MSW Mission Statement
The mission of the MSW-UTC program is to equip students to meet the growing need for advanced social work practitioners to serve individuals, families, groups, and communities in the Southeast Region of Tennessee as they age through the life course. As advanced practitioners, graduates will have a common body of social work knowledge, values, and skills, as well as specialized knowledge and skills to serve aging adults and their families. Graduates will be prepared for practice informed by the principles outlined in the NASW Code of Ethics and transferable among diverse human service settings and population groups.
MSW-UTC Program Goals
The goals of the MSW-UTC Program emerge directly from its defined mission, the character of the region being served, and the competencies of professional social work practice as defined by the Council on Social Work Education. To fulfill the above mission, the goals of the MSW-UTC Program are:
- To prepare a diverse student population for advanced social work practice with a specialized emphasis on serving older adults.
- To promote the development of policies and services that reduced the impact of poverty, oppression, and discrimination.
- To develop critical thinking skills that will encourage active participation in the development, evaluation, and improvement of social work knowledge and skills through research aimed at improving practice.
- To promote the development of a multiple theoretical orientation applicable across different client systems.
- To provide an understanding of diversity and cultural competence with an emphasis on social, economic, and environmental justice needed for improving the well-being of people.
- To socialize students to the profession of social work and the expectations of ethical social work practice.
MSW-UTC Program Competencies
The MSW-UTC Program’s mission and goals inform the design and organization of the curriculum. The Council for Social Work Education provides a set of competencies in which all students must receive training and multiple forms of assessment to determine the level of attained competence. The courses in the generalist and specialist curricula contribute to student achievement of the following competencies, which, in turn, advances the attainment of the MSW-UTC Program goals.
- Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
- Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
- Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
- Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice
- Engage in Policy Practice
- Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities