Master's
Program > Courses
MASTERS PROGRAM - CLINICAL
CONCENTRATION
SWK 512 – CHILD WELFARE POLICIES AND PRACTICE
The child’s rights, the child and the family, the child and
the court, neglect and abuse, advocacy, foster care, and adoption
are explored.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
SWK 510 and matriculation.
SWK 516/517 – SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY: AGING & HEALTHCARE
This course is intended to provide the student with information
and experience in developing the necessary skills for analyzing,
modifying, and/or formulating social policy at the local agency,
community, inter-organizational, state or regional levels and to
utilize evidence-based research for policy analysis and change.
The course is intended to assist practitioners in performing their
professional responsibility for analyzing, presenting and shaping
policy when it negatively impacts upon their clients.
This may involve developing and implementing new policies, standards,
and regulations for an agency or service system; obtaining data
about unmet needs or negative effects of policies; taking an issue
outside of an agency for public notice or action; organizing and
participating in citizens and professional groups and coalitions
for legislative change; participating in public, political processes,
and testifying before legislative bodies in regard to proposed welfare
legislation.
The instructor will attempt to instruct practitioners on how to
present analysis both orally and in writing, concentrating on the
presentation of oral testimony, development of position statements,
so that the practitioner can present his/her policy position convincingly
and coherently.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
SWK 510 and matriculated social work students only.
SWK 518 – SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY: MENTAL HEALTH AND
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
It is essential that social work students specializing in mental
health and substance abuse develop a capacity to make linkages between
mental health/substance abuse issues that individual clients face
with macro level concerns. This course equips practitioners with
learning tools to enable them to formulate, analyze, and modify
social policy from colonial times to the present with cross-cultural
comparisons to other societies. Current issues and ways that practitioners
may influence policy will be stressed.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
SWK 510 and matriculated social work students only.
SWK 523 – CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH CHILDREN
This course complements the Child and Family Specialization courses
in Advanced Direct Practice. The focus of this course will be on
social work theory, practice skills, and values essential for practice
with children. Particular emphasis will be given to children at
risk, vulnerable children, and children coming from a range of different
family systems and institutions (i.e., foster care, residential
care, etc.).
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Matriculated social work students or departmental permission.
SWK 530 – SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS
This course will examine the challenges and opportunities of social
work practice in educational settings. Development of assessment,
engagement, and micro-, mezzo-, and macro-intervention skills with
a variety of school constituencies will be emphasized. This includes
work with children and adolescents, parents, educators, support
staff and administrators, and community resources. The course will
focus on issues that emerge in schools settings with particular
attention to the non-academic barriers to educational performance
and pro social development. The conceptual framework of the course
is characterized by core themes, direct practice modalities, and
a wide range of intervention techniques.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Six graduate social work credits or departmental permission.
SWK 540 – ADVANCED CLINICAL PRACTICE WITH ELDERS
Knowledge, skills, methods needed to demonstrate effective clinical
practice with elders.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
SWK 571.
SWK 542 – ADVANCED CLINICAL PRACTICE IN MEDICAL AND
REHABILITATIVE CARE
Knowledge, skills, methods needed to demonstrate effective clinical
practice with elders.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
SWK 571.
SWK
545 – ADVANCED CLINICAL PRACTICE WITH CHILDREN AND ADULTS
This course builds advanced generic social work knowledge, skills
and values. It focuses on the integration of clinical social work
theories and practice skills with individuals within their family
systems . Particular emphasis is given to the special needs of vulnerable
populations and diverse ethnic groups.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
SWK 571. Co-requisite: SWK 572
SWK 548 – ADVANCED SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH FAMILIES
Social workers provide varied services to families with special
needs, vulnerable families, and families from diverse, ethnic backgrounds.
This course provides students with skills, concepts, knowledge,
and values from a social work perspective for the purposes of assessment
and various strategies of intervention with families.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
SWK 545 and SWK 571.
SWK 549 – ADVANCED SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH LATER
LIFE FAMILIES
This course expands on the further development of social work skills,
principles, and values necessary for gerontological practice addressed
in SWK 540. The focus of this course is on an overview of families
during later life. Social, philosophical, psychological, moral,
historical and spiritual perspectives will be utilized to analyze
adult child/elder parent relationships, marital relationships, and
sibling relationships and extended kin relationships. Sociocultural
influences on family functioning will be examined. Adaptive and
non-adaptive changes to family restructuring during later life will
be explored. Strategies of gerontological social work family interventions
will be examined.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
SWK 540 and SWK 571.
SWK 552 – HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
– PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
Identify and understand etiology, symptoms and course of psychiatric
disorders. Impact of biopsychosocial variables, genetic factors,
and human diversity on onset and course of psychopathology will
be studied.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
SWK 550 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment I or department
permission.
SWK 556 – ADVANCED CLINICAL PRACTICE IN MENTAL HEALTH
AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
This course will cover principles and practices of community mental
health/substance abuse (MH/SA) work that will enhance students'
specialized knowledge and skills to work with persons of this client
population and their families. This course expands on foundation
level, generalist social work skills by covering principles, practices,
and values addressed in foundation level courses, such as the integration
seminar, and in field work. The focus of this course is on developing
advanced-level social work practice skills and methods, with an
appropriate application of social work theory, to different MH/SA
practice settings.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
SWK 521 and 532. Matriculated social work students only.
SWK 559 – CURRENT ISSUES IN COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH
AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
This course will explore innovative community care approaches as
well as emerging trends for working with persons with severe and
prolonged mental disorder in the field of community mental health.
This course will emphasize social work intervention using psychosocial
rehabilitation approaches for individuals and families seeking services
from public mental health agencies.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Open to matriculated Social Work Students only.
SWK 565 – SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS
AND CONDITIONS
The focus of this course is to prepare students for work in the
health care field, and to expand social worker’s clinical
skills so as to be able to address, with clinical understanding
and effectiveness, the biopsychosocial-spiritual treatment needs
of patients and their families/significant others, who are dealing
with chronic health issues. Emphasis is placed on assessment, development
of therapeutic interventions that reflect the uniqueness of the
patient/family and the diagnosis, and the understanding of and skill
in working within and with a complex medical system. The course
integrates the ecological and psychosocial models into the work
done with patients and families. Appreciation of the influences
of culture, family systems, and the health care systems on patient
and family is incorporated into the course material. Since most
patients and families who experience a chronic illness also suffer
psychologically, the course will focus on developing the clinical
skills of the student to be skilled in helping patients and family
members adapt to the stresses of diagnosis and treatment within
our complex health care system. To achieve this goal, a broad range
of counseling modalities and therapeutic techniques are utilized.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Matriculated SWK student; SWK 532 – Theory & Practice
I – The Life Model.
SWK
566 – SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE IN BRIEF TREATMENT MODELS
This advanced social work course will provide the student with an
understanding of brief treatment models of therapy and their application
to social work practice. There will also be an emphasis on their
effectiveness by social workers within managed care settings.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
SWK 532, 570 and 571.
SWK 567 – SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE IN CRISIS SITUATIONS
This course will explore the different types of crises that are
experienced by individuals, families and groups. The emphasis will
be on assessing both developmental and situational crises and applying
appropriate levels of intervention strategies.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
None. Elective credit. Open to non-matriculated and senior BSW students.
SWK
572/573 – PRACTICUM III & IV AND RESEARCH PROJECT SPECIALIZATION
– CHILDREN & FAMILIES
The student of the clinical concentration will be prepared during
the first year for the foundations of generalist social work practice
with individuals, families, small groups, communities and organizations.
Preparation for a broad range of professional roles, tasks, and
processes will be emphasized.
The focus of the second year will be preparation for advanced interpersonal
practice with an emphasis on prevention. Problems of client growth,
development, rehabilitation, and maintenance will be addressed by
direct intervention skills and service delivery strategies. Evaluation
competency will be stressed. The practicum will emphasize demonstrated
generalist competence at a more sophisticated level and specialist
expertise in clinical interventions with individuals, groups and
families.
Attention is given to continued rapid social change, racism, sexism,
and the pervasive social and economic problems which have accelerated
the distress within families.
The weekly seminar is designed to guide students in discussion of
ways to integrate theory and practice, to develop strategies to
improve field performance, to tap the expertise of peers and the
field seminar instructor and to learn to use assessment and feedback
to further their own professional development. Written seminar assignments
are focused on social work practice and evaluation competencies.
The seminar is taught by a faculty member who serves as a liaison
to the student's field agency and field instructor.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Second year standing and registered in Advanced Practice course.
SWK 572/573 – PRACTICUM III & IV AND RESEARCH
PROJECT
SPECIALIZATION – ELDERS & FAMILIES
The student of the clinical concentration will be prepared during
the first year for the foundations of generalist social work practice
with individuals, families, small groups, communities and organizations.
Preparation for a broad range of professional roles, tasks, and
processes will be emphasized.
The focus of the second year will be preparation for advanced interpersonal
practice with an emphasis on prevention. Problems of client growth,
development, rehabilitation, and maintenance will be addressed by
direct intervention skills and service delivery strategies. Evaluation
competency will be stressed. The practicum will emphasize demonstrated
generalist competence at a more sophisticated level and specialist
expertise in clinical interventions with individuals, groups and
families.
Attention is given to continued rapid social change, racism, sexism,
and the pervasive social and economic problems which have accelerated
the distress of families.
The weekly seminar is designed to guide students in discussion of
ways to integrate theory and practice, to develop strategies to
improve field performance, to tap the expertise of peers and the
field seminar instructor and to learn to use assessment and feedback
to further their own professional development. Written seminar assignments
are focused on social work practice and evaluation competencies.
The seminar is taught by a faculty member who serves as a liaison
to the student’s field agency and field instructor.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Second year standing and registered in Advanced Practice course.
SWK 572/573 – PRACTICUM III & IV AND RESEARCH
PROJECT
SPECIALIZATION – COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
The student of the clinical concentration will be prepared during
the first year for the foundations of generalist social work practice
with individuals, families, small groups, communities and organizations.
Preparation for a broad range of professional roles, tasks, and
processes will be emphasized.
The focus of the second year will be preparation for advanced interpersonal
practice with an emphasis on prevention. Problems of client growth,
development, rehabilitation, and maintenance will be addressed by
direct intervention skills and service delivery strategies. Evaluation
competency will be stressed. The practicum will emphasize demonstrated
generalist competence at a more sophisticated level and specialist
expertise in clinical interventions with individuals, groups and
families.
Attention is given to continued rapid social change, racism, sexism,
and the pervasive social and economic problems which have accelerated
the distress within families.
The weekly seminar is designed to guide students in discussion of
ways to integrate theory and practice, to develop strategies to
improve field performance, to tap the expertise of peers and the
field seminar instructor and to learn to use assessment and feedback
to further their own professional development. Written seminar assignments
are focused on social work practice and evaluation competencies.
The seminar is taught by a faculty member who serves as a liaison
to the student's field agency and field instructor.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Second year standing and registered in Advanced Practice course.
SWK 572/573 – PRACTICUM III & IV AND RESEARCH
PROJECT
CONCENTRATION – SOCIAL SERVICE MANAGEMENT
The student of the social service management concentration will
be prepared during the first year for the foundations of generalist
social work practice with individuals, families, small groups, communities
and organizations. Preparation for a broad range of professional
roles, tasks, and processes will be emphasized.
The focus of the second year will be preparation for advanced practice
with an emphasis on social service management. The practicum will
emphasize demonstrated generalist competence at a more sophisticated
level and specialist expertise in social service management interventions
with individuals, groups and families. Students are trained in a
wide variety of macro intervention strategies and methodologies
that are designed to relieve distress among individuals and to improve
the functioning of agencies and organizations.
Attention is given to continued rapid social change, racism, sexism,
and the pervasive social and economic problems, which have accelerated
the distress within families.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Second year standing.
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MASTERS
PROGRAM
SOCIAL SERVICE MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION
SWK
536 – SOCIAL WELFARE MANAGEMENT I (PROGRAM DESIGN)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Social Welfare Management I is a three credits and required course
for all students enrolled in the Masters of Social Work program's
Social Service Management concentration.
This course is designed as the initial course for all students in
the concentration and provides an introduction to social work management
as a method of practice within a theoretical framework for understanding
the role and responsibilities of a culturally competent social welfare
administrator/planner. Basic practice skills are identified as planning
and policy setting (both within one organization and in the larger
community); decision-making; managing personnel, programs, and budgets;
maintaining inter-organizational linkages; monitoring organizational
activities and maintaining clear communications between the institutional,
managerial and technical levels of an organization. Practice skills
will be developed through simulations and other experiences in application
of the theoretical knowledge base as part of this course.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Open to non-matriculated students.
SWK 537 – SUPERVISION AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Components of effective social work supervision: administrative,
educational, and supportive; skill development, assessing performance,
accountability technologies, and managing socio-political relationships.
Recommended also for students in social service development concentration
or urban management.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Open to non-matriculated students.
SWK 538 – SOCIAL WELFARE PLANNING
Social Welfare Planning is a 3 hour-credit and required course for
all students enrolled in the Masters of Social Work program's Social
Service Management Concentration and Masters of Urban Studies Urban
Management Concentration. This course covers the foundations of
social welfare policy analysis, social welfare planning, strategic
planning, and program implementation. It concentrates on helping
students to develop a procedural grasp of the formulation of policies,
the development of policy plans, and the implementation of policy
and plans. Content will include: program and policy analysis, models
of social planning, administrative and management theory, service
coordination and management as well as needs assessment technology,
and information needs for social planning.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Open to non-matriculated students.
SWK 583 – INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR SOCIAL SERVICES
MANAGEMENT
The Information Systems for Human Service Management course is designed
to provide knowledge of management information systems design and
implementation. Students are expected to understand and design basic
information systems for administrative practice.
This course also builds upon your basic knowledge of organizations
and uses this knowledge to help you understand how to design an
information system. The intent is to develop a management information
system which can indeed serve as the broad base of back-ground (historic)
and current data on organizations, services, outputs, and outcomes
which can be integrated into evaluative research studies for policy,
program and/or service effectiveness questions.
This course will show how both profit and non-profit organizations
design and use information systems to solve organizational problems,
using critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Students will
learn to analyze and define an organizational problem and design
an appropriate solution. Solutions typically require students to
visualize a new information system application.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Social work students are expected to have completed SWK 510 Social
Welfare Policies & Delivery System or URB 552 Public Policy
and Analysis, and SWK 560 Social Welfare Policy & Evaluation.
Permission can also be granted by the instructor.
SWK 584 – NON PROFIT FISCAL MANAGEMENT
The purpose of this course to provide students with a basic knowledge
of the fiscal tools and knowledge they will need to manage and to
understand to engage in the management of budgets and budgetary
systems in human service organizations. This course will provide
an opportunity for social service management students to learn about
nonprofit budgeting and cost items affecting the financial management
systems governmental and non-profit organizations.
The course is designed for those students who have neither a financial
nor accounting background, but still need a basic understanding
of fiscal management, budgeting, and financial control.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Open to non-matriculated students.
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MASTERS
PROGRAM
ELECTIVES SYLLABI AND COURSE MATERIALS
SWK 513 – SOCIAL WORK AND LAW
Laws and legal processes that have an impact on social work practice;
the role of the courts, client rights, and the discretionary authority
of human service agencies. Basic law relevant to the social worker’s
interaction with clients learning a fundamental knowledge of constitutional,
civil and criminal law giving the student a greater appreciation
for the social work process, not just the legal process.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Open to non-matriculated students.
SWK 535 – MEDIATION FOR HUMAN SERVICE PROFESSIONALS
This course is designed to provide the student a theoretical framework
of basic practice skills in conflict resolution. In this course
students will be introduced to basic negotiation and mediation techniques.
Case studies and participatory exercises will be used to demonstrate
these techniques in the context of health and human service organizations.
Issues in family, parent-teen, adoption, divorce, post-divorce parenting
and victim-offender mediation will be discussed. Gender, race and
cultural dimensions will also be considered. Trends in the application
of mediation and conflict resolution approaches to Social Work practice
will be explored.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
An interest in learning to apply alternative dispute resolution
approaches, where indicated, to social work practice.
SWK 544 – ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING PROCESS FOR SOCIAL WORK
PRACTICE
This course provides students with conceptual and diverse frameworks
on social work ethics, and experience utilizing these frameworks
in the decision-making process applied to diverse roles, situations,
systems and clients. The focus is on the understanding of the NASW
Code of Ethics and its application to social work practice as it
applies in varied situations with different types of dilemmas.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Open to non-matriculated students.
SWK 546 – CASE MANAGEMENT FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
Presents the viewpoint of case management as a highly complex function
of social work practice. Essentials of case management, models and
current issues as they relate to practice are explored.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Open to non-matriculated students.
SWK 554 – VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY: INTERVENTIVE STRATEGIES
Themes of violence in the family; socio-political theories of violence;
diverse interventions; violence and oppression; implications for
social work, law and medical professions.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Graduate level courses or permission of the instructor.
SWK 555 – SEXUAL MINORITIES: A SOCIAL WORK RESPONSE
This course will view the problems confronting America’s lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender (queer) minority. Homophobia and
heterosexism will be studied as barriers to healthy development
and optimal social functioning. These barriers and the unique needs
will serve as the context for exploring the role of social work
and other health and human service professionals. Students will
be encouraged to explore their relationships with sexual minorities
in both their professional and personal lives to better understanding
their resilience,
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
Open to non-matriculated students.
SWK 558 – AIDS: A SOCIAL WORK RESPONSE
This course provides students with the analytic and interactional
skills for professional responsibility in the AIDS service system.
Content will include biopsychosocial construction of the disease;
medical, legal, ethical, and psychosocial responses; roles and processes
in the health and social service system; and the importance of case
and class advocacy and health care reform.
PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS
None.
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