SW 351 SOCIAL
WORK PRACTICE I
Spring 2003
Instructor:
Bradley 121
Phone:
677-4786
e-mail:
moody@bradley.edu
Office hours: Mon:
or by appointment
Classes: Wednesday
Accommodation: Any student with a disability or special
need who requires an accommodation should inform the instructor at the
beginning of this course.
Non-Discrimination
Statement:
Students will be expected to display respect for fellow students’
and clients’
unique characteristics including race, color, gender, age, socioeconomic
status, religion, creed, ethnic or national origin, veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, and political orientation.
All assignments will use non-discriminatory language.
Intercollegiate Competition: Any student representing
Generalist Practice
Principles:
The courses within the social work curriculum support the generalist
perspective for social work practice.
The following 8 principles guide the development and implementation of
the Bradley University Social Work Program’s curriculum and course content.
1. A systems approach provides the basic framework for understanding the generalist practice perspective and planning interventions with multiple systems.
2. Problems in living are presented from a
person-in-environment perspective, with
focus on the transactions between
individuals and the environment.
3. Assessments and interventions must
address both intrapsychic and environmental
strengths
and stressors.
4. Generalist practice involves assessment
and interventions at the micro, mezzo, and
macro
levels.
5. Practice is based on the problem solving
process and knowledge, skills, and
values
which are applicable across settings with diverse populations and in a
variety of
problem areas.
6. Critical analysis of social problems is
inherent in generalist practice and results in
both
practice and policy responses.
7. Empirical research provides a solid
foundation for both education and practice
and
generalist practitioners are expected to participate in practice evaluation
activities.
8. Generalist practice often requires the
social worker to function in multiple roles
depending
on the needs of the client system.
I. Course Description
This course introduces the framework for a
generalist approach to social work micro
practice. This course will focus
on the acquisition of knowledge, skill, and values of practice needed to
enhance the well being of individuals through the promotion, restoration,
maintenance, and enhancement of functioning by helping them to accomplish
tasks, prevent and alleviate stress, and use resources. This course will use the problem solving
approach to practice. In addition to
class lectures and assigned readings, learning methods will include
audiovisuals, class discussion, and individual and group experiential
exercises. Prerequisite
of SW 350.
II. Course Objectives
Students will be expected to
demonstrate learning in the following areas:
Knowledge
1. Basic understanding of
generalist practice including micro, mezzo, and macro
levels of intervention.
2. Knowledge about the social
work process and problem solving process
including defining issues, intake and
engagement, collecting and assessing data, planning and contracting,
identifying alternative interventions, selecting and implementing appropriate intervention methods,
evaluation of outcomes through the use and application of research methods,
termination and follow -up.
3. Knowledge of practice issues
and skills that demonstrate respect for and
acceptance of the unique characteristics of clients
of differing social, cultural, racial, religious, spiritual, political, gender,
sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, age, and socioeconomic
classes.
4. Knowledge of appropriate
methods for documentation and record keeping for
practice.
5. Knowledge of the ethics and values of social work
practice with individuals
that is built on regard for
individual worth and dignity, mutual participation and acceptance,
confidentiality, honesty, and the right to self determination and participation
in the helping process.
Skills
1. Development of beginning
communication and interviewing skills to enable
the worker to develop a
working, helping relationship with clients at all levels
and diversity.
2. Development of the skill to
critically analyze information from data collection
and assessment to
select the most appropriate intervention(s) to help
individuals promote maintain, restore,
and enhance well-being and functioning, prevent and alleviate distress, and use
resources.
3. Demonstration of the
professional use of self to enhance the therapeutic
relationship.
4.
Demonstrate the ability to evaluate the outcomes of practice.
5.
Develop the skills for appropriate documentation and record keeping.
Values
1. Students will demonstrate
the ability to practice with regard for individual
worth and dignity, and respect for unique
characteristics of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, national origin,
age, veteran status, disability, age, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual
orientation, or political orientation.
2. Students will appreciate the
importance of advocating for the client with
organizations and systems to ensure the
protection of rights and for the
procurement of needed resources.
3. Students will be expected to
demonstrate an integration of the social work
code of ethics as applied to
practice.
4.
Students will be expected to demonstrate respect for individual's right
to make
independent decisions and to participate
actively in the helping process.
III. Resources
A. Kirst-Ashman, Karen and
Practice.
B. Sheafor, Bradford W., Horejsi, Charles R., and Horejsi,
Gloria A. (1997).
Techniques and Guidelines for
Social Work Practice.
IV. Learning Evaluation
Written assignments should be typed and
double-spaced (unless otherwise instructed), grammatically clear and correct,
and properly documented. Use of
non-sexist and non-biased language is expected in written assignments and in
class discussion. Final grades for the
course will be determined by scores on exams and completion of
assignments. Points will be deducted for
any late assignments. A possible total of 500 points may be earned.
A.
Participation
( 100 points)
Points will be awarded for attendance and active
participation. Students are expected to
have readings done before class and be prepared to actively discuss or role
play material. Excess of three absences
during the semester could result in the drop of a letter grade
B.
Exams (
200 points)
Two
exams will be given, each worth 100 points.
C.
Paper (100 points)
Students will write a 2-3 page paper on either
ethics in practice or diversity sensitivity in practice. This paper will be a scholarly paper using
the professional literature to explore the empirical evidence guiding sound,
effective practice with a minority population or around an ethical issue.
Due date May 7
C. 100
points Video-tape of
Communication Skills
Students will be expected to pair up with a partner and arranged to produce a 15 minute video-tape. You and your partner will each play the role of the social worker and the role of the client. The two role plays can be put on one tape. You must each come up with a plausible client situation to role play as the client and the social worker must demonstrate appropriate communication skills including:
-minimal encouragement
-appropriate non-verbal responses
-appropriate paraphrasing responses
-appropriate reflection of feeling responses
-appropriate clarification statements or questions
-appropriate elicitation of more information
-appropriate summarization
You will need to reserve equipment and area. You must
go to audio visual bottom floor of Bradley Hall. I would suggest you do this early.
Due TBA
Grade
Distribution on 500 points
450 - 500 = A
400 - 450 = B
350 - 400 = C
300 - 350 = D
SW 351 Class Schedule – Fall 2002
I. Review of Generalist Practice
This section will review the levels of practice
including micro, mezzo, and macro. It
will review the purposes of social work practice including the enhancement of
coping and problem solving capacities of people, linking people to resources,
promoting effective and humane systems, contributing to the development and
improvement of social policies that empower groups and people at risk to
promote social and economic justice, and the development and refinement of
practice through responsible research. This section will review the essentials
of the systemic and problem solving approaches.
Chapter 1 in Kirst-Ashman
and
Jan 22
II. Review of Interviewing
Skills
This section will review the interviewing and
communication skills necessary to work with a variety of client populations,
colleagues, and the community. This
section will cover the use of self to enhance the therapeutic, helping relationship. Cross-cultural helping will be examined. Videotaping of role playing of interviewing
skills will be emphasized.
Chapter 8 of Sheafor,
Horejsi, and Horejsi
Chapter 2 of Kirst-Ashman
and
Jan. 29, Feb. 5
III. Intake and Engagement
Intake and engagement techniques and skills will be
examined to facilitate a collaborative
working relationship built on respect for individual worth and dignity. These techniques will emphasize self
determination and
mutual participation with the client.
Chapter 10 of Sheafor, Horejsi, and Horejsi
Chapter 5 Kirst-Ashman
& Hull
Feb. 12
IV. Data Collection and Assessment Techniques
Data collection and assessment techniques will be
examined. The strengths perspective will
be emphasized as will self determination and maximum participation of the
client. Assessment skills will examine
application to diverse populations through role play.
Chapter 5 pages148-159 of Kirst-Ashman and
Chapter 11 of Sheafor, Horejsi, and Horejsi
Feb. 19
V. Planning and Contracting
This section will focus on problem definition,
formulating goals and objectives for treatment, and developing contracts. This section emphasizes self determination
and informed consent of clients during the planning and contracting phase.
Chapter 12 of Sheafor,
Horejsi, and Horejsi
Chapter 6 of Kirst-Ashman
and
Feb. 26
MID TERM EXAM March 5
VI. Intervention Methods
A variety of intervention techniques
are discussed. Application
of techniques are
discussed with the following
examples: Child maltreatment risk
assessment, crisis intervention, working with the elderly, working with the
developmentally disabled population, working with traumatic brain injury,
working with substance abuse, and
working with mental illness. Issues in
cross-cultural helping are examined.
Chapter 7 of Kirst-Ashman
and
Chapter
13 of Sheafor, Horejsi, Horejsi
March. 12,
26
Practice at the micro level, particularly in certain fields of practice such as child welfare, may require social workers to interface with the legal system. This section will examine the role of the social worker in the legal system and the skills necessary to provide testimony in legal cases.
April 2Chapter
16 pgs 583-596 of
Sheafor, Horejsi and Horejsi
VIII. Evaluation and Termination
Termination techniques that help
bring closure to the therapeutic relationship are discussed.
This section also looks at the systematic evaluation of practice to
further knowledge in the field and to be accountable to all constituencies
of the service. Evaluation methods
include single subject design, use of rapid assessment instrument, task achievement scaling, goal attainment scaling,
service plan outcome checklists, individualized rating scales, and differential
impact scoring.
Chapter 8 of Kirst-Ashman
and
Chapter 14 of Sheafor, Horejsi and Horejsi
April 9
VIII. Diversity Sensitive Practice
This section examines cross-cultural assessment and
intervention methods. Examination of knowledge and
skills necessary to intervene with diverse populations and to appreciate the
differences and similarities in the experiences, needs, and beliefs of
people. Gender sensitive practice
methods are discussed with appreciation for the experience of discrimination of
women in society. Women's issues of
domestic violence and sexual assault are discussed with methods for
intervention examined.
Chapters 12 and 13 of Kirst-Ashman and
April 16, 23
IX. Ethics and Values in Practice
Ethics and values of practice situations will be
discussed. The profession's code of
ethics will be reviewed and applied through practice examples. Issues of confidentiality and the limits of,
privileged communication, informed consent, paternalism and self determination,
and distribution of limited resources will be discussed. Guidelines for ethical decision making will
be examined.
Chapter 11 of Kirst-Ashman
and
April 30
X. Documentation and Record Keeping
This section will examine the benefits and
limitations of different forms of documentation process recordings, audio and
visual taping, progress note formats, diagnostic summary recordings, problem
oriented recording, and standardized forms.
Issues of confidentiality and privacy will be applied to recording.
Chapter 16 of Kirst-Ashman
and
May 7
FINAL EXAM
Wednesday May 14,
SW351 SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE 1
Spring 2003
PRACTICE FINAL PAPER
DUE May 7
Your paper
assignment is to address the following problem:
A 26 year old Asian American female comes to you for treatment because
her job has mandated her to come owing to a DUI she received. She is a secretary for Caterpillar and has
been working as such for seven years.
She is single and never been married.
Her family lives in the
1. In
your sessions how would you get her to open up to you?
2. What
skills would you use to achieve this goal?
3. How
would you assess for addiction? What questions would you ask and why?
4.
Would you confront the client on their addiction? Why or Why not? How would you do so?
5.
Would you assess for any underlying mental disorders such as anxiety or
depression? What questions
would you ask
and why?
6. How
would PIE apply to this client? How
might environment issues impact on her problems?
7. What data collection would you need to
assist you in this treatment and why?
8.Does culture
influence her problems? Do you think
so? Why or Why not? How would you ask
about this and
what questions would you ask?
9.
After having made an assessment, how would you get patient to accept it?
10.Given
what little you know and the areas of focus such as assessing for mental
disorders, addiction,
cultural
influences, what might be a potential plan or goal for the treatment?
You must in writing
your paper use the book and other sources for completion of the paper. You must cite explanations for your
interventions and assessments using the book or other sources.