Social Work & Marriage and Family Therapy Department

Mission

Social Work

The Iona University Social Work Department is dedicated to the preparation of competent generalist social work professionals. With a commitment to student-centered teaching and learning grounded in the context of a liberal arts education, the program affirms the principles of social and economic justice, diversity, community engagement, and service as those values shared by the profession, the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers, and the traditions of Catholic Social Teaching.

Graduates of the social work program will be recognized for their ethics, creativity, and problem-solving abilities; their independent and adaptable thinking; their joy in lifelong learning; and their enduring integration of mind, body, and spirit.
(Revised, January 2013)

Marriage and Family Therapy

The mission, goals, and objectives of the master's in MFT are congruent with those of Iona University and are informed by professional marriage and family therapy educational guidelines and core competencies. The Mission Statement of Iona University reads as follows:

(Adopted May 2, 2012)

The mission of the master's program in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) at Iona University is: to prepare entry-level Marriage and Family Therapists through a combination of academic training that is clearly holistic, systemic, and relationally based coupled with varied clinical experiences that enhance the application of systemic theory in clinical practice in diverse community settings. The overall goal is to graduate ethical, competent, caring MFTs who will be able to address complex relational dynamics across the family life cycle and who are committed to working with a multicultural mindset. Our graduates will be prepared to pass the national licensing examination in Marriage and Family Therapy and with additional supervised clinical experience in the community to become Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists.

Student Outcomes

Social Work

Entry to the profession of social work requires that students demonstrate competence as generalist social work practitioners. As such, the program’s student learning outcomes reflect the nine foundational competencies of the profession. These include:

1. Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior
2. Engage diversity and difference in practice
3. Advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice
4. Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice
5. Engage in policy practice
6. Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities
7. Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities
8. Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities
9. Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and

The Iona University Social Work Department is equally dedicated to pursuing teaching excellence and scholarship; to serving as a vital resource to the Iona, local, and greater New York metropolitan communities; as well as to advancing the purposes and mission of the profession.

Undergraduate Social Work Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Marriage & Family Therapy

Derived from AAMFT Core Competencies, the AMFTRB Guidelines, and the COAMFTE Professional Marriage and Family Therapy Standards and Educational Guidelines of the COAMFTE and reflecting our unique MFT Program Mission, student learning outcomes include:

1. To understand and apply relational/systemic clinical knowledge.
2. To assess problems in human and family development and interaction.
3. To establish an identity as a professional MFT with an awareness of, and adherence to, AAMFT ethical standards.
4. To understand theoretical constructs of MFT.
5. To cultivate an understanding and respect for issues surrounding social justice, and diversity/inclusion.

Definition of Diversity

The MFT Program is committed to the representation of multiple groups in our student body, supervisors, and faculty. This inclusionary mindset embodies all that we do and teach. Special emphasis is placed on ensuring that issues of diversity are central to all aspects of the training environment we provide.