Syllabus
Master of Social Work
SSWO 565 Leadership and Supervision
Credits - 3
Description
This course explores the roles of social workers in various leadership and supervisory capacities. Students will gain an understanding of the importance that leadership, organizational culture, teamwork, collaboration, and interprofessional perspectives have on an organization, its employees, and its clients.
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New Description
This course prepares students to lead ethically, courageously, and effectively within social work and human service organizations. By integrating contemporary social work leadership and management principles, students will examine how leaders influence organizational culture, supervise and develop others, navigate complexity, foster collaboration, and lead meaningful organizational change.
Students will assess organizational strengths, challenges, and contexts through the lenses of leadership, supervision, organizational culture, diversity, equity, inclusion, and systems thinking. Through applied leadership experiences, students will develop strategies for engaging teams, responding to organizational challenges, and strengthening organizational functioning while developing a leadership identity grounded in social work values and the NASW Code of Ethics.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
School of Social Work Program Outcomes:
Graduates of the UNE SSWO will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and leadership in the following:
- Demonstrates ethical and professional behavior.
- Advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
- Engage in anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) in practice.
- Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
- Engage in policy practice.
- Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
- Apply self-awareness, professional values, and leadership approaches to engage and collaborate effectively with individuals and teams within social work and human services organizations. (EPAS Competency 6)
- Assess leadership practices and organizational functioning by examining strengths, challenges, culture, context, and stakeholder perspectives within social work and human service organizations. (EPAS Competency 7)
- Develop evidence-informed, ethically responsive leadership strategies to address organizational challenges, strengthen team functioning, and support effective social work practice. (EPAS Competency 8)
Assignments
Learning Activities
A variety of learning activities are designed to support the course objectives, facilitate different learning styles, and build a community of learners. Learning activities for each module include the following:
Small Group Leadership Labs
Throughout the course, you will serve as a member of the leadership team at Harmony Haven Child Wellness Center, a fictional human services organization experiencing significant organizational and leadership challenges. Each week, new information and increasingly complex situations will emerge requiring you to make leadership decisions related to organizational culture, supervision, communication, employee well-being, collaboration, and organizational change.
Using concepts from Arnold (2022) and Brown (2018), current research, and the NASW Code of Ethics, you will analyze each leadership challenge, justify your decisions, and develop practical leadership strategies. Rather than focusing on the “correct answer,” Leadership Labs emphasizes critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and the development of your own leadership identity. The importance of this experience cannot be overstated–other people are depending on you to do your part in this.
The Courageous Social Work Leader Portfolio
Leadership develops through continual reflection and intentional practice. Throughout the course, you will create your own Courageous Social Work Leader Portfolio so that at the end, you will have tangible and usable leadership documents of your own as you grow as an emerging leader.
Each week, you will add a new section reflecting on topics explored throughout the course, including leadership identity, values, trust, courageous conversations, supervision, organizational leadership, change management, and your own leadership philosophy.
Week 4 Assignment: Leadership Interview Supervision and Leadership Interview with a Social Worker
The Week 4 Assignment requires you to interview a social worker who is at least two years out from their MSW and is currently providing clinical supervision or is in a leadership position at their agency. (If you are unable to find someone who meets these requirements, please reach out to your faculty member.) Please note that the readings in Week 4 will help you to prepare for this interview assignment. If you plan on doing your interview early, you should utilize the Week 4 resources early. The interview provides an opportunity to connect course concepts with professional experience while critically reflecting upon your own emerging leadership identity.
Week 6 Assignment: SWOT Analysis
By week 6, you have spent several weeks examining leadership at Harmony Haven Child Wellness Center through different perspectives, including leadership approach, organizational culture, trust, supervision, teamwork, collaboration, and employee well-being. You will now step back from the individual leadership challenges you have addressed in the Leadership Labs and examine Harmony Haven as an organizational system. Using evidence from the Harmony Haven case that has been presented each week, the course readings, and concepts we have explored throughout the course, you will now conduct a leadership-focused SWOT analysis of the organization.
Week 7 Assignment: Elevating Harmony Haven: Leadership Consultation & Presentation
By week 7, you have spent the course serving as a developing social work leader at Harmony Haven. Through the Leadership Labs, you have encountered the organization incrementally, just as leaders encounter complex organizations in the real-world. You have examined the people, leadership, culture, supervision, relationships, challenges, strengths, and opportunities for change. You will now move from understanding and assessment to intervention.
Assume that Harmony Haven’s senior leadership has asked you to serve as an internal leadership consultant to answer one central question: What should Harmony Haven’s leadership do next to strengthen the organization and its ability to serve its clients?
Your task is not to fix everything wrong with Harmony Haven because effective leadership requires prioritization. Using evidence from the Harmony Haven case, your week 6 SWOT analysis, Dare to Lead, Arnold (2022), the NASW Code of Ethics, and any other appropriate scholarly evidence, you are to develop a focused leadership consultation.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Assignment | Point Value | Percentage of total grade |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Engagement Quiz | 1 | 1% |
| Introduction Video Discussion | 1 | 1% |
| Leadership Labs (5 entries) | 25 (5 pts each) | 25% |
| The Courageous Social Worker Leader Portfolio (7 submissions) | 21 (3 points each) | 21 |
| Week 4 Assignment: Leadership Interview | 15 | 15% |
| Week 6 Assignment: Harmony Haven SWOT Analysis | 7 | 7% |
| Week 7 Assignment: Final Leadership Consultation Report & Presentation | 25 | 25% |
| Week 8 Assignment: Final Leadership Lab | 5 | 5% |
| Total | 100 points | 100% |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Course weeks run from 12:00 AM ET on MONDAY through 11:59 PM ET on SUNDAY, with the exception of Week 1, which starts on WEDNESDAY, and Week 8, which ends on FRIDAY. Unless otherwise specified, all discussion comments and assignments are due the last day of the week. Initial responses to discussion prompts are due by the end of Thursday unless otherwise noted.
All times are in the Eastern Time Zone—no exceptions.
Course Dates: October 28 – December 18, 2026
Week 1: Wednesday – Sunday
Week 2: Monday – Sunday
Week 3: Monday – Sunday
Week 4: Monday – Sunday
Week 5: Monday – Sunday
Week 6: Monday – Sunday
Week 7: Monday – Sunday
Week 8: Monday – Friday
Week 1
Becoming a Social Worker
- Required Readings and Multimedia: as assigned
- Discussions: Introduce Yourself (Due Friday); Week 1 Leadership Lab: Before You Lead, Listen.
- Assignment Submission: Academic Engagement Quiz, Courageous Leadership Social Work Portfolio Entry 1: My Leadership Snapshot
- Major Assignments Introduced: Leadership and Supervision Interview with Social Worker (Due in Week 4), Harmony Haven SWOT Analysis (Due Week 6), Elevating Harmony Haven: Leadership Consultation and Presentation (Due Week 7)
Week 2
Finding your Leadership Approach
- Required Readings and Multimedia: as assigned
- Assignment Submission: Courageous Social Work Leader Portfolio Entry 2: Going Beyond “What’s my Leadership Compass?”
- Discussions: Week 2 Leadership Lab: How Should I Lead This Team? (Initial post due Thursday, response posts due Sunday)
Week 3
Culture, Trust, and the Leadership Environment
- Required Readings and Multimedia: as assigned
- Discussions: Week 3 Leadership Lab: Is the Clinical Team the Problem? (Initial post due Thursday, response posts due Sunday)
- Assignments: Leadership Portfolio Entry 3: My Culture Commitment Card
Week 4
Supervision, Feedback, and Accountability
- Required Readings and Multimedia: as assigned
- Discussions: Week 4 Leadership Lab: The Conversation You’ve Been Avoiding (Initial post due Thursday, response posts due Sunday)
- Assignment Submission: Leadership Portfolio Entry 4: My Supervision Commitments; Week 4 Assignment: Leadership in Practice – Social Work Supervision Interview
Week 5
Leading People: Values, Power, Inclusion, and Well-Being
- Required Readings and Multimedia: as assigned
- Discussions: Week 5 Leadership Lab: Who Carries the Weight? (Initial Post Due Thursday, Responses Due Sunday)
- Assignment Submission: Leadership Portfolio Entry 5: When My Values Cost Me Something
Week 6
Collaboration, Adaptive Leadership, and Organizational Assessment
- Required Readings and Multimedia: as assigned
- Discussion: None
- Assignments: Leadership Portfolio Entry 6: My Response to Uncertainty; Harmony Haven SWOT Analysis
Week 7
Feedback
- Required Readings and Multimedia: as assigned
- Discussion: None
- Assignment Submission: Leadership Portfolio Entry 7: My Courageous Leadership Philosophy; Week 7 Assignment: Elevating Harmony Haven – Leadership Consultation
Week 8
Agency Assessment Report and Presentation
- Required Readings and Multimedia: as assigned
- Discussions: Final Leadership Lab: Now You’re the Leader
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Social Work page
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
- Social Work Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/social-work/
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
Students should notify their student success team member and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week
Phone: Mon-Fri: (207) 602-2487
After Hours/Weekends: 1-877-518-4673
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
Career Ready Program
The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!
The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.
Policies
Essential Academic and Technical Standards
Please review the essential academic and technical standards of the University of New England School Social Work (SSW): https://online.une.edu/social-work/academic-and-technical-standards-une-online-ssw/
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.
Artificial Intelligence Use Policy
The MSW program acknowledges that using generative AI can be both helpful and potentially harmful in scholarly writing. It is unclear at this time what the impact of AI use might have on the ability to be published or engage in scholarly platforms. In alignment with UNE’s stance on AI use, the Program encourages students to acclimate themselves to ethical and appropriate use of AI. Students are required to disclose the use of AI for all assignments in the program during submission through citation (in alignment with many scholarly publications and CSWE) and publication notes. Assignments in the MSW program that require the use of generative AI will be labeled as such, with specific instructions. The use of AI for discussion posts is never permitted (including, but limited to, Grammarly) as discussion forums are meant to mimic live conversations. Students who are suspected of generative AI use, without citation, will be asked to have a conversation with their instructor to discuss AI use and to share their process and/or demonstrate their process. Failure to do so will result in a zero on the assignment.
Publication Note Example: Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the writing process. Please outline the tool used (name, version, company), purpose, and confirm human review.
Graduation Requirements
Students with less than a GPA of 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students must successfully complete all courses with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 prior to graduation and fulfill all curriculum requirements.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Confidentiality Statement
Student and faculty participation in this course will be governed by standards in the NASW Code of Ethics relating to confidentiality in sharing information from their placement sites and practice experiences. Students should be aware that personal information they choose to share in class, class assignments or conversations with faculty does not have the status of privileged information.
Late Policy
Individual Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction from the total points per day for the late submission. After three days, the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% per day grade reduction from the total discussion grade. Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Group or Partner Assignments: Assignments that require partner or group work are expected to be turned in on time. Late group or partner assignments will not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with the course faculty. If you are having difficulties connecting with your partner or group members, it is your responsibility to connect with the course faculty for support. If a group member or partner does not complete their section of the project by the deadline, they will receive a 0. This will not impact the other group members/partner’s grade.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Attendance Policy
6- to 8-week courses: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
10+ -week courses: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your Enrollment and Retention Counselor if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. Tuition charges may still apply. Students are strongly urged to consult with Student Financial Services, as course withdrawals may affect financial aid or Veterans benefits.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.