Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II with Life-long Learning in Relationship to Leadership Skills
The John A. Hartford Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI) has developed and tested gerontological competencies for education at both generalist and advanced practice levels. Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II with Life-long Learning in Relationship to Leadership Skills is an outcome of a decade of the accomplishment in gerontological competency-based social work education by the Hartford Partnership Program in Aging Education (HPPAE) and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) National Center for Gerontological Social Work Education (Gero-Ed Center). Gero-Ed competency goals are ones that all social workers should attain at the generalist level for beginning practice with older adults and their families. HPPAE applies gero-competencies to prepare advanced level practitioners in gerontology or geriatrics. The GSWI competencies are now operationalized as advanced practice behaviors in the field of gerontology in relationship to 2008 CSWE Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). This Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II is recognized by gerontological social workers as central to effective social work practice with and on behalf of older adults and their families. These competencies can be applied at different levels of social work competency-based education from BSW, to MSW at the generalist and advanced levels and in post-MSW life-long learning. The widely-tested Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II (consisting of four domains) is now supplemented by the newly developed fifth domain, Leadership in the Practice Environment of Aging. This scale is an appendix to the CSWE EPAS: Advanced Gero Social Work Practice.
Note that, although the GSW Competency Scale II, developed over the past 8 years, uses the term competencies, these are practice behaviors under the 2008 EPAS. This scale contains 50 gero practice behaviors statements with micro and macro content, which students are to attain beyond the ten core competencies.
Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II with Life-long Learning in Relationship to Leadership Skills
To view the GSWI competency scale (with 50 competencies) please click here to view a PDF version of the scale.
Geriatric Social Work Competencies: Moving Toward Leadership : A paper describing the initiation, process, and outcomes of creating leadership competencies for social work practitioners in the field of aging
To learn more about the development of the Leadership in the Practice Environment of Aging domain, please click here.
National Center for Gerontological Social Work Education
Information regarding the history and use the gero-competencies can also be found on the Gero-Ed Center's website: www.gero-edcenter.org
CSWE EPAS: Advanced Gero Social Work Practice
Advanced Social Work Practice in the Field of Gerontology follows the framework of the CSWE 2008 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). EPAS stipulates ten competencies for the social work profession. These competencies are applicable to generalist as well as advanced practice.
Supported by the John A. Hartford Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI) the development of gerontological competence in relationship to EPAS was a collaboration of the two major GSWI gerontological curriculum projects: the CSWE National Center for Gerontological Social Work Education (Gero-Ed Center) and the Hartford Partnership Program in Aging Education (HPPAE; formerly Practicum Partnership Program or PPP). These GSWI curriculum development programs partnered to build an EPAS related framework for gerontological social work practice. The two gerontological curriculum projects both provide these competencies for practice with older adults and their families. These are comparable to the EPAS framework as they are comprised of knowledge and values and actualized through practice behaviors. Thus, gerontological competencies will be defined as practice behaviors under the major EPAS competencies.
CSWE EPAS: Advanced Gero Social Work Practice is forthcoming, check back soon!
The Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II
The Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II is a 40-item instrument divided into 4 domains:
- Values and Ethics
- Assessment
- Intervention
- Aging Services, Programs and Policies.
The Geriatric Social Work Competence Scale I was developed and used by the 11 Practicum Partnership Program (PPP now HPPAE) demonstration sites between the years 2000 and 2003. The original and current instruments were developed as part of a consensus process of the Hartford Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI). The CSWE Strengthening Aging Education in Social Work (SAGE-SW) project developed competencies based upon both a literature review and a comprehensive expert opinion process (Rosen et al, 2000)[1]. The PPP demonstration sites and particularly the Geriatric Social Work Education Consortium (GSWEC) identified competencies for geriatric practice utilizing focus group feedback on the SAGE-SW competencies (Naito-Chan et al., 2004). Subsequently, the GSWI CSWE Gero-Rich Project and now National Gero-Ed Center adapted the set of consensus-built skills for learning objectives for classroom curricula in aging. HPPAE states the 40 core competencies as measurable skills in the Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II a shorter, revised version, which is implemented primarily in the field setting.
Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II
To view the scale, please click here to view a PDF version of the scale.
HPPAE Geriatric Education Evaluation Tools
To learn more about the Evaluation tool itself, please click here
Field Instructor Version: Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II
The purpose of this scale is to provide a more objective measure of social work student's level of competence in practice with older adults and their families. The Field Instructor (FI) Version of the Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II compares field supervisor and student ratings of skill. It is designed to be applied at the beginning and end of a field placement, course or degree program. . It may be used for setting learning goals, practicum rotations and evaluating student achievement.
Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II: Field Instructor Version
To view the Field Instructor Version of the Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II, please click here.
Field Instructor Background Information Survey
A background information survey for the field instructor to complete can be found here.
HPPAE Geriatric Education Evaluation Tools
To learn more about the Evaluation tool itself, please click here
KNOWLEDGE OF AGING SOCIAL WORK QUIZ
[1] Rosen, A., Zlotnik, J., Curl, A., & Green, R. (2000). The CSWE/SAGE-SW National Aging Competencies Survey Report. Council on Social Work Education, Alexandria, VA. 3.
