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Professional Development Plan Resource Guide
- 1 What is your PDP & Why Develop One?
- 2 How to Prepare for the Development of the PDP
- 3 Social Work Competencies
- 4 Completing the PDP Document
- 5 Foundation Level Generalist Competencies, Practice Behaviors and Examples of Learning Tasks (SWK 435, 445, 671, 672 Field Instruction)
- 6 Advanced Integrated Practice (AIP) Competencies, Practice Behaviors, and Examples of Learning Tasks (SWK 771 and SWK 772)
- 7 Advanced Clinical Practice Competencies, Practice Behaviors and Examples of Learning Tasks (SWK 771 and SWK 772)
What is your PDP & Why Develop One?
The Professional Development Plan (PDP) is a process in which the intern, with the field instructor’s support, develops a comprehensive plan that meets the unique needs and the experiences the intern will have in the internship. The PDP is a “living” document that will be reviewed, revised, and added to throughout the course of the internship.The PDP has three sections and is completed through several online documents in the Tevera Field Education Software Program. The PDP documents the process for student learning and field instructor teaching. It is a joint process and negotiated agreement between the student and the field instructor. The PDP provides structure and guidelines for the learning in the field placement, as well as socializing the student to a competency-based development plan often experienced in the profession of social work. It helps to identify and define the following:
What the student needs and wants to learn, this includes social work specific competency areas and aligned behavioral indicators
What learning activities/tasks/strategies will be used to demonstrate the student’s competency attainment
How the student’s learning and accomplishments will be monitored and evaluated
The instructional/supervisory meeting times and process of instruction/supervision
The roles and responsibilities of all those involved in the student’s learning, including the student.
Opportunities for self-reflection, feedback, and modification of competency behaviors
How to Prepare for the Development of the PDP
Student Preparation:
Link to the Experiential Learning Cloud through your corresponding field course in Blackboard. Please refer to your seminar instructor for more information about this.
Review the syllabi and course objectives for field related Social Work courses (these are in Blackboard for residential students and Digital Campus for online students)
Reflect on your learning style and how you learn best.
Identify your expectations of field instruction/supervision.
Identify what you know about Social Work supervision and how you would effectively communicate your needs to your new field instructor.
Reflect on how you communicate, respond to feedback and authority, engage in self-directed learning, and manage conflict.
Field Instructor Preparation:
Register for Experiential Learning Cloud (ELC) through the email invite from the ELC and watch the brief tutorials. Please refer to the student’s assigned seminar instructor for more information about this.
Review the syllabi and course objectives for field related Social Work courses shared by the student.
Review the School of Social Work expectations for field instructors and field settings.
Identify what learning opportunities exist in the field setting.
Identify ways in which you will train, orient and support students in the field setting.
Identify and prepare colleagues who may be involved in the field instruction activities.
Reflect on personal expectations of the student and of yourself.
Reflect on your teaching style and how you will communicate this to the student.
Reflect on your ability to negotiate
Social Work Competencies
The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) provide Core Competencies whereby performance is measured in Social Work education. CSWE operationalized the generalist competencies through a “set of measurable behaviors that are comprised of knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive/affective processes.” The internship plays a key role in teaching behaviors to students while measuring and reflecting on the student’s ability to demonstrate capacity in the nine core competencies identified by CSWE. The Core Competencies are also the field related course objectives as outlined in your field instruction syllabus.
At the BSSW & MSW foundation level the competencies are consistent with generalist practice. At the MSW concentration level, the generalist competencies are enhanced and extended and are operationalized and described consistent with the specific concentration. (See Competency Resources)
Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
Competency 2: Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Competency 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice
Competency 4: Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice
Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 8: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Completing the PDP Document
The PDP document provides a framework for developing an individualized learning plan which is responsive to the needs of the student, utilizes the resources of the field setting and meets the requirements of the program. It is designed to give direction and learning structure to the field experience and is developed around the core practice competencies that are designated in the 2015 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
The PDP assignments are completed in the Experiential Learning Cloud (ELC) Field Education Software system which the student and field instructor will have direct access to.
Section I – Internship Logistics
Section I of the PDP concretizes the logistics of the placement and is a formal contract between the student and field instructor. In the first three weeks of the first semester of the internship the student and field instructor negotiate an internship logistical plan that meets both the student’s and program/agency scheduling needs. It is essential for the student to be oriented to his/her new placement, clients, co-workers, and other professional staff. The student must have a clear understanding of what is expected at the placement site, as well as, have a basic knowledge of the agency/program, tasks, and evaluation methods. NOTE: If a student is replaced, they must complete the PDP I to reflect the new site and internship.
Contact Information:
Fully complete all contact information for student and field instructor
Students and field instructors can add a Task Supervisor if applicable to the setting. A Task supervisor is a non MSW that has been assigned to mentor and provide day to day direction as needed and is not required.
Schedule:
Make sure to negotiate with your field instructor/site supervisor, this is a negotiation and is based on program, field instructor and student schedules
Your weekly schedule & plan for academic breaks (students can attend their internship during their academic breaks)
Note any additional comments section regarding time off you already have planned for the semester
Supervision Plan (field instructors/site supervisors should provide at least 1 hour per week supervision, recognizing most students will likely need more at the start of an internship or at the start of a new learning task):
Record the typical day and time of supervision
Identify all the different supervision types the student will engage in
Internship Overview:
Complete all placement overview sections including orientation details, safety planning, agency and program description, basic learning goals, *internship description and *evaluation methods.
*Examples of Initial Tasks: Familiarize oneself with the policy and procedure manual; Review program or service qualifications (how do clients access services at your agency?); Review intake, assessment, treatment, and discharge paperwork; Develop a list of formal tasks, expectations, and supervision.
*Check any examples of Evaluation Methods, a check list is provided ex: field Instructor direct observation, review of written materials, discussion in supervision, formal and informal feedback from clients and colleagues.
Section II – Identifying tasks, learning opportunities, assignments and social work competency alignment.
Section II focuses on the specific tasks, assignments, learning opportunities the intern will be expected to perform throughout the internship and how those assignments align with competency. To add rows to the table in the form, click the + sign in the top right of the table.
Describe the tasks/assignments/learning opportunities expected during the internship, this should be at least a semester plan with the understanding that some tasks will be time limited, and others will be ongoing throughout the internship. The student and field instructor/site supervisor are not required to have a full plan for the entirety of the internship because students will be required to add to their lists of tasks/learning opportunities and assignments at the beginning of each semester in an internship.
Over the course of the internship, the student should have learning tasks that align with all the 9 competencies.
Students will align their tasks, assignments and learning opportunities to 1-2 of the social work competencies.
Describe Task/Assignments/Learning Opportunities
When considering developing the tasks list, be mindful of using agency/program language, write out any acronyms and utilize the SMART goal framework to define tasks and assignments (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Framed). The tasks/assignments and learning opportunities should be written in a full sentence format. Your tasks should be consistent with the level of internship you are in. Please refer to the resources titled Generalist Examples of Tasks, ACP Examples of Tasks and/or AIP Examples of Tasks located in Blackboard. The examples of tasks are not written in a SMART goal framework and should not be simply copied and pasted. They should reflect the unique work being done at the site. See Table 1 below for examples. Include 7-10 distinct tasks to the table the first time it is completed.
Competency Alignment
When considering competency alignment, students should thoroughly read each competency definition and the correlating behavioral indicators (found at the end of this resource guide). Each level of internship (foundation, AIP, and ACP) has different definitions and behavioral indicators. Students should consider which 1-2 competencies align with the learning opportunity. Consider what the task allows you to develop form a competency perspective. It is recognized that there could be an argument that most of the competencies will align with the task/learning opportunity since they are interrelated, we ask that you identify the competencies that are best and most fully aligned. See Table 1 below for examples.
Table 1-to add a row in the PDP II document you should click the + sign in the right hand top corner of the table
Task/Assignment/Learning Opportunity
| Choose 1-2 competencies that align most closely with this task/assignment /learning opportunity
| Anticipated Start Date |
|---|---|---|
Provide case management services to a total of 5-7 adult clients who have been diagnosed with mental illness. | 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ADEI) in practice 7: Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities | 5/31/2025 |
Section III – Competency Based Self-Assessment
In Section III, the goal is for the student is to self-assess and evaluate their social work competency attainment using the behavioral indicators and competency definition as a guide. Self-assessment and reflection are essential in the development of meta competencies in social work practice. Review each task and aligned competencies and reflect on your development in this area. Provide behavioral indicators to support that growth, such as feedback from field Instructor, performance outcomes, improvements in your proficiency/efficiency/self-efficacy, formal and informal feedback from clients, colleagues, and community partners, etc. The self-assessment helps inform the field instructor/site supervisor of how the intern perceives their growth and development in the competency area. It is suggested that the student attempt to use the competency language in their self-assessment to build their professional language around their skillset. PDP III also informs the Performance Evaluation, completed by the field instructor and is a part of the formal review of competencies.
To add a row, click the + sign at the top right-hand corner of the table
Competency Based Self-Assessment Example:
Task/Assignment/Learning Opportunity Copy and paste your tasks from your current PDP Part 2 below. | Identify 1-2 Competencies you were able to develop because of this Task/ Assignment Select the 1-2 Competencies that you aligned with each task on your current PDP Part 2. | Select status of Task/Assignment/ Learning Opportunity | Review & Evaluate COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT & Areas for Continued Growth Students should use the competency definition and behavior language as a guide but not copy and paste them. Students should evaluate their development toward each identified competency (i.e. Beginning, Moderate, Mastery). Provide behavioral indicators to support that growth, such as feedback from Field Instructor, performance outcomes, improvements in proficiency/efficiency/self-efficacy, formal and informal feedback from clients, colleagues, and community partners, etc. Students should not list/narrate tasks completed. |
|---|---|---|---|
Example: Provide supportive counseling to 2 or more residents weekly. | Example: #6-Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities | Example: Completed | Example: I provided supportive counseling to 2-3 residents each week. I am at the beginning stages of developing competency 6, which focuses on engagement with individuals. My Field Instructor observed these sessions and provided positive feedback about my engagement with clients and informed me that I will be providing supportive counseling independently starting next month. Clients that I have worked with seek me out when they have questions or need emotional support, which indicates I have built trust with the clients and they feel they can come to me when needed. I feel more at ease when meeting new clients to provide counseling, and more confident in my abilities, which also indicates growth toward competency. I will be working in the coming semester on Competencies 7 & 8 to build skills in assessment and intervention. |
Foundation Level Generalist Competencies, Practice Behaviors and Examples of Learning Tasks (SWK 435, 445, 671, 672 Field Instruction)
Program Competency Description | Resulting Practice Behaviors | Example Learning Opportunities/Tasks |
|---|---|---|
Generalist Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant policies, laws, and regulations that may affect practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand that ethics are informed by principles of human rights and apply them toward realizing social, racial, economic, and environmental justice in their practice. Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision making and apply principles of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Social workers recognize and manage personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. Social workers understand how their evolving worldview, personal experiences, and affective reactions influence their professional judgment and behavior. Social workers take measures to care for themselves professionally and personally, understanding that self-care is paramount for competent and ethical social work practice. Social workers use rights-based, antiracist, and anti-oppressive lenses to understand and critique the profession’s history, mission, roles, and responsibilities and recognize historical and current contexts of oppression in shaping institutions and social work. Social workers understand the role of other professionals when engaged in interprofessional practice. Social workers recognize the importance of lifelong learning and are committed to continually updating their skills to ensure relevant and effective practice. Social workers understand digital technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice. | A. Make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics. B. Become familiar with relevant federal, state and local laws and regulations and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to context. C. Understand and utilize models for ethical decision-making, ethical conduct of research. D. Use reflection and self-regulation to regulate emotions and promote self well being. E. Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior; appearance; and oral, written, and electronic communication. F. Use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes. G. Use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior. H. Engage in effective self-care | Student learning opportunities or tasks
Field Instructor tasks that support learning in this competency:
|
Generalist Competency 2: Advance Human Rights, Social, Racial, Economic and Environmental Justice Social workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights. Social workers are knowledgeable about the global intersecting and ongoing injustices throughout history that result in oppression and racism, including social work’s role and response. Social workers critically evaluate the distribution of power and privilege in society in order to promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice by reducing inequities and ensuring dignity and respect for all. Social workers advocate for and engage in strategies to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social resources, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably, and that civil, political, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected. | A. Advocate for human rights at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community system levels B. Engage in practices that advance human rights to promote social, racial, economic, and environmental justice | Student learning opportunities or tasks
Field Instructor tasks that support learning in this competency:
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Generalist Competency 3: Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice Social workers understand how racism and oppression shape human experiences and how these two constructs influence practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community levels and in policy and research. Social workers understand the pervasive impact of White supremacy and privilege and use their knowledge, awareness, and skills to engage in anti-racist practice. Social workers understand how diversity and intersectionality shape human experiences and identity development and affect equity and inclusion. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of factors including but not limited to age, caste, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, generational status, immigration status, legal status, marital status, political ideology, race, nationality, religion and spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that this intersectionality means that a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege and power. Social workers understand the societal and historical roots of social and racial injustices and the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination. Social workers understand cultural humility and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, racial, technological, and cultural exclusions, may create privilege and power resulting in systemic oppression. | A. Demonstrate anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, community, research, and policy levels B. Demonstrate cultural humility by applying critical reflection, self-awareness, and self-regulation to manage the influence of bias, power, privilege, and values in working with clients and constituencies
| Student learning opportunities or tasks
Field Instructor tasks that support learning in this competency:
|
Generalist Competency 4. Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice Social workers use ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches in conducting research and building knowledge. Social workers use research to inform their practice decision making and articulate how their practice experience informs research and evaluation decisions. Social workers critically evaluate and critique current, empirically sound research to inform decisions pertaining to practice, policy, and programs. Social workers understand the inherent bias in research and evaluate design, analysis, and interpretation using an anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspective. Social workers know how to access, critique, and synthesize the current literature to develop appropriate research questions and hypotheses. Social workers demonstrate knowledge and skills regarding qualitative and quantitative research methods and analysis, and they interpret data derived from these methods. Social workers demonstrate knowledge about methods to assess reliability and validity in social work research. Social workers can articulate and share research findings in ways that are usable to a variety of clients and constituencies. Social workers understand the value of evidence derived from interprofessional and diverse research methods, approaches, and sources.
| A. Apply research findings to inform and improve practice, policy, and programs B. Identify ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive strategies that address inherent biases for use in quantitative and qualitative research methods | Student learning opportunities or tasks
Field Instructor tasks that support learning in this competency:
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Generalist Competency 5: Engage in policy practice Social workers identify social policy at the local, state, federal, and global level that affects wellbeing, human rights and justice, service delivery, and access to social services. Social workers recognize the historical, social, racial, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. Social workers understand and critique the history and current structures of social policies and services and the role of policy in service delivery through rights based, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist lenses. Social workers influence policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation within their practice settings with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers actively engage in and advocate for anti-racist and anti-oppressive policy practice to effect change in those settings. | A. Use social justice, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive lenses to assess how social welfare policies affect the delivery of and access to social services B. Apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. | Student learning opportunities or tasks
Field Instructor tasks that support learning in this competency:
|
Generalist Competency 6. Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers value the importance of human relationships. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to facilitate engagement with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are self-reflective and understand how bias, power, and privilege as well as their personal values and personal experiences may affect their ability to engage effectively with diverse clients and constituencies. Social workers use the principles of interprofessional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other professionals as appropriate. | A. Apply and demonstrate knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other interprofessional frameworks to engage with clients and constituencies. B. Use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to engage in culturally responsive practice with clients and constituencies.
| Student learning opportunities or tasks Note: Providing social work services (whether it be case management, crisis intervention, supportive counseling, advocacy, information and referral) to X number of clients throughout the year is a task associated with all competencies.
Field Instructor tasks that support learning in this competency:
|
Generalist Competency 7. Assess with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and they critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in culturally responsive assessment with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Assessment involves a collaborative process of defining presenting challenges and identifying strengths with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities to develop a mutually agreed-upon plan. Social workers recognize the implications of the larger practice context in the assessment process and use interprofessional collaboration in this process. Social workers are self-reflective and understand how bias, power, privilege, and their personal values and experiences may affect their assessment and decision making. | A. Apply theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as other culturally responsive and interprofessional conceptual frameworks, when assessing clients and constituencies. B. Demonstrate respect for client self-determination during the assessment process by collaborating with clients and constituencies in developing a mutually agreed-upon plan. | Student learning opportunities or tasks:
Field Instructor tasks that support learning in this competency:
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Generalist Competency 8. Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice. Social workers understand theories of human behavior, person-in-environment, and other interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and they critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in selecting culturally responsive interventions with clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing, and implementing evidence-informed interventions and participate in interprofessional collaboration to achieve client and constituency goals. Social workers facilitate effective transitions and endings. | A. Engage with clients and constituencies to critically choose and implement culturally responsive, evidence-informed interventions to achieve client and constituency goals. B. Incorporate culturally responsive methods to support, negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of clients and constituencies. | Student learning opportunities or tasks:
Field Instructor tasks that support learning in this competency:
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Generalist Competency 9. Evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with and on behalf of diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers evaluate processes and outcomes to increase practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. Social workers apply anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspectives in evaluating outcomes. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and person-in-environment, as well as interprofessional conceptual frameworks, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes. Social workers use qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness. | A. Select and use culturally responsive methods for evaluation of outcomes B. Critically analyze outcomes and apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. | Student learning opportunities or tasks:
Field Instructor tasks that support learning in this competency:
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Advanced Integrated Practice (AIP) Competencies, Practice Behaviors, and Examples of Learning Tasks (SWK 771 and SWK 772)
Program Competency | Resulting Practice Behavior | AIP Example Field Opportunities/Tasks |
|---|---|---|
1. Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
|
| Student learning opportunities or tasks
Field Instructor tasks that support learning in this competency:
|
, multiple selections available,