Syllabus
Master of Social Work
SSW 510 – Social Work Practice I
Credits - 3
Description
Social Work Practice I & II (Practice I & II; SSW 510/511) are two-semester, sequenced foundation courses. In Practice I students are introduced to clinical and community social work practice with specific focus on planned change, at every system level, implemented through collaborative relationships with clients, colleagues, and community partners. The theoretical framework of this course is based on empowering and relational theories for practice and concentrates on the integration and application of health-promoting knowledge, values, and skills that support and sustain client resiliency informed by the core social work values of self-determination, diversity, human dignity, social justice, and inclusion. Students are encouraged to critically examine knowledge and to develop skills for culturally attuned practice. Students are exposed to tenets of evidence-guided practice. Students learn and apply skills for health-promoting practice with individuals, families, and groups including assessment, engagement, interpersonal relationship building and intervention planning.
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.
WCHP Core Values:
- Compassion
- Collaboration
- Critical Thinking
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
- Engage in ethical reflection and critical consciousness within the context of the values of the social work profession. Program Outcome 4 (Assessed in Assignment 1)
- 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 Outcome 1 (Assessed in Assignment 1 and 2)
- Facilitate change with individuals, families, and communities at all systems levels, using empowering and reflexive theories of practice to:
- foster health-promoting client-worker alliances,
- conduct client-centered and resiliency based assessments,
- integrate trauma-informed principles of care
- create collaborative community partnerships for client-driven service delivery, and
- apply principles of evidence-guided and client-centered practice evaluation.
Program Outcomes 3 and 7 (Assessed in Assignment 3)
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 assignments in this course:
In Week 2, you will submit your Critical Consciousness Paper (Assignment 1). This assignment requires a critical reflection upon how personal, professional, and cultural assumptions and knowledge influence social work practice. The majority of the paper must consist of your critical thinking, analysis, and self-reflection with relevant cited connections to the scholarly and course literature.
In Week 4, you will submit a Group Observation Checklist as a discussion post attachment and include your reflection to share with your group. (Assignment 2)
Your final paper is Part I: Engagement and Building Empowered Relationships for Change of the Multilevel Social Work Assessment and Change Paper and will be turned in during Module 7. This is the first part of a two-part assignment related to Assessment and Change. In this part, you describe how to build empowering relationships that are critical to any successful change process and in Practice II, you will complete the second-part of this Assessment and Change process by creating a comprehensive and collaborative “client-in-environment” assessment and detailed goals and plan for change. (Assignment 3)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion Contributions | 350 points (30 points x 8 weeks) | 35% |
| Group Observation Checklist and Discussion | 200 points | 20% |
| Critical Consciousness Paper | 200 points | 20% |
| Part I: Engagement and Building Empowered Relationships for Change of the Multilevel Social Work Assessment and Change Paper | 250 points | 25% |
| 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 |
Schedule
Course Dates: 01/04/17 – 02/26/17
All assignments are to be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on the dates listed below. Unless otherwise specified, all module discussions and assignments are due the last day of the module or unit week.
MODULE 1
Becoming a Social Worker – Relational and Reflexive Social Work Practice
Dates: 01/04/17 – 01/10/17
- Required and Optional Readings and Multimedia: textbook and articles as assigned
- Discussions: Reflexive practice; Awareness of Self in Relation to Others
- Assignments: Introduction to all major course assignments
MODULE 2: Clinical Relationship and Multicultural Social Work Practice
Dates: 01/11/17 – 01/17/17
- Required and Recommended Readings and Multimedia: text, websites, videos, and articles as assigned
- Discussions: Case Study – Cultural Humility and Relational Cultural Theory (RCT); The Importance of Relationship
- Assignment submission: Critical Consciousness Paper
Module 3: Ethics in Multi-Level Social Work Practice
Dates: 01/18/17 – 01/24/17
- Required and Recommended Readings and Multimedia: text and other readings
- Discussions: Ethics Up Close and Personal; What Would You Do?
- Assignment Reminder: Group Observation Checklist due next week
Module 4: Social Work with Groups and Interprofessional Teams
Dates: 01/25/17 – 01/31/17
- Required and Recommended Readings: text and articles as assigned
- Discussions: Case Study Discussion – Lily; Group Observation Discussion
- Assignment Submission and Discussion: Group Observation Checklist
Module 5: Preparing for the First Interview/Meeting with Client(s)
Dates: 02/01/17 – 02/07/17
- Required and Optional Readings: text and articles as assigned
- Discussions: Reflecting on Assumptions; Case Study – Preparing for Client Meeting
- Assignment Reminder: Part I: Engagement and Building Empowered Relationships for Change Paper is due in Module 7
MODULE 6: Attending and Listening in Multicultural Social Work Practice
Dates: 02/08/17 – 02/14/17
- Required Readings and Multimedia: text and articles as assigned
- Discussions: Looking in the Mirror; Case Study – Attending and Listening with Rhonda
- Assignment Reminder: Part I: Engagement and Building Empowered Relationships for Change Paper due next week
MODULE 7: Support, Empathy, and Elaboration
Dates: 02/15/17 – 02/21/17
- Required Readings and Multimedia: text, video and articles as assigned
- Discussions: Case Study – Maintaining Empathy when Values Clash
- Assignment Submission: Part I: Engagement and Building Empowered Relationships for Change Paper
Module 8: Introduction to Social Work Practice with Communities
Dates: 02/22/17 – 02/26/17
- Required Readings and Multimedia: videos and readings as assigned
- Discussions: Course Takeaways; Case Study – Rhonda’s Community
Student Resources
Tips for Success
- The reading assignments present complex content that may be new to you. Please set aside time to have quiet, focused reading. It can also be helpful to outline the key concepts and definitions with the readings.
- The content within the course has been selected to provoke thoughtful, meaningful discussion. At times, this content may also raise personal issues for you – you may meet yourself in the readings or case presentations. This is not unusual in professional education; many chose to become social workers based on past personal experiences. As you become aware of issues, please remember you are a part of a learning community which is educationally focused. Be mindful of what you share with others. If you become overwhelmed personally with course content, please touch base with your instructor or academic advisor if necessary.
- You will be asked in your discussion boards to reflect on particular readings and/or multimedia. Reflection requires that you synthesize the material and place it in the context of your understand. Dialog with your fellow students will open new avenues or ideas that you may not have explored or thought about. Be open to “the new” – the “unknown.” Stretch!
- Do not wait until the end of the week to post to the discussion board. By posting early in the week, we as a class or small group have more time to delve deeper into the discussion threads.
- Do not be hesitant to ask questions! If you have a question or concern, contact the instructor. There is always the option of scheduling a phone meeting.
- Discussion postings are a reflection of the writer’s professionalism. Carefully proofread your post writing before posting it.
If your writing skills need polishing up, contact the Student Academic Success Center early in the term! - To create a learning community, we need to be able to take risks within a respectful and safe environment. Please be mindful of how you respond to others. Think about how your words will be received. Always use respectful communication.
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)
ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Policies
Late Policy
10 points will be deducted from assignments for each day they are late IF the instructor has not approved an extension in advance of the due date.
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.
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
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) 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% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
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.