Educating a New Generation of Social Workers: Challenges and Skills Needed for Contemporary Agency-Based Practice

Schools of social work are continually challenged to provide professional training which effectively prepares students for
the ever-changing and increasingly demanding contemporary practice context. This paper provides an overview of emerging clinical,
organizational, and research trends and challenges within agency-based social work practice in the past decade. Implications
of these changes for the profession will be discussed and recommendations will be offered for ways in which academic and field
educators can best equip social work students with the skills needed to meet these challenges of the current agency-based
practice context. These recommendations for social work practice, education, and research include the development of an integrated
set of clinical, organizational, and research skills; directions for curriculum renewal and expansion; and academic field
partnerships for future research.