Teaching Note—Preparing Social Work Students to Address Food Insecurity Through Microlevel Practice

Social workers often encounter clients experiencing food insecurity in a variety of practice settings. Food insecurity contributes to inequities in physical and mental health. Social work programs should ensure students are competent to assess and intervene appropriately when working with clients with food insecurity. We present a framework for helping students understand the complexity of food insecurity and its association with overall health and well-being. It situates food insecurity in the context of the Grand Challenge for Social Work to close the health gap with a specific focus on strengthening students’ assessment and intervention skills. We include strategies for incorporating food insecurity content into the social work curriculum in ways that enhance microlevel practice.