Focus Areas

The APM is organized to maximize the sharing of ideas related to a wide variety of topics and issues. The breadth of the APM is organized into areas of focus relevant to the profession of social work. Presentations should fit into at least one of the four focus areas listed below.

Social Work Curriculum and Pedagogy

Presentations in this category will focus on the selection and delivery and evaluation of curricula in social work education—including field-based education—across all program levels, concentrations, and specializations. Presentations will focus on how to promote robust, intellectually stimulating learning environments that prepare students for entry-level or advanced social work within the framework of social work competencies. This could include social work philosophy, ethics and values, refinement and/or development of theories and models of practice, skill development, and innovative approaches to teaching and classroom management.

Leadership and Administration

Presentations in this category will focus on areas of leadership and administration in social work education and higher education. This could include student admissions and advisement, the administration of field education, resources, faculty hiring, development and evaluation, legal concerns, accreditation demands, community collaborations, and strategic planning. Presentations in this category may also focus on leadership challenges and how to promote the development of leaders and administrators for the next generation of social work educators.

Research and Evaluation

Presentations in this category will focus on the exploration of ethical research and evaluation methods to inform and advance the social work profession. This could include ways to improve the delivery of interventions and/or services to client systems, the use of appropriate research designs, data analysis and interpretation, application of results to practice, and research dissemination.

Social Work Practice

Presentations in this category will focus on best practices in social work engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation to promote human well-being. This could also include the philosophy and history of social work practice, interdisciplinary practice, practice contexts, and the development/advancement of social work practice models and sustainability of social work practice.