two, three friends. Four, five, six friends. Seven, eight, nine friends. There are 10 friends. Teacher 1: Bravo! Teacher 2: Yes! She dances. [Laughter]  Teacher 2: One more time, Estela? Estelita? One, two, three friends. Four, five, six friends. Seven, eight, nine friends. There are 10 friends. Teacher 1: Yes! Bravo! Creating community happens in simple and complex ways. How is the educator fostering warm and positive relationships?  Find tips, tools, and worksheets below to extend your learning. This tip sheet explains how creating caring communities involves warm, respectful relationships among children and adults: While watching the exemplar videos, use this tool to document observations around how education staff create caring communities: Creating a Caring Community: Tools for Learning Leaders Tips for Educators This printable handout provides ideas for implementing practices that create caring communities: Learning with Families Tips for Families Staff can share these printable handouts that include suggestions and ideas on ways families can engage in their child’s learning environment: Creating a Caring Community: Tips for Families Reflect, Improve These practical activities support planning, implementing, and reflecting on the use of a practice in the early learning environment: Staff Learning Activity Activities with Families « Go to Engaging Interactions and Environments Resource Type: Article National Centers: Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning Last Updated: September 10, 2024 Privacy Policy Freedom of Information Act Accessibility Disclaimers Vulnerability Disclosure Policy Viewers & Players For security reasons, we do not recommend using the “Keep me logged in” option on public devices. This posting is locked only for district employees, in order to apply, you need to provide a password and click "Submit". Are you sure? For security reasons, we do not recommend using the “Keep me logged in” option on public devices. Click Continue to move forward with stay logged in. Reset your password Is this your email @ ? Enter email address to retrieve your username and/or reset your password. Verify Your Email Address Email verification link sent. An Email Verification link was sent to the email address . The verification link will expire in 48 hours. Please click on the link in the email you received to continue and complete the verification process. If you do not see the email in your inbox after approximately 10-15 minutes, check your SPAM/Junk email folder(s) , thank you. Community and Family Outreach Liaison (Classified Permanent SAUSD Employees Only) at Santa Ana Unified School District In-house vacancy - internal candidates only. This position is only available to current employees of this school district. Applications submitted by job seekers not currently employed by the school district will not be considered. Application Deadline 9/20/2024 4:30 PM Pacific Date Posted Number of openings, add'l salary info, length of work year, employment type, about the employer. Founded in 1888, the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) is the second largest school district in Orange County serving approximately 36,000 students and the 2nd largest employer in Santa Ana, providing job opportunities to approximately 5,000 employees. SAUSD is comprised of 34 Elementary, 6 Intermediate, 4 Alternative Educational Options, 6 High Schools, 1 dependent charter, 1 child development center, 2 early childhood education programs and 1 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Regional Program K-6. SAUSD is committed to providing each of its students with a high-quality education, rigorous and advanced programs, and a nurturing, safe environment with state-of-the-art facilities, 21st century learning and technology, and a direct pathway to college upon graduation. Our district proudly boasts one of the highest graduation rates in the state of California. Requirements / Qualifications EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Any combination equivalent to bachelor’s degree or equivalent in human services or related fields and two years' experience working with community and social services organizations. Two year of experience in working in a secondary school environment focusing on parent outreach, community resources, and attendance problems is desirable. REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS: Please attach documents listed below as applications missing attachments will be considered incomplete and therefore will not be considered for an interview. We will NOT accept any faxed or e-mailed attachments Proof of BA Degree (Attach copy of degree or transcripts with degree posted) Cover Letter Resume This position requires a valid Degree or valid equivalency established by an accredited institution/agency within the United States. Applications that do not include a valid degree will not be considered. If you would like to receive credit for a foreign degree, you may submit your foreign degree to an approved education evaluation service. Any cost of evaluation is the candidate’s responsibility. For your convenience, you may visit our website at www.sausd.us under the Human Resources link for a list of approved education evaluation services. The District provides this list only as information to prospective job candidates and makes no endorsement on any of the companies listed. The documents specified must be attached in order for your application to be considered for employment. Links Related To This Job SAUSD Salary Schedules Non Discrimination Statement Sexual Harrasment View Other Job Desc. / Ess. Elem. CalPERS Links CalPERS Retirement Benefits Santa Ana Unified School District Session Expiring Warning For your safety and protection, your session is about to expire. If you wish to continue your session, please click OK . COMMUNITY EDUCATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY February 2018 Empowerment 7(1):25 CC BY-SA 4.0 This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet. IKIP Siliwangi Abstract and Figures Discover the world's research 25+ million members 160+ million publication pages 2.3+ billion citations Syamsu Rijal Fitria Ayu Aryanti Choiriyah Widyasari Pongsatean Luengalongkot Nuryamin Nuryamin Muhammad Yusuf Jonathan Olajide Liangtao Yang R Mudyahardjo Recruit researchers Join for free Login Email Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? 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Sign up 464 IMAGES Social work community education and training Community Organization in Social Work Social Work Education and Training : Joyce Lishman : 9781849050760 Community Work in Social Work SW319- Community Organizing in Social Work Training Institute for School Social Work Professionals VIDEO UNISA’S ADULT & COMMUNITY EDUCATION & TRAINING (ACET) CERTIFICATE CEREMONY 125 Years of Empowering Students An New Life education OPC private limited Social Work Placement Celebration Preparation training of internship for social work students Continuing Professional Development COMMENTS Beyond the Ivory Tower: The Impact and Importance of Community Engaged Rutgers School of Social Work's mission is to develop and disseminate knowledge through social work research, education, and training that promotes social and economic justice and strengthens individual, family, and community well-being in the diverse and increasingly global environment of New Jersey and beyond. Community development and social work teaching and learning in a time The link between social justice and environmental and community sustainability is a central theme and connects to developments in social work education internationally (Beltrán, Hacker and Begun, 2016; Papadopoulos, 2019; Naranjo, 2020; Ranta-Tyrkkö and Närhi, 2021). We are in an era of geopolitics and currently in the midst of new ... Introduction—community development in social work education: themes for 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 ... (PDF) Community Practice in Social Work: Reflections on Its First Community Practice in Social Work: Reflections on Its First Century and Directions for the Future. December 2018. Social Service Review 92 (4):617-646. 92 (4):617-646. DOI: 10.1086/701640. Authors ... The Critical Role of Community Development in Social Work Education Abstract. 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 ... Social Work Field Training for the Community: A Student Self-Directed Introduction. Field training for social work students plays a vital role in preparing professionals for high-quality practice stressing on the importance of integrating theory with practice in social work and higher-education systems (Sarhan, 2005; Al-Latif, 2007; Shaw, 2011).Weil (2008) and Kadushin (2008) have highlighted the importance of contextualising social work practice and community ... SW Community Education and Training This document discusses concepts relevant to social work community education and training. It begins by defining training and distinguishing it from learning and development. It then outlines a participatory and liberating framework for training, drawing from concepts like conscientization, adult education, participatory development, community organizing, and empowerment of the poor. The ... Perspectives on the community education model of social work This paper elucidates the importance of emancipatory education to social work education and training, identifies the objectives and underlying epistemologies of a course on Human Behaviour and the ... PDF Perspectives on The Community Education Model of Social Work ... The purpose of this paper is to construct perspectives on community education as a model of community work by unpacking the knowledge of community education that exists in social work, and packaging it in the context of social work‟s response to contemporary risk issues, in order to identify implications for social work education and practice. PERSPECTIVES ON THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION MODEL OF SOCIAL WORK ... The purpose of this paper is to construct perspectives on community education as a model of community work by unpacking the knowledge of community education that exists in social work, and packaging it in the context of social work's response to contemporary risk issues, in order to identify implications for social work education and practice. Advancing Social Work Education for Health Impact 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 ... Community Practice: A Training Ground for Social Work Students The Winslow Project, a two-year community-focused placement for two group of first year master of social work (M.S.W.) Students is described and the results of this project are discussed. In order to fulfill a commitment to the community concept, students need a well-defined concept of group and community practice in order to provide the range ... The Teaching and Learning of Communication Skills in Social Work Education Communication skills training (CST) can be defined as 'any form of structured didactic, e-learning and experiential (e.g. using simulation and role-play) training used to develop communicative abilities' (Papageorgiou et al., 2017, p. 6).In social work education, 'communication skills training' is more commonly referred to as the 'teaching and learning of communication skills'; a ... The Scope and Purpose of 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 ... Framework of Community Education and Training This document provides an overview of the framework of social work community education and training. It defines community education as education rooted in empowerment, social justice, and collective consciousness. Community education aims to build capacity for social action, empowerment, and tackling social justice issues. It shares power equally between tutors and participants and focuses on ... Council on Social Work Education About Us. Founded in 1952, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the national association representing social work education in the United States. Its members include over 750 accredited baccalaureate and master's degree social work programs, as well as individual social work educators, practitioners, and agencies dedicated to ... 3 Theories, Approaches, and Frameworks in Community Work This is particularly important as community workers need to be aware of personal assumptions and biases that may interfere with effective community practice. ... Anti-oppressive social workers and community workers help communities understand that their problems are linked to social inequality and why they are oppressed and how to fight for ... Professional Development and Training 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. Placement training and learning outcomes in social work education The present article is based on students who were enrolled in 2012 and graduated in 2015. The response rates at the start of their education were 71.5% of 305 invitations to the students enrolled in the child welfare programme and 64.7% of 408 invitations to the students enrolled in the social work programme. COMMUNITY EDUCATION IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT A growing body of literature recognizes the importance of social media in promoting community education and creating environmental awareness (Bramwell-Lalor et al., 2020;Rahim & Jalaladeen, 2016 ... What is Community Education? Community Education is an effective way to respond to the challenge of improving education at the international, national and local levels of society. It expands the traditional roles of public schools by creating relationships between home, school, and community. Individuals enhance their lives and communities through Community Education ... (Pdf) Field Work Practice in Social Work: Education Importance and Shardlow and Doel (1996) say that "these two contexts for. learning about social work practice, theory and eldwork need to. be integrated, complementary and mutually consistent". They. further ... Creating a Caring Community Creating a caring community is an essential part of the foundation. This presentation on how to create a caring community is one in a series of suites designed to help adults connect and build strong relationships with children and create an atmosphere of caring and belonging that permeates the program. [Video begins] Teacher: We're ready. Community and Family Outreach Liaison (Classified Permanent SAUSD SANTA ANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMUNITY AND FAMILY OUTREACH LIAISON BASIC FUNCTION: Under the direction of the school site Administrator or designee , provide liaison between the school, home and community agencies; provide assist¬ance to school families and parent groups; assist school personnel with problems dealing with school adjustment, attendance, and child welfare; will plan ... COMMUNITY EDUCATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY Abstract and Figures. Community education is a sustainable process in the community, built with awareness and sustained participation, in an effort to build a new understanding and concept to ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review thesis