April 2025

EPAS Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice

The CSWE Center for Diversity and Social & Economic Justice is proud to announce a new initiative that will highlight one key 2022 Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) competency each month. This ongoing commitment aims to foster a deeper understanding and application of social work competencies in a way that supports social justice and equity across all areas of social work practice. We are especially pleased that the 2022 EPAS articulate a clear commitment of social work education to principles of anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

How often have we heard BSW and MSW students say something like, “Oh, I am specializing in micro practice, I don’t have any interest in policy.”

This competency is not a requirement only of macro social workers in training, it is a requirement for all social workers in training. Everyone is affected by policies, and our profession especially is concerned with ensuring that social welfare policies governing the delivery of and access to social services are upholding the dignity and worth of every recipient of those social services. Therefore, the competency calls on social workers to recognize the historical, social, racial, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy.  

These policies must be socially just, promote inclusion, and avoid further oppressing and marginalizing the very populations the policies are intended to serve. Now more than ever, it is imperative for social workers to be immersed fully into the process of policy development and policy analysis. As we observe Arab American Heritage Month in April, social workers pause to celebrate the rich diversity and substantive contributions made by Arab Americans, many of whom arrived into the United States after historic changes in the nation’s immigration policies.

We also pause during National Deaf History Month to appreciate the tremendous policy advances we have made as a society to accommodate those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Until only very recently, survivors of sexual assault suffered in silence. During Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we pause to uplift everyone who has been impacted by sexual assault, and express gratitude that there are now policies in place to ensure the safety of survivors, provide avenues for them to pursue justice, and promote awareness about sexual assault. Our profession trains us to engage in policy practice precisely so that all in our society can be celebrated, appreciated, and uplifted. 

Each month we highlight literature, blogs, or other resource related to EPAS competencies. This month we highlight the following Journal of Social Work Education articles related to Competency 5: 
 

Organizational Resource

The Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP) was founded in 2012 as a nonprofit organization to complement the work of the Congressional Social Work Caucus. Learn more about CRISP and view photos from the 2025 Social Work Day On the Hill to see how social workers engage in policy practice on the Hill.
 

Literature Resource

Policy Education in U.S. Social Work Programs: Results of a National Study
Suzanne Pritzker & Natalia Giraldo-Santiago

Using data from the Council on Social Work Education’s Annual Survey, this study captures a baseline snapshot of policy practice education in U.S.-based bachelor of social work and master of social work programs. Results indicate that the nature of students’ preparation to incorporate policy change into practice depends on which program they attended. This first study of policy practice education across U.S. BSW and MSW programs examines policy-related coursework, instruction, field-based learning, and hands-on educational experiences. The study finds substantial program variation, including the type of faculty teaching policy courses and their direct policy practice experience, as well as in the inclusion of field-based and hands-on policy learning opportunities. Implications for strengthening policy education in the United States are discussed.
 

Full citation:

Pritzker, S., & Giraldo-Santiago, N. (2022). Policy education in U.S. social work programs: Results of a national study. Journal of Social Work Education, 59(2), 477–492. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2022.2039818