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Guidelines for Advancing Clinical Social Work Practice Through Articulating Practice Competencies: The Toronto Simulation Model

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Abstract

Knowledge for clinical social work practice is ever evolving and consists of underlying explanatory concepts, practice models, and intervention skills. Conceptualization and identification of competencies for practice provides a bridge from knowledge and understanding to actual skills needed in clinical sessions. Articulating competencies also guides education of students and provides grounded skills and behaviors needed for clinical research. Analysis of simulation-based practice provides a useful methodology to identify generic practice competencies as well as competencies in specialized fields of practice. This paper presents a simulation education model and illustrates how the use of simulation enabled clinical scholars to articulate core competencies in specialized areas of social work practice. Case examples and related competencies for practice with adolescents, victims of elder abuse, and in mental health practice will demonstrate this process. Examples are drawn from reflections on practice wisdom, analysis of experienced social work practitioners, and relevant literature. Resulting competencies contribute to scholarship for clinical practice.

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Source Adapted from: Bogo et al. (2014)

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Acknowledgements

The projects described in this paper were supported by The Larry Enkin Simulation Fund at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto.

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  1. Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor St. West, Toronto, ON, M5S1V4, Canada

    Marion Bogo, Toula Kourgiantakis, David Burns, Bryn King & Eunjung Lee

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  1. Marion Bogo
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Correspondence to Marion Bogo.

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Bogo, M., Kourgiantakis, T., Burns, D. et al. Guidelines for Advancing Clinical Social Work Practice Through Articulating Practice Competencies: The Toronto Simulation Model. Clin Soc Work J 49, 117–127 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-020-00777-6

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