This fall, I have returned to the classroom as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and West Chester University and, as I have done so, I’m faced with students eager to become social workers.

In part, I believe, it is because social work is one of the country’s fastest growing careers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that “the employment of social workers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2022 to 2032 — faster than the average for all occupations.”

This means my students will be able to find a job upon graduation.

But getting a job is not the most important consideration that brings undergraduates and graduates to the social work profession.

Without fail, they all tell me some version of them wanting to help people. They want to be on the side of justice for the country’s most marginalized. It is a noble answer and that is why they are sitting in my class. I admire their optimism and sincerity.

However, it ill-serves our profession if I left the conversation at that point.

By any metric, social work is not as diverse as it needs to be. The nation’s schools of social work will confer over 19,000 undergraduate social work degrees this academic year. Almost nine out of 10 social work students who earn a BSW degree are female. Seven out of 10 are younger than 25. Almost one out of two are White. The lack of diversity means my students often have limited access to different points of view.

How then does the concept of help differ for the 5 percent of social work graduates who are 45 years or older or the 11.5 percent who are male? How will it differ from their future clients who most likely will not look like them or share their life experiences?

We as social work professors must engage the challenging conversations.

What does it really mean to help. Who deserves our help? How long should we help? How do we help? When is help harmful?

Or as James Baldwin said, “The questions which one asks oneself begin, at least, to illuminate the world, and become one’s key to the experience of others.”

The first thing they must grapple with is help exists within a political, cultural, economic, and ideological context.  In America – we are encouraged to help. We are told that it is more blessed to give than receive. Scores of articles are written about being generous towards others.

Even rarer do we have conversations about less comfortable topics such as the learned helplessness from which clients can suffer or the White Savior complex that some social workers can fall victim to.

White Saviorism comes from the same root as white supremacy – a position of superiority, however, its purpose is to rescue and not harm people of color. But a recent article in the Guardian shows how dangerous it can be.

Renee Bach, the subject of an upcoming documentary, is a United States evangelical who moved to Uganda, started a food distribution center as well as a health center. She oversaw medical treatments although she had no medical training and while she helped hundreds of children, hundreds also died from her care.

Bach said she wanted to help.

Our students must learn that help has a difficult history. Native American children who were taken from their parents and international adoptions where many children totally lost their cultural identity when they gained US citizenship are only two examples.

Syracuse Professor Dr. Danielle Smith said “[White saviorism is] essentially a form of blindness. It’s not going to allow you to perceive what is in front of you accurately. If you can’t see it accurately, then you can’t be of really profound use in solving the problem.”

If our social work graduates leave the university with a deeper understanding of what they and others mean by “help” and how that may look differently for people, it will allow the profession to develop a greater capacity to ultimately make a true difference.

Disclaimer: The National Association of Social Workers invites members to share their expertise and experiences through Member Voices. This blog was prepared by Chad Dion Lassiter in his personal capacity and does not necessarily reflect the view of the National Association of Social Workers.

About the Author

Chad Dion Lassiter is a nationally recognized expert in race relations. He has worked on race, peace, and poverty-related issues in the United States, Africa, Canada, Haiti, Israel, and Norway, and is frequently featured in the media providing commentary and solutions to racial issues.

Lassiter is executive director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, where he has legislatively delegated authority to investigate filed complaints alleging the occurrence of unlawful discrimination in the areas of employment, housing and commercial property, education, and/or regarding public accommodations.

An article in a recent issue of the journal Social Work Research seeks to fill in some of this gap in information. The purpose of the mixed-methods study detailed in the article was to examine the experiences of BIPOC MSW students in a predominantly white institution in the Northeast during the pandemic and how it affected their mental health.

The article:

• examines the experiences of BIPOC MSW students during the pandemic in the classroom, in their field placement, and their personal lives;
• illuminates how the pandemic impacted their mental health; and
• outlines resources that they accessed to cope with the effects of the pandemic.

Furthermore, the study highlighted and uplifted the voices of racially minoritized students as they navigate social work graduate education while trying to survive a global pandemic.

The findings presented in the article were drawn from 29 students who participated in online surveys and focus groups. About 69% of the sample experienced psychological distress, with higher proportions among those who identified as Latine/Latinx, womxn, straight, first-generation, full-time and part-time students, and clinical students.

Qualitative findings highlighted three main themes:

1. the experiences and needs of white MSW students were prioritized,
2. inconsistencies in the response to the pandemic forced students to advocate for themselves in their classes and field placements, and
3. virtual learning provided a reprieve for students from experiencing racism that helped improve their perceived well-being.

The findings indicate that MSW programs need to commit to acknowledging how systemic racism affects the learning experiences of BIPOC MSW students, work toward dismantling these oppressive structures, and allocate resources that center the health and well-being of BIPOC students and their lived experiences.

Authors:

Dale Dagar Maglalang, PhD, MA, MSW, MPH, assistant professor, Silver School of Social Work, New York University

Abril N. Harris, PhD, MSW, assistant professor, School of Social Work, University of Washington

Ty B. Tucker, MSW, PhD candidate, School of Social Work, Boston College

Tyrone M. Parchment, PhD, LCSW, assistant professor, School of Social Work, Boston College

About NASW Journals

NASW journals are co-published by NASW Press and Oxford University Press. The journal Social Work is a benefit of NASW membership. It is available online or, at a member’s request, in print. Children & Schools, Health & Social Work and Social Work Research are available by subscription at a discounted rate for NASW members, either online or in print. Learn more about the journals and subscriptions.

NASW members can also access journal articles through the NASW Research Library.

Members who have questions about log-in information can contact Member Services at 800-742-4089, Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET, or at membership@socialworkers.org.

The Social Work Pin Program is available to individuals who make a donation to the NASW Foundation, as well as to schools of social work that purchase professional social worker pins for graduating students.

Individuals who make a $25 to $49 contribution receive a silver-plated professional social worker pin. Those who contribute $50 or more receive a gold-plated pin. Gifts of $100 or more are recognized in NASW’s Social Work Advocates magazine. All donors are acknowledged on the NASW Foundation website. Please follow this link to make a donation >>

It is that time of year to recognize graduating students at commencement with a silver-plated or gold-plated NASW Professional Social Worker Pin.

Just $10 apiece for silver-plated pins and $25 for gold-plated pins for schools of social work bulk orders (five or more pins). The pin instills pride in the profession, distinguishes social work from other programs on campus, and builds loyalty to your school.

To place a bulk order for a school of social work, complete this form and return it to Faye Henderson: fhenderson.nasw@socialworkers.org. For questions, please call 202-336-8298 or visit our website.

The NASW Foundation is a charitable organization as defined by the IRS Code, 501(c)(3). We appreciate your support!

Buy one, two, or best deal: all three.

Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial Scholarship—awarded to master’s degree candidates in social work who have demonstrated a commitment to working with, or who have a special affinity with, American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic/Latino populations.

Verne LaMarr Lyons Memorial Scholarship—awarded to master’s degree candidates in social work who demonstrate an interest in or have experience with health/mental health practice and have a commitment to working in African American communities.

The NASW Foundation is awarding a total of 10 Gosnell Memorial Scholarships in the amount of $4,000 each and six Lyons Memorial Scholarships in the amount of $4,333 each. The Lyons scholarships were partially funded by a generous $20,000 award from the Tamara L. Harris Foundation in December 2020.

The Jane B. Aron Doctoral Fellowship and the Eileen Blackey Doctoral Fellowship are paused in 2021-2022 (fellowships not awarded) to examine how they may be repositioned to best meet needs of social work scholars.

________________________________

Highlights: NASW Foundation Scholars

Nicole Balbuena, University of California, Berkeley (Pronouns: She/Her/Hers)

Nicole is a second year MSW candidate and Title IV-E scholar at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB). In 2019, she earned her bachelor’s degrees in Sociology, Chicanx/Latinx Studies, and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine (UCI).

During her undergraduate studies, she established the first college, “Healthy Emotions and Attitudes in Relationships Today” (HEART) club through the support of Laura’s House, a domestic violence agency that provides support to victims of abuse in Orange County (OC). Here, she provided a safe environment for UCI students and at-promised youth in Santa Ana and Anaheim to discuss and raise awareness of intimate partner violence.

André Marcel Harris, University of Houston (Pronouns: He/Him/His)

André is an MSW/PhD dual degree student at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, specializing in Political Social Work. He serves as President of the Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) University of Houston chapter. He is a burgeoning, published social science researcher with research interests concerned with how the sociopolitical determinants affect the health of sickle cell and rare disease patients and black men.

André recently completed his MSW field placement requirements via the Austin Legislative Internship, a competitive program that places students in offices of the Texas House of Representatives. He served Texas State Representative Jarvis Johnson (D-Houston) of District 139. André serves on the Executive Board of the Sickle Cell Association of Houston and serves several other advisory boards for sickle cell and rare disease organizations.

Modupe Olayinka Billie Edogun, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Pronouns: She/Her/Hers)

Modupe is originally from Lexington, Kentucky. A love for science and problem-solving led her to the Georgia Institute of Technology where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering. She worked in medical device sales for 10 years before deciding to pivot to another type of problem-solving.

Modupe is fulfilled by getting to know people, making them feel comfortable, and working collaboratively to identify healthy and productive coping strategies for life’s obstacles. As a rising final-year MSW student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she is formally pursuing her passion of helping others to live their best lives despite past experiences or current challenges.

Learn about all 2021-2022 recipients >>

To learn more, about these and all the 2021-2022 awardees please follow this link. Visit the NASW Foundation website to read about our scholarships, fellowships, and awards.

 ______________________________

During a field placement at a hospital, a social work student became concerned after a mother with a young girl gave birth to a premature baby and had to remain in the hospital. The hospital would not let the girl on the floor, and the mother had no one to care for her.

Keri Neblett, clinical assistant professor and field education director at the University of Iowa School of Social Work in Iowa City, said the student became concerned when different ideas were discussed and someone said the girl should be put in foster care.

“She said the child should not be separated from her mother,” Neblett said. “In the end, the child was allowed on the floor after it was arranged for a volunteer to engage with her. (The student) felt comfortable enough to speak up, and it worked out well.”

After graduating from college and starting first jobs, students in many professions undergo a learning curve.

Social work students need knowledge of other professions, what those roles are and the language and terminology they use — as well as knowing how they fit in as social workers.

From lessons infused in coursework to special programs and field experiences, social work schools are using varied and creative ways to ensure students are ready to begin their careers.

For most in today’s practice world, that means being prepared to work on interdisciplinary teams — and different schools use different methods for this training.

The following schools are among the leaders in interdisciplinary education, most of which focuses on social work in health care settings.

Arizona State University

Robin P. Bonifas is associate professor, associate director for curriculum and instruction, honors faculty member and the John A. Hartford Faculty Scholar in Geriatric Social Work at the School of Social Work at Arizona State University’s College of Public Service and Community Solutions in Phoenix.

Interdisciplinary training was basic at first, involving the schools of medicine, pharmacy and social work, she said. “We would bring students together to work on a complex case study and introduce an ethical dilemma they had to work on together.”

Then the College of Nursing received funding — two grants over a six-year period — and they used it to strengthen their interprofessional curriculum so nursing and nutrition students were added to the interdisciplinary mix, Bonifas said.

The focus was on clinical training sites so students could learn together in the field with coaches from every field involved.

“We’ve developed online learning modules, and a lot of community events and workshops provide an additional opportunity for them to learn together,” Bonifas said.

On the social work school’s curriculum side, “We’ve been doing more and more each year and planning more events,” she said.

Starting in the fall of 2010, students began a new requirement of choosing one event to participate in throughout the semester and writing about their experience after completing it.

Grad students were put into a practice in a behavioral health setting in the fall, and in the spring, advanced practice in health was a specialized medical care practice, and the Objective Structured Clinical Exam was built into the course, Bonifas said.

“In the practice program, MSW and nursing students work with an actor trained to play the role of a person with complex medical needs and complex psychosocial needs,” she said. “Nursing students first do a needs assessment, then social workers do a needs assessment, then they compare notes and move forward to develop a collaborative intervention plan.”

From the April 2018 NASW News. Read the full feature article.

1. Advocate for underserved populations.

Social workers get to advocate for the most marginalized and vulnerable populations. At-risk populations require the most assistance from social workers, but they have the most difficult time effecting change in their life and in their community. Social workers serve and speak up on behalf of all human rights and social justice issues to preserve the dignity and worth of all persons.

2. The demand for social workers is increasing.

The demand for social workers is increasing as Federal and State Legislation impacts various parts of the country, Baby Boomers start aging, Mental Health needs continue to be a rising issue in health, and opioids continue to become a public health issue. The number of Social Workers in Health Care settings is projected to grow by 12%, which is faster than the average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

3. Your skillset will span multiple disciplines.

Social workers are employed across diverse practice areas and host settings in Hospitals, Medical Centers, Private Practice, Government Agencies, Social Service Agencies, Academia, Clinics, and Outpatient Facilities. Social Workers have the option of specializing in a specific practice area: substance use, gerontology, mental health, health, school social work, forensic social work, child welfare, administration/supervision, etc. In most MSW Programs, there are opportunities to choose a specialization that represents the primary practice area a social worker ends up working in. An MSW Student is also required to complete Field Education that is similar to an internship and provides students with early, hands-on experiences as a social worker.

4. You can impact public policy.

Social Workers often have an active voice in policy, especially as a community social workers or attorneys. On a macro level, social workers advocate for large-scale social policy changes. As our political landscape evolves, it is important for policymakers to be connected to the lives of those most impacted by policy changes, which is where social workers intersect.

Related Resources

• Baccalaureate Social Workers – NASW Press
• Choices – NASW Press
• Code of Ethics

Field education in social work has reached a new level of importance, says Jo Ann McFall, associate director of Field Education and Community Programs at Michigan State University School of Social Work.

Social work field education helps lay the groundwork for students to create their professional identities, experts say. Field education was elevated in significance after the Council on Social Work Education named it the signature pedagogy of social work education. / Thinkstock/Getty images

“Field education is in the most exciting place it has been in the 35 years that I have been involved since I was a student,” said McFall, who also is chairwoman of the Council on Social Work Education’s Council on Field Education.

“One significant change is that field education was named the signature pedagogy of social work education as part of the CSWE 2008 Education Policy and Accreditation Standards,” she said.

CSWE uses the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards to accredit baccalaureate- and master’s-level social work programs. These standards support academic excellence by establishing thresholds for professional competence.

Field education integrates the theoretical and conceptual contributions of the classroom with the practical world of the practice setting. As the signature pedagogy, field education is the way in which students are educated for and socialized to the profession, McFall explained.

The two interrelated aspects of the curriculum, field and classroom, stand on equal ground. And because field education is the signature pedagogy, competence is measured, she said.

“This transformation has elevated the value of field education in the minds of not only social work educators, but also for the organizations and agencies that are responsible for student’s field experience,” she added.

Accredited schools of social work have been determining their curricula based on the new standards since 2009.

As of this year, all accredited social work schools are using the competency-based education standards, which ensures consistency in the social work curriculum regardless of the size or location of the school.

“In my day, the field education component was more an apprenticeship model,” McFall said. “You learned as you went and did whatever your field instructor assigned. Now, we have a defined curriculum with consistent professional competencies.”

From the March 2015 NASW News. Read the full story here.

A collaboration of social work leaders, educators and representatives of other health professions recently met to discuss the emergence of social work advanced practice doctorate programs.

NASW President Jeane Anastas speaks during the NASW Social Work Policy Institute’s think tank symposium on advanced practice doctorates.

The NASW Social Work Policy Institute convened an invitational think tank symposium titled “Advanced Practice Doctorates: What Do They Mean for Social Work Practice, Research and Education?”

More than 60 people attended the event, which was held at NASW’s national office in September.

The topic is important because “we need to remember what all of us share — to make our profession as good as it can be,” said NASW President Jeane Anastas, who moderated a portion of the event.

“Each year, several hundred people pursue doctorate degrees in social work,” said Joan Levy Zlotnik, director of SWPI. While 70 schools offer a research, or Ph.D., focus to their programs, an alternative is to promote the expansion of practice, or DSW, degrees in social work, she said.

Karen Sowers, professor and dean of the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, said it remains to be seen if development of DSW programs will become a trend.

A rationale for promoting a DSW is the belief that when clinicians want to advance professionally for greater responsibility that they are often compelled to enter administration when their true passion is practice, Sowers explained. Because of this, clients may lose the benefit of experienced practitioners.

Sowers said if DSW programs are developed with an emphasis of not only advanced practice knowledge and skills but also practice-based research, they have the potential for enhancing the research capacity of the profession.

Jeanne Marsh is a professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and president of the Society for Social Work and Research. She said having a DSW is a benefit, as it increases social work’s marketability and competition with other health professions.

The DSW offers greater specialization in advanced social work degrees and it contributes to greater opportunities for specialization and innovation, she said.

Additional speakers noted that a DSW can increase the capacity of social work as it relates to advanced clinical practice, leadership, administration, consultation and teaching.

From the November 2013 NASW News. NASW members can read the full story after logging in.

The Council on Social Work Education hosted a White House briefing in September called “Addressing the Social Determinants of Health in a New Era: The Role of Social Work Education.”

Darla Spence Coffey, president of the Council on Social Work Education, speaks during a White House briefing that CSWE hosted in September. Several NASW leaders attended the briefing, titled “Addressing the Social Determinants of Health in a New Era: The Role of Social Work Education.”

The briefing’s purpose was to increase awareness of the part social workers and social work education will play as health care reform unfolds.

“The White House briefing was designed to facilitate strategic thinking about the role of social work education in preparing the next generation of practitioners and researchers for the new paradigm in health care delivery and collaborative practice,” said CSWE President Darla Spence Coffey. “In addition, it was a way to raise the profile of social work as valuable partners in achieving the goals of the federal government and the White House.”

NASW President Jeane Anastas; CEO Angelo McClain; Center for Workforce Studies and  Social Work Practice Director Tracy Whitaker; and Social Work Policy Institute Director Joan Zlotnik were invited to the briefing and represented NASW.

“Research comparing health outcomes across wealthier nations shows that, unlike health spending, higher rates of social spending are correlated with better population health and longevity,” Anastas said. “It is wonderful that social work, social work education, and the Obama administration share an interest in addressing the social determinants of health and illness.”

About 150 participants from across the U.S. attended, including social work practitioners, social work professors and deans of schools of social work. The briefing had four separate panels of speakers from the White House and key federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Each panel focused on a topic that related to health care and health care reform, including the new expectations of health care, creating a national dialogue on mental health, and the importance of ensuring that everyone has access to health care.

“The briefing reaffirmed that the White House and HHS recognize the value of social work, and that implementation of the Affordable Care Act and addressing health care inequities provide many new opportunities for social work,” McClain said.

Health care enrollment under the ACA began Oct. 1 and ends March 31. Zlotnik said the briefing was held in time for participants to attend and receive information before the enrollment start date.

“The briefing emphasized that social work plays a key role in health care access,” she said. “Participants were empowered to go back home and use the information they received to do their part.”

From the November 2013 NASW News. NASW members can read the full story after logging in.