Is the DSW Degree a Good Fit for You?

by Laura Escobar-Ratliff, DSW

     Doctor of Social Work (DSW) programs are on the rise across the nation (Apgar, 2020; Kurzman, 2015). In June of 2020, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) established accreditation standards for professional practice doctoral programs in social work. This surge in DSW programs and the launching of the accreditation process by CSWE may cause many to wonder: Why is the DSW needed? How is it different from the PhD? What impact will this degree have?

    I asked myself these questions and more when I considered doctoral studies. I consulted with trusted colleagues, mentors, family, and friends. I reflected on what I wanted for myself professionally, my community, and the people I serve. Ultimately, I knew the DSW was the right direction for me, and my experiences since obtaining my DSW in 2018 have served to reinforce this decision. For anyone thinking about a DSW and/or wondering what this degree is, let me share my journey with you.

Social Work Is Both Practice and Research, Not Either/Or

    When trying to discern what route to take, a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) or a Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD), one must take the time to ask: What do I want? Where do I want to go with this degree? What is my goal? Don’t get lost in the noise of which is better or more prestigious. Both are doctoral level degrees that will challenge, stretch, and enhance your skills as a professional social worker, but in different ways. To compare the two is akin to comparing a tangerine to a clementine. Both are a type of mandarin orange, just with different characteristics. The tangerine is bright orange in color, more tart than sweet, with a tough rind. The clementine is more red-orange in color, super sweet, with a smooth and shiny rind. Choosing which one to eat depends on what taste you seek.

    DSWs and PhDs are both social workers with different skill sets. Choosing which route to take depends on your goals. DSWs are advanced practitioners who are scholar-practitioners. The CSWE (2020) further explains that “social work practice doctorates prepare graduates to advance practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels as well as in higher education and/or professional leadership” (p. 1). DSWs use and build on our professional experience to bridge theory and practice for the advancement of social work practice. DSWs apply research to practice. We explore and develop practice-based solutions to complex issues to expand and advance the knowledge base of social work from a practice-based lens. PhDs are researchers who conduct original research and data analysis to address complex issues to expand and advance the knowledge base of our profession. Both doctoral level degrees are needed for the advancement of social work and to advance just social change in our communities.

    I love research! I get excited about all the ways social work can impact the health and vibrancy of our community. I appreciate social work researchers’ in-depth critical analyses of quantitative and qualitative data to promote our efficacy as a profession and enhance societal welfare. However, as much as I respect the work of researchers, I do not want to do that type of research. It’s not my passion. I am excited about deepening my understanding and skills around practice in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of and/or gaps in practice to explore the impact of real-world applications of theory in practice arenas.

    When I began my journey into the DSW, I was a senior administrator in community mental health. Most of my career has been dedicated to working with adults experiencing severe and persistent mental illness with co-occurring substance use disorders, at high risk of institutionalization. This population is an area of professional passion. The DSW did not teach me more about this population. Instead, the DSW enhanced my skills as an administrator to engage critically with outcome data we were collecting to better determine and communicate the effectiveness of our programs. The DSW helped me be more strategic and intentional in both program and staff development to create a network of care. I developed shared knowledge and language at a doctoral level that enabled me to collaborate with researchers in an informed and scientific manner, which enhances the studies being conducted.

    I am also passionate about teaching. My experience in community practice underscores my commitment to social work education that prepares competent social workers. While pursuing my DSW, I taught in a social work program—initially part-time and then moving into a full-time position. The DSW helped me view my teaching as an arena of social work practice and know how to enhance that practice. Currently, my role as DSW coordinator synthesizes those experiences and commitments.  

The Time Is Now

    Today, more than ever, DSWs are needed. The diversity of the United States population and the complex globalization of our society is growing exponentially. The COVID-19 pandemic shines a bright light on the systemic inequities in our society. The sociopolitical events are demanding change, with fervor. Our communities deserve equity and justice.

    Social work practitioners are on the front lines seeing the impact of the sociopolitical times, navigating antiquated systems that perpetuate privilege and oppression, and working directly with diverse communities experiencing the hardships and pain traditional frameworks impose. As a practitioner, I have seen how clinical interventions vary in effectiveness for different groups of people. I have also seen the lack of attention to issues of culture in many interventions. As a DSW, I leveraged this experience and knowledge. I utilized my practice to illustrate how theory and purposeful attention to cultural humility and power dynamics can enhance interventions. As an administrator, I was a catalyst in promoting training and team practices that intentionally explore issues of culture and power as part of one’s treatment and recovery process.

    As social workers, we are ethically bound to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or physical disability (National Association of Social Workers, 2021). Professionals must be ready to deal with complexity and change while having a sense of social responsibility. Our ethical obligations, along with critical expertise in understanding human behavior and the social environment, provide us with a unique and needed lens of scientific inquiry, knowledge, and understanding to best serve our evolving and diversifying communities. As University of Kentucky College of Social Work Dean Jay Miller says, “Social work was built for this!” DSWs, with our advanced practice skills, are practitioners who can further amplify marginalized voices, strategically challenge systems, and lead systemic change at intersecting levels (local, state, national, and global).  

We Must Not Wait To Be Included at Tables of Power

    According to the Profile of the Social Work Workforce, 34.3% of all social workers work in private, nonprofit, or charitable organizations; 41% work for government (federal, state, and/or local governments); 22.3% work in private, for-profit companies and businesses; and 2.5% are self-employed or working in a family business (George Washington University Health Workforce Institute, 2017). We need to continue to position ourselves as leaders across these arenas.  

    Over the last 30 years, social workers have lost footing in some practice arenas, with a rise of practice doctorates in fields such as nursing, psychology, education, public administration, public health, and more. These degrees overshadow the expertise and knowledge social workers bring to practice when the social worker is the only one at the table not a “doctor.” Social work is not just an academic discipline. It is also a practice profession. Comparable professions developed practice doctorates to create pathways for aspiring practitioners who wanted a doctoral education that would prepare them for advanced practice and leadership, as contrasted with careers in research.   

    Likewise, the social work profession needs DSWs who are advanced micro, mezzo, macro, and meta practitioners and leaders in service delivery, social policy formation, social justice, and social change. Social workers bring a holistic lens of critical thinking, theory, engagement, and transformation as leaders in myriad arenas, including clinical, administrative, military, teaching, program development, and community change.

    The DSW affords the profession the opportunity to develop a cadre of social workers ready to take on leadership in varied arenas. Doing so means our leaders bring the unique and vital lens of social work to interdisciplinary contexts. DSWs are leaders with expertise in being effective agents of social change who understand how to work in an increasingly diversified and globalized society, with attention to the implications of oppression, privilege, and social justice.

    Social work needs to be “at the table.” However, we must not merely wait to be included at tables of power. We need to contribute to the design of those tables and lead in constructing expansive tables (Miller, n.d.). DSWs bring the advanced practice skills needed for this crucial and timely mission. If you want to be that kind of leader, the DSW just might be for you!

References

Apgar, D. (2020). The fate of the master’s in social work (MSW) degree: Will the practice doctorate replace it as the profession’s flagship credential? Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 40(5), 411-430. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2020.1828229

Council on Social Work Education. (2020, June). Accreditation standards for professional practice doctoral programs in social work. https://www.cswe.org/Accreditation/Information/Feedback-for-Practice-Doctorate-Program/COA-APPROVED-Feb-6-20-Accreditation-Standards.aspx

George Washington University Health Workforce Institute. (2017). Profile of the social work workforce. https://www.cswe.org/Centers-Initiatives/Initiatives/National-Workforce-Initiative/SW-Workforce-Book-FINAL-11-08-2017.aspx

Kurzman, P. A. (2015). The evolution of doctoral social work education. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 35, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2015.1007832

Miller, J. (n.d.). Beyond inclusion initiatives toward expansive frameworks. The New Social Worker. https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/practice/beyond-inclusion-initiatives-toward-expansive-frameworks/

National Association of Social Workers. (2021). NASW code of ethics. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English

Laura Escobar-Ratliff, DSW, is the DSW Coordinator and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Escobar-Ratliff has more than 20 years of direct care, clinical, and administrative experience in community mental health, outpatient substance use treatment, and residential treatment.