Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSWO 522 – Field Practicum/Seminar II (Summer 2023)

Credits - 4

Description

Integrating Seminar/Practicum I & II is a two-semester, sequenced course designed to provide students with a supervised generalist social work practice experience in a social service organization.  Students complete 400 hours of experiential learning in an approved social service organizational setting in which they learn generalist social work skills for multi-level and multi-sector practice. The integrating 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 from their practicum experience. Students use seminar class to monitor their own learning experience and progress in attaining educational and professional goals.  Students have opportunity to explore their experiences with applying classroom learning into the practicum setting, 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.  Students are expected to abide by The Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers in their practice with clients and agencies/organizations.

Materials

Required

Readings are provided for you or are otherwise available for free.

  • UNE School of Social Work – Online Field Education Manual
  • SSWO 522 Integrating Seminar/Practicum Syllabus
  • NASW Code of Ethics
  • United Nations Declaration of Human Rights
  • World Health Organization’s definition of Health  
  • International Federation of Social workers’ (IFSW) Policy Statement on Health
  • IFSW’s Ethics in Social Work, Statement of Principles Additional

Required Technology

  • Webcam, YouTube account (available through your UNE login credentials with Google)

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 professional demeanor in behavior, appearance, and oral, written, and electronic communication.
  2. Apply understanding of the importance of diversity and difference in shaping life experiences in all levels of social work practice and engages clients, organizations and/or communities as experts in their own experience.
  3. Apply understanding of social inclusion (social, economic, and environmental justice) to advocate for and engage in practices that advance social inclusion (social, economic, and environmental justice) through the identification and assessment of social policies that impact well-being service delivery and access to services.
  4. Apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse clients and constituencies.
  5. Use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage diverse clients, organizations, and/or communities.
  6. Collect, organize, and apply critical thinking to interpret ongoing assessment information from clients, organizations, and/or communities.
  7. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the analysis of ongoing assessment information, developing mutually agreed upon intervention goals with clients, organizations, and/or communities and can utilize client feedback or other evaluation methods to improve practice, policy and/or service delivery.
  8. Use inter-professional collaboration in the process of assessment, developing interventions and evaluating practice to achieve beneficial outcomes for clients, organizations and/or communities.
  9. Make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the Social Work Codes of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making, ethical conduct of research and use of technology, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to context.

Assignments

Discussions

Each week you will engage in weekly video assignments and discuss some of your peers’ field experiences. You will also post one self-care tip that you are employing and discuss amongst your classmates. There are several optional discussion boards in this course that you may utilize to ask questions about a specific assignment. Midway through the course, you will have discussion opportunities about being a mandated reporter in your state and what the laws require.

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 seminar instructor and there will be plenty of time 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 Send Email or email will not be accepted.

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
Acknowledgement of Academic Engagement 1 point1%
Video Assignment (Due Wednesday by 11:59p EST)16 points (2 points x 8 videos)16%
Weekly response to all videos (Due Sunday by 11:59p EST)30 points (2 points x 15 weeks)30%
Weekly self-care (Due Sunday by 11:59p EST)32 points (2 point x 16 weeks)32%
Discussion: Re-Introduce Yourself (Week 1) 1 point1%
Discussion: Mandated Reporting (Week 3) 2 points2%
Discussion on Endings (Week 4)2 points2%
Practicum visit scheduled (Week 5)1 point1%
State/County Licensing Assignment (Week 8)2 points2%
Student Self Assessment (Week 10)2 points2%
Process Recording (Week 12)3 points3%
IPE Reflection Assignment (Week 14)2 points2%
Practicum Evaluation submission (Due: Module 15)6 points6%
Total 100 points100%

Schedule

Course Weeks

Course weeks run from 12:00 AM ET on Monday through 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, with the exception of Week 1, which begins on Wednesday at 12:00 AM ET. Unless otherwise specified, all discussion comments and assignments are due on the last day of the week. Initial responses to discussion prompts are due by the end of Wednesday unless otherwise noted.

All times are in the Eastern Standard Time Zone – no exceptions.

Week: Monday – Sunday

Week 1: May 1 – May 7
Week 2: May 8 – May 14
Week 3: May 15 – May 21
Week 4: May 22 – May 28
Week 5: May 29 – Jun 4
Week 6: Jun 5 – Jun 11
Week 7: Jun 12 – Jun 18
Week 8: Jun 19 – Jun 25
Week 9: Jun 26 – Jul 2
Week 10: Jul 3 – Jul 9
Week 11: Jul 10 – Jul 16
Week 12: Jul 17 – Jul 23
Week 13: Jul 24 – Jul 30
Week 14: Jul 31 – Aug 6
Week 15: Aug 7 – Aug 13
Week 16: Aug 14 – Aug 20

Week 1

Course Resources

  • Document: Statement of Understanding
  • Document: What is Practicum Instruction: Helpful Hints for Students and Practicum Instructors
  • Document: Online Practicum Education Manual: Policies & Procedures
  • Web page: NASW Code of Ethics
  • Web page: International Federation of Social Workers Code of Ethics
  • Web page: World Health Organization
  • Web page: United Nations Declaration of Human Rights

Discussions

  • Re-Introduce Yourself (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Assignments 

  • Video Confidentiality Statement
  • Technology and Telehealth Release Form

Week 2

Course Resources

  • Document: Safety Checklist
  • Web page: NASW Code of Ethics
  • Web page: International Federation of Social Workers Code of Ethics
  • Web page: World Health Organization
  • Web page: United Nations Declaration of Human Rights
  • Video: Broken Trust

Discussions 

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Week 3

Course Resources

  • Video: What is a Mandated Reporter? 

Discussions

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)
  • Mandatory Reporting (Due: Sunday)

Week 4

Course Resources 

  • Document: Task for Endings Handout
  • Video: Safety, Ethics, and the Elephant in the Room 

Discussions

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Discussion on Endings (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Assignment

  • Select IPE Assignment Option

Week 5

Discussions 

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)
  • Schedule Practicum Site Visit

Week 6

Discussions

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Week 7

Discussions 

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Week 8

Discussions

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Assignment

State/Country Licensing Assignment 

Week 9

Course Resources

  • Document: Self Care Assessment 
  • Web page: NASW Code of Ethics
  • Web page: International Federation of Social Workers Code of Ethics
  • Web page: World Health Organization
  • Web page: United Nations Declaration of Human Rights

Discussions

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Week 10

Course Resources

  • Document: Student Self-Assessment

Discussions

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self–Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Assignment 

  • Licensing Assignment Student Self-Assessment

Week 11

Discussions

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Week 12

Discussions

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Assignment

  • Process Recording

Week 13

Discussions

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Week 14

Discussions

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Assignment

  • IPE Assignment

Week 15

Discussions

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday)

Assignments

  • Final Evaluation and Time Log

Week 16

Discussions

  • Video Assignment (Due: Wednesday)
  • Video Assignment Responses (Due: Sunday)
  • Self-Care Corner (Due: Sunday). 

Both Group A and Group B complete a video assignment and video assignment response for the final week of the course. Reminder to delete all of the seminar videos on April 25

End of Course Evaluation

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

Accommodations

Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.

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

Career Ready Program

The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!

The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.

Policies

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.

Attendance Policy

8 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

16 week: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.