RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
COURSE OUTLINE – Web Version
19:910:500 Social Work Practice I Fall 2009
Instructor: Manda Gatto, MSW, LCSW
E-mail:
Office Hours: Tuesday, 6-8 pm, by appointment
I. Catalog Course Description
This is the first half of two required sequential courses in the Professional Foundation Year. It provides the basic knowledge and skills as a foundation for the advanced practice curriculum. Using a problem-solving model in an ecological perspective, the course prepares students to apply a generalist practice perspective to systems of all sizes and levels. Essential values, concepts, and ethical considerations as they pertain to generalist social work practice are explored.
II. Course Overview
This course approaches social work practice from a generalist perspective using a problem-solving process, which engages individuals, families, small groups, organizations and the community, in the larger society. The problem-solving process is combined with an ecological perspective. Practice content includes the following skills: developing professional relationships; collecting and assessing data; defining problems; using appropriate practice research knowledge; goal-setting; planning and contracting; identifying alternative interventions; selecting and implementing appropriate courses of action; using empirical measurement to monitor and evaluate outcomes; and concluding intervention. Emphasis is given to facilitative and constraining effects of the social context surrounding practice. Special attention is given to human diversity and populations-at-risk, such as persons of color, women, and gays and lesbians.
III. Place Of Course In Program
This is the first of two generalist practice foundation courses. The course is co-requisite with field placement I, and a prerequisite for both Social Work Practice II and field placement II.
IV. Course Objectives
Students will upon completion of the course have beginning competence to:
1. identify the purposes and objectives of social work practice;
2. identify values and ethics that direct and guide practice;
3. develop awareness of how personal attitudes influence professional practice; develop and monitor professional use of self, consistent with the professional value base; gain greater self-awareness to eliminate the influence of personal biases in working with diverse population
4. clarify and interpret professional roles in working with varying client systems, target systems, and contextual systems;
5. apply the problem-solving process to social work practice with diverse population groups (women, people of color, the poor, gays and lesbians etc.), targets of change and problem situations;
6. demonstrate basic skills in each phase of the problem-solving process, including appropriate communication skills;
7. discriminate among various skills and roles in the light of the agency’s mission and the goals of the client system;
8. use empirical research to inform practice interventions; select and critically evaluate models of assessment and intervention in beginning generalist practice with individuals, families and groups by use of theory and empirical literature on practice;
9. use a person-in-environment perspective to recognize and appraise the effects of context on their practice at various levels.
V. Required Reading
Books:
Shulman, L. (2008). The Skills of Helping: Individuals, Families, Groups, and Communities
(6th edition).Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. (with CD)
Wood, G.G. & Tully, C.T. (2006). The Structural Approach to Direct Practice in Social
Work: A Social Constructionist Perspective (3rd ed.) New York: Columbia University Press.
Books are available for purchase at the Rutgers University Book Store at 1 Penn Plaza, Ferren Mall, New Brunswick, (732) 246-8448. New Jersey Books (at 108 Somerset St., New Brunswick) may also sell texts.
Students also are expected to read other works from a selection of books and journals. Additional readings may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor.
Readings are on electronic reserve. Go to Rutgers University Libraries home page (www.libraries.rutgers.edu), click on IRIS, and then click on Reserve Desk. Readings are listed in alphabetical order by author’s name and can be found by searching “Curran, Laura” or “Social Work Practice I”. Please note that all role-plays and exercises are listed together under “Exercises.”
VI. Course Requirements
All assignments for this class must reflect social work values and ethics including awareness of issues of diversity and economic and social injustice
Major Assignments: (1) There will be an in-class mid-term examination held during the ninth class. Students are responsible for all required readings. (2) The final assignment, due on the 13th day of class, is a scholarly paper in which the student is asked to present a case study from their field placement that demonstrates an understanding of the agency, and a beginning ability to understand and use the skills of engagement, goal setting, intervention, and evaluation with client systems (3) Participation in discussions with colleagues is an integral part of professionalism. Each student will be expected to present case material during class time, integrate it with the course readings and learning from other classes in the School, and to help to develop a facilitative class climate by assisting in other colleagues’ learning. Throughout the course, students will be assigned short homework assignments, including ones on the CD-ROM from the Shulman book. (4) Students will be expected to make a short presentation to their colleagues on their agency, and develop a “one-pager” about their agency, together with agency brochures, for distribution to each member of the class. This assignment will begin in the 5th day of class and continue until all members of the class have had an opportunity to present.
More detailed instructions about assignments will be distributed in a later class.
Penalties
Absence on the day of the in-class exam or your scheduled presentation will result in a “0” grade. No opportunities for make-ups will be given unless the student provides documentation of extenuating circumstances.
Papers are due at the beginning of Class 13. Late papers will be penalized ½ a letter grade for each day they are overdue. Papers not received in the first 30 minutes of class on their due date but submitted before the end of class will be considered a full day late and will be penalized accordingly. Papers overdue by five days or more will not be accepted and will result in a “0” grade. Students are urged not to wait until the night before the due date to write the paper as personal emergencies occurring three days or less before the due date will not be considered grounds for an extension.
Professional social workers keep case records, write treatment reports for referral sources and managed care companies, correspond with judges and other professionals, develop policy, and advocate for their clients. All of these tasks require excellent writing skills. Therefore proper grammar, syntax, spelling, and appropriate referencing are expected for all assignments. You must adhere to the style guidelines of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Edition). Failure to do so will result in substantial deductions from your paper’s grade. Writing assistance is available at the Student Writing Center (732/932-1149).
Attendance is required. One point will be deducted from a student’s class participation score for each unexcused absence. Absence, early departure, or lateness to class is acceptable only for compelling reasons, such as illness. Absences related to field or work responsibilities will not be excused nor will absences related to vacation travel. Five or more absences (excused or otherwise) will result in course failure. Multiple unexcused departures or late arrivals will also result in course failure.
VII. Grading
Computation of the final grade will be based approximately on the following distribution:
35% In-class examination
50% Final assignment
10% Class participation and homework assignments
5% Class presentation (with handouts).
Designation of letter grades will be as follows:
A 90-100 C+ 75-79
B+ 85-89 C 70-74
B 80-84 F Below 70
The final paper will receive a letter grade, and will be calculated at the following numerical equivalents: A = 92; B+ = 87; B = 82; C+ = 77; C = 72; F = 60.
The University Code of Student Conduct (see catalogue pages 23-25) provides that the penalty for graduate students who cheat on examinations or plagiarize material from any source (including electronic sources) is permanent expulsion from the University. Students are held to the honor code of the University for themselves. They also are expected to report violations of academic integrity to their instructors.
VIII. Course Evaluation
Rutgers University issues a survey that evaluates both the course and the instructor. Students complete this survey at the end of the semester, and all answers are confidential and anonymous. The instructor also may choose to add questions to the end of semester evaluation or conduct an additional evaluation at mid-semester.
IX. Course Outline and Required Readings
1st Class Class introduction
2nd Class Overview of social work and professional orientation
Bisman. Chapters 1 and 2: “Introduction: The domain of social work,” pp. 1-20, and “Becoming a social worker: Major concepts of the profession,” pp. 21-43.
Shulman. Chapter 1: “An interactional approach to helping”
Anonymous. (1922). A definition of social work. The Survey, 48, p.395.
Compton, B.R. & Galaway, B. (1994). Social Work Processes, 5th ed. California: Brooks/Cole. Chapter 2: “Problem solving: A process for social work practice,” pp. 56-57; 59-69.
McMahon, M.O. (1996). The General Method of Social Work Practice. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, Table 1.5, “A holistic conceptualization of the foundation for social work practice.
3rd class Generalist practice (GP): Multiple levels for problem-solving
Wood & Tully. Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, & 14:
“The frame of reference for social work practice,” pp. 7-13.
“The philosophical base for structural social work practice, pps. 14-26
“Basic principles of the structural approach, pps. 43-79.
“Intervention principles and procedures,”pps. 80-104.
“Learning the organization,” pp. 229-248.
Vignette – Gomez Family (In electronic reserve under “Exercises”)
4th class Engaging Client Systems: Intake and Interviewing
Shulman. Chapters 3 and 4: “The preliminary phase of work,” “Beginnings and the contracting skills.”
Bisman. Chapter 4: “Relationship: The belief bonding,” pp. 73-110.
Lukas, S. (1993). How to conduct the first interview with a child. Where to Start and What to Ask: An Assessment Handbook. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, pp. 58-77 (at instructor’s discretion)
Illustration of Evidence Based Practice: McKay, M., Nudelman, R., McCadam, K. & Gonzales, J. (1996). Evaluating a social work engagement approach to involving inner-city children and their families in mental health care. Research on Social Work Practice, 6 (4), 462-472.
Tuning-in Exercise (Children’s Hospital) (In electronic reserve under “Exercises”) (at instructor’s discretion)
5th class Communication and Use-of-Self: Maintaining Professional Relationships (Student presentations on field placement agencies begin)
Bisman. Chapters 6 and 7: “Communication: The methods and skills,” pp. 177-208 and “Practitioner observation: The self monitoring of practice,” pp. 209-246.
Wood & Tully. Chapter 15: “Working in the organization,” pps. 249-264.
Shulman. Chapter 5: “Skills in the work phase”
Biestek, F. (1957) Seven principles in relationship. The Casework Relationship. Chicago: Loyola University Press.
Dungee-Anderson, D., & Beckett, J. O. (1995). A process model for multicultural social work practice. Families in Society, 76, 459-466.
Illustration of Evidence-Based Practice: Angell, B. & Mahoney, C. (2007). Reconceptualizing the case management relationship in intensive treatment: A study of staff perceptions and experiences. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 34(2), 172-188.
6th class Values and Ethics in Social Work Practice
Bisman. Chapter 3, “Professional values & the social work ethical code,” pp. 45-72.
Wood & Tully. Chapter 3: Ethics and social work practice,” pps. 27-42.
Bloom, M., Fischer, J., & Orme, J.G. (1995). The client bill of rights, Evaluating Practice: Guidelines for the Accountable Professional.
Healy, L. (2007). Univeralism and cultural relativism in social work ethics.
International Social Work 50(1), 11-26.
Moreno, C.L., & Guido, M. (2005). Social work practice with Latino Americans. In
D. Lum (ed.). Cultural competence, practice stages, and client systems: A case-study approach. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, pps. 88-111.
7th class Assessing Individuals: A Generalist Perspective
Bisman, Chapter 5, “Assessment: The case theory,” pp. 111-176.
Cowger, C.D. (1997). The strengths perspective in social work practice, NY: Longman. Chapter 5, “Assessing client strengths: Clinical assessment for client empowerment,” pp. 59-73
Hepworth, D. H., Rooney, R. H., & Larsen, J. (2002). Direct social work practice: Theory and skills, 6th ed. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. Chapter 8, “Multidimensional assessment,” pp. 187-217.
Hodge, D. R. (2005) Spiritual lifemaps: A client-centered pictorial instrument for
spiritual assessment, planning, and intervention. Social Work, 50 (1),77-87
Gitterman, D. (1996). Advances in the life model of social work practice. In In F. Turner (Ed.) Social Work Treatment: Interlocking Approaches (4th ed., pp. 389-408). NY: The Free Press (at instructor’s discretion).
Kevin (role play) (In electronic reserve under “Exercises”) (at instructor’s discretion)
8th class Planning, Contracting and Goal-Setting
Bisman (1994) Chapter 8, “Intervention: Planning, contracting, evaluation,”
pp. 247- 293, focus on 247-254.
Hepworth, D. H., Rooney, R.H., & Larsen, J.A. (2002). Direct social work practice: Theory and skills. (6th edition). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. Chapter 12, “Negotiating goals and formulating a contract,” pp. 327-356.
Reid, W. J. (1996). Task-centered social work. In Turner, F. J. (Ed.) Social Work Treatment: Interlocking Approaches (4th edition, pp. 617-640), NY: The Free Press
Ridley, C. R. (2005). Overcoming unintentional racism in counseling and psychotherapy. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, Chapter 8, “Set culturally relevant goals.”
Illustration of Evidence-Based Practice: Pottick, K. J. & Davis, D.M. (2001). Attributions of responsibility for children's mental health problems: Parents and professionals at odds. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 71, 426-435.
9th class In-class examination
10th class Intervention with Individuals
Hepworth, D. H., Rooney, R.H., & Larsen, J.A. (2002). Direct social work practice: Theory and skills. (6th edition). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. Chapter 13, “Planning and implementing change-oriented strategies,” pps. 359-398.
Lantz, J. (1996). Cognitive theory and social work treatment. Gitterman, D. (1996). Advances in the life model of social work practice. In In F. Turner (Ed.) Social Work Treatment: Interlocking Approaches (4th ed., pp. 94-115). NY: The Free Press.
Ell., K. (1996). Crisis theory and social work treatment. In In F. Turner (Ed.) Social Work Treatment: Interlocking Approaches (4th ed., pp. 168-190). NY: The Free Press.
LaSala, M. C. (2006). Cognitive and environmental interventions for gay males: Addressing stigma and its consequences. Families in Society, 87, 181-189.