Social Work 599
Section #60725
Social Work Practice with Native American Children, Families and Communities: National Immersion
3 Units
"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children."
-- Chief Sitting Bull (Tatank Iyotake), Hunkpapa Lakota (1831-1890) --
Spring, 2016
Instructor: / Ruth Supranovich, LCSW; Terence Fitzgerald, PhD; Cynthia Rollo-Carson, LCSWE-Mail: / / Course Day: / Saturdays (TBD)
Telephone: / 858-675-0167 / Course Time: / 9am – 12 pm
Office: / San Diego Academic Center / Course Location: / xxx
Office Hours: / By appointment
Program Administrator / Dan Hester
Telephone / 213-740-3939
E-mail /
I. Course Prerequisites
The Social Work Practice with Native American Children, Families and Communities National Immersion is an elective course of the Department of Children, Youth and Families that is open to students from all departments. Students will have successfully completed the foundation semester before enrolling in this course.
II. Catalogue Description
Ten-day community immersion experience on a South Dakota Indian Reservation where students will work with local social service providers to understand and apply essential concepts to working with Native American children, families and communities.
III. Course Description
This course introduces students to the concepts essential to working with Native American children, families and communities. Students will learn the history of Native Americans in the US and how this history impacts social work practice with members of this community today. The course includes a weeklong immersion experience working alongside service providers on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation in South Dakota. Students will learn how to provide services in a manner that honors the Native American worldview and cultural traditions that may diverge from the Western ideological social work practice paradigm. During the immersion students will begin the process of developing a relationship between the USC School of Social Work and local providers of education and child and family enrichment services in Dupree, South Dakota, and the surrounding communities. Upon return they will share learned knowledge, skills and experiences with their educational and local communities.
As an elective in the Department of Children, Youth and Families, this course will introduce students to understanding how to deliver culturally competent services to Native American children, families and communities via an impactful immersion experience in a particularly impoverished region of the US. Students will learn skills that will be transferable to their future practice when working with Native American children and families in both urban and rural settings. The course will highlight the role of historical trauma in the etiology of social problems facing Native American families as well as how this impacts the social worker’s (and agency’s) relationship with the family. Students will learn how to engage with Native American children, families and communities in a culturally appropriate manner through use of indigenous practice wisdom as well as exchange evidence supported interventions at the micro, mezzo and macro levels with their host social service agency.
Special Notes
Participation is open to graduate students in any major/department/concentration who have an average GPA of 3.0 or higher; USC and non-USC students; faculty and staff from USC and other educational institutions; and community leaders and professionals from any discipline or field. Preference will be given to students in the last year of their MSW program.
A program fee is required, in addition to tuition costs. The program fee will not include air travel so students will be expected to make their own arrangements to arrive in Rapid City, South Dakota, to meet up as a group on the evening of March 11, 2017.
Students are expected to have the level of maturity and professionalism necessary to conduct themselves appropriately and responsibly in the classroom and throughout the immersion.
IV. Course Objectives
Objective # / Objectives /1 / Develop cultural competence in social work practice with Native American children, families and communities
2 / Gain knowledge about the history of Native Americans and understand the role of historical trauma when working with Native American individuals, families and communities
3 / Become familiar with the history and culture of the Lakota Tribe and life on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation and learn how to use this knowledge to better engage, assess, intervene and evaluate when working with different Native American communities and groups
4 / Learn to select and develop best practices in collaboration with their host community (evidence based and culturally specific) when addressing the social welfare and behavioral health needs of Native American individuals, families and communities
5 / Be able to engage critical thinking and cultural empathy in order to better serve Native American families and children in both rural and urban settings
6 / Develop the capability to effectively advocate and influence across a spectrum of social work practice (micro, mezzo and macro), in order to promote social and economic justice for Native American children, families and communities
V. Course format / Instructional Methods
The course will employ multiple approaches to learning that will help the student engage with the course subject matter cognitively, experientially and emotionally. The classroom seminars prior to the immersion will be facilitated by the instructors to prepare students through lectures and interactional activities to encourage critical thinking and extensive self-reflection regarding cross cultural practice and ongoing neocolonialism within social work practice.
The immersion experience will begin with a visit to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Museum and exploration of Rapid City. Students will be asked to reflect on their experience of these landmarks in light of their readings and learned understanding of colonialism and the impact on the local Native American population.
Once on the Reservation the immersion will provide a cultural exchange environment wherein students will meet with Tribal Elders, artists and activists who will share their cultural wisdom. In turn, students will share their professional knowledge, skills and talents to enhance the capacity of local service providers working with Native American children and families.
Prior to the immersion, instructors will have identified three focus areas to align with the needs of the community and the host agency (e.g. school social work, promoting healthy child development, and organizational capacity building). Students will select or be assigned a group based on their interest and skill set. Prior to the immersion, each group will research their focus area and develop some understanding of the problem, including assessment and exploration/preparation of potential interventions. Each instructor will lead a group and during the immersion the group and instructor will participate in activities in partnership with the host agency and community related to that focus area. Debriefing will occur daily as a group and with the entire class, including reflection on anticipated versus actual experience and the potential for unintended consequences and neocolonialist practice.
The last two days of the immersion may include the option to engage in social action depending on local conditions.
Upon return, students will share what they learned with their educational and community colleagues to increase public awareness and promote social action regarding the current living conditions of Native Americans in South Dakota.
VI. Student Learning Outcomes
The following table lists the nine Social Work core competencies as defined by the Council on Social Work Education’s 2015 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards:
Social Work Core Competencies1 / Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
2 / Engage in Diversity and Difference in Practice *
3 / Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice *
4 / Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
5 / Engage in Policy Practice
6 / Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
7 / Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
8 / Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
9 / Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities
* Highlighted in this course
The following table shows the competencies highlighted in this course, the related course objectives, student learning outcomes, and dimensions of each competency measured. The final column provides the location of course content related to the competency.
Competency / Objectives / Behaviors / Dimensions / ContentCompetency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
Social workers seek to further their comprehension as to how diversity and difference characterize and shape the human experience in relation to the critical formation of identity as families develop and children grow physically and emotionally. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors including but not limited to age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers are aware of their own intersectionality of differences and how this may impact their practice with the children, youth and families they serve. Social workers who work with children, youth, and families seek to understand how life experiences arising from oppression, poverty, marginalization, or privilege and power, can affect family culture and identity, as well as individual growth and development. Social workers recognize the extent to which social structures, social service delivery systems, values and cultural systems may oppress, marginalize, alienate, exclude, or create or enhance privilege and power among children youth, and families. / 2a. Develop cultural competence in social work practice with Native American children, families and communities
2b. Gain knowledge about the history of Native Americans and understand the role of historical trauma when working with Native American individuals, families and communities
2c. Become familiar with the history and culture of the Lakota Tribe and life on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation and learn how to use this knowledge to better engage, assess, intervene and evaluate when working with different Native American communities and groups / 2a. Apply and communicate understanding of the importance of diversity and difference in shaping life experiences of children and families when practicing at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels / Values / Unit 2:
Native American History; Oppression & Subjugation
Unit 3: Understanding Historical Trauma and Implications for Practice
Units 6-11: Immersion
Assignment 2:
Daily Immersion Journal
Assignment 4:
Class Participation
Competency / Objectives / Behaviors / Dimensions / Content
Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Social workers understand that every child, young person, and family member, regardless of position in society, has fundamental human rights such as freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, health care, and education. Social workers understand the global interconnections of oppression and human rights violations and employ social justice strategies to promote social and economic justice and human rights for children and families and the communities in which they live. Social workers use strategies designed to eliminate oppressive structural barriers in order to ensure more equitable distribution of social goods, rights, services, and responsibilities and to protect the civil, political, environmental, economic, social, and cultural rights of children, youth, and families. Social workers are aware of the historical and current impact of colonization and globalization on children, youth and families, and incorporate social justice practices to bear witness to and actively dismantle oppression and foster liberation. / 3a. Learn to select and develop best practices (evidence based and culturally specific) when addressing the social welfare and behavioral health needs of Native American individuals, families and communities
3b. Be able to engage critical thinking and cultural empathy in order to better serve Native American families and children in both rural and urban settings
3c. Develop the capability to effectively advocate and influence across a spectrum of social work practice (micro, mezzo and macro), in order to promote social and economic justice for Native American children, families and communities / 3a. Incorporate social justice practices in advocating for policies that promote empowerment in vulnerable children, youth and families / Values and Skills / Unit 1:
Overview of course; Decolonizing social work practice
Units 6-11:
Immersion
Units 12-15:
Group Presentations; Inspiring Action
Assignment 1:
Focus Area Group Presentation
Assignment 3:
Final Project
VII. Course Assignments, Due Dates Grading
Assignment / Due Date / % of FinalGrade /1. Focus Area Group Presentation / Unit 4 / 30%
2. Daily Immersion Journal (5 Entries) / Daily during Immersion / 25%
3. Final Project Presentation / Units 11-15 / 35%
4. Course Participation / Ongoing / 10%
Each of the major assignments is described below.
Assignment 1: Focus Area Group Presentation
Students will select one of 3 topic areas identified as of importance to the host community. In their focus area groups, students will prepare a presentation for the class on their topic area to include background, available data, problem statement, proposed intervention and outcome deliverables.
The purpose of this assignment is for students to learn how to research a specific Tribe and increase cultural knowledge in preparation for the immersion, as well as identify potentially critical information to assist in their intervention during the immersion, including engagement strategies, selection of needed materials/tools, and applicable skill development. It accounts for 30% of the course grade.
Due: Unit #4 prior to leaving on Immersion.
This assignment relates to student learning outcome 2a.
Assignment 2: Daily Immersion Journal
During the visit to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation, students will receive a daily prompt for self-reflection on their experiences and will be required to submit a 3-5 page journal response. Prompts will ask students to consider their thoughts, values, feelings and impressions of the physical, spiritual, social and political environment. Students are expected to examine their current worldview and re-evaluate this based on the cultural immersion experience. There will be five journal entries and each accounts for 5% of the grade, for a total of 25% of the overall course grade for this assignment.
Due: Journal entries will be submitted daily during the Immersion.
This assignment relates to student learning outcomes 2a.
Assignment 3: Final Project Presentation
Each group will prepare a presentation of their experience and present it in at least two other settings besides in class. The presentation should be in the form of a PowerPoint or Electronic Poster and should cover relevant information as it pertains to their focus topic regarding the geography, demographics, history, political structure, cultural norms and traditions, and identification of available health and social services on and off the Reservation. It should also describe the intervention provided by the student group and the observed and/or anticipated impact on the community visited. Students are to consider their role in raising public awareness and inspiring social action as a result of their presentation.