Diversity and Inclusion in Social Service Organizations: Implications for Community Partnerships and Social Work Education

Schools of social work in the United States are responsible for training students to work with diverse clients and communities. These schools have an additional, yet often unaddressed, responsibility to prepare students to understand diversity in the workforce and to lead initiatives for diversity and inclusion in organizational settings. This study presents results of a survey conducted with 64 representatives of field-placement social service organizations located in Massachusetts, with the goals of (a) assessing the status of diversity and inclusion initiatives in these organizations and (b) identifying some of the competencies and skills that are deemed important in a leader of diversity and inclusion. Results indicate that while the service organizations surveyed have adopted a range of diversity and inclusion initiatives, a greater level of implementation was reported for broad diversity initiatives (e.g., mentioning diversity in their mission statement) than for inclusion-focused initiatives (e.g., mentoring to support inclusion). Providing leadership for diversity and inclusion was identified as a complex responsibility that requires not only sophisticated abilities but also cultural and social competencies. Findings may help schools of social work to strengthen their curricula to help students develop skills and competencies for the promotion of diversity and inclusion.