Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSWO 521 SOS – Integrating Seminar & Practicum I (Spring 2025)

Credits - 3

Description

Integrating Seminar & Practicum I & II is a two-term sequenced set of courses designed to complement student’s agency supervised generalist social work practice. Students complete their required hours of experiential learning in an approved social service organizational setting in which they learn, practice, and receive feedback on their multi-level generalist social work skills. The seminar provides students with opportunities to practice ethical communication and critical thinking skills as well as discuss and reflect on professional social work practice issues that arise in their practicum experience. Students use seminar class to monitor their own learning experience and progress in attaining educational and professional goals. Through mixed learning methods, students have the opportunity to explore, connect, apply, and discuss classroom learnings into their practicum setting. Students also have the opportunity to develop skills for self-reflection, self-awareness and reflexivity, and to broaden and deepen their understanding of social work’s inherent values such as honoring dignity and worth of each person, clients’ right to self-determination, social justice, equity and inclusion, honor and respect for diversity, and cultural humility. SSWO 521 provides a venue for students to establish, broaden and deepen their generalist social work practice. Students are expected to abide by The Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers
https://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp in their practice with clients and agencies/organizations.

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. 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, the student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior (EPAS 1)
2. Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice (EPAS 2)
3. Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice Competency (EPAS 3)
4. Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice Competency (EPAS 4)
5. Engage in Policy Practice (EPAS 5)
6. Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities (EPAS 6)
7. Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities (EPAS 7)
8. Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities (EPAS 8)
9. Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities (EPAS 9)

Assignments

In order to pass your field placement, you must complete all activities in this course and earn at least 800 of all 1000 possible points.

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:

Semi-Weekly Live Client Session Recordings

Central to this simulated experience are live role-play sessions where you and designated classmates will simulate the roles of client and social worker in keeping with the 16-week long case scenario presented by the course. In odd-numbered course weeks, beginning in Week 3, you will submit a recording of your live role-play sessions with the client to your field instructor. 

Weekly Written Discussions: Live Session Reflections

On odd-numbered weeks of this course (plus week 2) you will post a reflection based on live role-play sessions with the client.

Case Progress Notes

On certain weeks of the course you will receive case updates, such as emails or voice-mail audio recordings from the simulated client. In other weeks, you will role-play live client sessions, as described above. Regardless of the nature of the work case work in a given week, you will write and submit a case progress note to track the progression of the case. 

Case Management Documents

True to a field experience with a client, you will complete and submit required forms and reports based on case needs. Forms and reports you wil  complete include, but are not limited to:

• An intake assessment
• A service plan and service plan review
• A safety plan
• Case and collateral contact progress notes
• A release of information
• A case closure note

Weekly Self Care Posts

For all 16 weeks of the course, you will post at least one self-care technique you have used that week to care for yourself with a description of why you selected this technique and its benefit.

Weekly Video Discussion Posts and Responses

Each student will post a 5-minute reflective video every-other week, starting with Week 2. All students will respond to peer video posts on a weekly basis. These videos will require students to reflect on on how topics vital to social work practice relate to their experiences with the simulated client and their case management work. Week 1 features an introductory video assignment in place of the normal weekly video posts. 

Criteria for Posting Responses to the Video Assignments:

Each student is expected to log into Blackboard Video Discussion Board at least 2 days out of 7. The Video Response assignment is due by Sunday night at 11:59 pm ET of each week.

Each student must view all the videos recorded for that given week. After having viewed the video, each student must respond to every video posted for that module.

Responses should be substantial in nature. The response is as important as the video post, if not more so. In the video assignment post, your colleagues are seeking advice, support and/or feedback. Be sure your response relates to the specific question. All your responses should be interactive, thoughtful, and relevant.

Your response should be tied into one or more of the following:

• A recommendation of resolution and possible consequences.
• The code of Ethics and how your ideas support the particular ethical issue or push the boundary of the Code.
• A website or educational article (from a previous class or something new) that supports your thoughts or ideas relating to the issue.
• A Social Justice consideration or perspective.
• Questions regarding the issue that would further the discussion.

The content of each response must be substantive. “I agree, same here, been there done that” are not acceptable responses. You will be providing each other with support, direction, advice, and encouragement throughout the seminar.

Points are awarded based on active participation, and thoughtful relevant content. Points may be deducted for omission of response to one or more videos, for insubstantial content, for posting on fewer than 2 days, or for late submission. Since there are sometimes technical delays, it is suggested that you plan to post early responses to the videos of the week.

Weekly Written Discussions: Researching Community Resources and Interdisciplinary Communication

On even-numbered weeks between Weeks 4 and 14, you will your research community resources relevant to topics and issues arising in the case you are managing. You will discuss your findings in a weekly discussion forum. 

NASW Standards for Social Work Case Management Presentation

This presentation is designed to provide you with an opportunity to explore a particular aspect of the NASW Standards for Social Work Case Management that you want to learn more about and how it relates to your social work practice. This project includes multiple submissions and will culminate in the creation of a 20-30 minute PowerPoint slideshow and/or video presentation for your classmates in the seminar. There are several due-dates associated with preparing for and delivering this presentation:

• NASW Standard Presentation Outline Form – due Week 4
• Annotated Bibliography – due Week 5
• Recorded Presentation – due on your assigned Wednesday between weeks 10 and 14.

Safety Webinar Forum Post

In week 9, you will submit a forum post reflecting on a webinar titled “Safety, Ethics, and the Elephant in the Room.”

Readings and Multimedia

There are required readings and recommended texts in this course. While there are not prescribed readings from these texts, you are required to read and utilize the readings throughout the course. Your instructor may integrate and suggest additional readings throughout the modules. We recommend that you utilize the bibliography’s extended readings. Additional readings in the modules will be introduced as the forms and supporting documents are needed for completion. There are a few videos presented as learning material, but the majority of videos in this course are created by students each week.

Writing Assignments, Projects, and Assessments

There are several assignments in this course, which are all tailored around strengthening your field internship and experiences. These assignments will be collaborative with your field instructor and field advisor for review, comment, and submission. These will be highlighted throughout the course along with several reminders and prompts to get started. All of your assignments (including all of your forms) must be submitted via the assignment link and not via email. Any assignments (including all of your forms) submitted through mail or email will not be accepted. They must be submitted through the assignment link in the course.

Grading and Feedback Method

Feedback will be provided within the assignment submission tool and in grading comments.

Due Dates

Due dates for all learning activities are provided in the Course Schedule. Points are earned for every assignment submitted and discussion forum in which you participate. Each assignment or discussion submitted late will earn half credit. If you do not complete the entire assignment you will only receive half the point value for that assignment.

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