Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSW 628 The Use of Creative Arts in Social Work Practice

Credits - 3

Description

This advanced elective course explores the current and potential uses of the arts in social work practice, including music, theatre, literature, art, poetry, movement, and dance. Participants will explore the application of creative arts in three main areas relevant to social work practice:

• Promoting and enhancing self‐awareness and personal growth for the professional social worker;
• Identifying and tapping into clients’ personal and interpersonal strengths and resources through direct practice with clients; and
• Encouraging social awareness, public dialogue and social change.

Students will be exposed to and will experiment with a range of methods of artistic expression and their applications to practice. An emphasis will be placed on experiential learning so that students will be prepared to apply their learning to professional growth and direct practice situations. Students will also be encouraged to identify and utilize their own creativity and develop innovative approaches to practice.

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, the student will be able to:

1. Employ creative arts in one’s micro social work practice that will deepen one’s self-awareness and elicit emotional and cognitive growth in individual and group therapy. Program Outcomes 1 and 3
2. Employ strategies for integrating creative arts in one’s macro social work practice in order to transform identity-based social position, exclusion, power, privilege and disadvantage. Program Outcomes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7
3. Evaluate the use of creative arts as interventions in the service delivery with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. Program Outcome 6

COURSE EXPECTATIONS:

Students will not need to have any particular artistic talent to attend this class. However, all students are encouraged to see themselves as having creative potential and to come prepared to explore and develop personal and collective creativity. Grading will not be based on artistic merit, but on how projects meet stated objectives of the course. Class participation is critical, and the content and process of this class will be greatly enhanced by consistent participation.

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:

Readings and Multimedia: This course will use an array of readings, websites, and videos to present the important concepts in the various modules. The readings and media resources provide the foundation and background for student discussion threads, the portfolio assignment, and written assignments.

Discussions (32%): 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.

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:

Movie Critique (20%): The assignment will be an analysis of an artist featured in a film. These films raise questions about the relationship between mental illness and creativity, the positive and negative aspects of becoming a celebrated artist, and how one’s family, culture and society impact one’s creative work.

Studio Assignment Portfolio and Reflection Journal (48%): You will have a portfolio assignment within each module. You will have the Studio Assignment,  which is a creative arts activity designed to give you hands-on experience, and a reflection on the process, the product of the Studio Assignment, and its connection to the course material for that module.

Grading and Feedback Method: Grading and feedback methods are listed with each assignment. Please refer to the Learning Modules for more information.

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 x 8 weeks)	32%
Critical Analysis of Film Portraying an Artist	200 points	20%
Studio Assignment Portfolio and Reflection Journal	480 (30 points for studio assignment and 30 points for reflection journal x 8 weeks)	48%
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