Political Social Work’s Role in Competency-Based Social Work Education

Abstract

Unlike other helping professions, social work was founded to be political, with an explicit call to engage in political action for a more socially just society. However, despite sustained inequitable policy outcomes, most social workers are not politically active, as social work education fails to prepare students to meaningfully engage in politics. Political social work is an approach that builds political engagement into all social work practice with goals of empowering students, practitioners, and clients to participate politically. This article discusses the role of political social work in competency-based social work education and provides a framework for faculty, field supervisors, and students to connect political action to their education in order to build confidence and competence related to political engagement.

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