Social Work Practice

Competencies
Autumn Grooms
Instructor Jody Thomas
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
 Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and
Professional Behavior
Behavior 1.1
• Make ethical decisions by applying
the standards of the NASW Code
of Ethics, relevant laws and
regulations, models for ethical
decision-making, ethical conduct of
research, and additional codes of
ethics as appropriate to context.
Relevant Tasks or Activities
• Enforcing attendance and school based
laws and policies.
• Ethical responsibility to the clients in
reporting concerning situations.
• Let social work values and principles guide
practice.
• Keep a copy of NASW Code of Ethics
for reference.
 Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and
Professional Behavior
Behavior 1.2
• Use reflection and self-regulation to
manage personal values and
maintain professionalism in practice
situations.
Relevant Tasks or Activities
• Avoid allowing personal biases or
opinions to change or influence
social work practice or working
with a student.
 Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and
Professional Behavior
Behavior 1.3 Relevant Tasks or Activities
• Demonstrate professional • Remain professional in written, oral
demeanor in behavior; appearance; and electronic communications.
and oral, written, and electronic • Abide by school dress code and
communication. dress professionally.
 Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and
Professional Behavior
Behavior 1.4
• Use technology ethically and
appropriately to facilitate practice
outcomes.
Relevant Tasks or Activities
• Use applications like Power School to
access needed information regarding
students.
• Keep all information about students
confidential.
• Gain needed information and tools to
successfully work with students and
back up interventions with evidence.
 Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and
Professional Behavior
Behavior 1.5 Relevant Tasks or Activities
• Use supervision and consultation to • Participate in weekly meetings with Field
Work Supervisor to assess practice
guide professional judgment and behavior and guide towards the right path.
behavior.
• Use 3 evaluation periods to teach and
guide expected behavior in field setting.
• Discuss ethical dilemmas with Field Work
Director and Field Work Supervisor.
 Competency 2: Engage Diversity and
Difference in Practice
Behavior 2.1
• Apply and communicate
understanding of the importance
of diversity and difference in
shaping life experiences in practice
at the micro, mezzo, and macro
levels.
Relevant Tasks & Activities
• Being culturally aware of all different types
of students and their individual needs.
• Being aware of students and parents
socioeconomic status in order to properly
provide appropriate resources.
• Understanding that the needs of each
child are different and what may work for
one may not work for another.
 Competency 2: Engage Diversity and
Difference in Practice
Behavior 2.2
• Present themselves as learners and
engage clients and constituencies as
experts of their own experiences.
Relevant Tasks & Activities
• Collaborating with teachers and
staff to better understand the child
and their experiences.
• Engage with students in a way that
makes them feel comfortable and
cared for.
 Competency 2: Engage Diversity and
Difference in Practice
Behavior 2.3
• Apply self-awareness and self-
regulation to manage the influence
of personal biases and values in
working with diverse clients and
constituencies.
Relevant Tasks or Activities
• Be aware of personal biases and
opinions that could negatively affect
the working relationship with students
or parents.
• Be self-aware and practice self-
regulation in a way that protects
students from negative feelings and
biases.
 Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and
Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Behavior 3.1
• Apply understanding of social,
economic, and environmental
justice to advocate for human rights
at the individual and system levels.
Relevant Tasks or Activities
• Acknowledge any forms of
discrimination or oppression seen.
• Show competence in policies and
procedures that will eliminate barriers
to learning for students.
• Be able to identify needs of students
and parents in order to better serve
them.
 Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and
Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice

Behavior 3.2 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Engage in practices that advance
social, economic, and
environmental justice.
• Communicate with teachers and staff
in order to figure out the needs of the
students.
• Learn best ways to combat learning
barriers, social injustices, or oppression
for students in order to better their
situations.
 Competency 4: Engage In Practice-informed
Research and Research-informed Practice
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 4.1 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Use practice experience and theory
to inform scientific inquiry and
research.
• Be able to identify issues within the school or
school district that needs to be further
researched and better understood.
• Ability to develop an evidence based plan of
action and include other faculty and staff
from the school and school district.
• Show how the plan developed could possibly
better the issue within the school and school
district.
 Competency 4: Engage In Practice-informed
Research and Research-informed Practice
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 4.2 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Apply critical thinking to engage in
analysis of quantitative and
qualitative research methods and
research findings.
• Ability to analyze the plan
developed to be sure it is a good fit
for the school and school district.
• Be able to apply critical thinking
skills to research and practice.
 Competency 4: Engage In Practice-informed
Research and Research-informed Practice
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 4.3 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Use and translate research evidence
to inform and improve practice,
policy, and service delivery.
• Communicate research findings with
Field Work Supervisor, Director and
other faculty and staff.
• Understand what research findings
mean in pertains to the issue at hand.
• Be sure research evidence provided
pertains to particular issue.
 Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice

Behavior 5.1 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Identify social policy at the local,
state, and federal level that impacts
well-being, service delivery, and
access to social services.
• Become familiar with local, state,
and federal laws that impact the
school system.
• Become familiar with resources
available at local, state, and federal
levels.
 Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice

Behavior 5.2 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Assess how social welfare and
economic policies impact the
delivery of and access to social
services.
• Identify resources and aid available
to students and their parents.
• Identify policies, laws, and practices
of the school system that advocate
for the needs of students.
 Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice

Behavior 5.3 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Apply critical thinking to analyze,
formulate, and advocate for policies
that advance human rights and
social, economic, and
environmental justice.
• Identify and demonstrate how a
change in school policies and laws
could positively affect students
learning barriers.
• Collaborate with school teachers
and staff to improve issues within
the school.
Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families,
Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Skills & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 6.1 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Apply knowledge of human
behavior and the social
environment, person-in-
environment, and other
multidisciplinary theoretical
frameworks to engage with clients
and constituencies.
• Demonstrate learned social work
theories and perspectives through
practice within the school and
students.
• Assess the school environment and
its effect on students and their
behavior.
Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families,
Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Skills & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 6.2 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Use empathy, reflection, and
interpersonal skills to effectively
engage diverse clients and
constituencies.
• Creating trusting relationship and rapport
with students.
• Use social work interviewing skills to
foster a therapeutic relationship with
students.
• Demonstrate proper boundaries within the
student worker helping relationship.
• Practice confidentiality.
 Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families,
Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 7.1 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Collect and organize data and apply • Demonstrate proper assessment
critical thinking to interpret techniques in order to successfully
information from clients and understand and collect data on
constituencies. students.
 Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families,
Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 7.2 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Apply knowledge of human • Demonstrate the application of
behavior and the social social work theories and
environment, person-in- perspectives to students and their
environment, and other learning barriers.
multidisciplinary theoretical
frameworks in interventions with
clients and constituencies.
 Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families,
Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 7.3 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Develop mutually agreed-on
intervention goals and objectives
based on the critical assessment of
strengths, needs, and challenges
within clients and constituencies;
• Develop smart goals to access
needs, strengths, and challenges in
student’s education.
 Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families,
Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 7.4 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Select appropriate intervention
strategies based on the assessment,
research knowledge, and values and
preferences of clients and
constituencies.
• Describe intervention and
intervention measures that will be
based on student’s needs and
preference.
 Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families,
Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 8.1 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Critically choose and implement • Have ability to develop a creative
interventions to achieve practice and fulfilling way for the student to
goals and enhance capacities of track intervention progress and
clients and constituencies. effectiveness.
 Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families,
Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 8.2 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Apply knowledge of human • Apply theoretical frameworks to
behavior and the social enable motivation towards the goals
environment, person-in- set for students.
environment, and other
multidisciplinary theoretical
frameworks in interventions with
clients and constituencies.
 Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families,
Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 8.3 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Use inter-professional collaboration • Communicate with teachers and
as appropriate to achieve beneficial other school staff to achieve inter-
practice outcomes. personal collaboration on student
outcomes.
 Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families,
Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 8.4 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Negotiate, mediate, and advocate
with and on behalf of diverse
clients and constituencies.
• Act as and be an advocate for
students by being their voice and
helping meet their needs.
• Connect students and parents with
the appropriate resources to meet
their needs.
 Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families,
Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Cognitive/Affective Processes)

Behavior 8.5 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Facilitate effective transitions and
endings that advance mutually
agreed-on goals.
• Demonstrate effective planning for
the termination of the helping
relationship with students.
• Discuss follow-up plan of action
with Field Work Supervisor and
other teachers and staff.
 Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals,
Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Skills)

Behavior 9.1 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Select and use appropriate methods • Identify best ways to evaluate
for evaluation of outcomes. student outcomes.
• Have ability to complete evaluation
process with students.
 Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals,
Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Skills)

Behavior 9.2 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Apply knowledge of human • Acknowledge the impact that
behavior and the social environmental and social aspects
environment, person-in- can have on students and their
environment, and other evaluation outcomes.
multidisciplinary theoretical
frameworks in the evaluation of
outcomes.
 Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals,
Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Skills)

Behavior 9.3 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Critically analyze, monitor, and • Monitor student’s during visits that
evaluate intervention and program measure and evaluate goals, in
processes and outcomes. order to modify interventions when
needed.
 Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals,
Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
(Dimensions: Knowledge & Skills)

Behavior 9.4 Relevant Tasks or Activities

• Apply evaluation findings to • Identify strengths and weaknesses
improve practice effectiveness at within the evaluation process in
the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. order to improve the overall
process and student outcomes.