Department of Social Work Mission

Department of Social Work Mission Statement

Our mission is to prepare social work students at the baccalaureate and master's level to become leaders in the profession of social work who have the knowledge and skills to improve the quality of life of individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities throughout the region, nation and world. This is accomplished by providing a high- quality, comprehensive, learner-centered educational experience focused on the responsibilities of citizenship. The department is committed to promoting the strengths of diversity through education, research and service, while maintaining a particular focus on the rural Appalachian region. Interdisciplinary collaboration and advocacy are emphasized to address social injustice toward economically disadvantaged and long- underserved groups. The creation of a culture of research throughout the practice community that builds the capacity to evaluate and apply evidence- based research to practice is central to this mission. Additionally, an ability to assess practice and policy effectiveness and disseminate new knowledge to guide policy and practice is a core value of the department.

The objectives of the MSW Program, as they relate to its goals, are noted below:

GOAL A

Prepare social work students for the professional practice of social work with diverse systems of various sizes, emphasizing the provision of competent, ethical clinical and administrative services to families in Appalachia and other rural communities, based on the core competencies of social work.

Objective A1: Practice with the values, ethics, and historical traditions of the social work profession.
Objective A2: Practice with client systems of all sizes, utilizing sensitivity to the distinctive characteristics of diverse populations and the practice implications of oppression and discrimination.
Objective A3: Utilize a biopsychosocial, strengths-based perspective to guide assessment and intervention efforts with client systems of all sizes.
Objective A4B: Critically evaluate and apply the theoretical and empirical knowledge and skills of generalist social work to practice in the pre-engagement through ending phases with client systems of all sizes.
Objective A4M: Critically evaluate and apply the theoretical and empirical knowledge and skills of generalist and advanced social work perspectives to practice in the pre-engagement through ending phases with client systems of all sizes.
Objective A5: Use appropriate oral and written communication skills with client systems of all sizes.
Objective A6: Utilize information technology to enhance effectiveness as social work professionals.
Objective A7B: Through the use of supervision, demonstrate self-awareness and professional use of self to enhance professional social work practice with clients systems of all sizes.
Objective A7M: Through the use of supervision and independently, demonstrate self-awareness and professional use of self to enhance professional social work practice with clients systems of all sizes.
Objective A8: Advocate through professional and political means, for policies and programs that address the social and economic well being of clients and others in need of assistance.

GOAL B

Prepare social work students to conduct research to guide their own practice and to contribute to the knowledge base of the social work profession by disseminating that knowledge in appropriate forums and serving as Researcher-Practitioner role models in the agencies and communities they serve. Implicit in this goal is that faculty will conduct independent and collaborative research with each other and with students, and act as Researcher-Practitioner role models for students and community agencies.

Objective B1: Encourage full-time faculty and MSW students to conduct independent and/or collaborative research that increases the knowledge base of social work practice, models scientific inquiry for the practice community and increases the capacity to evaluate and improve social work practice.
Objective B2: Encourage all full-time faculty and MSW students to disseminate the results of their research and other scientific inquiry through professional presentations, trainings and publications.
Objective B3: Encourage faculty and students to participate in interdisciplinary research collaborations to expand scholarly development and maximize funding options.
Objective B4: Enable students to assess practice effectiveness, evaluate research findings, and apply research knowledge and conduct research to enhance practice interventions.
Objective B5: Enable students to analyze the impact of social policies, agency structures and social welfare institutions on clients, workers, and the delivery of social work services.

GOAL C

Prepare social workers for service leadership in professional organizations and in advocacy for the development and improvement of service delivery systems.

Objective C1: Encourage full-time faculty and students to become engaged in ongoing service and consultation to local, regional and national organizations relevant to the provision or improvement of rural social work services and to local, regional and national professional social work organizations, and promote change when warranted.
Objective C2: Ensure that student course assignments and field experiences include multiple opportunities to understand and interact with rural families and community groups through such means as case studies, guest speakers, meeting attendance, needs assessments and provision of technical assistance.
Objective C3: Encourage full-time, tenured faculty to provide leadership and service to the university community through participation in governance and other academic initiatives.

Please Note: The program complies with all Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) programmatic requirements. Copies of the complete Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of CSWE, which were revised for July 2002 implementation, are available in the Department of Social Work office, and online at http://www.cswe.org - follow the link to Accreditation Documents.