Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSW 571 – Social Work Practice with Groups – Summer 2016

Credits - 3

Description

Social Work Practice with Groups (SSW 571) teaches the conceptual base, professional values, ethics, and practice skills of social group work. Emphasizing social work with groups as integrative practice, this course encompasses the continuum from therapy groups to task-oriented groups. Course content highlights the health promoting, empowerment, and relational aspects of social group work and its potential for mutual aid, community building, and social justice. The use of groups to achieve individual and social change goals is emphasized. Group dynamics and development will be assessed with attention to agency, community, cultural, and societal contexts. This course emphasizes ethical group work practice and evidence-based group approaches. Group work with diverse populations and the use of groups with client populations experiencing the structural and personal impacts of inequity and cultural oppression is a unifying course theme.

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

WCHP Core Values: 

Compassion

Collaboration

Leadership

Critical Thinking

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Identify theoretical, evidenced-based models utilized by social workers in social work group practice which emphasize and support member resiliency and mutuality. (Program Outcome #6, EPAS #4)
2. Utilize critical thinking and practice knowledge in relation to a range of group approaches including therapy groups, mutual aid groups, activity groups, social action groups, interdisciplinary health teams and administrative groups. (Program Outcome #3, #4, EPAS Competencies #4)
3. Apply leadership skills and roles around decision making, problem solving and conflict resolution techniques to enhance relationships in social work groups. (Program Outcome #1, #2, #3, #4, EPAS #4, #6, #8)
4. Apply group facilitation skills to practice with members of populations characterized by cultural oppression resulting from societal inequities. (Program Outcome #1, EPAS Competencies #2, #6)
5. Demonstrate knowledge of stage models of group development and the worker’s role in promoting healthy group functioning, growth, relationships and social change. (Program Outcome #1, #3, EPAS Competencies #7)

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 provides you with several different types of materials to enhance your understanding and knowledge of group work. There are lectures, websites, a film, case studies, podcasts of interviews with macro practitioners, reading assignments, and of course, discussion forums. The course also involves students in small tasks groups where they will have an opportunity to practice and reflect upon skills learned in this course.

Discussions:

Description: The discussion forums required in SSW 571 spring from the content you will cover in this course from week to week. These forum posts should demonstrate the assimilation of the material covered during that particular week and from previous weeks or previous course. There are also specific recurring forums that occur weekly and solely for the discussion by your group regarding the project assignments.

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.

Writing Assignments, Projects, and Assessments:

Description: SSW 571 involves experiential learning by requiring that key assignments be a collective effort. During the eight week course, you and group members will develop a website that could be used by facilitators who work with specific populations. This course also requires a weekly postings to the Literature Review discussion forum and  Reflective Journals.

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 the final grade
Discussion Participation	320 points (40 points * 8 weeks)	32%
Task Group Project	360 points	36%
Weekly Portfolio (Reflective Journals and Literature Review)	320 points (40 points * 8 weeks)	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