Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSW 611 – Domestic Violence

Credits - 3

Description

“Violence against women and girls is perpetuated in every country in the world. This occurs in situations of peace and conflict. However, the state agents and private actors responsible are not held to account… While the international and regional communities have established standards to prevent, punish, and eradicate violence and discrimination against women, many states have yet to take the steps necessary to implement these standards in domestic legislation and practices… We highlight the fact that women who have been subjected to violence and discrimination generally lack access to effective judicial protection and remedies. Strategies must be implemented that involve law reform, and in particular reform of the criminal justice system. Training is required for policy makers, police, judges and prosecutors. There must also be provision of legal, medical and psychological counseling and adequate social services for victims. States should use the education system and awareness-raising campaigns aimed at the general public to assist them in implementing international standards at the national level.” (Joint Declaration of the Special Rapporteurs on Women’s Rights, March 8, 2002, http://www.cidh.org/women/declaration.women.htm, retrieved: 5/2/11.)

Social workers in all fields of practice will encounter individuals whose lives are affected by Intimate Partner Violence/Domestic Violence (IPV/DV). This course will increase students’ understanding this complex issue. Any discussion of IPV/DV must include an examination of the societal values that contribute to violence in the home. The intersectionality of race, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion and class will be examined for their impact on victims/survivors, children and individuals who abuse their partners. Best practices in IPV/DV work will include screening/assessment, empowering interventions, safety planning, recognizing both the traumatic effects of DV on children as well as supports for resilience, evaluating mental health interventions/therapeutic modalities that are contra-indicated, accountability for the abuser, and the importance of inter-professional collaboration with other systems (e.g., medical, mental health, criminal justice system, etc.). IPV/DV requires that social workers engage in social justice advocacy to address institutional barriers for victims/survivors their children and individuals who abuse their partners. Students will develop skills in screening/assessment tools for working with survivors and individuals who abuse their partners. Current practices in the field of IPV/DV such as using Risk Assessments with individuals who batter in place of traditional mental health assessments will be reviewed as well as the requirements of ‘Duty to Warn.’ Students will develop skills in using empowerment practice models such as survivor therapy in working with survivors, which will include safety planning and advocacy skills with systems. Ethical practices for social workers’ engaged in providing services to victims/survivors and individuals who abuse their partners will be reviewed.

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

During this course, students will:

1. Obtain a depth of background knowledge, scope, history, and social context of IPV/DV
2. Explore multiple resources for assessment of clients who are affected by IPV/DV, either as perpetrators/abusers or survivors
3. Explore best practices for engaging with clients of all kinds
4. Be exposed to many intervention strategies for working with clients affected by IPV/DV
5. Learn about safety planning for clients who are experiencing IPV/DV
6. Become familiar with cultural issues that may affect a client’s perspective on IPV/DV
7. End the course with an informed perspective of the many complexities of IPV/DV, including societal collusion, cultural mores, effects on children.

Course Outcomes

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

1. Practice social inclusion by working towards supporting individuals and communities of diverse cultural backgrounds in improving the quality of their life through best practices in IPV and addressing the barriers to resources to enhance safety and accountability.
2. Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior in work with clients by use of self-reflection and self-regulation in managing personal values and maintaining professionalism in practice situations with victims/survivors, children and individuals who abuse their partners. (EPAS # 1)
3. Critically choose and implement best practices in IPV to assess and intervene, with victims/survivors and individuals who abuse their partners. (EPAS # 7)
4. Develop skills in interprofessional collaboration to negotiate, mediate, and advocate on behalf of victims/survivors and their children to achieve beneficial practice outcomes. (EPAS # 8)

Assignments

Learning Activities

A variety of learning activities is designed to support the course objectives, facilitate different learning styles, and build a community of learners. Learning activities for each week include the following:

Readings and Multimedia

This course will use an array of readings, website resources, and videos to present the important concepts in the various weeks. The readings and media resources provide the foundation and background for student discussion threads, the reflection journal and other written assignments.

Discussions

An important learning method in this course is student participation and interaction in the discussion threads within each week. Students are expected to participate actively and in a respectful manner. Please refer to participation rubric in the course for expectations.

Writing Assignments, Projects, and Assessments

You will have two case study assignments that add up to half of your overall grade. You will submit the first case study assignment in Week 4. You will complete a draft of your second case study paper by Week 5 so you may submit it for peer review from the members of your small group. You will then turn in your paper with a summary of the input from your group colleagues by the end of Week 7. 

Additionally, there are two reflective journal posts in this course.

Finally, in one week, there is too much reading to expect any one student to be able to finish on his or her own. In Week 7, therefore, you will be assigned to pick from a pool of readings and write a Literature Review of your selections, to be shared with your groupmates. As each of your groupmates will also be submitting a literature review of their own, you will be able to refer to their work and they to yours to gain a more complete and thorough picture of the material than you would be able to do so on your own.

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 Grade
Participation	280 points (40 points x 7 weeks)	28%
First Case Study Paper	250 points	25%
Second Case Study Paper and Summary of Feedback	270 points + 50 points = 320 points	32%
Reflective Journals	150 points (75 points x 2)	15%
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