Social workers are well positioned to meet the needs of the immigrant population in the United States (U.S.) and social workers across all fields and specializations should both feel competent and have the appropriate skills to work with immigrant clients. In this paper, we provide context around the immigrant population in the U.S. and discuss…

Those in the field of social work education are continuously looking for methods to enhance the production of competent, effective MSWs. One approach is to provide enhanced training programs to select groups of students. Historically, research on these programs has been limited other than for Title IV-E programs. The current study assesses a…

There remains a disease between social work and Queer communities, inequities, and issues. Core to this is the blatant lack of a decidedly Queer-affirmative approach in both implicit and explicit curriculum in accredited programs, let alone the ensuing training and practice of social work practitioners. This research study deployed a…

Simulation-based learning is a promising and innovative experiential learning strategy to better prepare social work students. To promote learning around cultural competency, faculty integrated simulations into three Master Social Work courses. Scenarios included cultural and diversity components with individuals and families representing…

This paper discusses the utilization of a cultural humility model to educate social work students in understanding the importance of diversity, power, privilege, oppression, marginalization and social and economic justice in an increasingly diverse society. Social work programs are required to teach students to effectively engage a diversity of…

Social work educators must prioritize effective preparation of MSW students for the pivotal roles they will play in supporting clients struggling with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). Understanding what concerns MSW students have about working in the substance use field can highlight student training needs and inform learner-centered curricula.…

The authors consider the U.S. Department of State Diplomacy Lab as a venue for research instruction of graduate social work students in advancing practice with refugees, especially in understanding their contributions to community quality of life, which served as the focus of the lab. The first author, the instructor of the course, worked with…

This conceptual study draws from social work, education, psychology, and moral philosophy (i.e., virtue and Confucian ethics) to inform our conceptual definition of "intercultural" humility (ICH) with five interrelated features. Starting with cultural humility in the context of the Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards (EPAS)…

In today's society, it is of utmost importance to deliver services with compassion, understanding, and cultural competence. Students' awareness of personal cultural backgrounds, issues, and biases is essential to enhance their ability to serve others, particularly marginalized populations. This study demonstrates how students understood the impact…

Compassion and cultural competence have long been concepts fundamental to social work education. Students are taught that having compassion deepens their understanding of clients and strengthens the therapeutic bond. However, little attention has been paid to self-compassion on the part of the student and its role in working with clients of…

This study explored the use of simulation with Master's level students to determine the efficacy of this approach in teaching advanced social work skills with diverse client populations. Three instructors jointly developed a case scenario in which cultural beliefs differed strongly between clients who were a biracial couple. Instructors found that…

This article discusses the course design and strategies for a graduate-level Spanish social work practice course developed by faculty at a southern California MSW program. The primary focus of the course is to develop and improve clinical and professional vocabulary and, in the process, increase cultural knowledge and understanding. An overview of…

To successfully integrate Latino immigrant populations in the United States, the Social Work Grand Challenges call for increased culturally responsive training in social work education. Nevertheless, professional programs of social work education have been slow to incorporate courses that prepare students to work with Latino communities. This…

Centering social justice into social work practice is vital to the profession, but both "what" and "how" to accomplish this task are pedagogical challenges in social work education. This teaching note introduces an elective course open to both Master of Social Work and doctoral students to develop holistic competence for…

Diversity and social justice are central to social work and related curricular content is mandated by accreditation standards. However, research regarding diversity and social justice courses remains limited. This study aimed to better understand how these courses are conceptualized through a qualitative content analysis of course descriptions and…