CSWE EPAS is in FULL FORCE!

In July 2022, CSWE adopted updated Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). These standards will be active for the next 8 years, or so. All programs are expected to adopt these standards by July 2025, but programs submitting self-studies August 1, 2024, or later, need to have adopted EPAS 2022 already. 

SWEAP RECOMMENDS THAT ALL SOCIAL WORK PROGRAMS SHOULD BE CONDUCTING THEIR PROGRAM ASSESSMENT USING EPAS 2022 STANDARDS NOW.

There are a number of significant changes from EPAS 2015 to EPAS 2022. A summary of changes can be found below, with assessment related changes BOLDED:

• The order of EPAS 2022 Competencies 2 & 3 was reversed, with some changes in content. Competency 2 is now “Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice” and Competency 3 is now “Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice.
• The number of behaviors associated with the 9 social work competencies have been reduced from 31 to 20.
• Programs need to clearly describe how they engage in “specific and continuous efforts”  related to ADEI within both their explicit AND implicit curriculum.
• Programs may choose whether to permit employer-based field placements; specific guidelines are provided.
• Clarifies expectations for MSW Advanced Standing offerings.
• The minimum number of full-time faculty, with clarifications, necessary for an MSW program has been reduced to 4, from 6. 
• Faculty to student ratios remain the same, but programs can make a case for higher ratios, with evidence of student achievement of competence.
• Adjustments were made to expectations for BSW and MSW Program Director assigned time.
• EPAS refers to “expected levels of achievement” and no longer uses the term “benchmark” in their assessment language.
• EPAS 2015 general implicit curriculum assessment requirements were replaced with a requirement for assessment of the program’s ADEI efforts within the implicit curriculum. Programs must also provide a process to review the ADEI assessment plan and outcomes.
• Programs are now required to report on program “outcomes”. Programs must report “graduation rates”, along with one other measure. Please note: a decision of CSWE removed the use of license exam pass rates from the list of acceptable second measures.

SWEAP is prepared to meet these changes in assessment requirements. SWEAP updated all of our instruments to meet the EPAS 2022 standards.  

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If you have any questions, reach out to us at: ask@sweapinstruments.org