CSWE Full Circle - July 2017

Commission on Global Social Work Education: International Collaborations
and Accomplishments

The Commission on Global Social Work Education encourages the development and inclusion of international dimensions in social work education to further the global agenda of CSWE through a broad range of projects and activities in the United States and internationally. We provide leadership, resources, and consultation through the commission, councils (Council on Global Social Issues and Council on Global Learning and Practice), two affiliated committees (Committee on Environmental Justice and Committee on Human Rights), and through our partnership with the Katherine A. Kendall Institute for International Social Work Education (KAKI) and a wide range of international organizations with complementary missions. The commission’s strategy to address local and global dimensions of international social work contributes to a growing understanding of the need for integrated, “glocal” perspectives for all social workers and social work educators whether practicing in U.S. communities or beyond. 

• What are some of the achievements of the Commission on Global Social Work Education? 
  • Through our focus on enhancing global perspectives, the commission, councils, committees, and affiliations have published resources for faculty members teaching across the social work curriculum and for engaging in international collaboration.
  • The commission annually selects and hosts the Hokenstad International Lecture and Partners in Advancing International Education (PIE) Awards at the CSWE Annual Program Meeting. The commission’s and councils’ annual Connect Sessions highlight key issues for social work education from an international perspective.
  • As a resource for the CSWE Board and members, we have provided guidance on international collaborative projects including accreditation issues, research protocols, large scale cross-national partnerships, and critical issues such as sustainability, disaster, education, and incarceration.
  • Our members have represented CSWE with international organizations including the International Association of Schools of Social Work and North American and Caribbean Association of Schools of Social Work.

• What is coming up for the Commission on Global Social Work Education? 
  • Many additional projects are under consideration or underway, including providing guidance for implementing the critical global perspective in social work programs; building wider understanding of social work programs’ diverse internationalization efforts; expanding teaching, Web, and print resources; connecting with international organizations regarding the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development; and supporting enhanced international collaboration on individual faculty member, program, and organizational levels.
  • We are working to renew our Web presence and welcome feedback and suggestions. Please check out our Web pages, let us know what you find useful, and share your needs and interests.
  • Please plan to attend and participate in the 2017 APM commission, council, and KAKI sponsored Connect Sessions, the Hokenstad International Lecture, PIE Awards, and the many sessions with a global focus and commission connections. We will post a list of these opportunities on the commission’s website this fall.
  • Feel free to contact our commission, council, and committee members directly. Members are listed on our Web pages, including Carol S. Cohen (commission chair, cohen5@adelphi.edu) and Julie Rhoads (CSWE staff liaison, jrhoads@cswe.org). We welcome your interest and input.

 
Council on Disability and Persons With Disabilities: Initiative Updates and Forthcoming Sessions

The Council on Disability and Persons With Disabilities (CDPD) develops social work education resources that are related to disability issues and the experiences of individuals with disabilities. The CDPD also works to facilitate the full participation of people with disabilities in social work education and is ready to assist in all endeavors related to disability issues in social work.
 
The most recent CDPD initiatives include the following:
 
Assessment of Integration of Disability Content Into Social Work Education. A subcommittee of the CDPD completed analysis of a survey-based assessment of the integration of disability content into social work education. Three hundred CSWE members responded to the survey, which received funding from CSWE. Analysis focused on the extent to which respondents viewed disability content as important; respondents’ inclusion of disability content into core social work courses; and the barriers preventing respondents from increasing the amount of disability content in their courses. Respondents generally agreed that such content is important but included it inconsistently. Barriers to increasing disability content include lack of resources for teaching, lack of relevant faculty expertise, and an overcrowded curriculum. The full findings, plus strategies and resources for infusing disability content into social work education, are discussed in a culminating article of the project, which has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation.

APM 2017 CDPD Connect Session—Introducing “Kaleidoscope Case Studies”: Disability-Related Case Studies for Teaching Across the Curriculum. In line with the CDPD survey results, the upcoming CDPD Connect Session will present a case study that can be used to efficiently infuse disability content throughout the social work curriculum. (Past Connect Session resources are available here.) Developing case studies that cover multiple areas of the CSWE Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards, can be taught across several courses, and touch on diverse content areas in addition to disability can help infuse the material throughout the packed social work curriculum. Such case studies can also serve to promote a cohesive educational experience for students. The CDPD plans to develop several case studies with related discussion questions, teaching points, and assignments and make them available to CSWE membership within the next year.
 
Following the Connect Session presentation at the 2017 APM, the Disability Manuscript Award will be presented as part of the annual CDPD Community Meeting, which features an open discussion of issues related to disability and social work. All conference attendees with an interest in disability issues are encouraged to attend.