Social Work Students and Self-Care: A Model Assignment for Teaching

The literature reveals scant research on self-care practices among social workstudents; yet self-care is vital as students prepare to be practitioners who are notonly effective in working with all aspects of the clients' total selves, but who arethemselves healthy. They are not prepared to be good practitioners unless theyhave first learned to care for themselves. This article discusses a self-care assignmentthat was developed by the first author for students enrolled in a 1st-yearmaster's-level social work foundation practice class. This assignment can serveas a model for those who wish to teach students about the importance of selfcare.Implications for social work education are also addressed.