Social Work CSWE Generalist and Advanced Generalist Competencies and Practice Behaviors

Generalist: Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant laws and regulations that may impact practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision-making and how to apply principles of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Social workers recognize personal values and the distinction between personal professional values. They also understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions influence their professional judgement and behavior. Social workers understand the profession’s history, its mission, and the roles and responsibilities of the profession. Social workers also understand the role of other professions when engaged in inter-professional teams. Social workers recognize the importance of life-long learning and are committed to continually updating their skills to ensure they are relevant and effective. Social workers also understand emerging forms of technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice.

Practice Behaviors:

• 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.
• Use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain professionalism in practice situations.
• Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior, appearance, and oral, written, and electronic communication.
• Use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes.
• Use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior.
• Cope with stress, crisis, and conflict and understand the signs of burn-out, vicarious trauma, and develop and practice a self-care plan.

Advanced Generalist: Practitioners in advanced generalist social work model ethical standards of professional behavior at all levels of practice. Advanced generalist social workers articulate and advocate for social work values and ethics in practice, research, and policy arenas. Practitioners in advanced generalist social work demonstrate enhanced professional judgment and behavior.

Practice Behaviors:

• Model professional demeanor in behavior and all modes of communications.
• Consistently model conscious use of self, self-reflection, self-monitoring, and self-correction in practice.
• Provide supervision and consultation to guide others.
• Provide leadership in resolving complex ethical dilemmas by applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making, and ethical conduct of research as appropriate to practice.

Generalist: Social workers understand how diversity and difference characterize and shape the human experience and are critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors including but not limited to age, class, color, culture, disability, and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that, as a consequence of difference, a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege, power, and acclaim. Social workers also understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, and cultural exclusions, may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create privilege and power.

Practice Behaviors:

• Apply and communicate understanding of the importance of diversity and difference in shaping life experiences in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
• Present themselves as learners and engage clients and constituencies as experts of their own experiences.
• Apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse clients and constituencies.

Advanced Generalist: Practitioners in advanced generalist social work are knowledgeable about many forms of diversity and difference and how these influence professional relationships and understandings of social problems at all levels of practice. Advanced generalist social workers critique, synthesize, and differentially apply human behavior and social theories to guide advanced generalist practice and recognize how practice choices on all levels are impacted by cultural context. Advanced generalist social workers use and apply research knowledge of diverse populations to enhance client wellbeing, to work effectively with diverse populations, and identify and use practitioner/client differences and life experiences from a strengths perspective.

Practice Behaviors:

• Critique, synthesize, and differentially apply human behavior and social theories to guide advanced generalist practice and recognize how practice choices on all levels can be impacted by cultural context.
• Model anti-oppressive practice and critically evaluate the impact of culture, privilege, and oppression, on one’s personal and professional behavior.
• Provide leadership and actively promote opportunities for diverse perspectives and participation of diverse constituencies.
• Adapt interventions in culturally responsive ways that challenge oppressive systems and that show recognition of issues of intersectionality at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.

Generalist: Social workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights such as freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, health care, and education. Social workers understand the global interconnections of oppression and human rights violations, and are knowledgeable about theories of human need and social justice and strategies to promote social and economic justice and human rights. Social workers understand strategies designed to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social goods, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that civil, political, environmental, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected.

Practice Behaviors:

• Apply their understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels.
• Engage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice.

Advanced Generalist: Practitioners in advanced generalist social work critically apply knowledge about oppression, historical trauma, and human rights violations on the lives of clients at all levels of practice. Advanced generalist social workers challenge the structures that perpetuate oppression and embrace the obligation to advance human rights and foster social, economic, and environmental justice. They will advocate for policies to ensure that social goods, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably.

Practice Behaviors:

• Utilize an integrative, anti-oppressive and global perspective to promote human rights as well as equitable access to services and resources for vulnerable groups.
• Design and implement and lead strategies to redress mechanisms of oppression and discrimination in order to advance social, economic, and environmental justice across systems levels.

Generalist: Social workers understand quantitative and qualitative research methods and their respective roles in advancing a science of social work and in evaluating their practice. Social workers know the principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and culturally informed and ethical approaches to building knowledge. Social workers understand that evidence that informs practice derives from multi-disciplinary sources and multiple ways of knowing. They also understand the processes for translating research findings into effective practice.

Practice Behaviors:

• Use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research.
• Apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative research methods and research findings.
• Use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery.

Advanced Generalist: Practitioners in advanced generalist social work critically integrate scientific and multiple sources of evidence for social work interventions at all levels of practice. Advanced generalist social workers apply ethical and culturally responsive/relevant research methods to improve practice.

Practice Behaviors:

• Conduct practice in a recursive and research-informed manner.
• Apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative research methods and multiple sources of evidence.
• Use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice policy and service delivery.

Generalist: Social workers understand that human rights and social justice, as well as social welfare and services, are mediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels. Social workers understand the history and current structures of social policies and services, the role of policy in service delivery, and the role of practice in policy development. Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation.

Practice Behaviors:

• Identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that impacts well-being, service delivery, and access to social services.
• Assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of and access to social services.
• Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.

Advanced Generalist: Advanced generalist social workers analyze and evaluate the relationship between social policy at the international, federal, state, and local levels and the provision of social work services in communities and organizations. They engage collaboratively with organizational and community interests to assess, formulate, and amend policies that improve social services.

Practice Behaviors:

• Apply multiple social policy analysis frameworks at the organizational local, state, and federal level to understand the implications of policies on well-being, service delivery, and access to services for people living in rural and urban communities.
• Intervene in the policy-making process in order to advocate for clients and constituencies at all levels of service delivery.
• Provide interdisciplinary, collaborative leadership in initiating, promoting, and advocating for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.

Generalist: Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers value the importance of human relationships. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to facilitate engagement with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand strategies to engage diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness. Social workers understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions may impact their ability to effectively engage with diverse clients and constituencies. Social workers value principles of relationship-building and inter-professional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other professionals as appropriate.

Practice Behaviors:

• Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to engage with clients and constituencies.
• Use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage diverse clients and constituencies.

Advanced Generalist: Practitioners in advanced generalist social work engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in a client-centered, strengths-perspective orientation that builds rapport through affirmation of the client’s perspective and goals. Advanced generalist social workers purposefully use differential engagement skills in preparing for interaction with multiple systems in a culturally responsive manner.

Practice Behaviors:

• Model effective engagement practices that mitigate personal biases in order to build productive rapport with client systems that align with professional values.
• Use differential engagement skills for empathy, reflection, and use of self to effectively and respectfully engage diverse clients and constituencies in complex practice situations.

Generalist: Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in the assessment of diverse clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand methods of assessment with diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness. Social workers recognize the implications of the larger practice context in the assessment process and value the importance of inter-professional collaboration in this process. Social workers understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions may affect their assessment and decision-making.

Practice Behaviors:

• Collect and organize data, and apply critical thinking to interpret information from clients and constituencies.
• Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the analysis of assessment data from clients and constituencies.
• Develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives based on the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within clients and constituencies.
• Select appropriate intervention strategies based on assessment, research knowledge, and values and preferences of clients and constituencies.

Advanced Generalist: Practitioners in advanced generalist social work assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities using a multi-level, ecological approach to identify the locus of intervention targets. Advanced generalist social workers apply diverse theoretical frameworks, conduct complex analysis of human development, life cycle issues, and consider relevant policy, environmental, and structural issues within a strength’s-based assessment of social change potential. Advanced generalist social workers engage in assessment processes using currently accepted tools.

Practice Behaviors:

• Identify, evaluate, select, and potentially modify assessment tools, methods, and approaches in advanced practice with consideration for the needs, backgrounds, and characteristics of clients and constituencies.
• Collect and critically synthesize multiple points of assessment information (HBSE and other multidisciplinary theory, data from assessment tools, practice experiences, diverse client characteristics, research findings, interviews, etc.) to create a comprehensive assessment.

Generalist: Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are knowledgeable about evidence-informed interventions to achieve the goals of clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to effectively intervene with clients and constituencies. Social workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing, and implementing evidence-informed interventions to achieve client and constituency goals. Social workers value the importance of inter-professional teamwork and communication in interventions, recognizing that beneficial outcomes may require interdisciplinary, inter-professional, and inter-organizational collaboration.

Practice Behaviors:

• Critically choose and implement interventions to achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of clients and constituencies.
• Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in interventions with clients and constituencies.
• Use inter-professional collaboration as appropriate to achieve beneficial practice outcomes.
• Negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of diverse clients and constituencies.
• Facilitate effective transitions and endings that advance mutually agreed-on goals.

Advanced Generalist: Practitioners in advanced generalist social work differentially apply multiple types of intervention strategies using culturally grounded approaches with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Advanced generalist social workers use and critically analyze multiple theoretical perspectives and evidence-informed practices at multiple levels to enhance client system health and well-being.

Practice Behaviors:

• Critically assess and apply appropriate intervention strategies in response to client systems’ unique circumstances and needs.
• Design, lead, and implement an intervention strategy based upon assessment data at multiple system levels.
• Provide leadership on inter-professional teams, rooted in the social work perspective, that promotes collaboration in designing and implementing interventions.

Generalist: Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers recognize the importance of evaluating processes and outcomes to advance practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes. Social workers understand qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness.

Practice Behaviors:

• Select and use appropriate methods for evaluation of outcomes.
• Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the evaluation of outcomes.
• Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate interventions and program processes and outcomes.
• Apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.

Advanced Generalist: Practitioners in advanced generalist social work evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities at multiple levels of client system intervention. Advanced generalist social workers use appropriate evaluation tools to determine the effectiveness of applied interventions across multiple client systems.

Practice Behaviors:

• Identify measurement tools appropriate to selected research designs.
• Use self-reflection, supervision, and research to regularly evaluate and to improve practice.