THE PROGRAM
The Touro College Graduate School of Social Work was established in 2006. The
program provides foundation and advanced coursework in clinical social work
leading to a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. The Master of Social work
program is designed to educate and prepare clinical social work practitioners to
work with diverse and vulnerable populations in the metropolitan New York City
area. The program is designed to prepare advanced self-aware social work
clinicians who are:
dedicated to the values and ethical standards of the
social work profession
- inspired to deliver clinical services for the benefit of individuals,
families, groups and communities
- committed to lifelong professional development
- ready to advocate for effective services for the most underserved in our
society, and to cultivate the skills to deliver those services
The Touro MSW program is registered by the New York State Education
Department. Under New York law, graduates of the program are eligible to take
the two New York state social work licensing examinations: upon graduation the
Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and, after three years of supervised
clinical practice, the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) examinations.
Prospective students who intend to practice in states other than New York may
wish to familiarize themselves with LMSW and LCSW licensure requirements in
their states.
OUR VISION
The Touro College Graduate School of Social Work aspires to be:
1. A leader in promoting cultural diversity
2. An advocate for an inclusive model of social work, which respects and
nurtures diverse group values, traditions, and cultures
3. A supportive learning/teaching community that respects diversity
4. A model academic environment that supports the most stimulating and
innovative educational strategies.
MISSION AND GOALS
Mission Statement
The mission of the Touro College Graduate School of Social Work is to educate
graduates for clinical social work practice in an urban, multicultural and
diverse environment. This is consistent with the general mission of Touro
College, which is to provide professional education for the benefit of the
individual and society. This general mission is an expression of the Jewish
religious tenet of "Tikkun Olam," the striving to make the world a better place
for all people.
In accordance with the traditional social work values of social and
economic justice, the Graduate School of Social Work is committed to providing
accessible and affordable quality education to the traditionally educationally
underserved groups. This includes persons of color, immigrants, refugees, and
the various components of the Jewish community, in neighborhood-based MSW
programs.
The MSW program's educational purpose is to prepare self-reflective and
autonomous professionals who can meet the complex needs of New York City's
diverse population. The Graduate School of Social Work intends to increase the
number of culturally competent clinical social workers to serve this rapidly
increasing population in Metropolitan New York.
The school's curriculum is informed by the person-in-environment,
ecological and strengths- based perspectives. The school provides students with
a social work education that offers a theoretical and evidence-based foundation
in generalist social work, as well as advanced knowledge and skills for
effective clinical social work. This education prepares graduates for leadership
roles in clinical social work practice with at-risk and vulnerable populations
in the contemporary service delivery environment.
Goals
To implement our mission, the Touro College Graduate School of Social Work
educational goals are to:
- Prepare students for social work practice with individuals, families,
groups, and communities based on the knowledge, skills, and values essential to
the generalist social work model;
- Prepare students for advanced clinical social work practice in the advanced
year;
- Prepare students for social work practice consistent with the profession's
values and ethics;
- Prepare students for culturally competent practice with diverse populations
in an urban environment.
