Courses
SocW 310
Social Welfare Practice 1
Instructors for Spring 2008:
Course Description
This course begins a three-quarter practice sequence intended to introduce
students to beginning knowledge, values and skills of social work practice from
a generalist perspective and provide a foundation for subsequent practice courses
and the practicum experience. Overall course content includes: introduction
to roles, tasks, and functions of the generalist practitioner, knowledge and
value bases of practice, problem-solving process employing various methods and
strategies of intervention. Practice content also includes approaches and skills
for practice with clients from differing social, cultural, racial, religious,
spiritual and class backgrounds and with systems of all sizes.
Format: Class will meet once weekly and will consist of short lectures, small
group discussion, simulations and role plays. The nature of the subject matter
and the style of instruction requires active listening and participation through
informed contribution to discussion.
Objectives
By the end of this three quarter course sequence, students are expected to
be able to:
- Define the generalist perspective in social work practice.
- Understand and apply the value base and ethics of social work practice.
- Understand the "ecological", "strengths", and "empowerment"
perspectives in social work practice and research.
- Understand the varied knowledge base (theory, research, practice wisdom)
that informs generalist practice.
- Identify the various roles (e.g., advocate, enabler, broker, advocate, educator
and mediator) assumed by social workers at multiple levels of practice.
- Demonstrate key skills in effective communication.
- Understand the meaning of "use of the professional self" in generalist
practice.
- Identify the steps in the problem-solving process as illustrated through
case material and be able to understand how to operationalize them at the
micro-mezzo, and macro levels of practice.
- Demonstrate understanding of cultural and human diversity issues and their
implications for generalist practice.
- Understand the sequential process of social work practice viewed from four
perspectives:
major objectives
key worker tasks/skills
client perspectives
resources
- Understand the potential of research as an important source of knowledge
for practice, as well as a tool for evaluating its effectiveness.
Underlying these specific objectives is the general goal of introducing students
to the excitement of contemporary social work practice with an eye toward
future career development. Winter and Spring term will continue these themes
with a greater emphasis on the knowledge and skills involved in group, organizational
and community level social work practice.
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