Syllabus

Master of Social Work

Social Welfare Policy and Programs II – Spring 2016

Credits - 3

Description

Social Policy and Programs is a two-semester foundation course (SSW 505 and SSW 506). Together with HBSE I & II, Social Policy and Programs I (Policy I) & II (Policy II) are constructed as “theory for practice” courses. Throughout these courses, various theoretical frameworks will be discussed. These frameworks will be applied to policy development, implementation and evaluation vis-a-vis health and social service delivery systems. Policy I is designed to help students understand the relationship between policy and professional social work practice. This course will explore the development of social work and social welfare policy within a framework that analyzes the conditions that influence policy development and implementation at the federal, state, municipal, and community level, especially in relation to policies that address health and human services. Drawing upon the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the University of New England School of Social Work Vision defines health as physical, emotional, social and spiritual well-being of the individual and society. 

Policy I course examines social welfare policy and practice with a primary focus on the role professional Social Work plays in the development, implementation and evaluation of social welfare policy and the impact social welfare policy has on professional Social Work practice. Policy II presents the opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and skills for advocacy practice, policy development, and policy evaluation either at the Federal, state, municipal, or community level. This examination also includes how social policies are funded and how they affect the lives of people, organizations and communities. This course provides an historical overview of social welfare policy and Social Work as a profession. Course content includes the values and ideologies that informed the evolution of Social Work and social welfare and the contradictions that have historically plagued them. The impact of social movements and political action on social welfare policy will be discussed, including policy advocacy and social protest. Social Work history will be explored from its 17th through 19th century origins to its 20th and 21st century controversies. This course focuses on how systemic oppression and social justice emerge in social welfare policy and community settings. Professional Social Work ethics, which require social workers to engage in advocacy practice that promotes social justice, equity, and equality will be examined, as will the potential for the profession to be used as an agent of social control. 

At the conclusion of this sequence, students will have: 1) advanced understanding of the relationship between social welfare policy and social work practice; 2) skills to analyze social welfare and engage in advocacy practice; 3) clearer understanding of the interplay among various environments and health and human services policies, practices and programs; and 4) developed an understanding of how to relate their theory for practice to policy practice. 

This course description is the same for SSW 505. 

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:

1. Practice social inclusion to enable people, populations, and communities to fully participate in society, enhance human bonds in the context of cultural diversity and ensure improved quality of life and equitable resource distribution. EPAS Competencies 2 & 3
2. Engage in culturally-informed relationship building, being respectful of the complexity and diversity of contexts and circumstances. EPAS Competencies 3 & 6
3. Utilize theories of human behavior, social systems and social inclusion when offering interventions with people and their environments. EPAS Competency 8
4. Promote ethical reflection, critical consciousness and shared decision-making based in social work values and with consideration of the broader contexts of the world in which we live. EPAS Competency 1
5. Balance the roles of helpers, activists, and advocates through collaboration with communities to build healthy and sustainable resources. EPAS Competencies 2, 5, & 6
6. Engage as critical consumers and producers of research as it relates to assessment, intervention and evaluation of clinical and community practices. EPAS Competencies 4, 7, 8 & 9
7. Practice person-centered and collaborative community partnerships across diverse settings. EPAS Competency 6

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course (SSW-506 and previous fulfillment of SSW-505), students will: 

1. Provide critical understanding of social worker profession’s historical development in the context of inequitable societal structures, which contribute to the inequitable distribution of resources, and societal structures the impact upon the health and well-being of individuals.
2. Increase students’ understanding the historical role social work has played in the political arena.
3. Enhance students’ knowledge about legislative and political action at the federal, state, municipal, and community levels.
4. Utilize critical theory to formulate and gather evidence-based research to analyze develop, and influence social policies.
5. Generate an understanding of the impact of social welfare policy on the health (physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being) of individuals and society.
6. Integrate values, knowledge, and professional skills to create empowering, collaborative, sustainable, and health-promoting relationships with client systems to affect policy development and advocacy.
7. Understand the impact of structural and interpersonal inequities and discrimination occurring in individuals’ lives and their effect on social work practice, policy practice, and policy advocacy.
8. Understand the value base of the profession as the foundation for its ethical standards and principles in the development of policy and engagement in policy advocacy.
9. Provide a critical analysis of the impact of social welfare policy and advocacy to understand human development and behavior from a life course perspective including similar and differential challenges faced across the life span.
10. Provide an understanding of social movements as a form of grass roots policy and program development.
11. Apply knowledge of planned change across diverse populations and within economic, social and political contexts to social work practice at all system levels.
12. Function as leaders and activists for social change, equitable social structures, and health promoting practices across service delivery systems.
13. To motivate students to engage in policy development and advocacy to improve the health of individuals and society.
14. Utilize social change strategies to combat and dismantle barriers to human dignity and to advocate for resource equity and social justice.
15. Critically evaluate and apply research findings to policy practice and advocacy with systems of all sizes, including students’ own policy interventions. 

Educational Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of these courses (SSW-506 and previous fulfillment of SSW-505), students will demonstrate an ability to:

1. Analyze the inequities of existing social, political, economic and cultural institutions and relationships on policy development.
2. Apply the professional values and ethics in policy practice and advocacy, demonstrating an awareness of historical and contemporary professional developments.
3. Identify and critically evaluate the relationship between social work values, UNDHR, and social welfare policies.
4. Understand and analyze social welfare policy within a historical perspective and a political framework.
5. Systematically analyze social welfare policies and programs, with attention to their manifest and latent functions.
6. Evaluate the impact of social policies on the health of individuals and society.
7. Critically evaluate the impact of Federal, state, municipal and community policy, and policy advocacy to understand human development and behavior from a life course perspective including similar and differential challenges faced across the life span.
8. Appreciate the role of social movements to affect policy change.
9. Provide leadership through policy practice and advocacy at the Federal, state, municipal, or community level to impact policy development and implementation.
10. Provide leadership for social change, equitable social structures, and health promoting practices across service delivery systems.
11. Describe strategies and techniques that are effective tools for researching, organizing, lobbying, advocating, campaigning and working as a legislator.
12. Plan and engage in social change across diverse populations and within economic, social and political contexts in social work practice at all system levels.
13. Apply research findings to policy practice and advocacy with systems of all sizes, including the student’s own policy interventions.
14. Use applied and evidence-based knowledge to the evaluation and development of social welfare policy and engage in policy advocacy.

Assignments

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: 

Readings and Multimedia: 

Description: This course will use an array of readings from textbooks, journal articles, podcasts, Web-based materials, and videos to present the important concepts in the various modules. The readings and multimedia provide the foundation and background for discussion opportunities and assignments relevant to each module’s content.

 Discussions: 

Description: An important learning method in this course is student participation and interaction in the discussion threads within each module. Students are expected to participate actively and in a respectful manner. Please refer to Course Policies about participation for a full discussion of expectations. 

Grading and Feedback Method: 

Grading and feedback methods are listed with each specific discussion assignment. Please refer to the Learning Modules and Discussion Boards for more information. 

Weekly Grading and Feedback: The course facilitator will return assignments and other grading items (discussion boards, participation, etc.) to students within three days of the assignment due date. The course facilitator will provide weekly feedback about participation and performance no later than four days after the learning module closes. Feedback can be via email, within the assignment itself, or using the Feedback column in the gradebook.

Writing Assignments, Projects, and Assessments: 

Description: The course will engage students in a variety of learning activities to support the learning objectives. This course offers you an opportunity to engage in policy advocacy practice, an effort to change policies in legislative, agency and community settings whether by recommending the establishment of new policies, improving existing ones or challenging the policy initiatives of other people. You will accomplish by working in small task groups composed of other students who share a similar commitment to a specific social problem. Learning activities for each module include the following: lectures by your instructor; reading assignments from the course texts, journal articles, newspapers and web-based material; web-based films; and weekly discussion opportunities relevant to each module’s content.  

Grading Policy

The School of Social Work uses the following grading system for all courses with the exception of field education courses. Students are expected to maintain a “B” (3.0) average over the course of their study. Students with less than a GPA of 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 in order to receive their Master’s Degree.

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignments	Point Value	Percentage of final grade
Learning Log and Summary (20 points each week)	20 pts x 8 weeks = 160	16%
Discussions (30 points each week as Participation)	30 pts x 8 weeks = 240	24%
Policy Advocacy Project: Community Presentation (Web Site Development)*	120 pts	12%
Policy Advocacy Project: Editorial*	120 pts	12%
Policy Advocacy Project: Advocacy Map	120 pts	12%
Policy Advocacy Project: Policy Brief*	120 pts	12%
Policy Advocacy Project: Correspondence With Legislators/Public*	120 pts	12%

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