Social Work
Mission Statement
The mission of the social work program at Saint Elizabeth University is to provide undergraduate students with a strong foundation in the liberal arts and an understanding of the knowledge, values and skills necessary for generalist practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
Goals
The goals of the Social Work Program are:
- Provide experiences to strengthen students' ability to think critically, use logical reasoning, and consider multiple perspectives to problem solve consistent with what is required for generalist social work practice.
- Use ethical reasoning, informed by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, to make decisions affecting clients and client systems.
- Communicate effectively both orally and in writing across various modalities (e.g. in-person, via mediated technology such as Skype, email and narrative recordings.)
- Equip students with the knowledge, values and skills to engage in generalist social work practice with diverse groups of people, with emphasis on the strengths-based perspective.
- Prepare students to address systemic injustice by evaluating research evidence and using research-informed practice and self-reflection so they can discern effective ways to advocate at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
- Encourage students to evaluate their practice by using appropriate research methods and self-reflection so they can recognize areas where they should pursue further professional development.
Program Benefits
- Faculty are licensed social workers.
- Students receive intensive mentorship from specially trained social work supervisors at their internship and Social Work faculty.
- Students have options for pursuing a double major or taking one or two minors.
- Student have opportunities to present their work at conferences hosted by SEU and by the consortium of undergraduate New Jersey Social Work programs.