It is the mission of the Social Work Program at TWU to provide students with a thorough understanding of the history, purposes, and philosophy of the social work profession; to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for them to engage effective generalist social work practice with diverse populations; to develop social work knowledge that will enhance the profession; and to develop leaders in the field.

The goals of the Social Work Program at TWU are to:

• Prepare students for critical thinking through an educational process combining a liberal arts foundation with professional social work education

• Prepare students to understand and practice with diverse populations, to focus on the structural causes and consequences of social and economic injustice, and to equip students with knowledge and skills to promote positive social change

• Prepare students to value, employ, and conduct social science research in order to develop evidence based practice and to analyze and influence social policy

•  Prepare students who will incorporate the values and ethics of the social work profession into their professional social work practice with an emphasis on and commitment to diverse and at-risk populations and the promotion of social and economic justice

OBJECTIVES

To reach the above goals, students graduating from the B.S.W program at TWU will successfully demonstrate these objectives:

• Apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work practice;
• Understand the value base of the social work profession and its ethical standards and principles, and practice accordingly;
• Practice without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skills related to clients’ age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation;
• Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and apply strategies of advocacy and social change that advances social and economic justice;
• Understand and interpret the history of the social work profession and its contemporary structures and issues;
• Apply the knowledge and skills of generalist social work practice with systems of all sizes;
• Use theoretical frameworks supported by empirical evidence to understand individual development and behavior across the life span and the interactions among individuals and between individuals and families, groups, organizations, and communities;

• Analyze, formulate, and influence social policies;

• Evaluate research studies, apply research findings to practice, and evaluate their own practice interventions;

• Use communication skills differentially across client populations, colleagues, and communities;

• Use supervision and consultation appropriate to social work practice;

• Function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems and seek necessary organizational change;

• Understand and respect the positive value of diversity, with a special awareness of the problems, issues, and strengths of women of varying ethnicity, age, ability, sexual orientation and socioeconomic class.

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