Setting appropriate competency benchmarks to support successful social work program assessment

ABSTRACT

Mastering competence is a ‘cornerstone’ in the preparation of social work students for professional practice in the field. But who determines how competency is defined? And, ultimately, who gets to determine when a student achieves competence? These are important questions. This article relates the development and adoption of competency-based social work education to the reality programs face in documenting student achievement in an effort to satisfy competency-based accreditation standards set by the Council of Social Work Education for undergraduate and graduate social work programs in the United States but has relevance to similar processes in other countries, as well. A pragmatic road map for the development of competency benchmarks for the purpose of program assessment is offered here, using real-life examples from programs successful with accreditation and reaffirmation using standardized assessment instruments. Problems inherent in the development of these benchmarks, and with the current state of program assessment, are explored.

KEYWORDS:

• Accreditation
• Competency Assessment
• Competency-based Education
• Social Work Education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dana J. Sullivan

Dana J. Sullivan, Ph.D., CSW, is a Professor of Social Work at Western Kentucky University and a member of the Social Work Education Assessment Project (SWEAP) team.

Kathryn Krase

Kathryn S. Krase, Ph.D., J.D., M.S.W. is currently Associate Professor of Social Work at Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work, and Chief Financial Officer of SWEAP.

Tobi DeLong Hamilton

Tobi Delong Hamilton, LCSW, Ph.D., is the MSW Program Director at Brandman University, and the Chief Executive Officer of SWEAP.

Tameca Harris-Jackson

Ruth Gerritsen-McKane, Ph.D., LCSW, LICSW, CCTPis an Associate Professor of Social Work, Director of MSW Field Education at Regis College in Massachusetts, and a Team Member of SWEAP.

Brian Christenson

Dr. Brian Christenson, LMSW, LGSW, CAP, is the Program Director for the Masters of Social Work Program at Capella University, and a Team Member of SWEAP.

Kristin Danhoff

Kristin Danhoff, Ph.D., MSW  is currently Assistant Professor of Social Work at Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Department’s Assessment Coordinator, and a Team Member of SWEAP. 

Ruth Gerritsen-McKane

Tameca Harris-Jackson, Ph.D., LCSW, CSWE is current Assistant Professor of Social Work at Regis College, and a former member of the SWEAP Team.