The profession of social work places value on service, social and economic justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence in practice. These values are seen as the defining principle of the profession and are reflected in the goals of the Bachelor of Social Work Program: The Alcorn State University social work program goals are to:
- Educate students on the necessary knowledge, values, and practice behavior for entry level professional careers as generalist practitioners in social work profession and for graduate education.
- Facilitate student’s development of a professional social work identity and acceptance of the values and ethics of the profession.
- Prepare students to become culturally competent to work with diverse populations, including marginalized minority and rural populations within the region, state and internationally.
The department incorporates ten core competences and forty-one practice behaviors which are essential to the practice of CSWE and any social worker. Thus, the ten core competencies state that graduates will demonstrate the ability to:
- Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly;
- Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice;
- Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments;
- Engage in diversity and difference in practice;
- Advance human rights and social and economic justice;
- Engage in research-informed practice and practice informed research;
- Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment;
- Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services;
- Respond to contexts that shape practice;
- Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate individuals, families, groups and communities.
Alcorn State University’s Department of Social Work received reaffirmation accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) thru 2024.
