Mission & Goals

Mission

"To prepare beginning generalist social work professionals to become leaders in the urban community"

Consistent with the urban context and focus of the School of Social Work and the University, the mission of the BSW Program is to prepare generalist social work practitioners to practice competently and effectively with urban individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. The BSW Program provides a learning environment and curriculum in which students are prepared for beginning generalist social work practice through education, research, and service and provides countless opportunities for students to develop skills to practice and become leaders in the urban community. The program is committed to producing leaders who are devoted to the alleviation of human suffering and the improvement of the quality of life for urban residents by addressing societal issues especially those particular to urban communities. This addresses all of the social work values: service, social justice, dignity and the worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, competence, human rights, and scientific inquiry. Additionally and more specifically students gain a special appreciation for the unique issues facing urban populations and communities such as those in Baltimore City.

Goals

The BSW Program Goals are as follows:

1. To prepare beginning generalist practitioners committed to working competently and effectively with urban individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities;
2. To socialize students to the values and ethics of the profession of social work;
3. To address challenges, issues and problems of the urban environment toward the alleviation of human suffering and enhancing the quality of life of oppressed, at-risk, and vulnerable populations;
4. To develop an appreciation for the historical and contemporary contributions of African Americans to the field of social welfare as the context for urban social work practice;
5. To prepare students with the knowledge, skills and commitment to address oppression and social injustice in all forms;
6. To promote the fullest understanding of the reality and complexity of human diversity as a basis for culturally competent social work practice.

Objectives

• The major objectives of the Social Work Program are to prepare students to function as generalist social work practitioners, to begin a career in social welfare services, to enter a graduate school of social work at an advanced level or to enter other graduate schools with a social science major.
• The undergraduate Social Work Program focuses on social work philosophy, knowledge base and practicum field instruction experience. The Program offers an opportunity for students to major in a generalist practice-oriented sequence that is directly related to the delivery of social services in an urban milieu. Morgan's Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.