SWK - Social Work

An introduction to the field of social work and social welfare, including concepts fundamental to the understanding of the social work profession and the efforts of social work on behalf of oppressed populations. The entry course into the Social Work major. Volunteer work in a community social service agency required.

A historical and philosophical examination of public and voluntary American social services. Value orientations, cultural traditions, and political and economic forces which have influenced the development of social welfare services and policies are emphasized. Prerequisite: SWK-170.

An examination and analysis of social policy development, implementation, and evaluation of the United States. Specific attention is given to how policy effects oppressed populations. Skill development in systematic policy analysis is emphasized. Prerequisite: SWK-335.

An examination of how human behavior is shaped/influenced by one's environment. Emphasis is placed on how oppression, social injustice, and gender effect development across the life span. Both normal processes and obstacles that prohibit optimal development are examined. Specific emphasis is placed on understanding human development in the context of social work practice across the life span.

An examination of how human behavior is shaped/influenced by macro systems. Such systems include family, groups, organizations, and community. Significant emphasis is placed on human development and how it is influenced by oppression and social injustice. A three-four day field trip to an urban environment is required.

This is an upper-division course for the Social Sciences. Topics include measures of central tendency and dispersion and graphical representation of data. Other topics include inferential statistical theory and hypothesis testing for statistical significance. Bivariate and multivariate measures of statistical relationship include chi square, nominal and ordinal measures of association, correlation and regression, analysis of variance, and multiple correlation and regression techniques. Factor analysis and analysis of covariance are briefly introduced. Primarily for students concentrating on psychology, sociology, social work, criminal justice, or political science. Prerequisite: Math SATI 450 (SAT 410) or ACT 10 or successful completion of the Math Competency requirement. Also listed as PSY-354.

An introduction to the generalist model of social work practice. Emphasis is placed on the importance of a theoretical framework for practice. Basic skills of the generalist model of practice are introduced and applied specifically to work with individuals.

Building on the foundation established in SWK-355, this course utilizes the generalist model of social work practice with groups and families. Attention is given to assessment and development of appropriate interventions within a systems framework of social work practice. Prerequisite: SWK-355.

A social work methods course designed to further the student's problem-solving abilities. Special attention is given to assessment, planning, and evaluation of macro systems. Organizations and communities are the central focus of the course and are examined from the generalist model of social work practice. Prerequisites: SWK-355 and SWK-356.

Taken concurrently with SWK-370, Social Work Field Placement Seminar 1. Requires placement in a social service agency arranged by the Department of Social Work. Emphasis is given on the practical application of course content. Students are given opportunities to integrate classroom content with agency experiences. Residential Students are required to complete 12 hours per week and Non-Residential Students are required to complete 17 hours per week. Prerequisites for residential students: SWK-170, SWK-335, and SWK-342. Prerequisites for non-residential students: All major coursework.

Taken concurrently with SWK-366. This seminar course is designed to integrate course content with the field placement experience. Emphasis is given to the development of skills and practice behaviors in the context of a generalist model of social work practice. Seminar serves as a bridge for students to share their learning experiences in various human service settings. Seminar also functions as an emotional support system to discuss placement experiences.

Work with a faculty mentor and in cooperation with an Honors College advisor, producing a research thesis or creative project.

Through observation and participation in social service programs in various community agencies, under the educational direction of agency professionals and university faculty, students advance their knowledge of the social work profession and refine their practice skills. Prerequisites: SWK-357 and completion of the field practice application process. Taken concurrently with SWK-470.

Taken concurrently with SWK-466. The seminar course is the signature pedagogy and last stage of the Social Work program. Designed to integrate the concepts, knowledge, skills, and values that are learned from Social Work Practice, Social Policy, Human Behavior/Social Environment, and Social Research. Provides opportunities for students to share learning experiences from agency placement and develop professional identity and competency.

A series of rotating seminars focusing on social work practice relative to special populations, settings, interventive approaches, and specific problems such as social work with the substance abuser, social work with children, issues in child welfare, or social work with the aging.

Prerequisites: Social Work major and permission of instructor.

This course examines human behavior and the social environment as it relates to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual theories are reviewed to gain a holistic perspective. Developmental dynamics across the lifespan are examined. Students explore systems of injustice and oppression at local and global levels.

This course addresses the history and current systems of social welfare and policy. Historical, cultural, economic, global, environmental, and social dimensions are examined. Six traditional arenas of policy are explored, including child and family services, health and mental health, poverty and inequality, housing and community development, crime and violence, and aging. Christian roots of the social work profession are highlighted.

This course prepares students for culturally sensitive advanced generalist social work practice with and on behalf of individual client systems. Students demonstrate ethical and professional behavior as they engage diversity and difference in social work practice. Students develop an understanding of the application of ecosystems, strengths, and empowerment perspectives. Students gain skills in constructing professional relationships, assessing client situations, planning and implementing change, and evaluating outcomes.

This course prepares students for culturally-sensitive generalist social work practice with and on behalf of families and groups. Ecosystems, strengths, resiliency, and empowerment perspectives are developed and applied. Students gain skills for engaging, assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating mezzo systems.

This course emphasizes theories and strategies and prepares students for ethical and culturally sensitive generalist social work practice with communities and organizations. Students examine diverse macro level systems and integrate principles of social, economic, and environmental justice. Students explore the historical development of institutional structures. Cycles of oppression and marginalization are identified. The social work role of advocacy in the arena of human rights is addressed. Connections among social welfare policies, delivery of social services, and accessibility to services for diverse client systems are assessed.

This course is a generalist social work field placement in a social service agency accompanied by a seminar designed to apply learning to practical social work experience. Placement in an agency is arranged collaboratively with the field director. Weekly synchronous seminars provide opportunities for students to discuss and demonstrate application of knowledge, values, skills, critical thinking, and management of emotions in the context of generalist social work practice. Students teach one another about fields of practice and provide a support system for one another. Required time spent in the agency is an average of 12.5 hours per week for eight weeks. The generalist field experience requires a total of 400 hours accumulated over the course of four field and seminar courses. A minimum of 100 hours must be completed in this first generalist field placement course. Prerequisites: SWK-542, SWK-543, SWK-555, SWK-556

This course is a continuation of the generalist social work field placement and the seminar (SWK-560). The weekly synchronous seminar provides opportunities for students to discuss and demonstrate application of knowledge, values and ethics, skills, critical thinking, and management of emotions, with particular emphasis on diversity and difference in the context of generalist social work practice. Students teach each other about fields of practice and provide a support system. Required time spent in the agency is an average of 12.5 hours per week for eight weeks. The generalist field experience requires a total of 400 hours accumulated over the course of four field and seminar courses. A minimum of 100 hours must be completed in this second generalist field placement course. Prerequisite: SWK-560

This course is a continuation of the generalist social work field placement (SWK-561) accompanied by a seminar. The weekly synchronous seminar provides opportunities for students to discuss and demonstrate application of knowledge, values, skills, critical thinking, and management of emotions, with particular emphasis on human rights, social, economic, and environmental justice in the context of generalist social work practice. Students teach each other about fields of practice and provide a support system. Required time spent in the agency is 12.5 hours per week for 8 weeks. The generalist field experience requires a total of 400 hours accumulated over the course of four field and seminar courses. A minimum of 100 hours must be completed in this third generalist field placement course. Prerequisite: SWK-561

This course is a continuation of the generalist social work field placement accompanied by a seminar (SWK-562). The weekly synchronous seminar provides opportunities for students to discuss and demonstrate application of knowledge, values, skills, critical thinking, and management of emotions, with particular emphasis on the planned change process in the context of generalist social work practice. Since this culminates the Field Placement for Generalist Social Work Practice, evaluations of the entire field experience are completed. Students teach each other about fields of practice and provide a support system for facilitating a good ending. Required time spent in the agency is an average of 12.5 hours per week for 8 weeks. The generalist field experience requires a total of 400 hours accumulated over the course of four field and seminar courses. As this is the final field course, the total 400 hours must be completed by the end of the course. Prerequisite: SWK-562

During this course students examine mental health and psychopathology across the lifespan from a social work perspective. Students study the history of mental illness and prevalent disorders in the field. Applications for clinical practice emphasize assessing and diagnosing mental disorders based on the most current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Students engage in analysis and synthesis of social work theories and ethicsin relation to treatment options and best practices. Collaboration with interdisciplinary treatment teams is explored.

This course provides an in depth examination of the clinical skills utilized for the Planned Change Process (engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation) of social work practice at the micro systems level. Students utilize supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior, manage personal values, and make ethical clinical decisions. Students examine and implement ethical use of technology in social work practice settings. Learning is assessed through the analysis of case studies.

This course provides an in-depth examination of the clinical skills of engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation on a mezzo systems level. Practice models and theoretical frameworks are examined and applied with diverse groups and families. Ethical decision-making based on knowledge of the NASW Code of Ethics combined with constructive cognitive and affective processing is practiced. Advanced interpersonal skills are practiced and modeled within the cohort through role plays and collaboration on decision cases. Particular emphasis is given to assessing skills in good beginnings (engagement) and endings (evaluation/termination).

In this course students identify and analyze current social welfare policies and programs with regard to service delivery, human rights, and social, economic, and environmental justice. Program development to more effectively meet the needs of clients and constituencies is explored. Students assess the effectiveness of social welfare policies and programs related to clinical social work practice across the lifespan. Plans are created and policies proposed on behalf of marginalized constituents.

This course is a clinical social work field placement in a social service agency accompanied by a seminar designed to apply learning to clinical social work practice. Placement in an agency is arranged collaboratively with the field director. Weekly synchronous seminar provides opportunities for students to discuss and demonstrate application of knowledge, values, skills, critical thinking, and management of emotions in the context of clinical social work practice. Students teach one another about the variety of settings in which clinical practice occurs and provide a support system for one another. Required time spent in the agency is an average of 16 hours per week for eight weeks. The clinical field experience requires a total of 500 hours accumulated over the course of four field and seminar courses. A minimum of 125 hours must be completed in this first advanced field placement course. Prerequisites: SWK-650, SWK-655, and SWK-672

This course is a continuation of the clinical social work field placement and seminar (SWK-666). The weekly synchronous seminar provides opportunities for students to discuss and demonstrate application of knowledge, values, skills, critical thinking, and management of emotions in the context of clinical social work practice. Students teach one another about the variety of settings in which clinical practice occurs and provide a support system for one another. Required time spent in the agency is an average of 16 hours per week for eight weeks. The clinical field experience requires a total of 500 hours accumulated over the course of four field and seminar courses. A minimum of 125 hours must be completed in this second advanced field placement course. Prerequisite: SWK-666

This course is a continuation of the clinical social work field placement in a social service agency accompanied by a seminar (SWK-667) designed to apply learning to clinical social work practice. The weekly synchronous seminar provides opportunities for students to discuss and demonstrate application of knowledge, values, skills, critical thinking, and management of emotions in the context of clinical social work practice. Students teach one another about the variety of settings in which clinical practice occurs and provide a support system for one another. Required time spent in the agency is an average of 16 hours per week for 8 weeks. The clinical field experience requires a total of 500 hours accumulated over the course of four field and seminar courses. A minimum of 125 hours must be completed in this third advanced field placement course. Prerequisites: SWK-667

This course is a continuation of the clinical social work field placement in a social service agency accompanied by a seminar (SWK-668) designed to apply learning to clinical social work practice. The weekly synchronous seminar provides opportunities for students to discuss and demonstrate application of knowledge, values, skills, critical thinking, and management of emotions in the context of clinical social work practice. Students teach one another about the variety of settings in which clinical practice occurs and provide a support system for one another. Required time spent in the agency is an average of 16 hours per week for 8 weeks. The clinical field experience requires a total of 500 hours accumulated over the course of four field and seminar courses. Since this is the final clinical field placement course the required 500 hours must be completed by the end of this course. Final evaluations based on the entire clinical field placement are completed. Prerequisites: SWK-668

This course is the first of four Topics courses designed to take students from their area of passion to the development and dissemination of research to improve advanced clinical practice. Students parallel their individual interests and strengths with an identified population and/or treatment modality to enhance the field of clinical social work. Students will create a team of mentors to guide the focus of their course of study. This course is a process of exploration, discovery, analysis, synthesis, planning, and application of the intersection of personal strengths, temperament, and interests with professional opportunities.

Students engage in practice informed research and research informed practice in their area of specialization as identified in the Topics in Social Work I course. Current research findings are synthesized and integrated with practice, policy and service delivery methods. Gaps in research are identified. Areas of marginalization and oppression are identified contextually with attention given to the impact of difference and diversity. Students must complete Topics in Social Work I (SWK-671) before taking this course.

In this course students conduct research related to their area of specialization as identified in the Topics in Social Work II course. A research project is selected, approved, designed, and carried out in an ethical manner. Statistical measurements are applied as appropriate to the project. Research findings are analyzed and applied to clinical practice, policy, and service delivery methods. Prerequisite: SWK-672

In this final topics course students produce a final research paper and disseminate the results of their project to a relevant audience in advancing clinical social work practice. Students evaluate their project by designing and utilizing an evaluation tool. Dissemination of evaluation findings provides insight toward improved practice effectiveness. Students develop a professional growth plan as they enter clinical social work practice based on insights from their experience through the Topics in Social Work series.