Print

Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSW 633 Social Work Practice with Children, Adolescents and Families (IFG Advanced)

Credits - 3

Description

This advanced year elective focuses on integrating, expanding and applying knowledge and skills acquired in the foundation year to social work practice with children, adolescents, parents/caregivers and community partners across multilevel settings and with diverse populations. Course content begins with a focus on the influence of early childhood experiences and early brain development on outcomes for children from birth to adolescence. Students integrate social science research with practice models, and examine factors that offer the best course toward health-promoting outcomes for children and their families. They analyze how social and institutional policies, as well as distribution and access to social resources influence family health and well-being. Methods for building therapeutic relationships with children and adolescents across settings are examined as are specific child-centered techniques. The interdependency of children and families is used as a framework for students to explore the world of childhood through multiple lenses including those of the child, the parent/caregiver, social work professionals, and community partners charged with their care.

Materials

Required readings:

  • Boyd Webb, N. (2011). Social work practice with children (3rd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-60918-643-2

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. Demonstrates ethical and professional behavior.
  2. Advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.
  3. Engage in anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) in practice.
  4. Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
  5. Engage in policy practice.
  6. Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
  7. Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
  8. Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
  9. Evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of early childhood social science research, early brain development and adverse childhood experiences and their influence on children’s health including their social, emotional, relational and cognitive development; (Program Outcomes: 6)

  2. Demonstrate and apply knowledge of social policies and how they influence choice of practice models and interventions in practice with diverse adolescents, children and their families; (Program Outcomes: 1, 3)

  3. Articulate and apply of a range of theories for practice with children, adolescents and families that are relational and empowering, and recognize interdependent and systemic aspects of child/family-centered interventions; (Program Outcomes: 1, 3)

  4. Demonstrate ability to critically analyze theories and approaches used for child-centered assessments and interventions; (Program Outcomes: 4, 6)

  5. Demonstrate knowledge and skills for building partnerships with families that are collaborative, empowering, and sustaining; (Program Outcomes: 3, 5)

  6. Articulate and apply reflexive and decision-making knowledge and skills to examine ethical dilemmas that arise when working with the conflicting needs of children and adults within families, and also the conflicting goals and priorities of families and social institutions; (Program Outcomes: 4, 7)

  7. Demonstrate leadership and apply knowledge and skills for building community partnerships when working with children, adolescents and families across multi-level systems; (Program Outcomes: 5)

  8. Utilize Reflexivity including examination of belief systems, life experiences and assumptions that influence all aspects of practice with children, adolescents and families. (Program Outcomes: 1, 7)

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:

Description: Readings, case studies, films, websites, podcasts, and other multimedia learning activities will be used to illustrate theory, practice approaches, early childhood science and practice research findings, and social and institutional policies that impact child and family social work practice. Course readings reflect a range of theories and practice approaches for your consideration and critique. They were selected to prompt critical thinking and personal reflection as well to provide insight into evolving knowledge. Students are encouraged to explore the literature and share their new knowledge with each other.

Discussions:

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; citing from generally recognized academic reference sources to support main points and perspectives shared. Please refer to Course Policies for specific details on discussion participation expectations. refer to Course Policies about participation for a full discussion of expectations.

Assignments and Grading: 

Assignment requirements and grading rubrics are provided in the Learning Modules. Please refer to the Learning Modules for more information. 

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

AssignmentPoint ValuePercentage of Grade
Weekly Discussions400 points (50 points x 8 weeks)40%
Practice Cases180 points (45 points x 4 cases)18%
Complex Issues in Child-Centered Practice Paper170 points17%
Child-Focused Practice Paper250 points25%

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

Schedule

Course Dates: 05/04/16 – 06/26/16

All assignments are to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on the dates listed below. Please see the Discussion Participation Requirements section at the end of this Course Schedule for specific details and information regarding participation expectations. 

Student Resources Portal and Course Information to be reviewed prior to starting Module 1.

Module 1: Child & Family Practice: Research, Reflexivity & Relationship
Dates: 05/04/16 – 05/10/16

Readings and multimedia resources as assigned

Small Group Discussions: Initial posts due by Saturday, other responses due by Tuesday 

  • ACE Group Discussion
  • Building Relationships Group Discussion

Assignment Introductions:

  • Begin working on Complex Issues in Child-Centered Practice Paper – Due at the end of Module 4
  • Practice Papers – Overview, total of 4, first one due in Module 2

Module 2: Attachment: Learning to Love
Dates: 05/11/16 – 05/17/16

Readings and multimedia resources as assigned

Small Group Discussions: Initial posts due by Saturday, other responses by Tuesday

  • Practice with Children and Families Group Discussion
  • Shonkoff and Neurons to Neighborhood Group Discussion

Assignments: 

  • Submit Practice Case Assignment – Due at end of Module 2
  • Continue working on Complex Issues in Child-Centered Practice Paper – Due at the end of Module 4

Module 3: Child Welfare: Implications for Social Work Practice, Ethics and Policy Development
Dates: 05/18/16 – 05/24/16

Readings and multimedia resources as assigned

Small Group Discussions: Initial posts due by Saturday, other responses due by Tuesday

  • Ethical Dilemmas Group Discussion
  • Ties that Bind and Hurt Group Discussion

Assignments:

  • Submit Practice Case Assignment – Due at end of Module 3
  • Continue working on Complex Issues in Child-Centered Practice Paper – Due at the end of Module 4

Module 4: Child-Centered Assessments
Dates: 05/25/16 – 05/31/16

Readings and multimedia resources as assigned

Small Group Discussions: Initial posts due by Saturday, other responses due by Tuesday

  • Reflexive Practice Group Discussion
  • Dexter Case Study Group Discussion

Assignment Submission:

  • Submit Complex Issues in Child-Centered Practice Paper – Due Tuesday at end of Module 4

Module 5: Communication with Children & Families
Dates: 06/01/16 – 06/07/16

Readings and multimedia resources as assigned

Small Group Discussions: Initial posts due by Saturday, other responses due by Tuesday

  • Balancing Parental Participation Group Discussion
  • Greeting a Child for the First Time Group Discussion

Assignments:

  • Begin working on Child–Focused Practice Paper – Due Tuesday of during Module 7.

Module 6: Play Therapy
Dates: 06/08/16 – 06/14/16

Readings and multimedia resources as assigned

Small Group Discussions: Initial posts due by Saturday, other responses due by Tuesday

  • Therapeutic Play Group Discussion
  • Connecting with Older Youth Group Discussion

Assignments:

  • Submit Practice Case Assignment – Due at end of Module 6
  • Continue working on Child–Focused Practice Paper – Due by the end of Module 7

Module 7: Working with Adolescents
Dates: 06/15/16 – 06/21/16

Readings and multimedia resources as assigned
Small Group Discussions: Initial posts due by Saturday, other responses due by Tuesday

  • Assessing Adolescents Group Discussion
  • Bullying Group Discussion

Assignment Submission:

  • Submit Child–Focused Practice Paper – Due by the end of Module 7

Module 8: Childhood Mental Illness, Disability, and Neurodiversity
Dates: 06/22/16 – 06/26/16

Readings and multimedia resources as assigned

Small Group Discussions: Initial posts due by Friday, other responses due by Sunday

  • Children and Mental Health Group Discussion
  • Cultural Diversity Group Discussion

Assignment Submission:

  • Submit Practice Case Assignment – Due by Sunday, end of Module 8 – note the shortened week

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Social Work page

UNE Libraries:

Information Technology Services (ITS)

ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

Policies

Discussion Participation:

Discussion Participation is the single-largest graded item in this course and accounts for 40% of your overall course grade. For postings to count toward your grade; they must address the questions asked and your follow-up responses to classmates must add substantively to the discussion by building upon classmates’ ideas or posing critical questions to further the discussion. Please note that the graded discussions in this course take place in small group discussions and there are two or so discussion boards to work-in each week. Your course facilitator will assign you to a small group at the beginning of the course. This will be the group you work in throughout the course. Each week you will receive up to 50 points for participation. Please refer to the Participation Rubric to see how your weekly participation will be evaluated. 

Initial responses to the weekly discussion questions should be completed by 11:59 P.M. E.T. Saturday and responses and interactive posts to your classmates must be completed by 11:59 P.M. E.T. Tuesday (Sunday for week 8). Any discussions that extend beyond that date and time will not be considered a part of the grade and/or assignment. You should make a substantive effort to interact with classmates throughout the week in order to maximize community building and the overall learning process in your small group. This requires a minimum of three posts in each small group discussion board each week; the first being your initial response to the question(s); the second a reaction to one or more classmate posts; and the third a summary post near the end of the class week. You must participate over a minimum of two to three different days each week to be eligible to earn full participation credit. Your instructor will be looking for evidence that students are engaging in a genuine conversation with each other to further mutual learning; rather than merely posting insular comments.

Essential Academic and Technical Standards

Please review the essential academic and technical standards of the University of New England School Social Work (SSW): https://online.une.edu/social-work/academic-and-technical-standards-une-online-ssw/

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements

Confidentiality Statement

Student and faculty participation in this course will be governed by standards in the NASW Code of Ethics relating to confidentiality in sharing information from their placement sites and practice experiences. Students should be aware that personal information they choose to share in class, class assignments or conversations with faculty does not have the status of privileged information.

Late Policy

Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.