Policy & Political Social Work

Competencies for Policy & Political Social Work

University of Michigan's School of Social Work (U-M SSW) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation (COA), of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Accreditation is a system of recognizing educational programs as having a level of performance and quality that gain them the confidence of the educational community and the public. You can read more about the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards here.

At U-M SSW, each pathway has specialized competencies that describe the knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive and affective processes that comprise the competency in each pathway area.

1. Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

Social workers demonstrate the ability to apply ethical social work principles and critical thinking to products and work produced. Social workers understand the role of emotional intelligence and professional resilience in professional and ethical practice. Social workers understand the role of other professionals when engaged in interprofessional teams within their areas of specialization. Social workers recognize the importance of life-long learning and ways that supervision and consultation can support continued development.

Practice Behaviors:

• Utilize supervision and consultation to guide professional decision-making.
• Demonstrate emotional intelligence in practice and professional situations.
• Utilize effective communication strategies appropriate to context.

2. Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice

Social workers understand the role of policy and politics in promoting an equitable and diverse society. Students in this specialization will learn to assess policies for their impact on marginalized populations and advance policies that ensure equitable access to resources, opportunities, and services. Social workers also learn skills to promote the political engagement of those that they work with and serve to strengthen community voice in decision-making processes.

Practice Behaviors:

• Develop skills for identifying potential intended and unintended consequences of policies on various populations, including marginalized groups
• Develop skills to engage various populations and communities in political and decision-making processes.

3. Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice

Social workers understand the role of policy in advancing and restricting 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 through engagement in policy and political work. Social workers understand how engagement in policy advocacy can support strategies aimed at eliminating 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 skills for understanding social, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual, community, and policy levels
• Engage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice.

4. Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice

Social workers understand the importance of utilizing research to guide their practice and the value of engaging in research through contributing their practice experience. Social workers explore theoretical frameworks that inform policy development, policy advocacy, policy analysis, and political engagement to inform their practice as well as effectively consume relevant research. Through this specialization, students will develop competence in both qualitative and quantitative research methods necessary to engage in professional practice.

Practice Behaviors:

• Use and translate research to inform practice
• Apply critical thinking to policy analysis and political engagement
• Use, translate, and critique political and economic frameworks when developing and analyzing policy and engaging in the political process

5. Engage in Policy Practice

Social workers understand how to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and/or environmental justice through the application of critical thinking skills. Social workers are able to identify how current events are linked to policy issues, how to critically analyze and understand policy implications, and apply strategies to engage in policy practice that effect change and advocate for clients.

Practice Behaviors:

• Identify how current events are linked to policy issues impacting clients and client systems.
• Analyze the implications of policy across service systems.
• Identify strategies to engage with policy to advocate for clients and client systems.

6. Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand how social workers as practitioners in policy and political settings engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are knowledgeable about the role of intersectional identity and diversity among constituent groups and the impact of this diversity in political organizing as well as the development and implementation of social policy.

Practice Behaviors:

• Develop strategies for effective engagement across diverse groups and settings
• Apply knowledge about intersectional identity and diversity to policy analysis and development and political engagement

7. Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand how social workers as practitioners in policy and political settings assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in ways that are socially just and anti-oppressive. Social workers understand how to locate, identify, and apply relevant research, theories, and policies to inform their practice. Social workers are knowledgeable about the role of intersectional identity and diversity among constituent groups, and the impact of this diversity in political organizing as well as the development and implementation of social policy.

Practice Behaviors:

• Develop skills for using and interpreting assessment and research to develop policy and political strategies that reflect the goals of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities

8. Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand how social workers as practitioners in policy and political settings intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand how to locate, identify, and apply relevant research, theories, and policies to inform their practice. Social workers are knowledgeable about the role of intersectional identity and diversity among constituent groups, and the impact of this diversity in political organizing as well as the development and implementation of social policy.

Practice Behaviors:

• Develop skills to formulate policy and political strategies that reflect the goals of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities

9. Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand how social workers as practitioners in policy and political settings evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand how to locate, identify, and apply relevant research, theories, and policies to inform their practice. Social workers are knowledgeable about the role of intersectional identity and diversity among constituent groups, and the impact of this diversity in political organizing as well as the development and implementation of social policy.

Practice Behaviors:

• Develop skills to evaluate policy and political strategies so that they reflect the goals of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
• Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate policies and political strategies to improve practice