Developing holistic competence in cross-cultural social work practice: Simulation-based learning optimized by blended teaching approach

ABSTRACT

Integrating anti-oppressive practice (AOP) into clinical interactions is critical for embodying social justice values and promoting equitable and socially just interventions in social work practice. Therefore, training social work students to perform this task is invaluable and pedagogically challenging. Social work education scholars note that students’ knowledge and attitudes are not automatically translated into well-demonstrated professional behaviors and thus encourage to develop the holistic competence inclusive of both meta- and procedural competencies in students. Toward this pedagogical goal, this paper elaborates the development of a cross-cultural social work practice course to foster students’ holistic competence. Following the Council of Social Work Education’s Education Policy and Accreditation Standards and AOP scholarship, we outline students’ learning outcomes and the expected competencies in embodying socially just and culturally competent practice (SJCCP). Using blended learning, this course maximizes both online and in-person interfaces to foster social work students’ competencies in SJCCP. We provide details of how we incorporated simulation-based learning into various teaching methods (i.e., intergroup dialogue, digital storytelling, and role plays) and present a case illustration that highlights cross-cultural social work encounters. We close with discussing challenges and new lessons learned from teaching AOP in clinical practice and future teaching recommendations.

KEYWORDS:

• Social justice
• cultural competence
• anti-oppressive practice (AOP)
• holistic competence
• simulation-based learning (SBL)
• blended learning
• cross-cultural social work
• social work education

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eunjung Lee

Eunjung Lee, PhD, MSW, RSW is an Associate Professor and Endowed Chair in Mental Health and Health at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto in Canada. She is a psychotherapy process researcher focusing on cross-cultural clinical practice in community mental health. Using critical theories in language, discourse and power, her research focuses on everyday interactions in clinical practice and simulation-based learning in social work education, as well as immigration, transnationalism, and politics of multiculturalism and welfare state.

Toula Kourgiantakis

Toula Kourgiantakis, PhD, RSW, CCFT is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream with the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include family-centred practices in addictions and mental health, social work education, building competencies in social work practice, and simulation-based learning. Dr. Kourgiantakis is a Registered Social Worker and Certified Couple and Family Therapist with over 25 years of clinical experience that informs her teaching and research.

Ran Hu

Ran Hu, MSW, MA, is a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. Her research interests include structural and interpersonal violence, commercial sex, issues related to human trafficking, and pedagogical innovations in social work education.