Social Work Competencies

Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as
relevant policies, laws, and regulations that may affect practice with individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and communities. Social workers understand that ethics are informed by principles
of human rights and apply them toward realizing social, racial, economic, and environmental
justice in their practice. Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision making and
apply principles of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas.
Social workers recognize and manage personal values and the distinction between personal and
professional values. Social workers understand how their evolving worldview, personal experiences,
and affective reactions influence their professional judgment and behavior. Social workers take
measures to care for themselves professionally and personally, understanding that self-care is
paramount for competent and ethical social work practice. Social workers use rights-based, anti-
racist, and anti-oppressive lenses to understand and critique the profession’s history, mission,
roles, and responsibilities and recognize historical and current contexts of oppression in shaping
institutions and social work. Social workers understand the role of other professionals when engaged
in interprofessional practice. Social workers recognize the importance of lifelong learning and
are committed to continually updating their skills to ensure relevant and effective practice. Social
workers understand digital technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice.
Social workers:

1. make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the National Association of Social
   Workers Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision making,
   ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics within the profession as
   appropriate to the context;
2. demonstrate professional behavior; appearance; and oral, written, and electronic
   communication;
3. use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes; and
4. use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior

Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice

Social workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental
human rights. Social workers are knowledgeable about the global intersecting and ongoing injustices
throughout history that result in oppression and racism, including social work’s role and response.
Social workers critically evaluate the distribution of power and privilege in society in order to promote
social, racial, economic, and environmental justice by reducing inequities and ensuring dignity and
respect for all. Social workers advocate for and engage in strategies to eliminate oppressive structural
barriers to ensure that social resources, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that
civil, political, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected.
Social workers:

1. advocate for human rights at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community
   system levels; and
2. engage in practices that advance human rights to promote social, racial, economic, and
   environmental justice

Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice

Social workers understand how racism and oppression shape human experiences and how these two
constructs influence practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community levels
and in policy and research. Social workers understand the pervasive impact of White supremacy
and privilege and use their knowledge, awareness, and skills to engage in anti-racist practice. Social
workers understand how diversity and intersectionality shape human experiences and identity
development and affect equity and inclusion. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the
intersectionality of factors including but not limited to age, caste, class, color, culture, disability and
ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, generational status, immigration status,
legal status, marital status, political ideology, race, nationality, religion and spirituality, sex, sexual
orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that this intersectionality means
that a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation
as well as privilege and power. Social workers understand the societal and historical roots of
social and racial injustices and the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination. Social
workers understand cultural humility and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, racial, technological, and cultural exclusions, may create
privilege and power resulting in systemic oppression.
Social workers:

1. demonstrate anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice at the individual, family,
   group, organizational, community, research, and policy levels; and
2. demonstrate cultural humility by applying critical reflection, self-awareness, and self-
   regulation to manage the influence of bias, power, privilege, and values in working with
   clients and constituencies, acknowledging them as experts of their own lived experiences.

Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice

Social workers use ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches in
conducting research and building knowledge. Social workers use research to inform their practice
decision making and articulate how their practice experience informs research and evaluation
decisions. Social workers critically evaluate and critique current, empirically sound research to inform
decisions pertaining to practice, policy, and programs. Social workers understand the inherent bias
in research and evaluate design, analysis, and interpretation using an anti-racist and anti-oppressive
perspective. Social workers know how to access, critique, and synthesize the current literature to
develop appropriate research questions and hypotheses. Social workers demonstrate knowledge
and skills regarding qualitative and quantitative research methods and analysis, and they interpret
data derived from these methods. Social workers demonstrate knowledge about methods to assess
reliability and validity in social work research. Social workers can articulate and share research findings
in ways that are usable to a variety of clients and constituencies. Social workers understand the value
of evidence derived from interprofessional and diverse research methods, approaches, and sources.
Social workers:

1. apply research findings to inform and improve practice, policy, and programs; and
2. identify ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive strategies that address
   inherent biases for use in quantitative and qualitative research methods to advance the
   purposes of social work.

Engage in Policy Practice

Social workers identify social policy at the local, state, federal, and global level that affects well-
being, human rights and justice, service delivery, and access to social services. Social workers
recognize the historical, social, racial, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global
influences that affect social policy. Social workers understand and critique the history and current
structures of social policies and services and the role of policy in service delivery through rights-
based, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist lenses. Social workers influence policy formulation, analysis, 
implementation, and evaluation within their practice settings with individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and communities. Social workers actively engage in and advocate for anti-racist and
anti-oppressive policy practice to effect change in those settings.
Social workers:

1. use social justice, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lenses to assess how social welfare policies
   affect the delivery of and access to social services; and
2. apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human
   rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.

Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and
interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and communities.
Social workers value the importance of human relationships. Social workers understand theories
of human behavior and person-in-environment and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge
to facilitate engagement with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and communities. Social workers are self-reflective and understand how bias, power,
and privilege as well as their personal values and personal experiences may affect their ability to
engage effectively with diverse clients and constituencies. Social workers use the principles of
interprofessional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other
professionals as appropriate.
Social workers:

1. apply knowledge of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional
   conceptual frameworks, to engage with clients and constituencies; and
2. use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to engage in culturally responsive practice
   with clients and constituencies.

Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and
interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human
behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and
they critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in culturally responsive assessment with clients
and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Assessment involves a collaborative process of defining presenting challenges and identifying strengths with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities to develop a mutually
agreed-upon plan. Social workers recognize the implications of the larger practice context in the
assessment process and use interprofessional collaboration in this process. Social workers are self-
reflective and understand how bias, power, privilege, and their personal values and experiences
may affect their assessment and decision making.
Social workers:

1. apply theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as other culturally
   responsive and interprofessional conceptual frameworks, when assessing clients and
   constituencies; and
2. demonstrate respect for client self-determination during the assessment process by
   collaborating with clients and constituencies in developing a mutually agreed-upon plan.

Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and
interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human behavior,
person-in-environment, and other interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and they critically
evaluate and apply this knowledge in selecting culturally responsive interventions with clients
and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social
workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing, and implementing evidence-informed
interventions and participate in interprofessional collaboration to achieve client and constituency
goals. Social workers facilitate effective transitions and endings.
Social workers:

1. engage with clients and constituencies to critically choose and implement culturally
   responsive, evidence-informed interventions to achieve client and constituency goals; and
2. incorporate culturally responsive methods to negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on
   behalf of clients and constituencies.

Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and
interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of diverse individuals, families,
groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers evaluate processes and outcomes to
increase practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. Social workers apply anti-racist and
anti-oppressive perspectives in evaluating outcomes. Social workers understand theories of
human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks,
and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes. Social workers use
qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness.
Social workers:

1. select and use culturally responsive methods for evaluation of outcomes; and
2. critically analyze outcomes and apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness
   with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior

Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence recognize that historical and current contexts of oppression shape institutions, social work, and their evolving worldview and personal experiences.  Recognizing that this context influences their professional judgment and behavior, they use rights-based, antiracist, and anti-oppressive lenses to understand and critique the profession’s history, mission, roles, and responsibilities.  They use multiple frameworks to engage in critical inquiry and reflection to provide ethical, anti-racist, anti-oppressive and culturally responsive practice, policy, and research. They formulate and apply anti-racist, anti-oppressive, culturally responsive strategies to ethically respond to dilemmas across multidisciplinary settings. They appreciate the importance of being socially responsible in their practice with diverse populations including the centrality of social, economic, racial, and environmental justice. They anticipate how ethics, practice, and culture may be incongruent, thus perpetuating social, environmental, and economic injustice and human rights violations.  When formulating and communicating culturally responsive professional judgments, they use the multidimensional contextual perspective and social construction to synthesize, evaluate, and adapt knowledge from multiple sources. They understand the unique roles of social work with diverse and underserved populations within interprofessional settings. Social workers with specialized, advanced cultural competence value the importance of enhancing the profession’s and their work with diverse populations, which requires dedication to continuous life-long learning and development. They also take measures to care for themselves professionally and personally, understanding that self-care is paramount for one’s ongoing capacity for ethical social work.  Key to this practice is an awareness that self-care includes ongoing reflection and development of individual and collective practices that enable it. Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence:

S1.1 Select and adapt ethical decision-making strategies to be anti-racist, anti-oppressive, culturally responsive.

S1.2 Ensure professional judgment and behavior by using critical reflection, self-regulation, and self-correction of their beliefs, biases, affective/emotional responses, and influences of personal experiences in relation to ethical decision-making.

S1.3 Evaluate interprofessional and social work roles and boundaries with attention to diversity, social justice, and professional standards.

S1.4 Demonstrate ethical and culturally competent use of technology in practice, policies, and service delivery.

S1.5 Articulate strategies for lifelong learning and development that include assessment of their knowledge, beliefs, values, and skills.

S1.6 Articulate strategies for self-care, which include understanding the interconnectedness of individual and community wellbeing. 

Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice

Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence are knowledgeable about the interconnected global and ongoing injustices throughout history that result in oppression and racism, including social work’s role and response. They critically evaluate the distribution of power and privilege and translate (a) their understanding of global interconnectedness of oppression and (b) their commitment to social, economic, and environmental justice into practice. They advocate for human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice, striving for equitable distribution of social resources, rights, and responsibilities. They apply social constructionism, intersectionality, the multidimensional contextual perspective, ecological/systems, and empowerment/strengths theories to their practice to advance human rights to promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. They understand that transformational culturally competent social work must address the global interconnections of human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence:

S2.1 Advocate and engage with diverse clients and constituencies with attention to advancing human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice, and promoting social change from a local/global perspective.

S2.2 Understand that culturally responsive advocacy and engagement plans must address oppressive structural barriers and ensure equitable distribution of social goods, rights, and responsibilities.

S2.3 Understand global interconnections of justice and human rights to critically evaluate their own roles, positionalities, and local practice context while engaging and advocating with diverse client systems.

S2.4 Acknowledge the role of social work in confronting its involvement in interconnected local and global historical harms that perpetuate oppression and racism to inform practice that advances human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.

Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice

Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence understand the pervasive impact of white supremacy and privilege and use their knowledge, awareness, and skills to engage in anti-racist practice. They know how to apply intersectionality and the multidimensional contextual perspective to understand diversity and difference in practice including the interaction of client and environmental factors, and the impact of oppression, discrimination, injustices, and power and privilege differentials. They understand that the social construction of difference includes marginalization, creation of oppressive structures, and the privileging of knowledge and resources. They understand structural competence, cultural responsiveness and cultural humility as central to cultural competence They understand dimensions of diversity as the intersectionality of factors including but not limited to age, caste, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, generational status, immigration status, legal status, marital status, political ideology, race, nationality, religion and spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. They recognize the importance of ongoing critical reflection, self-evaluation, self-regulation, and self-correction to provide culturally competent and just practice, policy, research, and service delivery. They understand how their own and others’ experiences as targets or agents of oppression, discrimination, micro aggressions, and power and privilege differentials influence professional relationships, including the dialogic process with diverse clients, stakeholders, and colleagues. They feel a sense of personal agency in addressing these issues. They understand that cultural competence is not an endpoint but a life-long process including knowing how to learn about diverse and marginalized groups as well as our evolving response to them. Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence:

S3.1 Engage in dialogues about differences in culture, power, racism, and privilege with colleagues, stakeholders, and clients across multidisciplinary settings with an understanding of societal and historical roots of pervasive oppression.

S3.2 Demonstrate ability to guide their own learning and practice about diverse intersections of marginalized groups by taking the posture of learner with client as expert (for example, through use of ethnographic interviewing).

S3.3.  Demonstrate cultural humility by applying critical reflection, self-awareness, and self-regulation to manage the influence of bias, power, privilege, and values in working with clients and constituencies, acknowledging them as experts of their own lived experiences.

S3.4 Demonstrate knowledge, awareness, and skills to engage in anti-racist practice using cultural humility and recognition that the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, racial, technological, and cultural exclusions, may create privilege and power resulting in systemic oppression.

Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice

Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence understand the importance of engaging diverse stakeholders/clients in planning and conducting culturally responsive research using culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches to generate evidence-based and practice-based knowledge. They understand how to critically analyze and address issues of power and privilege differentials and adapt research methods to ensure that research is culturally relevant and just. They value the importance of cultural competence in research conduct and understand the inherent bias in all ways of knowing, including research. They evaluate design, analysis, and interpretation using an anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspective. Specifically, transformational culturally competent social workers understand how to apply the principles of critical inquiry to differentially analyze, select, interpret, and adapt theoretical, evidence-based, and practice-based findings and local knowledge to inform practice. They are able to interpret, articulate, and share findings of research syntheses like meta-analyses or qualitative meta-syntheses. They understand how community-based participatory research empowers stakeholders to learn how to conduct their own research and identify community strengths, problems, and needs. They understand how personal, professional, societal, and cultural values, beliefs, and biases may influence cultural responsiveness of the research process. They understand the value of evidence derived from interprofessional and diverse research methods, approaches, and sources. Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence:

S4.1 Analyze power, privilege, and bias in research design, analysis, and interpretation, evaluating their impact on practice through anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspectives.

S4.2 Differentially apply research skills and knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research to conduct culturally competent and just research, including community-based participatory research.

S4.3 Use critical inquiry to synthesize, interpret, articulate, and differentially adapt evidence-based and practice-based findings and client-based/indigenous knowledge to provide effective culturally responsive and just practice, policy, and service delivery to a variety of clients and constituencies.

S4.4 Conduct ethical, culturally competent, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive practice-informed research and research-informed practice and strategies by engaging in critical reflection, self-regulation, and self-correction of their beliefs, personal values, emotional/affective responses, implicit and explicit biases as they pertain to research.

Engage in Policy Practice

Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence draw on their knowledge of social construction and a multidimensional contextual perspective to actively engage in anti-racist and anti-oppressive policy practice that promotes culturally responsive systems change.  They recognize how power and privilege shape policy and pay attention to diverse and intersecting circumstances, problems, needs, and injustices in policy practice. They recognize and critique the history of social policies and services and their impact on marginalized groups, including social movements and special interest groups. They can assess proposed and existing policies at the local, state, federal, and global level to determine the impact on diverse individuals and groups. They can advocate for social change and engage stakeholders/constituency groups in the change process. As transformational culturally competent social workers, they understand the importance of providing leadership and advocating for culturally responsive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive policies and services that promote social, environmental, and economic justice and empower clients/constituency groups to lead and advocate as well. Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence:

S5.1 Influence policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation, recognizing how power and privilege shape policy with attention to diverse and intersecting circumstances, problems, needs, and injustices, and actively engage in and advocate for anti-racist and anti-oppressive police practice

S5.2 Articulate advocacy approaches that address advancement of human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice from a cultural and global perspective.

S5.3 Act as change agents, in collaboration with stakeholders/clients, to promote provision of sustainable, culturally responsive services.

S5.4 Demonstrate understanding of the cultural responsiveness of local, state, federal, and global level policies that impact social service delivery and access by assessing social welfare policies using social justice, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lenses.

Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers who have specialized in transformational culturally competent practice; know how to draw on their understanding of social construction and multidimensional contextual, ecological/systems, and empowerment/strengths perspectives as well as human behavior and the social environment and multidisciplinary theories. They use self-reflective tools and strategies that assess how bias, power, and privilege, as well as personal values and personal experiences, may affect their ability to engage effectively with diverse clients and constituencies on local and global levels. They use self-reflective tools and strategies that assess how bias, power, and privilege, as well as personal values and personal experiences, may affect their ability to engage effectively with diverse clients and constituencies on local and global levels. They use self-reflective tools and strategies that assesses how bias, power, and privilege as well as personal values and personal experiences may affect their ability to engage effectively with diverse clients and constituencies on local and global levels.

They understand the ongoing engagement process from a range of practice theories and approaches that promote social justice, anti-racism, and anti-oppressive lens for culturally responsive engagement with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in local and global contexts.

They value the importance of relationships and collaborative partnerships when engaging clients and client systems. To ensure cultural responsiveness with clients/client systems served, they know how to use critical inquiry augmented by the anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and socially just multidimensional contextual perspective and social construction to synthesize, adapt, and evaluate multiple sources of knowledge about engagement strategies. Such strategies include evidence-based, practice-based, theoretically based, multidisciplinary, and client-based/Indigenous perspectives. Culturally competent social workers understand the influence of power and privilege differentials, diversity, and social, economic, and environmental justice upon the engagement process. Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence:

S6.1 Value the centrality of empathy, self-reflection, understandings of bias, power, and privilege, their personal values and personal experiences, and interpersonal skills while engaging and collaborating in culturally responsive practice with diverse clients and constituencies in local and global contexts.

S6.2 Engage individuals, families, and groups as partners in the change process with attention to power and privilege differentials, diversity, and social, economic, and environmental justice drawn from local and global historical knowledge.

S6.3 Engage organizations and communities as partners in the change process with attention to power and privilege differentials, diversity, and social, economic, and environmental justice.

S6.4 Use critical inquiry to synthesize and differentially adapt engagement skills from theoretical, evidence-based, practice-based, and local and global indigenous knowledge to provide culturally responsive engagement to clients/client systems.

S6.5 Ensure culturally responsive engagement practices by using critical reflection, self-regulation, and self-correction of their beliefs, implicit and explicit biases, affective/emotional responses, personal values, and influences of personal experiences arising during engagement processes.

Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence know assessment skills and techniques from a range of theories and practice drawn from local and global approaches and understand how to synthesize and differentially adapt them to provide culturally responsive assessment to diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. They draw on their understandings of social construction and multidimensional contextual, ecological/systems, and empowerment/strengths perspectives as well as human behavior and the social environment and multidisciplinary theories that promote social justice, anti-racism, and anti-oppressive lens to assess clients and stakeholders. They value the centrality of relationships and collaborative partnerships when assessing clients/client systems. They know how to use critical inquiry augmented by the multidimensional contextual perspective and social construction to synthesize, differentially adapt, and evaluate multiple sources of knowledge, including evidenced based, practice based, theoretically based, and client-based/ indigenous assessment and goal setting strategies to ensure cultural competence with clients/client systems served. They understand how to apply this knowledge to assess the influences of socially constructed structures, social systems and culture upon the health and well-being of individuals, families, groups, and the communities in which they reside. Culturally competent social workers understand how assessment processes are influenced by power and privilege differentials, diversity, and social, economic, and environmental justice and demonstrate respect for client self-determination during the assessment process by collaborating with clients and constituencies in developing a mutually agreed-upon intervention plan. Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence:

S7.1 Collaborate with clients and constituencies to assess cultural strengths, limitations, and challenges, and how these impact client/client system functioning, and integrate understanding of these assessment findings, respecting client’s self-determination. Building from this collaborative assessment to develop mutually agreed-upon intervention plans.

S7.2 Select, evaluate, adapt, and implement multidimensional assessment methods for individuals, families, and groups with attention to cultural responsiveness, using critical inquiry to draw on a range of theories and practice approaches, evidence-based and practice-based findings, and client-based/ indigenous knowledge, and integrate findings into culturally responsive intervention plans.

S7.3 Conduct environmental assessments of organizations and communities with attention to diverse and intersecting circumstances, problems, needs, and injustices, using critical inquiry to draw on a range of theories and practice approaches, evidence-based and practice-based findings, and client-based/indigenous knowledge, and integrate findings into culturally responsive intervention plans for organizations and communities.

S7.4 Assess clients/client systems with cultural responsiveness by using critical reflection, self-regulation, and self-correction of their beliefs, implicit and explicit biases, personal values, affective/emotional responses, and influences of personal experiences in relation to assessment processes.

Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence master intervention skills and techniques from a range of theories and practice approaches. They understand how to select, differentially adapt them. Apply an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens to provide culturally responsive interventions to diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. They draw on understanding of social construction and multidimensional contextual, ecological/systems, and empowerment/strengths perspectives as well as human behavior and the social environment and multidisciplinary theories to intervene. They value the centrality of relationships and collaborative partnerships when intervening with clients/client systems. They know how to engage in critical inquiry to synthesize, adapt, and evaluate multiple sources of knowledge, including evidenced-based, practice-based, theory-based, and client-based/indigenous knowledge to ensure culturally competent, and inclusive interventions with clients/client systems. They understand how to apply this knowledge when intervening with clients/client systems. Culturally competent social workers understand the influence of power and privilege differentials, diversity, and social, economic, and environmental justice when intervening with clients/client systems. Social workers who specialize in transformational culturally competent practice commit to understanding and drawing on culturally responsive models of change to inform their interventions and transitions. Social workers incorporate points of assessment that are bound in a cultural humility perspective to identify appropriate points of transition in practice and client grounded termination plans. Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence:

S8.1 Use critical inquiry to evaluate, synthesize, adapt, and implement culturally responsive intervention skills and techniques from a range of theories and practice approaches, evidence based and practice-based findings, and client-based/indigenous knowledge.

S8.2 Differentially use intervention approaches that leverage indigenous helping strategies and natural support systems.

S8.3 Facilitate transitions and endings with attention to power differentials, diversity, and social justice. Utilizing culturally responsive models of change to inform understanding of intervention plan and transitions in practice approach when appropriate.

S8.4 Provide intervention that is culturally responsive by using critical reflection, self-regulation, and self-correction of their beliefs, implicit and explicit biases, personal values, affective/emotional responses, and influences of personal experiences throughout intervention processes with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

S8.5 Apply EBP and PBE measures that are person centered and apply a cultural humility approach to inform the change process and determine the efficacy of the termination plan.

Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence understand the importance of ongoing evaluation to ensure effectiveness and cultural responsiveness. They know how to use the multidimensional contextual perspective and synthesis of ecological/systems, social construction, and empowerment/strengths conceptual frameworks in evaluation. Social workers incorporate evaluative approaches that are person-centered and acknowledge that collaborative interprofessional frameworks are a necessity for a thorough conceptualization of client issues. They recognize that commonly used evaluation tools may not be culturally responsive and may require adaptation with the populations served. They understand culturally responsive interpretation of findings and implications for improving services as a collaborative process with clients and stakeholders. They understand that engaging in transformational culturally competent practice requires an evaluative process that incorporates anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspectives, recognizing the influence of generational and systemic oppression and marginalization may have on clients and issues they experience. They recognize, analyze, and address challenges of quantitative and qualitative evaluations of interventions in relation to diversity, power and privilege differentials, and social, economic, and environmental justice. Social workers with specialized knowledge in transformational culturally competent practice awareness of the challenges in efficacy in evaluating diverse community’s and issues and apply a critically evaluative lens to evaluation plan and process. Creating an evaluative approach to practice that is culturally responsive and grounded in an anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspective. Social workers who have specialized in transformational cultural competence:

S9.1 Use critical inquiry informed by an anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspective to analyze and differentially adapt evaluation tools with attention to cultural competence and responsiveness.

S9.2 Formulate strategies to collaborate with client/client systems in the evaluation process, interpretation of findings, and application of findings to improve cultural competence and practice effectiveness at micro, mezzo, and macro levels.

S9.3 Use evaluative strategies that are client centered and incorporate collaborative/interprofessional frameworks for conceptualizing client issues /needs.

S9.4 Evaluate in ways that are culturally responsive by using an anti-racist and anti-oppression perspective, critical reflection, self-regulation, and self-correction of their beliefs, implicit and explicit biases, personal values, emotional/affective responses, and influences of personal experiences when evaluating practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.