DEI Skills and Social Workers

Yesterday, I was able to watch a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Careers Panel hosted by Andrea G. Tatum with panelists Brittany J. Harris, Tara Robertson, and Pin-ya Tseng. I was excited to be able to watch because I want to get into more DEI work, especially outside of the corporate America space.

• Strong command of social justice principles
• Strong theoretical underpinning
• Curriculum design- the ability to take complex topics and teach them creatively
• Commitment to living this work and practice
• Curiosity
• Be Strategic
• Influence Others
• Get Cross Functional Projects Done

Tara Roberts has highlighted 5 skills she believes are needed for DEI professionals. I’ve linked to her blog so you can read more about the skills she’s identified. The question to the panel was to pick three, so she highlighted the final three on the list.

Not sure much a skill but something the panelist kept coming back to was continual learning. Reading, listening to podcasts, and learning from others are all ways to engage in continual learning. It doesn’t have to be a formal class or certificate program in diversity and inclusion.

The Conference Board published Creating a  Competency Model for Diversity and Inclusion Professionals. I reference this because as I consider the skills noted in from the panel discussion and the competencies highlighted in the competency model, I can’t help to think that a lot of this aligns with social work skills and values. There are some areas of competency and skill the social worker may have to develop, however, the core of DEI work runs parallel to social work training.

As we seek to live out the ethical principle,

“Social workers should promote conditions that encourage respect for cultural and social diversity within the United States and globally. Social workers should promote policies and practices that demonstrate respect for difference, support the expansion of cultural knowledge and resources, advocate for programs and institutions that demonstrate cultural competence, and promote policies that safeguard the rights of and confirm equity and social justice for all people”,

social workers should enter the DEI space. We are advocates for social justice; this sets us apart from so many of the helping professions. Our work is based in theory and we apply research in our work at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Traditionally, DEI work is seen as a human resource function, but as our world changes and understands the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion social workers should be ready to take up space and have a find their seat at the table whether it is the corporate sector or in the non-profit, social service sector. Society goes beyond the traditional areas social workers are found and promoting better conditions requires social workers to be in all spaces.