New Practice Standards Available for School Social Work, Clinical Practice

Practice

Reflecting the ethics and values of the social work profession, two NASW Practice Standards have been updated.

The Practice Standards for School Social Workers addresses the changing landscape of schools and the current practice trends of school social workers.

Mirean Coleman, LICSW, CT, director of clinical practice at NASW, noted the document includes guiding principles and 15 standards that serve as a helpful guide for all social workers who work in school settings.

The revisions include sections on cultural competence; interdisciplinary leadership and collaboration; school safety; technology; and emergency and disaster preparedness and response. There also is an updated list of resources and an appendix on administrative structure and support, Coleman said. The publication has a new cover design as well.

The Practice Standards for Clinical Social Workers also have been recently updated, and serve as a reference and practice guide for clinical social workers in settings such as private practice, mental health centers, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and agencies.

The guide includes changes regarding emergency preparedness, self-care, and documentation techniques.

Updating NASW’s social work standards for 17 different practice areas is important because they are the benchmark of social work practice, Coleman said.

“They tell you what you should do in practice. They are the foundation of what we do. It’s also a legal document. Courts and other organizations use these documents to determine whether a social worker has done correct practice.”

Both sets of revised standards are available at NASW Press and Practice Standards and Guidelines.