Mission & Goals - Department of Social Work

Mission

The Social Work Department at Wright State University is dedicated to preparing ethical, competent, creative, and critically thinking generalist practitioners who pursue their work from a social justice perspective. The program strives to prepare students who are self-aware life-long learners, who deliver culturally competent interventions, and who are optimistic about their abilities to promote well-being through all levels of social intervention.

Goals

1. Prepare students to be professional, ethical, and competent generalist social workers.

2. Prepare students to practice without discrimination and be advocates for social justice.

3. Prepare students with a generalist knowledge, skills, and values foundation.

Objectives

1. Students will apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work

practice.

2. Students will apply the value base of the profession and its ethical standards and

principles, and practice accordingly.

3. Students will practice without discrimination and with respect, knoweldge, and skills

related to clients' age, class, color, culture, disability, ethnicity, family structure,

gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.

4. Students will describe the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and

apply strategies of advocacy and social change that advance social and economic

justice.

5. Students will describe and interpret the history of the social work profession and its

contemporary structures and issues.

6. Students will apply the knowledge and skills of generalist social work practice with

systems of all sizes.

7. Students will 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.

8. Students will analyze, formulate, and influence social policies.

9. Students will evaluate research studies, apply research findings to practice, and

evaluate their own practice interventions.

10. Students will use communication skills differentially across client populations,

colleagues, and communities.

11. Students will use supervision and consultation appropriate to social work practice.

12. Students will function within the structure of organizations and service delivery

systems and seek necessary organizational change.

13. Students will write clearly, concisely, and with good grammar, punctuation, and

spelling.

14. Students will speak clearly, concisely, and with conviction.

15. Graduates of the program will obtain entry level professional employment as

generalist social work rpacticioners in public and private social service settings.

16. Graduates of the program will pass the Generalist Social Work exam administered by

the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) and be eligible to be Licensed Social

Workers (LSW) in Ohio.

17. Graduates will be prepared and eligible to apply for graduate programs of Social

Work, including advanced standing.

B. A. PROGRAM MISSION, GOALS, and OBJECTIVES