Spring 2026 Issue

Social Work Without Borders
By Heather Rose Artushin, MSW, LISW-CP
Social Work Today
Vol. 26 No. 2 P. 18

The Growing Field of Global Social Work

Today, we live in a society that is becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent through social media, global travel, and international trade. As a result, social work practice requires a global lens through which to understand the complex issues impacting our clients.

Global social work recognizes that social issues transcend national boundaries, and that cultural competence and humility, collaboration, and an international human rights framework are necessary in order to address global challenges effectively at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice.

While some might view global social work as an opportunity to serve in communities abroad, many global social work practitioners focus their efforts on supporting refugee and immigrant populations here in the United States. Applying language proficiency, cultural competence and humility, a human rights framework, and an awareness of international affairs allows social workers to practice global social work across a wide range of settings and locales.

Global social work is a growing field of study and practice in the United States; however, the international application of social work is not a new concept. In 1928, the first International Conference of Social Work was held in Paris, France, where 2,400 delegates representing 42 countries came together, resulting in the establishment of the International Association of Schools of Social Work, the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), and the International Council on Social Welfare.1

While different countries have their own national social work organizations and regulatory bodies, including a unique code of ethics, the IFSW has put forth this global definition of social work: “Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility, and respect for diversities are central to social work. Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities, and indigenous knowledges, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing.”

Katie Lopez, PhD, LMSW, serves as the director of the Office of Global Activities at the University of Michigan. While an interest in cross-cultural work and international travel initially drew her to global social work, today she offers students a vision of social work practice without borders through course offerings, student and faculty international exchange programs, and global service opportunities.

“We’ve continued to globalize, and people are more connected across geographic places,” Lopez says. “Some of that is due to technology, which allows us to be connected and interact with people from different places, and some of that is the physical movement of people as a result of geopolitical wars and conflicts, environmental disasters and climate change, bringing global social work to the forefront.” Some social workers placed in refugee resettlement organizations, for example, are deeply impacted by these global shifts. At the same time, many social workers serving in mental health clinicals, hospitals, and schools across the United States are likely to encounter refugees or immigrants impacted by international current events who are presenting with a need for medical or mental health care, educational support, or other concerns that social workers can help address.

Social workers with an interest in practicing abroad must exercise caution in approaching work in an unfamiliar country. Language proficiency and cultural understanding is critical to working effectively, as is a humble stance of curiosity and eagerness to learn, rather than that of an expert or savior. “The practice of social work is tied closely to cultural values,” Lopez explains. “In the US, we come from a very individualistic culture that may not translate well in a collectivist culture. Self-determination may fall flat in other places—there, it is not what’s best for the individual, but what’s best for the family. We don’t want to disrupt the cultural values as social workers who are outsiders.”

Some countries do not allow social workers to provide micro-level direct services to clients. Social work services in these regions are contained at the mezzo and macro practice levels, supporting communities and focusing on systemic change rather than individual support. Connecting with the nation’s professional social work association, licensing authority, and local social work professionals can guide the process of relocating to serve in social work practice. Participating in a Fulbright fellowship or serving in the Peace Corps is another way for social workers to gain valuable international experience.

Shamila Sivakumaran, a PhD candidate at the School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, has focused her dissertation on exploring the landscape of global social work education in the United States. Her findings reveal that less than 55% of schools of social work explicitly offer an international program, and while the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) competencies mention working with diverse populations, global social work is not mentioned. “If CSWE has something explicitly referring to global competencies, it will urge schools to go further,” Sivakumaran says.

Sivakumaran also encourages schools of social work in the United States to partner with the IFSW. “Having those connections and access for students will create a platform for them to see the world,” she says. Some schools are teaching specialization courses in global social work, which are often electives, and Sivakumaran encourages faculty to consider the benefits of integrating global perspectives into the core curriculum for the benefit of all students.

Student and faculty exchange programs also provide an important component of global social work education in schools of social work in the United States. Inviting faculty from schools of social work around the world to visit universities in the United States offers an invaluable opportunity for students to learn about social work practice in different parts of the world, offering a perspective that most faculty based here in the United States cannot provide. Recent legislative changes have made this process more difficult for many universities. “Part of what we do is welcome students and faculty into the US from other countries, and many are no longer able to get visas to get into the US,” Lopez says. “We see that it is not just important to send students and faculty out into the world, but to host students and faculty here at Michigan so that our students who are not going to leave the campus can gain a valuable global education.”

Relocating abroad is not the only way to practice global social work. “Using the definition of global social work that I use, which is working on global or international issues that have wide effects, you can work in organizations in the US serving immigrant and refugee populations if you find you enjoy cross-cultural work,” Lopez says.

There are important competencies that social workers must cultivate in order to be effective in global practice. “Some of the things that we view as really important include looking at issues of power—how power plays out across the world, including colonialism and where that has left things,” Lopez explains, “understanding how international organizations function, how aid is set up, and what it helps with and what it perpetuates.” Lopez also encourages social workers to conceptualize social issues beyond what they see in front of them, considering the geopolitical and historical factors that contribute.

Utilizing reflective practice, Lopez and her colleagues work with students to think through social work ethics—which may not always be the NASW code of ethics—to determine the scope, role positionality, and impact of their practice with diverse populations. “All of our students—micro, mezzo, or macro—end up doing some work in evaluation because it is valuable,” Lopez adds. “Social workers need to be able to step back and evaluate the impact of their work in order to obtain grant funding to continue doing the great work. Sometimes being an outside set of eyes is really helpful to organizations.”

For all social workers, regardless of practice location or connection to global issues, practicing cross-cultural awareness and humility is critical to serving in today’s world. Social workers practicing across the United States, and the globe, must hone cultural competencies and increase their awareness of global issues in order to remain relevant and effective in working with increasingly diverse groups of clients.

Current events impacting social work on a local, regional, national, and global scale are numerous. From the impacts of climate change and related natural disasters, to the widespread economic and lifestyle changes resulting from the advent of AI, to rising geopolitical tensions and conflicts, even locally based social workers serving in their home communities are impacted by the widespread ripple effects of global issues. “People are thinking about global social work more broadly than just crossing borders or leaving the US,” Lopez says. “It’s more than getting on a plane and practicing social work in a different place. These issues are really crosscutting.”

Lopez urges social workers to tap into cultural humility and competence, and consider global issues in their work with diverse groups of clients, regardless of geographic location or practice setting. “It is time for us to advocate for the growth of global social work,” Sivakumaran adds. “We can all increase our global understanding of local issues, to think beyond our locality.”

— Heather Rose Artushin, MSW, LISW-CP, is a writer with over a decade of published experience and a passion for social justice.

Reference
1. A historical perspective on international social work. Social Work Institute website. https://socialwork.institute/international-social-work/historical-perspective-international-social-work/. Updated April 3, 2025.