Teaching Note – Implementing an Advanced Seminar Training for Seasoned Practitioners Through an Antiracist, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Approach

Antiracist organizers have always existed in social work, but social work education has evolved significantly with regard to curricula and practice since the global uprising during the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. Practitioners who may not have been trained in antiracist praxis within the organizational context may be upholding the profession with outdated pedagogical approaches, yielding a disconnect between students’ classroom education and their agency-based praxis. To address this gap, this teaching note presents a practicum instructor training designed and piloted for experienced clinicians who were not previously trained in antiracist pedagogy. Based on community input and the author’s school’s curriculum, four modules focused on (a) an introduction to justice-based approaches in supervision; (b) a review of competency-based education; (c) reflective practice, including a critical reflective focus; and (d) trauma-informed leadership from an antiracist, diversity, equity, and inclusion lens with the aim to revitalize existing theories within the student and practicum instructor relationship. Preliminary feedback from participants and reflections from the course developer indicate a need for more antioppressive training for experienced practicum instructors.