Bradley University
Spring 1998

Instructor: Diane Zosky
124 Bradley Hall
677-2392
e-mail: zosky@bradley.bradley.edu

Office Hours: 9:00-11:00 MWF or by appointment

Class: T Th 10:30-11:45, BR 321

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

Course Description

This course introduces the framework for a generalist approach to social work micro and mezzo (family) 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.

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 followup.
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.
6. Knowledge about family dynamics and interventions.

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.

Resources

Required:

1. Kirst-Ashman, Karen and Hull, Grafton. (1993). Understanding Generalist Practice. Chicago: Nelson-Hall Publishers.
2. Sheafor, Bradford W., Horejsi, Charles R., and Horejsi, Gloria A. (1997). Techniques and Guidelines for Social Work Practice. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Learning Evaluation

Written assignments should be typed and double spaced (unless otherwise instructed), grammatically clear, and properly documented. Use of non-sexist and non-biased language is expected in written assignments and in class discussion. Final grades will be determined by scores on exams and scores on the completion of assignments. Points will be deducted for any late assignments. A possible total of 425 points may be earned.

Participation (25). 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 five absences during the semester will result in the drop of a letter grade.

Exams (200 points). Two exams will be given, each worth 100 points. The first exam will be given at about the mid-semester point. The second exam will be given at the final exam designated time, however it will not be comprehensive.

Assignments (100 points). The following assignments will be given with the breakdown of points allocated.

1. exercise on genuinenesss - 10 points - due Feb. 3.
2. exercise on use of therapeutic responses - 10 points - due Feb. 10.
3. social history exercise - 10 points - due Feb. 17.
4. genogram exercise - 10 points - due Feb. 19.
5. ecomap exercise - 10 points - due Feb. 24.
6. social network grid exercise - 10 points - due Feb. 26.
7. translating problems into needs - 10 points - due Mar. 10.
8. clarifying vague objectives - 10 points - due Mar. 12.
9. decision making matrix - 10 points - due Mar. 31.
10. family roles exercises - 10 points - due Apr. 30.

Paper (100 points). Students will write a 3-5 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 5.

Grade Distribution on 425 points: 382-425=A ; 340-381=B ; 297-380=C ; 255-379=D

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 systematic and problem solving approaches.

1. Chapter 1 in Kirst-Ashman and Hull
2. January 27

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.

1. Chapter 8 of Sheafor, Horejsi, and Horejsi
2. Chapter 2 of Kirst-Ashman and Hull
3. January 29, February 3, 5

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.

1. Chapter 11 pages 265-305 of Sheafor, Horejsi, and Horejsi
2. February 10, 12

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 particpation of the client. Assessment skills will examine application to diverse populations through role play.

1. Chapter 5 pages 148-159 of Kirst-Ashman and Hull
2. Chapter 13 pages 319-403 of Sheafor, Horejsi, and Horejsi
3. February 17, 19, 24

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.

1. Chapter 13 page 417-434 of Sheafor, Horejsi, and Horejsi
2. Chapter 6 of Kirst-Ashman and Hull pages 190-217
3. February 26, March 3

MIDTERM EXAM: MARCH 10

Intervention Methods. A variety of interevention 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.

1. Chapter 7 pages 228-241 and 250-264 of Kirst-Ashman and Hull
2. Chapter 14 pages 458-535 of Sheafor, Horejsi, and Horejsi
3. March 12, 24, 26, 31

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.

1. Chapter 8 pages 292-397 of Kirst-Ashman and Hull
2. Chapter 15 pages 581-599 of Sheafor, Horejsi, and Horejsi
3. April 2, 7

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.

1. Chapters 12 and 13 of Kirst-Ashman and Hull
2. April 9, 14, 16

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.

1. Chapter 11 of Kirst-Ashman and Hull
2. April 21

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.

1. Chapter 16 of Kirst-Ashman and Hull
2. April 23

Mezzo Level Interventions with Families. This section will focus on understanding family systems, providing assessments with families to further individual as well as family well being and the ability to function. The impact of the social, political, and economic environment on the family will be examined. The different forms of family will be examined as reflecting the diverse nature of family in society.

1. Chapters 9 and 10 in Kirst-Ashman

FINAL EXAM: MAY 8, 12:00 TO 2:00