Competency 2:
Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Social workers see the value and recognize that each person has fundamental human rights. Social workers are knowledgeable about global occurrences and the intersectionality of injustices that have occurred throughout history. Social workers understand that these intersections in history have resulted in oppression and racism. Social workers advocate and are engaged in strategies that eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure equity of social resources, rights, and responsibilities for all humans. Social workers are actively engaged in the evaluation of the distribution of power and privilege to promote justice. Social workers promote justice by reducing inequities, and ensuring dignity and respect for all. Social workers are actively engaged in ensuring that civil, political, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected.
Demonstrated Skills & Projects
Advocacy
A community-focused initiative where Emily collaborated with local organizations to address systemic barriers, such as housing instability or youth peer support systems.
Key Learnings & Impact
Through my engagement with this competency, I’ve learned that ethical practice is not just a set of rules, but a continuous process of self-reflection and accountability. This mindset has allowed me to approach complex cases with a clear framework for decision-making.
Integrating feedback from supervisors and clinicians has shaped my practice into one that is more deeply trauma-informed. I have seen firsthand how meeting clients where they are—without judgment—creates the necessary safety for lasting behavioral change.
The ultimate impact on the systems I work within is a measurable increase in client advocacy. By reflecting on these competencies, I have better identified barriers to service and successfully advocated for policy adjustments within clinical settings.