|
School of Public Service
Social Work Courses
SWK 1 Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare
This course provides an overview of the social work profession.
It orients the student to the values and goals of the profession
and examines the various methods and fields of practice. The modalities
of practice that are covered include: casework, group work, administration
and community organization. The fields of practice are presented
with an emphasis on the role of the social worker. Included among
these fields of practice are the following: health care; community
mental health; child and family services; criminal justice; aging
services.
Every Semester (Open to Freshmen and Sophomores), 3 credits
SWK 30 Interdisciplinary Helping Professions
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introduction
to the partnerships in mental health and human services between
Social Work and other helping professions such as Psychology, Speech
Therapy, Recreational Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy,
Art Therapy, and Movement Therapy and Nutrition. Practitioners from
other disciplines will present an overview of their function with
emphasis on working within the interdisciplinary team.
Spring (Open to Juniors and Seniors), 3 credits
SWK/HPA 418 Research Methods
The course prepares students with the concepts and skills to
use systematic quantitative and qualitative research tools and procedures
to answer questions which arise in clinical, societal, human service
and organizational settings. Each student develops a research proposal
including the development of a research question, formulation of
a hypothesis, review of the related literature, development of a
specific methodology, and implementation of a pilot study to examine
and refine the methodology. The ethical responsibilities of human
subject research are emphasized. The course explores a longitudinal
study by Hart and Risley of the language development of children
who live in poverty versus those who live in middle and upper income
environments. This study presents an excellent research model as
well as provocative social, political and clinical issues.
Every Semester (Open to Juniors Only), 3 credits
SWK 50 Social Welfare Programs and Policies I
Students are provided with an overview of the functions and
relationships of various systems within contemporary American Society.
The history, values and structure of the various social systems
are combined into a social systems perspective that can be used
to understand social welfare issues and change human systems.
Spring (Open to Freshmen and Sophomores), 3 credits
SWK 51 Social Welfare Programs and Policies II
The course reviews major policy issues in selected areas of
social welfare and demonstrates the connections between social policy
and social work practice.
Spring (Open to Juniors Only), 3 credits
SWK 60 Human Behavior in the Social Environment
I
The purpose of this course is to provide students with the
knowledge and concepts to conduct initial evaluations of individuals
as clients based upon factual normative information as well as various
theories of human development. HBSE I looks at the chronological
development of the individual from conception through old age, exploring
the impact of systems on the individual in each stage of development.
Fall Only (Open to Juniors Only), 3 credits
SWK 461 Human Behavior in the Social Environment
II
The purpose of this course is to prepare students with the
knowledge and skills for initial evaluation of families, groups,
social welfare organizations and communities. This course begins
with a presentation of basic principles and concepts for acquiring
and organizing knowledge about human behavior and the social environment.
It outlines traditional paradigms by which social work knowledge
has been created and influenced, and then presents alternative systems
focused paradigms. Emphasis is placed on the biases towards white,
male, middle-class people inherent in many of the traditional theories
of human development.
Spring (Open to Juniors Only), 3 credits
SWK 70 Social Work Practice I
The overall objective of Social Work Practice I is for students
to develop the knowledge and skills essential for learning generalist
practice. The course presents a generalist problem solving approach
to the understanding of social work practice with individuals, families,
groups, organizations and communities and its commitment to social
work values. The course emphasizes generalist practice with organizations
and individuals and concentrates on the application of knowledge
and skills with these two target systems.
On Occasion, 3 credits
SWK 71 Social Work Practice II
Continuing study of generic principles of social work practice
essential to an integrative framework that combines direct practice
with individuals, families, groups and communities with a commitment
to organizational and social change. Social Work Practice II identifies
variations in contracting and assessment with different systems
and explores middle phase and termination phase interventions, including
goal setting, relationship processes, engagement, interviewing,
negotiation and evaluation in all systems of intervention.
On Occasion, 3 credits
SWK 75 Diversity-Sensitive Social Work Practice
This course is designed to draw a bridge between generalist
social work practice and the impact of ethnicity, social class,
and minority status. Students will be provided with the tools to
make ethnic sensitive social work assessments and interventions.
The focus of this course will be on examining the problems that
face diverse cultures and populations at risk for discrimination
and oppression as they attempt to negotiate their environment and
to ameliorate the stresses that they confront. Through the use of
the case method model of learning, students will be presented with
material that presents dilemmas faced by diverse populations as
they strive to function and survive in the United States. This course
makes a linkage between material on diverse cultures and the social
work role and demonstrates the connection between cross-cultural
values, beliefs and the profession.
On Occasion, 3 credits
SWK 79 Orientation to Field Work
This seminar focuses on providing students with an orientation
to their upcoming field placement. Topics include assessment of
organizational structure, student role, essentials of process recording
and use of supervision. The foundation seminar experience allows
students to effectively make use of their first field instruction
assignment. Presents an orientation to field, focusing on field
and student expectations.
Practice Seminar: Meets six times per semester.
Limited to 8-10 students.
1 credit
SWK 80 Field Experience
Taken in the Spring semester of the Junior year, this course
combines a direct agency experience with a practice seminar. As
a part of the agency-based experience (approximately 100 hours)
the student is under the supervision of a professional social worker.
The course focuses on expectations for the student’s role in
fieldwork, including, process recording and expectations for field
performance. The course emphasizes the administration of the social
agency and an understanding of the agency system; e.g., population
served, collaborative network.
Limited to 8-10 students.
Open to Juniors Only, 4 credits
SWK 90-91 Field Instruction I & II
Taken during the senior year (approximately 400 hours), these
two courses provide students with opportunities to test in the field
setting the theories and principles learned in the classroom. Students
are assigned to social work agencies or social work programs. Students
receive on-site field supervision from a professional social worker
and participate in individual and group faculty advisory seminars.
Limited to 8-10 students.
Open to Seniors Only, 6 credits each
|
