Family planning services improve health and social outcomes through education, psychosocial interventions, and medical practice. Social workers are on the frontlines of providing such services to some of the most vulnerable clients; however, social work education may not be adequately preparing students to provide these interventions. This Teaching Note introduces family planning services and their significance to social work practice. Additionally, this article shares practical examples of including the subject of family planning in BSW classrooms.
Instructors are tasked with teaching social work values to students. The Arbinger Institute, known globally for peace-building, offers a philosophical framework in their book The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict, that can be used to model and teach a way of being that empowers students to embody social work values. A pedagogy using this book as a supplemental text in a bachelor’s level Introduction to Social Work course is offered along with initial student feedback.
