JACSW Homepage
                                        Announcements | Calendar | Student Resources | Forms & Registration (Login required)
                                                            Faculty | College Administration | Administrative Units | Faculty Only
                                                                                                Centers | Partnerships | Research Projects | Journals
                                                                                                                              Field Instruction | Field Forms | Events
                                                                                                                    Become Member | Alumni Benefits | News | Contact Info
                                                                  Office of Advancement | Providing Gift | Jane Addams Social Work Annual Fund | Endowed Gifts

MSW Program Mission , Goals, and Objectives


MSW Program Mission

The mission of the MSW program is to educate advanced professional workers for practice with urban, at-risk populations. Through the contributions of its graduates and faculty, the program also has a mission to contribute to the knowledge base of the profession and provide leadership in the development and implementation of policies on behalf of the poor, the oppressed, racial and ethnic minorities and other at-risk urban populations. Through this mission, the program contributes to the enhancement of human well-being, the prevention and alleviation of oppression, and the promotion of justice.

The mission sets the stage for the education of practitioners prepared to intervene at an advanced level of practice in a particular concentration and to exercise leadership in the development of improved programs, services, and policies. Such leadership and advocacy is grounded in social work values and ethics and makes use of research knowledge and skills to improve practice as well as programs and policies. As such, the mission is congruent with the historic purposes of the profession of social work to enhance human well being and to promote social and economic justice.

The mission of the MSW program is a direct expression of the Jane Addams College of Social Work mission. The college-level mission is to educate professional social workers, develop knowledge, and provide leadership in the development and implementation of policies and services on behalf of the poor, the oppressed, racial and ethnic minorities, and other at-risk urban populations.

The mission of the Jane Addams College and its MSW program, in turn, are consistent with the institutional mission of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). As a comprehensive, public, land grant institution UIC has a three-part mission: education, service, and research. Each of these three UIC mission components addresses the urban nature of Chicago :

Through its education, research, and public service, the University of Illinois at Chicago strives to accomplish the Land-grant mission originally envisioned for the University of Illinois in the more agrarian environment of the nineteenth century. Located in a great metropolis that is both the transportation hub of this country and the architectural capital of the world, UIC adapts that mission to the challenge of the present and the future. ¹ UIC adapts its mission to a modern metropolitan setting through its Great Cities Initiative which the UIC Chancellor terms "the hallmark" of UIC. ² The Great Cities Initiative is a commitment to partner with the city of Chicago and other urban centers in the U.S. and the world to improve the quality of urban life.

That initiative, composed of hundreds of UIC urban-community-focused teaching, research and service projects includes the work of the Jane Addams College and its MSW program. The educational, research and service contributions of its MSW program, with its clear focus on urban, at-risk populations, are integral parts of UIC's commitment to address pressing urban social and economic problems.

MSW Program Goals

MSW Program Goal 1: To educate social workers with knowledge, values, and skills to (a) practice in four advanced concentrations (child and family, community health and urban development , mental health, and school social work); (b) practice with and on behalf of the poor, oppressed, racial and ethnic minorities, and other at-risk urban populations, and (c) practice in manner that will promote human well being and a more just society.

MSW Program Goal 2 :   To develop the knowledge base of the social work profession, particularly as it relates to addressing the needs of urban at-risk populations.

MSW Program Goal 3 :   To provide leadership in the development and implementation of policies and services for urban at-risk populations.

MSW program goals are direct expressions of the MSW program's urban, at-risk population mission. The mission's commitment to the preparation of advanced, professional social workers is reflected in goal 1. This educational goal includes the preparation of MSW graduates who have the skills to evaluate their own practice, contribute to the knowledge base of the profession, and to provide leadership in the development of services and policies.

While goal 1 addresses the contributions of MSW graduates, goals 2 and 3 speak to the faculty role in developing the knowledge base of the profession and providing leadership in the development of services and policies in the interest of promoting justice and well-being in urban, at-risk populations. As such, they are direct expressions of UIC's and the Jane Addams College 's missions of knowledge development, civic engagement, service, and leadership in the interest of urban community improvement.

MSW Program Objectives

The first four objectives address the attainment of a generalist practice perspective in the professional foundation that implements program mission and goals. Following this are sets of four objectives for each of the four concentrations that implement program mission.

 The 23 objectives are listed. This is followed by discussion of their derivation from program goals, their consistency with EP 3, and their implementation in the MSW program and their continuous assessment.

  • Professional foundation objectives derived from goal 1

Objective 1: MSW graduates will possess a professional foundation consisting of a generalist practice perspective for practice in public, publicly supported, and not-for-profit settings.
Objective 2 : MSW graduates will possess a professional foundation with a generalist practice perspective emphasizing critical, reflective practice.
Objective 3 : MSW graduates will possess a professional foundation with a generalist perspective that includes leadership at multiple levels.
Objective 4: MSW graduates will possess a professional foundation with a generalist perspective that includes practice with urban, at-risk populations.

  • Child and Family Concentration objectives derived from goal 1

Objective 5: Child and family concentration graduates will possess knowledge, values, and skills for advanced practice with an emphasis on public, publicly supported, and not-for-profit child and family service settings.
Objective 6: Child and family concentration graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills to practice in a critical, reflective manner.
Objective 7: Child and family concentration graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills to provide leadership at various levels with and on behalf of children and families.
Objective 8: Child and family concentration graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills for practice that will include at-risk communities, families, adults and children in urban environments.

  • Community Health and Urban Practice (CHUD) objectives derived from goal 1

Objective 9: CHUD graduates will possess knowledge, values, and skills for advanced practice with an emphasis on public, publicly supported, and not-for-profit community health and urban development organizations.
Objective 10:   CHUD graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills to practice in a critical, reflective manner in ways that can contribute to community health and strengths within a dynamic of shared power.
Objective 11: CHUD graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills to provide leadership at multiple levels within and in collaboration with community-based organizations, voluntary associations and institutions for practice that will include urban, at-risk populations .

  • Mental Health Concentration objectives derived from goal 1

Objective 12: Mental Health concentration graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills for direct practice with an emphasis on public, publicly supported, and not-for-profit settings.
Objective 13: Mental Health concentration graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills for critical, reflexive practice.
Objective 14: Mental Health concentration graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills to exercise mental health leadership at various levels.
Objective 15: Mental Health concentration graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills for practice that includes urban, at-risk populations.

  • School Social Work concentration objectives derived from goal 1

Objective 16: School Social Work concentration graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills for practice at multiple levels in public schools and school-linked settings that serve individual children, groups, families, and communities.
Objective 17: School Social Work concentration graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills for critical, reflective practice
Objective 18 : School Social Work concentration graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills to exercise leadership at multiple levels of social work practice.
Objective 19: School Social Work concentration graduates will possess advanced knowledge, values, and skills for practice that includes urban, at-risk populations.

  • Knowledge development objectives derived from goal 2

Objective 20: Faculty will establish externally funded research projects addressing practice and policy issues relevant to urban, at-risk populations.
Objective 21: Faculty will disseminate the results of research and scholarly effort through publications, conference presentations, and community dialogues.

  • Leadership in the development of policies and services objectives derived from goal 3

Objective 22: Faculty will provide consultation and will serve on local, regional, state, national, and international boards and advisory bodies that promote the development and implementation of policies and services that include urban,
at-risk populations.
Objective 23: Faculty will provide training resources for individuals, groups, and organizations that develop and implement policies and services that include urban, at-risk populations.

Our program conceptualizes generalist practice as applicable to systems of all sizes, and as using empirically based knowledge to understand individual development through the life span and the interactions among and between individuals, groups, families, organizations, and communities. Such practice makes appropriate and differential use of communication skills and appropriate use of supervision and consultation. Such practice is also informed by an understanding of social work's historical legacy and identity and it operates within an understanding of contemporary social work and social welfare structures and issues.

Objective 2 (foundation) speaks to the critical and reflective nature of the generalist perspective. "Critical and reflective" is conceptualized in our program as a practice perspective that includes the ability to (a) understand and critique the knowledge and research base of practice (for example, critical reading of the literature) and (b) apply critical thinking and research skills to evaluate one's own practice as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of programs, services and policies. A further aspect of being "critical and reflective" is the ability to guide one's practice using professional ethics and values, particularly those expressed in the NASW code of ethics. An essential feature of being reflective is having a high level of self awareness of one's own cultural, ethnic, racial, gender and sexual orientation identity and being able to use that as a starting point for recognizing differences and dealing with human diversity in a professional respectful and affirming way. Finally, we conceptualize "critical, reflective" practice as including a commitment to one's own professional growth through the use of consultation and supervision and through participating in opportunities for further education and training.

Objective 3 (foundation) speaks to the leadership aspect of practice. "Leadership" is conceptualized in our program as covering a wide range of levels and forms including: the exemplary carrying out of one's own practice responsibilities; analyzing, formulating and influencing social policies; and functioning effectively within the structure of organizations and seeking necessary changes there when appropriate.

Objective 4 (foundation) speaks to practice that includes urban, at-risk populations. Practice with urban, at-risk populations is here conceptualized as justice-oriented, meaning it encompasses an understanding and appreciation of diversity in its many dimensions including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and economic status. Justice-oriented practice, in addition to valuing diversity, also encompasses an understanding of the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and seeks social change that promotes social and economic justice.

Objectives 5 through 23 address our five advanced concentrations (four objectives each). Each concentration has objectives that address each one's distinctive character in terms of practice modalities and area of service (child and family services, community and administrative practice, health social work, etc.). Beyond this distinctiveness the objectives have been conceptualized to share several attributes in common. These shared attributes speak to the bridging relationship between foundation and concentration curricula. All the concentrations share objectives that speak to: (a) public, not-for-profit public practice settings, (b) critical, reflective practice, (c) leadership at multiple levels, and (c) practice that includes urban, at-risk populations. The conceptualization of the concentration objectives thus carry those of the foundation to a higher level, applying them to distinctive areas or modalities of advanced practice, with advanced practice conceptualized as that which applies a broader, deeper knowledge base than that of the foundation, as practice that is differentiated by modality and area of service and that encompasses the ability to function with higher levels of autonomy that found in foundation practice.

¹ The University of Illinois Board of Trustees. 2003.
² Sylvia Manning, Chancellor's Message, UIC website, uic.edu, February, 2003.