CORE

COMPETENCIES
Misty Riley

Core Competency 1
Demonstrate Ethical and
Professional Behavior

Practice Behavior 1
Make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW
Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical
decision-making, ethical conduct or research, and additional
codes of ethics as appropriate to context.
Refer to the code of ethics and any agency rules and
regulations when it pertains to ethical dilemmas.

Practice behavior 2
Use reflection and self-regulation to manage
personal values and maintain professionalism in
practice situations.
I will use my daily journal to reflect on my work
behaviors and use it as a guide to grow in knowledge
with my agency.

Practice behavior 3
Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior,
appearance: and oral, written, and electronic
communication.

Abide by agency dress code and any other

rules and regulations to maintain
professionalism.

Practice behavior 4
Use technology ethically and appropriately
to facilitate practice outcomes.
Use technology in order to refer to the agency
website as needed as well as using power points and
other sources to make the agency run efficiently.

Practice behavior 5
Use supervision and consultation to guide
professional judgment and behavior.
Referring to the supervisor for guidance as well as to
learn more about the agency and what they do.

Competency 2

Engage diversity and

difference in practice

Practice behavior 6
Apply and communicate understanding of the
importance of diversity and difference in shaping life
experience in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro
levels.
Apply Knowledge learned about different cultures and
diversities and use the information to best benefit the
client,while being culturally and diversity sensitive to each
person, group, or community.

Practice behavior 7
Present themselves as learners and engage
clients and constituencies as experts of their
own experiences.
Gaining knowledge of my supervisor and co-workers
experiences when it comes to client, allow them to
speak while you learn from their experiences. Giving
the client a chance empower themselves.

Practice behavior 8
Apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage
the influence of personal biases and values in working
with diverse clients and constituencies.
Maintain an unbiased opinion when it comes to religious
affiliation as the agency I work for deals with people close to
death.

Competency 3
Advance human Rights and Social,
Economic, and Environmental Justice.

Practice behavior 9
Apply understanding of social, economic, and environmental
justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and
system levels.
Dealing with clients who do not have free or affordable health
care due to lack of insurance, and finding ways to get them free
or low costing services.

Practice behavior 10
Engage in practices that advance social, economic,
and environmental justice.
Camp Spinoza is a way to understand the backgrounds
of the individuals who attend, children from ages 5-12,
and how they have dealt with the loss of their loved
one. It is used to help them through the coping
process.

Competency 4
Engage in practice informed research and research
informed practice

Practice behavior 11
Use practice experience and theory to inform scientific
inquiry and research.

When dealing with different cultures or different ways

of living, always research the group in order to best
understand and benefit them in time of need.

Practice behavior 12
Apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of
quantitative and qualitative research methods and
research findings.
Research and locate free or affordable health care for
indigent people.

Practice behavior 13
Use and translate research evidence to inform and
improve practice, policy, and service delivery.

Use knowledge learned from research and apply it

when dealing with patients who meet the criteria.

Competency 5
Engage in policy practice

Practice behavior 14
Identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that
impacts well-being, service delivery, and access to social
services.
Research the clients Medicaid benefits and find interventions
that best compliments the client.

Practice behavior 15
Assess how social welfare and economic policies
impact the delivery of and access to social services.
Help clients find free and affordable health care or
other resources when needed.

Practice behavior 16
Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for
policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and
environmental justice.
Being involved in programs or creating programs that suite the
needs of the clients. Help advocate for their social justice.

Competency 6
Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups,
Organizations, and Communities

Practice behavior 17
Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social
environment, person-in-environment, and other
multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to engage with clients
and constituencies.
Use research informed evidence to better benefit and
understand the needs of clients.

Practice behavior 18
Use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to
effectively engage diverse clients and constituencies.
Remain empathetic when dealing with families that
have lost a loved one, this will help the SWK to better
connect with the client.

Competency 7

Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations,

and Communities

Practice behavior 19
Collect and organize data, and apply critical thinking to
interpret information from clients and constituencies.
Assessments will be used to collect information about the client
and what they are dealing with, understanding the clients
background and recent events can help to better understand
the client

Practice behavior 20
Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment,
person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical
frameworks in interventions with clients and constituencies.
Engage in research practice in order to be more useful and beneficial
to the client, making better choices when it comes time to suggest
and intervention for the client.

Practice behavior 21
Develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives based
on the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within
clients and constituencies.
Consult with the client on what they feel may be best for them
between interventions that are suggested based off the assessment.

Practice behavior 22
Select appropriate intervention strategies based on the
assessment, research knowledge, and values and preferences
of clients and constituencies.
Choose intervention based on the results of their assessment,
background, and values.

Competency 8
Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Practice Behavior 23
Critically choose and implement interventions to
achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of
clients and constituencies.

After forming an assessment on the client, use the

information to find an intervention that works best for
them.

Practice behavior 24
Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social
environment, person-in-environment, and other
multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in
interventions with clients and constituencies.
Take note of different cultural backgrounds, etc. and
apply it to framework. Use research based evidence to
create and intervention for the client.

Practice behavior 25
Use inter-professional collaboration as appropriate
to achieve beneficial practice outcomes.
Interact with co-workers to come to an agreement
on what would be the most helpful to the client
when going through the grieving process.

Practice behavior 26
Negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on
behalf of diverse clients and constituencies.
Push to create programs that would be more
beneficial to different cultures.

Practice behavior 27
Facilitate effective transitions and endings that
advance mutually agreed-on goals.
Encourage clients to attend counseling or other
outside resources and monitor change through
assessment.

Competency 9
Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Practice behavior 28
Select and use appropriate methods for
evaluation of outcomes.
Be precise when filling out assessments.

Practice behavior 29
Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social
environment, person-in-environment, and other
multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the
evaluation of outcomes.
Understand the population and client that you are
working with in order to better understand their
changes or reactions.

Practice behavior 30
Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate intervention
and program processes and outcomes.
Attend outside resources provided by the agency in
order to gain better knowledge of how the intervention
may be useful and offer tips on what can be done to
improve the interventions.

Practice behavior 31
Apply evaluation findings to improve practice
effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro
levels.
Use evaluations to find better resources to
benefit clients.