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.