Showing papers in "Journal of Teaching in Social Work in 2022"
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors explored implementation of a digital story assignment in three social work courses and examined undergraduate and graduate students' appraisals of the assignment and learning outcomes, finding that high satisfaction and learning associated with key social work competencies such as digital literacy, group work, and advocacy.
Abstract: ABSTRACT To prepare students for competent practice in increasingly technology-enabled settings, social work curricula must provide ample opportunities for developing digital literacy. Incorporating digital stories as course assignments offer educators one promising approach. Despite the fact that digital stories can provide a powerful teaching strategy and meaningful learning experience for students, they have received little attention in the social work education literature. This study explored implementation of a digital story assignment in three social work courses and examined undergraduate and graduate students’ appraisals of the assignment and learning outcomes. Qualitative findings indicated high satisfaction and learning associated with key social work competencies such as digital literacy, group work, and advocacy. Students valued the novel opportunity for creativity and collaboration, and were challenged in positive ways to produce high quality work that could be shared with a public audience. Key challenges identified by students included a steep technology learning curve, some technology resistance, and limitations associated with group projects (e.g., group dynamics). Overall, however, these exploratory findings suggest that digital story assignments can offer a timely and useful tool for social work educators to enhance engagement and learning, foster advocacy practice skills, and build digital literacies needed in the 21st century practice landscape.
3 citations
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors explore the creation of a multi-faceted, adjunct-centered initiative for part-time social work instructors at a large, urban public university, and discuss the existing literature on perceptions of adjunct instructors across various constituencies, address issues around the inclusion of adjuncts in the faculty community, and share obstacles encountered and lessons learned in their endeavor to bolster programmatic support for adjunct instructors.
Abstract: ABSTRACT The number of adjunct faculty members in higher education has been increasing nationally over the past two decades, and schools of social work are no exception to this trend. There has been robust debate about adjunct use, given concerns about low pay, poor access to benefits, lack of inclusion in academic decision making, and little support outside the classroom. Given the growing reliance on such part-time faculty in social work programs, and cognizant of ethical considerations, it is important to find ways of supporting adjuncts that both honor their contributions to social work education and promote the quality of education they offer the next generation of social workers. This paper explores the creation of a multi-faceted, adjunct-centered initiative for part-time social work instructors at a large, urban public university. The authors discuss the existing literature on perceptions of adjunct instructors across various constituencies, address issues around the inclusion of adjuncts in the faculty community, and share obstacles encountered and lessons learned in their endeavor to bolster programmatic support for adjunct instructors.
2 citations
TL;DR: In this article , three Black social work instructors simultaneously taught a required anti-oppressive practice (AOP) course to a cohort of undergraduate social work students through collective autoethnography (CAE).
Abstract: ABSTRACT In 2019, three Black social work instructors simultaneously taught a required anti-oppressive practice (AOP) course to a cohort of undergraduate social work students. Through collective autoethnography (CAE), we sought to deepen our understanding of our experience within the classroom and how our identity as Black women was negotiated within the space. We used personal narrative essays and data from three autoethnographic conversations as the basis of our analysis. Three overarching themes emerged from the data and are discussed throughout the article: vulnerability and precarity, disembodiment from Black identity, and neutrality and objectivity. This study has special implications for Black female social work instructors teaching AOP. Its findings are relevant in determining how to dismantle anti-Black racism in social work education and practice.
2 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the importance of online communities for knowledge attainment and support groups is discussed, group work theories are reviewed, as well as the implications for practice, and a case example from experience teaching a graduate level group work course online is shared.
Abstract: ABSTRACT This article focuses on group work principles to emphasize the importance of collaboration and community as an effective pedagogical approach to teaching in online higher education. Online communities can serve as support groups by bringing together people going through the shared experience of higher education and providing the opportunity for students to share their experiences, feelings, and coping strategies to increase their capacity to learn. In addition to faculty and course material, online communities play an essential role in knowledge attainment. The importance of online communities for knowledge attainment and support groups will be discussed, group work theories will be reviewed, as well as the implications for practice. A case example from experience teaching a graduate level group work course online will be shared.
2 citations
TL;DR: The Rapid Cycle Quality Improvement (RCQI) is often required for behavioral health work force training and evaluation projects supported by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as mentioned in this paper .
Abstract: ABSTRACT Rapid Cycle Quality Improvement (RCQI) is often required for behavioral health work force training and evaluation projects supported by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The RCQI process is well established within healthcare but under-utilized in academia to improve teaching and learning. We created and piloted the Friday Feedback (FF) survey tool as part of a HRSA funded training program for weekly completion by MSW interns. Across two semesters of full-time field education, a cohort of 15 MSW students completed 281 weekly FF surveys. Students reported activities such as number of patients seen, observations about integration of behavioral and physical health, patient successes and challenges, and time spent working on interdisciplinary teams. Cumulatively, students reported working with 2,425 patients/clients and in frequent close collaboration with other health professions. A review team comprised of faculty and staff met weekly to discuss students’ FF data and create response plans to promote student learning. The RCQI process was feasible and acceptable to students and the team. It created a feedback loop to improve students’ field experiences, enhanced the curriculum, and enabled effective monitoring and rapid response from team to students. Benefits and challenges of this RCQI approach to enhance field education along with lessons learned for wider adoption are discussed.
1 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the authors analyze whiteness in the social work classroom and apply critical race theory to examine one instructor's teaching practice, highlighting the challenges of privilege, bias, self-regulation, and judgment for both students and the instructor.
Abstract: ABSTRACT Social work education faculty are mainly white and female-identified. However, across the United States, they teach a diverse student body, half of whom are students of color. MSW graduates will primarily provide service to communities of color, and we know the lived experience and social location of the teacher affects the experience of students in the classroom. Inspired by an impactful teaching experience, and a school-wide curriculum revision, this paper analyzes whiteness in the social work classroom and applies critical race theory to examine one instructor’s teaching practice. Critical race theory (CRT), an understanding of epistemic injustice, and a teacher’s reflective process are tools that can help de-center whiteness in our classrooms and propel faculty forward toward providing an inclusive and equitable education for all students. A description of the teaching experience here highlights the challenges of privilege, bias, self-regulation, and judgment for both students and the instructor. Lessons learned are presented, along with an analysis of the instructor’s choices and challenges. Implications for social work education and the preparation of critically-centered and antiracist social workers are discussed.
1 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the authors used existing pre and post data from the "Oppression & Diversity/ Social Justice Scale" to assess students' understanding of power, privilege and oppression both at the beginning and at the end of a semester.
Abstract: ABSTRACT In today’s society, it is of utmost importance to deliver services with compassion, understanding, and cultural competence. Students’ awareness of personal cultural backgrounds, issues, and biases is essential to enhance their ability to serve others, particularly marginalized populations. This study demonstrates how students understood the impact of discrimination and oppression on their personal development and preparation for delivery of social work services to diverse clientele. The goal of this research was to learn more about students’ readiness for practice with heterogeneous client populations by assessing their changes in thought and behavior necessary for culturally competent and responsive social work practice in a pluralistic society. While this research informs the role of social work education in preparing culturally competent practitioners, there remains a significant gap in the literature regarding how best to teach students about privilege and oppression. This study used existing pre and post data from the “Oppression & Diversity/ Social Justice Scale” to assess students’ understanding of power, privilege and oppression both at the beginning and at the end of a semester. Results may be used to plan and develop future cultural competence curricula.
1 citations
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors argue that the endemic nature of anti-Black racism in the U.S. demands special attention in the social work curriculum and discuss multiple strands of antiracist social work scholarship that provide scaffolding to support current and future anti-racist practices and thought.
Abstract: ABSTRACT As an introduction for a special journal volume on Challenging Anti-Black Racism across the Social Work Curriculum, this paper situates the volume’s contributions within a larger anti-racist tradition in social work including the often overlooked legacy of the profession’s Black leaders. It discusses multiple strands of anti-racist social work scholarship that provide scaffolding to support current and future anti-racist practices and thought. These include the paradigm shift from cultural competence to critical race theory; interpersonal and behavioral science approaches; Afrocentric perspectives; and decolonization theory. The article previews the volume’s contributions which both reflect these traditions and move beyond them. We argue that the endemic nature of anti-Black racism in the U.S. demands special attention in the social work curriculum.
1 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the authors identify and discuss strategies that can be utilized across schools of social work in Canada and the U.S. to address anti-Black racism, including collection of race-based data, curriculum development, support for Black students and faculty members, field education, anti-racism training, research and scholarship, and provision of financial resources.
Abstract: ABSTRACT Historic and systemic anti-Black racism are rooted in political, economic, ontological, epistemological, and cultural foundations of Canadian society. The normativity of whiteness and white supremacy are prevalent in social work programs across Canada despite the profession’s commitment to social justice and anti-oppressive practice. Advancing conversations which seek to eradicate anti-Black racism are necessary to create equitable spaces for Black people in schools of social work. Using an environmental scan methodology, this article identifies and discusses strategies that can be utilized across schools of social work in Canada and the U.S. to address anti-Black racism. These strategies relate to the collection of race-based data, curriculum development, support for Black students and faculty members, field education, anti-racism training, research and scholarship, and provision of financial resources. We caution that these changes may be ineffective or unsustainable without addressing and abolishing deeply engrained systemic and institutional racism.
1 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the authors make a distinction between educational assessment and licensure outcomes, and propose a policy to make licensure examination pass rates public and link them to decisions when accrediting social work programs.
Abstract: ABSTRACT Unlike other disciplines, social work has made accreditation decisions about undergraduate and graduate programs independent of licensure examination pass rates of graduates. While education, regulation, and practice are heralded as the three pillars of social work, there have been few meaningful linkages between them. Despite recognition that licensure impacts employment opportunities and salaries of social workers, the academy has been resistant to bridge the divide between educational assessment and licensure outcomes, resulting in hardship for some graduates. Students choose social work programs without knowing whether their education is adequate to pass “high stakes” licensure exams. In an era of greater accountability, and questions about the value of higher education, making licensure examination pass rates public and linking them to decisions when accrediting programs, seems prudent. However, this policy shift would likely change market demands and the stability of accreditation decisions enjoyed by social work programs to date.
1 citations
TL;DR: In this article , intersectionality along with Patricia Hill Collins' Matrix of Domination are used to explore a strategy for ongoing workplace learning that can be deployed to address and eliminate anti-Black racism within human service organizations.
Abstract: ABSTRACT As the country continues to reckon with the historical and present-day realities of systemic oppression, particularly as it impacts Black individuals and communities, it is critical that human service organizations advance beyond statements condemning forms of anti-Black racism. Institutional efforts to address anti-Black racism must embody learning as integral to becoming more than a compliant organization, that represents symbolic change, to one that focuses on structural change. This article uses intersectionality along with Patricia Hill Collins’ Matrix of Domination as frameworks to explore a strategy for ongoing workplace learning that can be deployed to address and eliminate anti-Black racism within human service organizations. Collins’ Matrix of Domination explains the ways that systems marginalize groups in a society. A fully inclusive organization embodies shared power among different groups that reflects its mission, policies, and practices. Training to address and eliminate anti-Black racism is a vital activity that organizations should deploy in order to contribute to a just society.
TL;DR: This paper conducted a systematic review to understand the extent to which structural equation modeling (SEM) is utilized in social work research, given that statistical training is now becoming a part of social work doctoral education.
Abstract: ABSTRACT The use of structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques in social work has increased over the last two decades. We therefore conducted a systematic review to understand the extent to which SEM is utilized in social work research, given that statistical training is now becoming a part of social work doctoral education. For our review, we utilized the PRISMA method and relied on the Web of Knowledge database. Social work articles published between March 2012 to December 2017 were included in the review. In total, we included 466 studies using SEM methods that were published across 44 social work journals. To our knowledge, this is the most up-to-date review that summarizes the extent to which research published in journals of social work utilizes SEM. Owing to the strengths of SEM over standard regression methods, its increased use demonstrates advanced application of data analysis methods in the dissemination of social work research. Further implications for social work research and education are discussed. Specifically, we discuss the role of social work doctoral programs in equipping students to efficiently utilize SEM techniques in research.
TL;DR: This paper investigated social work students' attitudes toward statistics and correlated academic factors, finding that participants perceived statistics to be difficult, complicated, and even irrelevant, but moderately accepted its value and usefulness.
Abstract: ABSTRACT College students appear to have statistics anxiety, and even negative attitudes, strongly related to learning, knowledge, and further interest in statistics. This study investigated social work students’ attitudes toward statistics and correlated academic factors. The pseudo mixed-methods survey of 196 social work students revealed mixed feelings about statistics. The respondents perceived statistics to be difficult, complicated, and even irrelevant, but moderately accepted its value and usefulness. Future use of statistics in their careers was significantly predicted by mastery of basic statistics, positive experience with statistical courses, perceived value, and interest. Additional qualitative findings suggested effective teaching and learning strategies for research and statistics. Results overall suggest that, via creative instructional modes, social work educators generally strive to help reluctant students appreciate the value of statistical knowledge and skills in their current fields.
TL;DR: The authors used content analysis to examine discourse in the social work profession related to racism and anti-racist action and found that the usage of forthright terms such as racism, white supremacy, and oppression in the description of social work courses, authoritative disciplinary statements, and educational standards, was uncommon prior to the uprisings that occurred worldwide following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Abstract: ABSTRACT Linguistic norms concerning issues of social injustice, racism specifically, vary by discipline. In this study, the authors used content analysis to examine discourse in the social work profession related to racism and anti-racist action. Our investigation found that the usage of forthright terms such as racism, white supremacy, and oppression in the description of social work courses, authoritative disciplinary statements, and educational standards, was uncommon prior to the uprisings that occurred worldwide following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. In contrast, we find the pervasive promulgation of anti-racism as an explicit social work priority across multiple high-profile educational venues since this time. In our discussion, we interrogate the implications of this contrast as it relates to the ability of social work students and practitioners to both conceptually and practically engage in effective anti-racist action.
TL;DR: In this article , the importance of teaching financial well-being (FWB) content in social work education programs is discussed, and the relationship between FWB and behavioral health (as pertaining to mental health, habits and addictions, and physical health).
Abstract: ABSTRACT Teaching financial well-being (FWB) content in social work education programs is gaining prominence in response to both the needs of the students themselves and the clients they serve. However, the content is usually associated with the macro domain or taught as a stand-alone methods course, and thus is rarely incorporated into generalist or direct practice classes. One area where integrating a financial perspective is important is in behavioral health. This paper reviews the importance of teaching FWB content in social work behavioral health classes and explores the relationship between FWB and behavioral health (as pertaining to mental health, habits and addictions, and physical health). It concludes with a discussion of how students can develop personal and professional competencies and how to engage, assess, and intervene in cases impacted by financial concerns.
TL;DR: The authors found that almost half of the participants disclosed feelings of uncertainty and lack of knowledge regarding the clinical issue, and suggested strategies to manage uncertainty and navigate uncertainty in future practice, and offered suggestions for social work educators.
Abstract: ABSTRACT Professional uncertainty is a feature of generalist social work practice, particularly for students completing their social work education or those new to the profession. This study saw graduating Bachelor of Social Work students (N = 34) engage in a 15-minute interview with a Standardized Client (SC) in an Objective Structured Clinical Examination on a case vignette with the mother of a transgender person. Following the interview, participants responded to structured reflection questions. Responses revealed that almost half (n = 16) the sample disclosed feelings of uncertainty and lack of knowledge regarding the clinical issue. Thematic analysis of the responses revealed the following themes: 1. Manifestations of Uncertainty; 2. Strategies to Manage Uncertainty; and 3. Navigating Uncertainty in Future Practice. This paper offers suggestions for social work educators to address students’ feelings of uncertainty and lack of knowledge in generalist social work practice.
TL;DR: In this article , a qualitative study explored anticipated concerns held by social work students in the mental health and addiction focus area of a Midwest university, finding that students were largely concerned about having sufficient competence, knowledge, and skills to effectively assist clients, particularly considering client self-determination.
Abstract: ABSTRACT Social work educators must prioritize effective preparation of MSW students for the pivotal roles they will play in supporting clients struggling with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). Understanding what concerns MSW students have about working in the substance use field can highlight student training needs and inform learner-centered curricula. This qualitative study explored anticipated concerns held by MSW students in the mental health and addiction focus area of a Midwest university. Thirty-four MSW students beginning their final year of training answered an open-ended survey question regarding their concerns about addressing substance use in their future careers. Findings indicated that students were largely concerned about having sufficient competence, knowledge, and skills to effectively assist clients, particularly considering client self-determination. Students recognized the emotional demands of the work, especially for those who have had personal substance use experiences, and the need for self-care. Students were also concerned about demands specific to these clients and systemic barriers in the substance use field. Recommendations are presented for preparing students to manage these challenges.
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors introduce a theoretical framework for understanding internalized racial oppression that came out of a larger qualitative study which explored how Black women psychotherapists understand the phenomenon.
Abstract: ABSTRACT This article addresses the concerns brought forth in this special issue by offering a detailed and conceptually focused description and rationale for future plans of addressing anti-Black racism across the social work curriculum. We focus on a less-discussed experience of anti-Black racism – the experience of internalized racial oppression and how it might be integrated into the social work curriculum. Although internalized racial oppression has detrimental effects on mental health functioning, there is little research that examines how this phenomenon is understood by clinical social workers who might observe these effects in their clients. In this article, we introduce a theoretical framework for understanding internalized racial oppression that came out of a larger qualitative study which explored how Black women psychotherapists understand the phenomenon. The authors will explain the framework and use pedagogical examples to illustrate how the model taught social work students about internalized racial oppression. Emphasis is placed on how implementing this framework in direct practice courses facilitates integration throughout multiple other areas of social work education. The framework may provide social work educators and students with a means to conceptualize internalized racial oppression. This aspect of anti-Black racism has psychologically damaging consequences, persists within the Black community, and is currently under-researched.
TL;DR: In this article , the authors argue that a positive professional social work identity can be fostered through the relationship with instructors in fieldwork supervision, and they present a model that highlights the application of the concept of self-object needs to the field instructor-student relationship.
Abstract: ABSTRACT The development of a social work professional identity is an element of social work education. It is not clear how students in social work programs develop this identity; its development seems to be dependent on the integration of various learning experiences and exposure to curriculum content in the classroom, and in the fieldwork assignments. Teachers and field instructors play important roles in this process. In this paper, the authors argue that a positive professional social work identity can be fostered through the relationship with instructors in fieldwork supervision. Using Kohut’s theory of Self Psychology, the authors present a model that highlights the application of the concept of self-object needs to the field instructor-student relationship. One of the central premises of his theory is that individuals from childhood and throughout adulthood internalize the experiences provided by self-objects to meet the emotional needs of the self. The authors propose that field instructors provide self-object experiences that can sustain and foster the development of a positive professional identity for social work students in training. The application of this model underscores students’ affective changes associated with students’ professional development in social work programs.
TL;DR: This paper conducted a qualitative study that compared the comments of two groups of students, one exposed to an experiential pedagogy and the other not, in order to better understand the benefits of teaching theory into practice and found that putting students in situations similar to practice environments makes the learning meaningful, promotes the integration of theory and practice, and strengthens professional identity.
Abstract: ABSTRACT Being a social worker requires facing many social upheavals, juggling with organizational changes, and working with various populations with increasing complex social issues. Future social workers must quickly familiarize themselves with the conditions of the practice. In order to do so, it is essential to provide students with multiple opportunities to integrate theory and practice throughout the school curriculum through educational activities that are as close as possible to professional practise. This article shows the results of a qualitative study that compares the comments of two groups of students, one exposed to an experiential pedagogy and the other not, in order to better understand the benefits of pedagogy for the integration of theory into practice. One of the principal results of this study shows that putting students in situations similar to practice environments makes the learning meaningful, promotes the integration of theory and practice, and strengthens professional identity.
TL;DR: This paper explored the social work department's development and implementation of racial justice teach-ins as a supplemental opportunity for faculty to more meaningfully demonstrate their commitment to diversity and difference in the BSW program and to support the department's goal of incorporating anti-racist practice throughout both implicit and explicit curriculum.
Abstract: ABSTRACT Across the United States, racist, hate-filled rhetoric, attitudes, and behaviors are daily occurrences. Events like officer-involved shootings of unarmed Black men, women, and non-binary individuals, along with the increase in white supremacist and nationalist groups, have cumulatively created a climate of fear and mistrust. This fear and mistrust are exacerbated when police officers operate with impunity in predominantly Black communities and constitutional rights to peaceful protest are being maligned as unpatriotic or denied through violence. In response to these and related events, a BSW program, situated within a predominantly white rural setting in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, developed and implemented a racial justice teach-in grounded in critical race and postcolonial theories. The goals of the teach-ins are to provide experiential educational activities, opportunities for in-depth discussion beyond the classroom, and exposure to anti-racist practice tools in order to help students identify, and combat, racial injustice and white supremacy. This article will explore the social work department’s development and implementation of racial justice teach-ins as a supplemental opportunity for faculty to more meaningfully demonstrate their commitment to diversity and difference in the BSW program and to support the department’s goal of incorporating anti-racist practice throughout both the implicit and explicit curriculum.
TL;DR: The Policy Field Unit (PFU) as discussed by the authors is an independently designed practicum placement for School of Social Work (SSW) students at a large, urban Midwestern university. The placement provides students an opportunity to engage with the policy process as macro social work practitioners in a variety of settings.
Abstract: ABSTRACT The Policy Field Unit (PFU) is an independently designed practicum placement for School of Social Work (SSW) students at a large, urban Midwestern university. The placement provides students an opportunity to engage with the policy process as macro social work practitioners in a variety of settings. Increasing social work students’ efficacy in policy advocacy is based on the fundamental understanding that social work is a political activity. Experiential learning opportunities focused on public policy equip social work graduates for professions in policy or policy adjacent fields. The authors describe the PFU’s origin, leadership, activities, and overall practicum model completed by social work students in its inaugural year. Furthermore, the authors chronicle student experiences, report practicum benefits and encountered challenges, culminating with recommendations for future directions for the program.
TL;DR: In this article , a flipped technology intervention was used to increase students' interest in research, beliefs about the importance of research in social work, plans to engage with research after graduation, and research knowledge.
Abstract: ABSTRACT Understanding and applying effective research methods in social work practice is a mandate from both the National Association of Social Workers and the Council of Social Work Education. While research courses are fundamental to ensure that students master the competency needed to meet these expectations, students frequently tend to dread them. The current study was an evaluation of an intervention that used flipped technology (FT). Following the pedagogical model present in the FT literature, students were required to watch videos on course content ahead of class sessions, which then were devoted to application of material via class exercises. Students in a Master’s of Social Work (MSW) research class that received the intervention were compared to those in two classes that did not receive the intervention. The goals of the intervention were to increase students’ 1) interest in research, 2) beliefs about the importance of research in social work, 3) plans to engage with research after graduation, and 4) research knowledge. The results demonstrated that students in the intervention group did better than the comparison group in all the areas above, except for interest in research (where no differences were found). Implications for social work education are discussed.
TL;DR: In this paper , Critical Race Theory (CRT) is used to examine the impact of race and racism on human development and to challenge anti-Black racism. But, the authors focus on the development of Black youth.
Abstract: ABSTRACT How do we challenge anti-Black racism within the social work curriculum? As a requirement of all BSW and MSW programs, Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) coursework provides students with foundational knowledge about human development that is essential to theory-driven social work practice. Traditionally, conceptions of human development center the experiences of white, heterosexual, cis-gender young people and label other identities as “divergent” or “diverse,” thereby devaluing the lived experiences of marginalized populations and reducing disparities to a misjudged application of “equal opportunity.” Centering the tenets of critical race theory (CRT) within HBSE course curricula enables us to examine the impact of race and racism upon human development and to challenge anti-Black racism. This article will expand commonly used frameworks (e.g., ecological systems theory, life course theory) to consider how CRT helps us understand the impact of race and racism on human development, and specifically on the development of Black youth. We explore recent frameworks that center Black youth’s experiences and highlight the impact of racial stress and trauma on development from infancy to adolescence. Five social work educators of an MSW HBSE course offer examples of class activities and assignments that enabled students to apply CRT to HBSE topics.
TL;DR: In this paper , a case example of one university's process of critically assessing students' experiences of how anti-racist pedagogies manifest within social work's implicit and explicit curriculum is presented.
Abstract: ABSTRACT Racism is a pervasive system that permeates all social activity within U.S. society and for over four hundred years has constantly reproduced systems of inequality and disparate outcomes for Black people. Increasingly, attention has been given to integrating anti-racist content and methods into social work education and practice. By integrating concepts from racial equity and liberatory education theories, and providing a case example of one university’s process of critically assessing students’ experiences of how anti-racist pedagogies manifest within social work’s implicit and explicit curriculum, this paper offers insights into potential strategies to prepare social work students to adequately address the needs of Black clients upon graduation.
TL;DR: In this article , the authors review the history of CBPR in social work and social work education and identify challenges and gaps when CBPR has been used in university settings, and propose a model for incorporating Community Based Participatory Action Research (CBPR) into the social work graduate curriculum.
Abstract: ABSTRACT Grounded in a framework of high-impact educational practices, this article offers a model for incorporating Community Based Participatory Action Research (CBPR) into the social work graduate curriculum. The authors review the history of CBPR in social work and social work education and identify challenges and gaps when CBPR has been used in university settings. Two case studies are then examined: a MSW course that conducted a study on youth experiencing homelessness and a doctoral course centered on a study of HIV in the Ethiopian immigrant community. Implications for social work education at both the MSW and PhD levels are discussed.
TL;DR: This paper developed a collective change agent project that holds white students, field agencies, and the school of social work accountable for de-centering whiteness and white supremacy, and centering Blackness and anti-racist ideals.
Abstract: ABSTRACT As part of their field education, social work students develop and implement change agent projects to influence positive change. Faculty and students, however, have identified a lack of placement options for Black students to allow them to both learn and feel supported in their racial identity. To ensure that Black students have placement options where they can thrive both professionally and personally in one setting, they developed a collective change agent project that holds white students, field agencies, and the school of social work accountable for de-centering whiteness and white supremacy, and centering Blackness and anti-racist ideals. To reach these goals, students developed a Centering Blackness/Anti-Racist Agency Learning Plan and Evaluation Tool. Learning Plans identified goals and action steps for agencies to center Blackness. Evaluations rated the agency’s willingness and ability to center Blackness. The Learning Plan and its concrete action steps allowed students to support implementation of strategies and to have intentional conversations about how to center Blackness. The Evaluation Tool provided useful information about agencies to determine their appropriateness as settings for future student fieldwork.