SOCIAL WORK IN THE U.S.: WORKFORCE & EDUCATION1

Abstract

Specialized education and training for social
workers have been available in the U.S. for over 100 years.
Currently, there are over 500 university programs for
bachelor-level social work (a four year university degree)
and over 230 for graduate-level work (or post-bachelor
level). While there are differences among these programs,
accreditation serves to assure some commonalities for the
preparation of professional social workers. The Council on
Social Work Education or CSWE is the sole accrediting
body for social work programs in the U.S. The
accreditation process assures that programs prepare
students with specific and identifiable knowledge, skills,
values and behaviors required for competent social work
practice. In this plenary presentation for the Socio Plus
conference, Strategies and Ways to Develop University
Curricula in the Area of Social Work Education, the author
provides an overview of the practice environments and
workforce trends for social workers in the U.S. and
discusses prescribed competencies for social workers and
key components common to all social work programs U.S.,
while offering some examples of curriculum.