The Social Work Program’s principal mission is to prepare students for beginning level professional generalist social work practice in a culturally diverse society and an increasingly global environment. Central to this mission is preparing students for a profession dedicated to assisting individuals, groups, families, and communities in their quest for well-being. The program is committed to teaching students to work for the development of a society that promotes equality, justice, respect for human diversity, and adequate sustenance for all of its members. The program seeks to train and encourage its students to be active, personally and professionally, in taking leadership roles in addressing social problems and challenging social, economic, and environmental injustice. The program is committed to developing students’ skills in culturally competent social work practice, research, social service and social policy formation, and political advocacy in order to further this mission.

• To prepare undergraduate students firmly grounded with an interdisciplinary liberal arts education, social work values and ethical standards, an understanding of the social work profession’s history, purpose, and philosophical tenets.
• To prepare students with the necessary competency skills for generalist beginning level professional social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in a culturally diverse society;
• To prepare students with the knowledge, values, and skills to be competent social work professionals who can effectively advocate for the development of social policies and social service delivery systems that improve the well-being of client systems;
• To prepare students to advocate, personally and professionally, for the alleviation and eradication of social problems, and to promote global social, economic, and environmental sustainability

The 2015 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) of the Council on Social Work Education measure learning outcomes according to competencies, which are defined by practice behaviors. The BSW curriculum at Ramapo College is built upon the CSWE competencies and practice behaviors.

• Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
• Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
• Competency 3: Advance Human Rights, and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
• Competency 4: Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
• Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
• Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities
• Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
• Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities

Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

• 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

Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice

• 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

Competency 3: Advance Human Rights, and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice

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

Competency 4: Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice

• 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

Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice

• Identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that impacts wellbeing, 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

Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities

• 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

Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

• 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 the assessment, research
  knowledge, and values and preferences of clients and constituencies

Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities

• 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 interprofessional 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

Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals,
Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities

• 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 intervention and program processes and outcomes
• Apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels

All programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation (COA) are required to measure and report student learning outcomes. All students are assessed using a minimum of two measures on their mastery of the nine competencies that comprise the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) and any additional competencies programs may choose to add. These holistic competencies reflect the dimensions (knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive & affective processes) of social work practice that all social workers are expected to master during their professional
training.

• BSW Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes 2022-2023