Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSW 565 Administration & Supervision

Credits - 3

Description

Administration and Supervision (SSW 565) will focus on nonprofit organizations and other systems to examine administrative roles within the context of competing organizational values. Various types of leadership will be explored and applied to practice at the organization and individual levels in order to support students’ development of administrative and supervisory skills that can be employed in professional social work practice. Students will be prepared to engage in social work practice as leaders of sustainable, equitable, and diverse programs, organizations, and systems that promote social inclusion and create change.

WCHP Core Values: Collaboration, Leadership, Critical Thinking

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, students will:

1. Understand and apply principles of social inclusion and other relevant professional standards in the leadership of sustainable, equitable and diverse human service organizations and other complex systems. Program Outcomes 1, 5
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the significance of social work supervision in terms of history, working definition, purpose and its relevance to professional social work practice and apply appropriate theoretical supervision models in various social work practice settings. Program Outcome 3
3. Demonstrate advanced knowledge to articulate the concept of transformative and other leadership styles in a multitude of non-profit settings. Program Outcome 7
4. Analyze and evaluate the impact of policies and social contexts on the leadership and administration of human service organizations and other complex systems and the resulting impact on client populations. Program Outcome 6
5. Possess an understanding of the basic functions of the management, leadership, supervisory and team roles in administrative practice, i.e. planning, monitoring, controlling and organizing, and utilize self-reflection to identify their social work identity. Program Outcome 4

Accreditation Standards Addressed: Council on Social Work Education Educational and Practice Standards (EPAS)

• Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior (EPAS 1)
• Advance Human Rights and Social, and Environmental Justice (EPAS 3)
• Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research Informed Practice (EPAS 4)
• Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities (EPAS 9)

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:

Discussions – 40%

Every week, students will be required to participate in one or more discussions for which instructions will be provided. Some of these discussions will be done in small groups as a way for students to work as a designated task team to develop advanced practice skills in coordination, collaboration, facilitation, presentation and leadership. Online instructor feedback will be conducted throughout the term to assess the student’s engagement in and contributions to the discussions.

Reading Group Synopsis – 10%

Over the course of four weeks, you will be delegated specific journal articles to read and write a synopsis to share with classmates. The instructions are as follows:

Step One: The strategy you will employ is similar to a “reading group” and the method for how readings are delegated is up to you. As a group you should determine how the “synopsis reading group” articles listed in any given module will be delegated. It should be fair and equitable throughout the duration of this course. Once that is determined, the person assigned to a particular article will prepare a one-page synopsis and post it to that week’s group discussion forum.

Step Two: Synopsis Format:  All synopses should include the following and be no longer than one, single-sided, double-spaced page with one-inch margins in Times New Roman 12-point font. The key ingredients of your synopses are your critical analysis of the reading content and its applicability to program development and community practice.

1. All of the standard information (e.g., author, date, source, etc.)
2. What are three key pieces of leadership or administrative practice information you gained from this reading?
3. How does this new information shape, affect or help you understand your Guiding Values or Theories of Practice?
4. How does this new information help you dismantle barriers to social inclusion?
5. How will you use this information in your leadership or administrative practice?

Step Three: If you have been delegated an article, your synopsis should be posted to the appropriate discussion forum by Saturday at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Step Four: Everyone must read all synopses and respond to at least one of these postings to (1) provide commentary, and (2) ask questions that will lead to a greater understanding of the article content. Responses to one classmate’s synopsis are due by the end of the module. Please consider providing a response within a timeframe that would allow for your classmate to respond to any questions you may pose.

Assignment One – 30%: Identifying Your Leadership & Supervisory Style

Throughout this course many of the leadership roles are examined, including those of supervisor, project or program manager, executive director, and many more. As advanced practice social workers many of you will be asked to take on any of these varying leadership roles during your professional career.

Drawing on outside sources, self-reflection, and an interview with a social work leader in the field, write a 5-page paper that identifies:

• Who you interviewed for the assignment and why, i.e., your interest in the leadership or supervisory roles they have held or currently hold; what leadership qualities you observed in them prior to the assignment; and if your understanding of their role and qualities changed or stayed the same after the interview.
• Referring to leadership literature and course readings develop questions to ask in the interview.
• The leadership and supervisory model(s) that you prefer.
• How you anticipate you will apply this model(s) in your own social work practice in your role as supervisor, manager, and/or leader.
• Self-reflection and assessment on why this model(s) suits you, including any past experiences you have had either in the role of supervisor, manager, or leader or as an employee or volunteer.
• What you learned from the interview that you will or will not use in your own practice and/or is similar to your preferred supervisory and leadership style.

Final Assignment 20%: Case Study Student Reflection 

Throughout this course we will be following the two stories shared in the text Stories of Transformative Leadership in the Human Services which challenges students to develop insight, strategies, and leadership skills to work in and across the different quadrants identified in the Competing Values Framework. Referring to these stories, online discussion, course readings, and class activities, provide a 5-page reflection, including your understanding of CVF and its relevance to social work practice. Additionally, assume you have taken a job at the organization highlighted in Part I of the text and have been asked by the board to provide some recommendations on how the organization should move forward. What are your recommendations? Finally, share your predictions for the program.

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

Assignment	Point Value	Percentage of total grade
Discussion Participation	400 points (35 pts for group discussions and 24 pts for whole class discussions each)	40%
Reading Analysis Summaries – All Weeks Combined	100 points (25 pts x 4 weeks)	10%
Module Five Identifying your Leadership and Supervisory Style	300 points	30%
Module Eight Final Paper	200 points	20%
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