Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice

Date:
Author:
National Association of Social Workers

From the introduction:

This revision builds on the previous work to introduce new concepts and expand on others. These standards reinforce the concept of “culture” as being inclusive beyond race and ethnicity; inclusive of, but not limited to, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and religious identity or spirituality. Similarly, they reinforce the intended audience for these standards to be the broad spectrum of social work practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. The revised standards retain the concept of “competence” as an indicator of attitudes, knowledge, and skills that enable effective cross-cultural practice. As with any competency, there is the expectation of continual growth and learning.