*Self-Study Report: Master of Social Work Program EPAS 2015, Volume I – Narrative Responses to Accreditation Standards
Agency Based Education
Agency-Based Education is a core component of the MSW program at Howard University and meets the accreditation standards and policies established by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Through supervised placements, students gain direct experience working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. These real-world settings allow students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom while developing essential skills such as service delivery, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and professional communication.
Students are required to complete four semesters of agency placements in approved social work agencies under the supervision of licensed MSW professionals. This sequence of Agency-Based Education courses accounts for 12 credit hours toward the MSW degree (1000 clock hours) and is designed to be taken alongside academic coursework to ensure integration of theory and practice.
Throughout their placements, students engage with clients or systems at various stages of the helping process—including engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation. Practicum placements include both micro and macro practice experiences while each student receives ongoing support from faculty consultants and agency-based instructors to ensure guided learning and professional growth.
First Year – Generalist Agency-Based Placement
First-year students complete agency-based education alongside their foundation-level Practice Methods course. These placements are designed to introduce students to core skills and concepts, supported by knowledge from their generalist coursework. Students are placed in settings that provide services across various levels of practice.
Second Year – Specialized Agency-Based Placement
In the second year, traditional, and advanced standing, students move into advanced placements that align with their chosen practice concentration and specialization. These experiences deepen the integration of classroom learning with practicum placement. Students operate with more independence, working with specific populations or within specialized settings. Practicum assignments are designed to help students demonstrate mastery of advanced competencies in professional behavior, decision-making, and intervention strategies.
Agency-Based Education (ABE) Instructor Requirements
- Each placement site must have, or enter into, an official Affiliation Agreement with Howard University.
- ABE Instructors must hold an MSW degree from a CSWE-accredited program and have a minimum of two years of post-MSW practice experience.
- Instructors must meet the licensing requirements of their respective state licensing boards. The Howard University School of Social Work Flagship places students in agencies across three primary jurisdictions, and instructors are expected to be familiar with and compliant with their state’s regulations.
- Instructors must have been employed at their agency for at least six months prior to serving as an ABE instructor and must demonstrate a clear understanding of how to develop learning experiences and evaluate core competencies within their practice area.
- Instructors are required to participate in the school’s seminar and orientation for new ABE instructors.
- ABE Instructors are expected to commit to their assignment for a minimum of one academic year.
What to Expect
Through partnerships with agencies like District of Columbia Child and Family Services Agency, Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, Central Union Mission, DC Public Schools, and our own Howard University Hospital, the School of Social Work has been strengthening communities in Washington, DC, since its founding.
We’ve designed a agency-based education experience that allows you to:
- Reduce the stress of finding placements. Our Office of Agency Based Education will partner with you to find convenient and reputable agencies.
- Put your skills into practice sooner. As you learn new techniques and principles in class, you’ll be able to apply them in your work with clients.
- Expand your professional network. You’ll be supervised by licensed practitioners who will provide real-time feedback and become trusted mentors.

Our Network of Agency Partners
AGENCY NAME | CITY | STATE |
---|---|---|
Christ Child Society | Washington | DC |
Court Services & Offender Supervision Agency | Re-Entry & Sanctions Center (CSOSA) | Washington | DC |
Court Services & Offender Supervision Agency | Community Supervision Serv. (CSOSA) | Washington | DC |
Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board | Merrifield Center Adult Behavioral Health Outpatient Program | Fairfax | VA |
1 Life 1 Love Inc. | Alexandria | VA |
Alexandria City Public Schools | Alexandria | VA |
AprilMay Company, Inc. | Washington | DC |
Art and Soul Solutions, Inc. | Washington | DC |
Beacon House | Washington | DC |
Boystown Washington DC | Washington | DC |
Brinton Woods Health & Rehabilitation Center | Washington | DC |
Catholic Charities St. Jude's Project | Washington | DC |
Catholic Charities 801 East TRP | Washington | DC |
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington | Washington | DC |
Center for Therapeutic Concepts,Inc. | Largo | MD |
Central Union Mission | Washington | DC |
Child & Family Services Agency (CFSA) | Washington | DC |
Children's Guild DC Public Charter School | Washington | DC |
Children's National Medical Center | Washington | DC |
Coalition for the Homeless |Park Road Transitional House | Washington | DC |
Coalition for the Homeless |Emery Work Bed Program | Washington | DC |
Columbia Learning International Ministries, Inc. | Washington | DC |
Community Connections | Washington | DC |
Community Crisis Services, Inc. | Hyattsville | MD |
Community Perservation & Development Corporation (CPDC) | Silver Spring | MD |
Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy | Washington | DC |
Contemporay Family Services, Inc. | Washington | DC |
Contemporay Family Services, Inc. | Washington | DC |
DC Law Students in Court | Washington | DC |
DC Superior Court-Criminal Division | Washington | DC |
DC Superior Court-Probate & Guardianship Division | Washington | DC |
DC Vet Center | Washington | DC |
DCPS |School Mental Health | Washington | DC |
DCPS - Ron Brown High School | Washington | DC |
DCPS | Office of Youth Engagement - Truancy Division | Washington | DC |
DCPS Head Start Operations | Washington | DC |
Department of Behavioral Health - Mental Health Services | Washington | DC |
Department of Behavioral Health - Parent and Infant Early Childhood Enhancement Program (P.I.E.C.E. Program | Washington | DC |
Department of Behavioral Health / CPEP | Washington | DC |
Department of Health HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration (HAHSTA) | Washington | DC |
Department of Human Services Power Unit | Washington | DC |
Department of Human Services | Family Services Administration | Washington | DC |
Department of Human Services | Veterans Assistance Supportive Housing | Washington | DC |
Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) | Washington | DC |
Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) - New Beginnings Youth | Largo | MD |
Downtown Clusters Geriatric Day Care Center, Inc. | Washington | DC |
Episcopal Center for Children | Washington | DC |
Excel Academy Public Charter School | Washington | DC |
Family & Medical Counseling, Inc. | Washington | DC |
Family Crisis Center of Prince | Brentwood | MD |
Family Matters of Greater Washington Mental Health Department | Washington | DC |
Fort Belvoir Community Hospital | Fort Belvoir | VA |
Foster & Adoptive Parent Advocacy Center (FAPAC) | Washington | DC |
Foundation School of Montgomery County | Gaithersburg | MD |
Friends of Guest House | Alexandria | VA |
Friendship Place | Washington | DC |
God's Anointed New Generation (GANG) | Washington | DC |
Green Door | Washington | DC |
Harbor Light Center-The Salvation Army | Washington | DC |
Health & Wellness Source, LLC | Lanham | MD |
HER Resiliencey Center | Washington | DC |
Hillcrest Children and Family Center | Washington | DC |
Home Care Partners | Washington | DC |
Housing Opportunities Commission | Resident Services (Montgomery County) | Kensington | MD |
Howard University Hospital -Mental Health Clinic | Washington | DC |
Howard University Middle School of Math and Science | Washington | DC |
Human Rights Campaign | Washington | DC |
Human Rights First | Washington | DC |
Imani Consulting | Bowie | MD |
Inner City Family Services | Washington | DC |
Innovative Therapeutic | Laurel | MD |
Iona | Washington | DC |
Latin American Youth Center | Washington | DC |
Maximum Quest Residential | Mitchellville | MD |
McVets | Baltimore | MD |
Medical Services Division of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City - Juvenile Section | Baltimore | MD |
Medstar Washington Hospital Center | Washington | DC |
Miriam's Kitchen | Washington | DC |
Montgomery County Depart. of Correction & Rehab. Detention Services Division | Boyds | MD |
Montgomery County Prekindergarten/Head Start | Rockville | MD |
National Center for Children and Families (NCCF) | Bethesda | MD |
National Collegiate Preparatory Public Charter School | Washington | DC |
National Counseling Group | CR2 Program | Manassas | VA |
New Communities Initiative | Washington | DC |
New Directions Therapeutic Services | Largo | MD |
North Capitol Collaborative, Inc. | Washington | DC |
Pathways to Housing DC | Washington | DC |
Phillips School~Laurel | Laurel | MD |
Prince Geoge's County Council County Administration Building | Upper Marlboro | MD |
Prince George's County Depart of Social Services | Landover | MD |
Prince George's County Health Department | Hyattsville | MD |
Progressive Life Center | Hyattsville | MD |
Providence Hospital | Washington | DC |
PSI Family Services, Inc. (Foster Care Program) | Chevy Chase | MD |
Public Allies | Washington | DC |
Public Defender Service for DC | Washington | DC |
Safe Journey House | Hyattsville | MD |
Saint Elizabeths Hospital | Washington | DC |
Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington | Washington | DC |
Seabury Ward 5 Aging Services | Washington | DC |
SOME (So Others Might Eat) | Washington | DC |
Somerset Prep Academy Public Charter School | Washington | DC |
Southern Maryland Tri-County Community Action Committee Inc. | Hughesville | MD |
Synergy Therapeutic Services, Inc. | Hyattsville | MD |
The Campagna Center | Alexandria | VA |
The Family Wellness Center | Washington | DC |
Time Organization, Inc. | Baltimore | MD |
US Vets (DC) | Washington | DC |
Veterans Affairs Medical Center | Washington | DC |
Veterans on the Rise, Inc. | Washington | DC |
Voices for a Second Chance | Washington | DC |
Voluteers of America, Chesapeake, Inc. |Substance Abuse Treatment Residential Program Center | Arlington | VA |
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Emergency Dept | Bethesda | MD |
Wendt Center for Loss and Healing | Washington | DC |
Contact Agency Based Education

Director of Clinical Education
Inabel Lindsay Hall
Room 350
Email: jm_davis@howard.edu