Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSW 618 Homelessness

Credits - 3

Description

Homelessness is one of the most complex and intractable problems facing our communities today. Recent census data shows that at least 800,000 people can be homeless on any given day in the United States and at least 2.3 million people will experience homelessness at some time during an average year. Of that total, about half, or between 900,000 and 1.4 million, will be children who are homeless along with their families. The impact of homelessness on the individual and families is painful and traumatic. Responding to the needs of those who become homeless forms part of the core mission of many, if not most, human service organizations in our community. Addressing the problem of homelessness has become a priority in our national and state agendas and social workers often confront homelessness in a variety of practice contexts. For example, studies of young adults transitioning from the foster care system have shown that perhaps as many as 40% or more of those discharged from the foster care system will experience homelessness within the first five years following their discharge from placement. Similarly, approximately half of the typical emergency shelter population has a history of either some form of mental illness or substance abuse. The practice skills and competencies needed by social workers to be effective working within these multiple and complex practice contexts are varied and requires knowledge of community stakeholders, program models and their service delivery systems as well as the diversity of client systems.   

This course explores the complex issues surrounding homelessness from multiple perspectives. From the perspective of the “lived experience” of homelessness and from the perspective of social policy, i.e. in terms of its historical, cultural, economic, political and legislative contexts. The course begins by putting a “face” on homelessness and defining homelessness in terms of demographic trends that distinguish different homeless subpopulations, e.g., “chronically homeless.” The course then examines homelessness by looking at key policy and legislative actions such as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act that authorized funding for many if not most of the homeless services currently available in this country. Next, the course looks at the various types of program interventions and models currently being used to address homelessness, including emergency shelters, supportive housing and “rapid re-housing” models. In this same context, the course looks at the way homeless services are organized at the community level, the core agencies that provide coordination, oversight and accountability among various service providers and defines the service delivery network. Finally, the course looks at homelessness from a theoretical perspective and explores the way in which social theories such as “resiliency” have influenced the design and evaluation of homeless services using concepts of “vulnerability”, “self-sufficiency” and “risk.”

Written assignments include an analysis of the “Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness” adopted by their local town or state and prepare a final paper describing homelessness in their own community. In addition, students are required to prepare a five minute video presentation of a “testimony” prepared for a legislative hearing on some topic concerning homelessness. Finally, students consider the implications for social work practice and prepare an “advocacy plan” that details next steps they will take to pursue advocacy issues beyond the course and make their own impact upon homelessness.

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:

Through the completion of their assignments, students will be able to:

• Explain the issues associated with homelessness.
• Use relevant research findings and evaluation methods that suggest best practices in working with people who are homeless.
• Explain the structure and rationale which accompanies contemporary conceptions of social needs.
• Recognize the impact of political, economic, and cultural factors upon homelessness.
• Analyze specific concepts of social welfare services for people who are homeless.
• Evaluate the service delivery network that coordinates and integrates program effort as well as monitoring, planning and evaluating the overall effectiveness of community services that address homelessness.

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: reading materials, podcasts, videos and interactive lectures.

Readings and Multimedia

Description: This course includes extensive reading materials as well as some videos and other materials.

Discussions

Description: The course uses a policy framework to explore the phenomenon of homelessness along multiple dimensions and through this lens view the complexities of homelessness from a variety of perspectives, i.e., from the “lived experience” of homelessness, from the perspective of its historical, cultural, economic and political contexts, and from the various policy, legislative and judicial contexts that fund homeless services, determine their priorities and hold the system accountable. Discussion topics each week are framed around these dimensions.

Grading and Feedback Method: Grading and feedback methods are listed with each specific discussion assignment. Please refer to the rubrics provided in each Learning Modules and Discussion Boards for more information. The course facilitator will return any assignments and other grading items (discussion boards, participation, etc.) to students within three days of the assignment due date. The course facilitator will provide weekly feedback about participation and performance no later than four days after the learning module closes. Feedback can be via email, within the assignment itself, or using the Feedback column in the gradebook.

Writing Assignments, Projects, and Assessments

Discussions

Description:  Class Participation 18% of final grade, up to 30 points are possible weekly (over 6 weeks).

Committee Testimony: Video Presentation & Critique

You will prepare a brief, but focused, 5-7 minute video (and an accompanying text (transcript) of that video) in which you will present “expert” testimony in the context of a legislative committee hearing on homelessness.

The focus for this presentation will be on some aspect of homelessness of your choosing, but it should be based upon your written assignment “Homelessness and its impact on my community”. You can use all or part of the paper as the basis of your presentation, however, the video presentation needs to focus on one of the following:

• Awareness of homelessness and the extent of the problem and community need.
• Policy, legislative, or judicial issues that impact homelessness.
• The types of program models or interventions that address homelessness.
• Community organization of services and the community issues that have an impact on homelessness.
• Emerging theories that should be considered when designing or implementing homeless services.

Peer Critique

You will be graded on both the video and the feedback you will provide. In your feedback, follow the guidelines, make suggestions for improvement, and point out strong points and areas the presenter needs to expand. You are expected to complete 3 critiques, including self-assessment, in a timely fashion.

Description: 

Analysis of Local Plan to End Homelessness in your Community

Critique the Ten Year Plan for your community. To complete the assignment you will need to either find the Ten Year Plan online for your community or you can download the sample Ten Year Plan for New Haven, CT. To find the Plan for your community, try conducting a web search or contact your local or regional Community Development Office for a copy of the Plan. To help guide you through the Plan, it is also advisable that you contact the Chairperson of the local “Continuum of Care” to obtain their perspective and insights into the unique issues facing your local community or region.

Reflection Paper “Homelessness and its Impact on My Community” (Paper)

In this course you will prepare and submit a written paper that discusses some aspect of homelessness in your community. In it, you will describe homelessness in your local community. “Community” here is defined as your own city or town or your local region, e.g., “lower Fairfield County”.

Your paper should describe homelessness within your community along the multiple dimensions of homelessness we explore through our class discussions and presentations, e.g., general characteristics of homeless population, history, policy and legislative issues, program interventions, your own conclusions and your own summary evaluation of homeless services in your community. Try to be as specific as possible. To support your conclusions and add depth to your arguments, be certain to provide relevant data and evidence whenever possible and use citations where appropriate. The assignment should be six to seven pages in length.

Next Steps and Final Reflection (Discussion Post)

You will  summarize your learning over the past seven weeks and state what you think to be the implications for practice and what your next steps should be as an advocate for the homelessness in your community. Your journal entries and the readings this week should serve as your primary resources for this assignment.

Weekly Journal (7 weeks)

You will keep a journal log and each week make an entry into the log that captures your own thoughts and reflections about the material covered in the class and our class discussions. What are the issues and challenges to homelessness? How do these issues impact upon your own community?

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

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