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Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSWO 607 – Social Work Practice with LGBTQ Individuals, Families, and Groups (Fall A 2021)

Credits - 3

Description

This course explores the multiple relationships between human sexuality and social work practice. The focus is on critical examination of the dominant discourse about sex, gender and sexual orientation and its relation to social work practice. Students develop skills to sensitively and effectively address both client concerns about sexuality and social policies as they relate to sex, gender and sexual orientation.

Materials

Required

Dentato, Michael P. (2018). Social work practice with the LGBTQ community: the intersection of history, health, mental health, and policy factors. Oxford University Press.

Recommended

Bigner, J. J., & Wetchler, J. L. (Eds.). (2012). Handbook of LGBT-affirmative couple and family therapy. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group. (Available online through the UNE Library.)

Lev, Arlene I. (2004). Transgender Emergence: Therapeutic Guidelines for Working with Gender-Variant People and Their Families. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group. (Available online through the UNE Library.)

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 Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Identify and summarize significant individuals, events, and issues in LGBTQ history, policy, legislation, and social work practice
  2. Analyze theoretical and practice perspectives relating to sexual orientation and gender identity
  3. Examine the pervasive effects of heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia on all people
  4. Develop understanding of diversity within and between groups of LGBTQ individuals and families
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of the unique opportunities and challenges of LGBTQ persons across the lifespan
  6. Compare and contrast various identity development and coming-out models that exist for LGBTQ persons and families
  7. Examine physical and mental health disparities experienced by the LGBTQ community and identify barriers they face in securing medical, social, and mental health services
  8. Critically evaluate a variety of mental health assessment methods, treatment modalities, and intervention techniques for effectively working with LGBTQ persons
  9. Develop your personal approach to LGBTQ-affirmative practice and illustrate your commitment to cultivating an LGBTQ welcoming environment for clients
  10. Analyze and process ethical dilemmas encountered in clinical work with LGBTQ individuals and families

Assignments

Whole-Class Discussions:

(Due each week). Students will be asked to post one initial response to two Discussion Questions each week, and then make a minimum of 2+ additional peer response comments per week under each separate Discussion Question unless otherwise specified in that week’s DQ instructions. Postings must meet the criteria for substantiveness to earn the maximum points available.

Homophobia/Heterocentrism Self-Test & Scavenger Hunt Collage

For this assignment, you will be asked to complete two self-rating instruments to assess the degree of homophobia and/or heterosexism you may inescapably carry as a result of growing up in a heterocentric society, conduct a Scavenger Hunt searching for and collecting environmental evidence demonstrating oppressive practices against the LGBTQ community, document evidence of these examples, and create a small collage (either physical or digital). You will then be asked to write a 2-3 page reflection paper on your experience doing the assignment following assignment-specific questions.

Small-Group LGBTQI Case Presentation

The major assignment for this course will consist of a small-group case presentation project. Each student will be assigned to a small group and each group will be assigned a separate case vignette describing a unique LGBTQI client and their presenting issue with background information. Your group will then create a PowerPoint voice-over presentation of the case that will include the following components:

  • A slide describing the assigned case vignette (can be verbatim from the description of the case given)
  • Research findings uncovered from conducting a detailed literature review concerning the issues and client population presented within the case study to provide education and theoretical perspectives as a prelude to the case formulation. Be sure to cover and incorporate findings around sexual and/or gender minority oppression as it may apply to the case, as well as discussing the historical and current effects of heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, and/or transphobia on the issue or client population presented
  • Discuss assessment practices, methodologies, and instruments, as well as pertinent questions that could be utilized with and posed to the client during the intake and evaluation interviews as part of the treatment process
  • Provide a strengths-based clinical conceptualization of the case, being sure to relate issues of resilience and social justice from an intersectionality perspective. Identify relevant treatment goals and objectives as part of the development of a comprehensive treatment plan
    Discuss specific social work practice skills (micro, mezzo, and/or macro) and treatment modalities and techniques that would be best utilized in addressing the client’s issue(s), including the rationale for the interventions
  • Provide useful resources and links that could be valuable for therapists working with LGBTQI clients with the issues presented in the case (handouts, readings, articles, podcasts, videos, forums, websites, etc.)

The required length of the PowerPoint presentation is a minimum of 20 slides and must include a title and references page (these are excluded from the slide total). A minimum of 5 clinical books and/or scholarly journal articles must be used as references for the research/literature review, excluding the textbooks, which may also be used as sources. Please follow APA-style standards for writing and utilize proper in-text citations where needed. Each group member is required to provide narration for the voice-over. Slides may contain graphics, videos, and other multimedia for added aesthetic and reinforcement value. You may utilize whichever webinar recording platform that you prefer (Zoom, etc.)

Your presentation must be finished and published to the class by Week 7 for peer review and feedback in the Whole Class Discussion Forum for Module 7. Your team will meet weekly in your small group forums throughout the first 6-weeks of the term to collaborate and work on this project. You have complete creative freedom in how you develop your PowerPoint presentation, as long as you cover everything outlined in the assignment requirements and rubric. While this is a team project, your individual contributions will be monitored and may increase or decrease your own individual grade for this assignment.

LGBTQ Affirmative Statement & Art Project

In this final assignment, you will write about your understanding of what constitutes LGBTQ-Affirmative Therapy/Practice. What does this mean to you, and what is your clinical philosophy in working with this population (or not) after having taken this course, and why? Finally, as a form of advocacy, allyship, and inclusiveness, create an art project of any medium that could be posted in your professional office that would alert clients to the fact that you provide a safe space for LGBTQs. Take a photo of your finished product and include it with your 1-2 page reflection paper. Please include a brief synopsis of what your art project means to you and the message you wish it to promote to LGBTQ individuals. 

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

AssignmentsPoint ValuePercentage of Grade
Whole Class Discussions48 points (4 points each topic)

12 discussion topics 		48%
Presentation Discussion10 points10%
Homophobia/Heterocentrism Self-Test & Scavenger Hunt Collage12 points12%
Small Group LGBTQ Case Presentation 20 points 20%
LGBTQ Affirmative Statement & Art Project10 points10%
TotalTotal

Schedule

Course Weeks

Course weeks run from 12:00 AM ET on Wednesday through 11:59 PM ET on Tuesday, with the exception of Week 8, which ends on Sunday at 11:59 PM ET. Unless otherwise specified, all discussion comments and assignments are due the last day of the week. Initial responses to discussion prompts are due by the end of Saturday unless otherwise noted.

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

Week 1: Aug 25 – Aug 31
Week 2: Sep 1 – Sep 7
Week 3: Sep 8 – Sep 14
Week 4: Sep 15 – Sep 21
Week 5: Sep 22 – Sep 28
Week 6: Sep 29 – Oct 5
Week 7: Oct 6 – Oct 12
Week 8: Oct 13 – Oct 17

Week 1: LGBTQ History: Political & Legal Implications for the Queer Community

Readings and Multimedia

  • Dentato, M.P. (2018). Social Work Practice with the LGBTQ Community. Chapter 1, Chapter 19 (pp.383-390 only), Appendix B, and Appendix C.
  • A Timeline of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in the United States
  • Clarke, V., Ellis, S., Peel, E., & Riggs, D.W. (2010). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer Psychology: An introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 1.
  • Dessel, A.B., Rodenborg, N. (2017). Social Workers and LGBT policies: Attitude predictors and cultural competence course outcomes. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 17, 17-31.
  • “How We Got Gay” documentary 
  • “The Lavender Scare: Gay and Lesbian Life in Post-WWII America” video
  • “Top 10 Important LGBTQ Moments in US History” video

Whole-Class Discussions

  • LGBTQ historical synopsis
  • Compare and contrast past and current LGBTQ legislation

Week 2: Sexual Orientation & LGBTQ-Affirmative Therapy: The Context for Social Work Practice

Readings and Multimedia

  • Dentato, M.P. (2018). Social Work Practice with the LGBTQ Community. Chapter 2 (pp. 26-36 & pp. 38-41 only), Chapter 11, Chapter 12, and Chapter 19 (pp. 390-392 only).
  • Crisp, C. (2006). The Gay Affirmative Practice Scale (GAP): A new measure for assessing cultural competence with gay and lesbian clients. Social Work, 51(2), 115-126.
  • McGeorge, C. & Stone-Carlson, T. (2011). Deconstructing Heterosexism: Becoming an LGB affirmative heterosexual couple and family therapist. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 37(1), 14-26.
  • Moradi, B. & Budge, S.L. (2018). Engaging in LGBQ+ Affirmative Psychotherapies with All Clients: Defining themes and practices. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 74(11), 2028-2040.
  • Ratts, M.J. (2017). Charting the center and the margins: addressing identity, marginalization, and privilege in counseling. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 39(2), 87-103. 
  • “Love Is All You Need” short film
  • “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Microaggressions: Recommendations for Clinical Work” video

Whole-Class Discussions

  • Kinsey’s continuum of sexual behavior and preferences
  • Love Is All You Need

Assignments

  • Homophobia/Heterocentrism Self-Test & Scavenger Hunt Collage

Week 3: Gay Men, Lesbian Women, & Bisexuals: Identity Development, Coming Out, & Practice Issues

Readings and Multimedia

  • Dentato, M.P. (2018). Social Work Practice with the LGBTQ Community. Chapter 2 (pp. 42-45 only), Chapter 4 (pp. 71-80 only & 82-90), Chapter 5, and Chapters 13-15.
  • The Cass Model of Gay/Lesbian Identity Development Handout
  • LaSala, M.C. (2004). Lesbians, Gay Men, and Their Parents: Family therapy for the coming out process. Family Process, 39(1), 67-79.
  • “Bearing Witness: Therapeutic support for the coming out process” video

Whole-Class Discussions

  • Review of LGB identity development and coming out models
  • Coming out letter

Week 4: Transgender & Non-Binary Individuals: Gender Identity & Practice Considerations

Readings and Multimedia

  • Dentato, M.P. (2018). Social Work Practice with the LGBTQ Community. Chapter 4 (pp. 80-82 only) and Chapters 16-17.
  • Budge, S.L. (2015). Psychotherapists as Gatekeepers: An evidence-based case study highlighting the role and process of letter writing for transgender clients. Psychotherapy, 52(3). 287-297.
  • Gorton, R.N. & Erickson-Schroth, L. (2016). Hormonal and Surgical Treatment Options for Transgender Men (Female-to-Male). Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 40(1), 79-97.
  • Mizcock, L. & Lundquist, C. (2016). Missteps in Psychotherapy with Transgender Clients: Promoting gender sensitivity in counseling and psychological practice. Psychology of Sexual Orientation & Gender Diversity, 3(2), 148-155.
  • National LGBT Health Education Center, a program of the Fenway Institute. “Providing affirmative care for patients with non-binary gender identities”
  • Wesp, L.M. & Deutsch, M.B. (2016). Hormonal and surgical treatment options for transgender women and transfeminine spectrum persons. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 40(1), 99-111.
  • “Trans 101: Making treatment safe for transgender clients” recorded webinar

Whole-Class Discussions

  • Best practices of clinical work with transgender persons
  • Critique of transgender portrayal in film and TV

Week 5: LGBTQ Lifespan Considerations & Vulnerable Populations

Readings and Multimedia

  • Dentato, M.P. (2018). Social Work Practice with the LGBTQ Community. Chapter 7 and Chapter 10.
  • Hash, K. M., & Rogers, A. (2013). Clinical Practice with Older LGBT Clients: Overcoming lifelong stigma through strength and resilience. Clinical Social Work Journal, 41(3), 249-257.
  • Kennedy, H.R. & Dalla, R.L. (2014). Examining Identity Consolidating Processes among Ethnic Minority Gay Men and Lesbians. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 26(4), 465-501.
  • Ryan, C. (2014). Generating a Revolution in Prevention, Wellness, & Care for LGBT Children & Youth. Temple Political & Civil Rights Law Review, 23(2), 331-344.

Whole-Class Discussions

  • LGBTQ Public Health

Week 6: LGBTQ Relationships, Sexuality, & Family Systems

Readings and Multimedia

  • Dentato, M.P. (2018). Social Work Practice with the LGBTQ Community. Chapter 8.
  • Gottman Institute, “Same Sex Couples Research”
  • Hull, K.E. & Ortyl, T.A. (2019). Conventional and Cutting-Edge: Definition of family in LGBT communities. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 16(1), 3-43.
  • Jellinek, M.S., Henderson, S.W., Telingator, C.J., & Patterson, C. (2008). Children and Adolescents of Lesbian and Gay Parents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(12), 1364-1368.
  • Sullivan, S.P., Pingel, E.S., Stephenson, R., & Bauermeister, J.A. (2018). “It Was Supposed to Be a Onetime Thing”: Experiences of romantic and sexual relationship typologies among young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 47(4), 1221-1230.

Whole-Class Discussions

  • Legalization of gay marriage
  • LGBTQ relationship and family styles and types

Week 7: LGBTQ Mental Health: Clinical Assessment & Treatment

Readings and Multimedia

  • Dentato, M.P. (2018). Social Work Practice with the LGBTQ Community. Chapter 6, Chapters 20-22, and Chapter 24.
  • “Understanding the Health Needs of LGBT People: An Introduction” recorded webinar
  • “Anxiety, Depression, & the LGBT Community: Thriving through the Challenges” recorded webinar
  • Alessi, E.J. (2014). A Framework for Incorporating Minority Stress Theory into Treatment with Sexual Minority Clients. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 18(1), 47-66.
  • Fredriksen-Goldsen, K.I., Simoni, J.M., Kim, H-J, Lehavot, K., Walters, K.L, Yang, J., Hoy-Ellis, C.P., & Muraco, A. (2014). The Health Equity Promotion Model: Reconceptualization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health disparities. Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 84(6), 653-663.
  • Heck, N.C., Flentje, A., & Cochran, B.N. (2013). Intake Interviewing with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Clients: Starting from a place of affirmation. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 43(1), 23-32.
  • Walker, J.A. & Prince, T. (2010). Training Considerations and Suggested Counseling Interventions for LGBT Individuals. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counsling, 4(1), 2-17.

Whole-Class Discussions

  • LGBTQI Case Presentation Feedback

Assignments

  • Small-Group LGBTQI Case Presentation

Week 8: Ethics, Spirituality, Social Justice, & Advocacy with the LGBTQ Community

Readings and Multimedia

  • Dentato, M.P. (2018). Social Work Practice with the LGBTQ Community. Chapter 2 (pp. 37-38 only), Chapter 3, Chapter 19 (pp. 393-401 only), and Appendices A-B.
  • “Creating an LGBT Affirming Organization” recorded webinar
  • Bozard, R.L. & Sanders, C.J. (2011). Helping Christian Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients Recover Religion as a Source of Strength: Developing a model for assessment and integration of religious identity in counseling. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 5(1), 47-74.
  • Brubaker, M.D., Harper, A., & Singh, A.A. (2011). Implementing Multi-Cultural Social Justice Leadership Strategies when Advocating for the Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning Persons. Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, 3(1), 44-55.
  • National Association of Social Workers/National Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues Position Statement: “Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) and Conversion Therapy with Lesbians, Gay Men, Bisexuals, and Transgender Persons.
  • National LGBT Health Education Center: A Program of the Fenway Institute (2015). “10 Things: Creating inclusive health care environments for LGBT people”.
  • National LGBT Health Education Center: A Program of the Fenway Institute (2017). “Focus on Forms and Policy: Creating an inclusive environment for LGBT people”.
  • Panozzo, D. (2013). Advocating for an End to Reparative Therapy: Methodological grounding and blueprint for change. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 25(3), 362-377.

Whole-Class Discussions

  • Compare and contrast creative outputs

Assignments

  • LGBTQ Affirmative Statement & Art Project

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.

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/

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.

Attendance Policy

Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.

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.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and 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.