Social and Emotional Development in University: Educational Training Activity for Social Work Program Students

In line with the Bar-On model, emotional-social intelligence is a cross-cutting section of interdependent emotional and social competencies, stressors, and facilitators that determine how effectively we understand and express ourselves, understand and relate to others, and cope with daily demands. The competencies, skills, and emotional and social facilitators mentioned in this conceptualization include the five key components described above, with each component encompassing a number of closely related competencies, skills, and facilitators detailed in the annex. Consistent with this model, being emotionally and socially intelligent means understanding and expressing oneself effectively, understanding and relating well to others, and easily coping with daily demands, challenges, and pressures (Bar-On 2006). Given the specialized literature detailing important aspects of socio-emotional development, I have developed a training program dedicated to final-year students in the social work specialization. The aim of this program is to develop socio-emotional skills and raise awareness of these skills for their professional application in a competent manner. I have extracted six elements from the Bar-On model (empathy, social responsibility, interpersonal relationships, stress management, problem-solving, and optimism) that are relevant to the practice of the social work profession.