Instructor: Judith M. Unger, ACSW, LCSW

128F Bradley Hall Ph: 309-677-2392

E-Mail: jmu@bradley.bradley.edu

Office Hours: Monday 2:00-4:00, Thursday 1:00-3:00, Friday 11:00-12:00

Classes: MWF 9:00-9:50, Room BR 301

Accommodation: Any student with a disability or special need who requires accommodation should inform the instructor at the beginning of this course.

I. Course Description:

Focus on social work as a profession, including historical development, principle interventive methods, social work education, research, and administrative issues. Introduction to range of traditional and non-traditional social work settings.

This course builds on the role of social work in the social services field and provides the foundation for subsequent practice courses. Emphasis will be on the values and orientation of the profession as the basis for planning interventions. In addition to lectures and assigned readings, learning activities will include out-of-class computer and agency visit assignments, and in-class audiovisuals, discussions, and guest social work speakers representing a variety of social work settings.

II. Course Objectives:

Students will be expected to demonstrate learning in the following areas:

Knowledge

1. Understanding of the role of social work in the larger arena of the social services;
2. Appreciation for the historical development of the social work profession;
3. Awareness of the various settings and fields of practice for social work;

Skills

1. Ability to identify levels of practice and articulate the concept of generalist practice;
2. Ability to identify systems issues relating to social services and social work interventions;
3. Ability to evaluate the student's own interests and potential for a career in social work;

Values

1. Regard for individual worth and dignity and respect for a person's unique characteristics of socioeconomic status, ethnic background, religious beliefs, age, gender, and sexual orientation;
2. Importance of advocating for the client with organizations and systems to ensure protection of rights and procurement of needed resources;
3. Appreciation for professional ethics, and recognition of the individual's right to self-determination.

III. Resources:

A. Required Texts: TBA

B. Supplemental Readings relating to class topics will be assigned in class.

IV. Learning Evaluation

Written assignments should be typed and double-spaced (unless otherwise instructed), stapled or in a folder, grammatically clear, and properly documented in APA style. Please leave adequate marginal space for comments. Use of non-sexist and non-biased language is expected in written assignments and in class discussions.

Final grade will be based on points earned by successfully completing the assignments as described below. A possible total of 400 points may be earned. Points will be deducted for assignments submitted after the due date.

A. Participation (possible 20 points)

Preparation, attendance, and participation in this course is the responsibility of each student. The student is also responsible for all content covered and assignments made during any missed class. One-half point will be earned for each class session attended up to 20 points. A minimum of a 50% attendance rate is required for a passing grade.

B. World Wide Web Assignment (possible 40 points)

A 1-2 page report should summarize information located on the World Wide Web relating to a social work issue of interest to the student. The first paragraph should describe how the material was located, including the WWW address, to enable someone else to find and read the information.

C. Agency Search Project (possible 40 points)

The student should identify an agency in the tri-county area that provides a service related to the problem issue selected for the field of practice paper. The agency should not be one where the student has already been a volunteer, an employee, or an intern. This assignment requires a written informational report on the selected agency including at least the following:

1. Location: address, description of the building and yard, description of the buildings on either side, description of the neighborhood, snapshot if possible;
2. Access: geographic location, parking, one-way streets or other difficulties, access by public transit;
3. Accessibility: stairs, elevators, doorways, signs, curbcuts, ramps;
4. Services: copy of brochure or printed material obtained from agency visit describing services offered and populations served;
5. Hospitality: dated signature of person in agency who gave you the printed materials, description of reception area/waiting room;
6. Summary: student's assessment of how easy/comfortable it would be for a client to seek services from this agency.

D. Field of Practice Paper (possible 100 points)

A 6-8 page paper will be assigned relating to one of the social work fields of practice covered in this course. The focus of the paper is to be an indepth research on a particular problem or issue a social worker may confront in their practice in the selected field. (E.g. in children/family services, the issue of transracial adoption; in mental health, the issue of involuntary hospitalization; in schools, the issue of peer pressure, etc.) The paper should consist of an annotated bibliography, followed by the student's synthesis and commentary. The bibliography should include at least 6 sources from professional literature, at least one of which must be specifically from a social work journal or book. These may be supplemented by additional sources from more popular publications (e.g. Newsweek, Psychology Today). At least one source should be from material obtained through the World Wide Web.

The bibliography should include the reference information followed by a paragraph summarizing the content for each source (in the student's own words). This might include the purpose of the article or research, a brief statement of research design, highlights of results or points covered, and conclusions drawn or recommendations made. The student's discussion section should address the kind and scope of services and resources that might be needed to address the selected problem. The bibliography and discussion should demonstrate the student's understanding of the chosen field of practice, the client population served, and the education, credentials, and/or skills required to practice in this field.

E. Midterm Exam (possible 100 points)

F. Final Exam (possible 100 points)

The final exam will focus on material covered since the second exam, but will draw on learning from the whole semester.