Human Services Management Competencies: A Guide for Empowering Emerging Social Work Leaders

Now in its 3rd edition, the Human Services Management Competencies have become a mainstay for social work management for over 25 years. This session will inform social worker educators of the competencies, the Management Certification for Graduate students, and additional resources offered by the Network for Social Work Management.

For years, leadership positions in non-profit organizations were filled with individuals who had many years of practice experience but not management or leadership experience. This led the Network for Social Work Management (Network or NSWM) to develop the management and leadership competencies over 25 years ago. However, as running non-profit organizations became more complicated, social work education was not enough to truly understand all the complexities of nonprofit management. Many agencies were hiring people with MBA, MPA, or JD degrees rather than persons with MSW degrees (Friedman, 2008). From this phenomenon grew the Network and its leadership and management competencies. However, none of the above degrees address all the competencies identified to be a social work leader or manager in the social work field. As such, the Network competencies cut across a variety of professional degree programs to specifically identify the needs of what it takes to be an executive for a social work agency.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the advancement of the social work profession. The increase in mental health awareness, recognition of essential workers, and increase opportunities for interdisciplinary approaches have demonstrated a need for qualified social work managers. This recognition has contributed to additional support for the profession, including more funding, resources, and job opportunities. While social workers are well versed in the practice, many are lacking the tools to lead organizations, or they have experience but don't know how to articulate it and/or package their skillset (Rofuth & Piepenbring, 2020).

Currently in its third edition with a fourth edition as forthcoming, the Network’s leadership and management competencies are broken into four domains: Executive Leadership, Strategic Management, Resource Management, and Community Collaboration. There are currently eighteen competencies within these four domains. However, the pandemic has taught us that there are new management and leadership competencies that need to be addressed.

This session will introduce the competencies as a tool to help individuals learn what it takes to become a social work leader and manager. Participants will be introduced to a self-assessment tool that can be used to develop a path to becoming a social work manager and leader. Trends in the profession will also be discussed along with recommendations for additional competencies to address current issues affecting society.
These implications of the competencies will enhance the professional development of social workers and lead to more qualified and confident social work managers. Ultimately this will shape the future of organizations in the non-profit, and public sector and the enhancement of service delivery.


Friedman, BD (2022) Management Overview in Encyclopedia of Macro Social Work. Oxford University Press.
Friedman, BD & Olivera R (2022) Outcome Measures in Social Services in Encyclopedia of Macro Social Work. Oxford University Press.
Friedman, BD (2008) Where have all the social work managers gone in Leon Ginsberg, Management and Leadership in Social Work Practice and Education. Alexandria, VA: CSWE Press.
Rofuth, T. W. & Piepenbring, J.M. (2020) Management and Leadership in Social Work: A Competency-Based Approach. Springer Publishing, Co.