Social Work Students\u27 Perceptions of Educational Needs and Readiness to Work with Clients who are Gay or Lesbian

While research has increased regarding social work students\u27 preparedness for diverse clients, there are few examinations of the readiness students feel regarding clients from the gay and lesbian community. In addition, while social work ethics and curriculum guidelines encourage the inclusion of this population, some observations would indicate that minimal efforts are being made to educate social work students regarding the lesbian and gay community. Students in an entry-level social work course as well as students from a senior-level social work course were surveyed regarding their perceived attitude, knowledge, and skills relative to gay and lesbian clients. Initially, results indicated a lesser degree of perceived readiness among the senior level students. However, unpaired t-test analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between the two groups in knowledge, attitude, or behavior