June 2025: Competency 6

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

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.  

The month of June 2025 we highlight EPAS Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities 

Within Competency 6, social workers are called to consider engagement with various practice populations. Social workers apply knowledge of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, to engage with clients and constituencies; and use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to engage in culturally responsive practice with clients and constituencies. 

There has been considerable attention given to culturally responsive practice in the profession, but this endeavor is still very much a work in progress. Beyond learning about human behavior, social workers rely on the training they receive to engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. 

 It is imperative that a one size fits all attitude not characterize the engagement, rather social workers can best serve their clients and constituencies by applying both conceptual frameworks as well as key elements such as empathy and reflection.  

In June, the spotlight is on Caribbean American heritage, on LGBTQ Pride and the observance of Juneteenth. The American social fabric is strengthened from the unique contributions of clients and constituencies from diverse backgrounds. While we have made progress in teaching students to adopt an anti-oppressive, anti-racist approach to inclusive and meaningful engagement, it is imperative that we allow space for celebrating how our clients self-identify, and how to work to address their presenting challenges by meeting them where they are. We need to assess to what extent even our current conceptual frameworks are suitable to support impactful engagement with diverse clients and constituencies. Through connecting the real-time experiences of practitioners during the engagement phase, concerted energies can be directed towards researching best practices with serving diverse clients and constituencies. 

How do you include input or voices of those with lived experience in your social work practice, whether it is in the classroom, the field, in policy, or research?  

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 6: 

Literature Resources

Assessing the Preparedness of MSW Students to Work with and Alongside People of Color 

Britt Lewis 

This capstone project examined whether final-year MSW students at Southern Connecticut State University felt adequately prepared to support people of color in their social work practice. The study gathered responses from 21 students, with 8 completing the full survey. It details the importance of knowledge around social movements related to racism and the importance of having diverse faculty and learning experiences to enhance cultural humility and racial awareness in future practice.  

Full Citation: 
Lewis, Britt. Southern Connecticut State University ProQuest Dissertations & Theses,  2025. 31998542. 


LGBTQ+ People’s Perceptions of Interactions with Outgroup Members: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice 

Morgan E. Braganza & David R. Hodge  

This study explores how LGBTQ+ social work graduate students and alumni perceive their interactions with people outside of the LGBTQ community in different areas of their lives. Through narrative interviews with 11 participants, researchers identified six recurring storylines. These patterns revealed both barriers (such as avoidance and stereotyping) and potential bridges (like nuanced representation and recognition of commonalities). Building off these results, the authors propose culturally sensitive strategies for social work education and practice, emphasizing the need to move beyond stereotypical views of LGBTQ+ community members. 

Full citation: 
Morgan E Braganza, David R Hodge, LGBTQ+ People’s Perceptions of Interactions with Outgroup Members: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice, Social Work Research, Volume 48, Issue 2, June 2024, Pages 89–102, https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svae008