University of Toronto

Ideal Social Work Student

Ideal Social Work Education

Ideal Social Work Practitioner

Openness to new learning experiences

• Problem-based learning requiring development of knowledge base from multiple sources

Practitioner continually seeks additional education to develop practice

Values social justice foundation of social work and social welfare

• Values and Ethics in Social Work

Practitioner can advocate and articulate ethical and ideological issues attached to individual and social problems

Interest in people and their problems

• Interviewing skills, writing skills, presentation skills
• Specific individual, group, family, organization, community and policy interventions

Practitioner can write documents and reports as required, present information verbally as required, and is able to practice with individuals and groups

Values connection between the personal and the political

• Multi-level social work linking individual, family, group, organization, community and system practice

Practitioner is able to practice flexibly and target interventions at multiple sites to promote change

Values critical thinking and logic in decision making

• Theoretical Foundations of Social Work Practice
• Critical appraisal of research literature
• Univariate -> multivariate statistics; assumptions and procedures

Practitioner is a sophisticated consumer of research and other knowledge and able to judge if proposed interventions are based on sound evidence.

Specific interest in specific problem, e.g., women’s issues, disability, housing/homelessness, etc.

• Specific education focused on multiple theoretical perspectives on problem, practice issues, research evidence and policy issues regarding the specific problem

Practitioner has an indepth knowledge of problems and issues surrounding experience of specific client group