Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSW 510 – Social Work Practice I

Credits - 3

Description

Social Work Practice (SSW 510 & SSW 511) is a two-semester foundation course. Social Work Practice II (SSW 511) builds on students’ understanding of generalist social work practice, beginning with the planned change process within larger systems and moving into integrative multilevel practice. The theoretical framework of this course is based on empowering and organizational change theories for practice, informed by the core social work values of self-determination, diversity, human dignity and social justice. Students are encouraged to critically examine knowledge and to develop skills for culturally attuned practice. Students are exposed to tenets of evidence-guided practice utilized within larger systems. Students learn and apply skills for change with and within organizations and communities including assessment and planned change strategies. Practice skill development on all systems levels values people’s strengths, supports and enhances individual and collective self-determination and influences social systems to promote human rights to health, equitable distribution of resources and social justice.

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

Learner Characteristics

Students taking this class will have completed the SSW 501 and SSW 502 in the traditional track.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. Engage in ethical reflection and critical consciousness within the context of the values of the social work profession. Program Objective 4 (Assessed in Assignment 2, Mutual Goal Setting Paper
2. Demonstrate self-reflective practice that includes awareness and integration of personal, professional, social, economic, political, and cultural forces that promote and/or impede social inclusion and compassionate client-centered practice. Program Objective 1 (Assessed in Assignment 1 and 2, Goal Setting Paper and Group Observation Assignment)
3. Facilitate change with individuals, families, and communities at all systems levels, using empowering and reflexive theories of practice to:
   1. foster health-promoting client-worker alliances,
   2. conduct client-centered and resiliency based assessments,
   3. create collaborative community partnerships for client-driven service delivery, and
   4. apply principles of evidence-guided and client-centered practice evaluation. Program Objective 3 and 7 (Assessed in Assignment 3, Strengths Oriented Assessment Paper)

Accreditation Standards Addressed:

Council on Social Work Education Educational and Practice Standards (EPAS) (Also See Program and Course Objectives Above)

• Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior (EPAS 1)
• Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice (EPAS 2)
• Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities (EPAS 6)
• Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities ( EPAS 7)

Assignments

Learning Activities

A variety of learning activities 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

This course will use an array of readings, podcasts, and videos to present the important concepts in the various modules. The readings and media sources provide the foundation and background for student discussion threads, the portfolio assignment, and written assignments.

Discussions

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.

Writing Assignments, Projects, and Assessments

You will have three major writing assignments in this course: In Week 3, you will submit a Group Observation Paper. In Week 4, you will submit your Engagement, Relationship Building and Mutual Goal Setting Paper to your group members for their feedback. You will then turn in Engagement, Relationship Building and Mutual Goal Setting Paper with a summary of the input from your group colleagues in Week 5. Your final Strengths-Oriented Assessment Paper will be turned in during Module 7. In addition, you will have weekly discussion questions to answer and discuss with your peers.

Due Dates: Due dates for all learning activities are provided in the Course Schedule.

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 the Final Grade
Participation	240 points (30 points x 8 weeks)	24%
Group Observation Paper	160 points	16%
Engagement, Relationship Building and Mutual Goal Setting Paper	280 points	28%
Strengths-Oriented Assessment Paper	320 points	32%
Total	1,000 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