As new models of rights-based social work practice emerge, the incorporation of human rights throughout curricula will help students understand themselves and their clients as right-holders (Reichert, 2007). Androff and McPherson ( 2014) highlighted that although this unnecessary rift exists, expertise in one dimension of practice does not require blindness to the other. Yet, in the USA, human rights are often referred to when addressing international social work issues (Libal & Healy, 2014 Reichert, 2007), emphasizing the need to bridge human rights to domestic practice (Gatenio Gabel & Mapp, 2019).Īdding to the disconnect with human rights is the false micro and macro divide in US-based social work. The right to social services is specified in UDHR Article 25 (United Nations, 1948). Human rights issues, such as racial and gender equality, healthcare, and housing, are at the heart of social work practice (Healy, 2008 Ife, 2008 NASW, 2017 van Wormer, 2006 Wronka, 2008). Human Rights in Social Work Education and PracticeĬoncepts that underlie human rights are not new to the profession. We stress the imperative to train US-based social work students to address complex social issues through a human rights lens. The purpose of this article is to present one program’s attempt to evaluate human rights exposure in social work education, as well as a human rights lens and engagement in practice among graduating MSW students. Since the addition of human rights to social work education accreditation standards, more students have been introduced to human rights concepts yet, Gatenio Gabel and Mapp ( 2019) found that 12% of US-based social work programs did not include human rights in their curriculum. In the 2015 EPAS, CSWE extended the mandate to two competencies (Competencies 3 and 5) (Chiarelli-Helminiak et al., 2018). In 2008, the CSWE first introduced human rights in its Education Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) has been proactive in promoting human rights through its accreditation requirements for US-based social work education programs. This distinct connection between professional values and human rights necessitates the inclusion in social work education. Social justice, a core value that distinguishes social work, was found to relate to 14 of the 30 UDHR articles (Albrithen & Androff, 2014). Their analysis linked all articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, United Nations, 1948) to the six ethical principles. Yet, Albrithen and Androff ( 2014) argued that human rights are embedded within the NASW ( 2017) Code of Ethics. The ethical statement of the International Federation of Social Workers ( 2018) states the “principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work.” Whereas, the US-based National Association of Social Workers (NASW, 2017) does not include human rights in its professional ethical code. Given its history as a human right profession (Healy, 2008), social work is uniquely qualified to promote human rights, increase engagement and exposure in the classroom, and embed this framework in practice (McPherson & Cheatham, 2015). Yet, in the USA, the profession has been reluctant to integrate human rights concepts into education and practice (Reichert, 2007). Human rights violations lead clients to seek out social work interventions. Recommendations are provided to strengthen academic leadership and research in this area and empower students to drive a paradigm shift in the profession. The imperative is now to train social work students to address complex social issues through human rights exposure, engagement, and lens as we prepare for a post-pandemic world. Findings suggest that a human rights exposure in course work and practicum is related to students’ practice lens and engagement. How the program applied a human rights-based approach to social work field education will also be discussed. Multiple assessment instruments were used to measure human rights exposure in social work education, as well as a human rights lens and engagement in social work practice among 93 graduating MSW students from a public university with suburban and urban campus locations. A pre-experimental one-group posttest-only program evaluation design was implemented. The program’s specialization focused on advanced social work practice with individuals, families, and communities grounded in social justice and human rights. In response to a mandate to advance human rights through social work education, this article focuses on the curricular redesign and program evaluation of one MSW Program.
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