International social work is a broad term that includes a range of practice settings and professional activities (macro-level practice with nongovernment human rights organizations to direct practice with immigrants and refugees in U.S cities). Effective international social work practice is anchored in a conceptual framework that orients the student to international human rights and social justice and a set of cross-cultural competencies informed by this framework. We will use case studies from a variety of countries to illustrate important contextual conditions (legacies of dominance and trauma, war, social determinants of mental health) and to inform discussion of sustainable models of collaborative, cross-cultural work (participatory action, use of interpreters). Students will be introduced to issues that impact international practice, such as secondary trauma and resilience, boundary setting across cultures and working in resource-poor conditions. Trauma-informed, systemic, and relational theoretical models will be examined for their usefulness in informing international practice.