Social Work (SW)

Courses

SW-140 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL WELFARE 3.00 Credits

The focus of this course is to help social work and non-social work majors gain an understanding of the professional foundation of social work. Students will be introduced to the knowledge, skills, and ethics involved in the generalist social work practice. Attention is given to the many settings and roles in which social workers work with diverse client groups whom social workers service. Volunteer service learning project is required. This course is required for all social work majors.

SW-193 SERVICE LEARNING 1.00-12.00 Credits

SW-226 BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR 3.00 Credits

Introduces students to a field of neuroscience that is variously referred to as physiological psychology, biopsychology, behavioral biology, or behavioral neuroscience. The main focus is on gaining and/or demonstrating an understanding of relationships between central nervous system processes and human behavior. Pre-requisite: PSYC-101; and ENGL-102 or ENGL-109. Cross-listed with PSYC-226.

SW-241 SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE FOUNDATIONS 3.00 Credits

Provides an introduction to, and overview of, practice skills, methods, problem-solving, and critical thinking processes necessary to generalist social work practice with diverse populations. The course consists of lecture, laboratory components to facilitate integration of values, ethics, knowledge and skills based in work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Pre-requisite: SW-140 or permission of instructor.

SW-290 DIRECTED STUDY IN SOCIAL WORK 1.00-12.00 Credits

SW-291 WORKSHOP IN SOCIAL WORK 1.00-3.00 Credits

SW-292 SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIAL WORK 1.00-12.00 Credits

SW-293 SERVICE LEARNING 1.00-12.00 Credits

SW-295 PRACTICUM IN SOCIAL WORK 1.00-12.00 Credits

SW-299 RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP 1.00-12.00 Credits

SW-315 WORKING WITH GRIEF AND LOSS 3.00 Credits

By equipping the professional social worker with the ability to recognize and address the client's grief and loss issues, the social work change process can continue to enable the client to focus on increased social functioning which is not hampered by unresolved issues. While death and dying are a significant factor in grief and loss, this course is predominately focused on other causes of loss and grief. The rationale of the course, therefore, is based upon the recognition of the many causes of sanctioned, unsanctioned, and unrecognized grief over losses which occur in ordinary living.

SW-321 HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT I 3.00 Credits

This course builds upon the biological, behavioral and social sciences of the Liberal Arts core. It adds a social systems perspective to explore the determinants of human behavior in infancy, childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. Class, ethnicity, race, and gender are emphasized, while family, group, organization, community and society provide the person/environment transactional context. This course introduces the major psychological, sociological and social work theories which underpin social work practice. Pre-requisite: PSYC-101 and ENGL-102 or ENGL-109; or permission from the instructor.

SW-322 HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT II 3.00 Credits

This course is the second of two human behavior courses, which deal with research, theories, and concepts on individual and family development from an ecological perspective. This course builds upon the knowledge base from the Liberal Arts core in biology, psychology, political science, economics, sociology, and anthropology. Pre-requisite: SW-321 and PSYC-101.

SW-325 THE LAW OF CHILD AND FAMILY 3.00 Credits

This course examines legal principles and procedures of special relevance to the practice of social work and work within human service agencies. The course will review the basic structure and operation of the American legal system; basic principles of legal research; basic principles of constitutional law; legislative process; courtroom testimony; and legal principles related to juvenile justice, adult and child protection, adoption, education, domestic relations, mental health, aging, education, medic-legal issues, and disabilities.

SW-330 MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE 21ST CENTURY 3.00 Credits

Mental Health and Mental Illness in the 21st Century is designed to enable students to construct their own meaning and understanding of the terms "mental illness" through a series of learning activities. These activities include assigned readings, the media, discussions, and interaction with mental health consumers, family members, service providers, and service learning. Students will be introduced to three approaches to treatment: the medical model, the psychosocial rehabilitation model, and the recovery model. Students will become familiar with treatment modalities including therapeutic communities, clubhouses, and programs based on the strengths perspective. Pre-requisite: PSYC 101 or permission of instructor.

SW-340 SOCIAL WORK POLICY 3.00 Credits

This course is designed to give you a broad overview of the origins and evolution of the Welfare State in the United States of America. This course explores the development, formulation, implementation and effects of social policy on institutions and society. Social policy formation, decision-making, analysis, and their intentional and unintentional effects on society are examined through the utilization of both historic and scientific public policy critical thinking analysis. Issues of identifying, evaluating, and reporting those effects are presented and discussed. A preview of present and future trends will be introduced and critically analyzed.

SW-341 SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH INDIVIDUALS 3.00 Credits

Students focus on generalist practice with individuals in a variety of organizational and cultural contexts. The course builds upon the beginning generalist social work skills learned in SW 241. Emphases are on development of the problem-solving approach, evaluation of practice effectiveness and assessment and intervention techniques within the context of generalist practice. Values, techniques, theory, ethics, research and diversity are stressed. Course enrollment is limited to Social Work majors. Pre-requisite: SW 241.

SW-342 SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH GROUPS 3.00 Credits

Building upon previous practice classes, this course explores the theories and dynamics of group behavior, and the techniques of working with and within diverse groups in a variety of community and organizational contexts. Students learn to assess interaction patterns, individual change through group processes, ethical options and their own group skills as an emphasis within generalist practice. Course enrollment is limited to Social Work majors. Pre-requisite: SW-241.

SW-343 SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH FAMILIES 3.00 Credits

This course focuses on the family as the client system. For generalist practice social workers who will have the need to serve families as a unit, this course will help students to gain a firm understanding of the family as a system. In addition, students will understand the roles, functions, communication patterns, and relational patterns that can be center of family problems as well as resources for better functioning. This course will also emphasize the strengths perspective in helping families make changes that will allow them to cope with issues impeding their functioning. Ethical issues that arise in work with families will also be addressed. Finally, all issues will be referenced through a cultural lens. Course enrollment is limited to Social Work majors. Pre-requisite: SW 241.

SW-355 SELF-CARE FOR SOCIAL WORKERS 3.00 Credits

This course is an undergraduate level class designed primarily for students in social work. The objective of the course is two-fold. First, the course is designed to familiarize students with contemplative practice and its relevance for the fields of first responders and helpers. Second, the course is designed to give future care providers practical methods for taking care of themselves and preventing burnout. The course will entail both academic and experiential learning. The class is reflective as well as interactive as we build self-awareness in applying self-care practices into our daily life; and see how that influences those around us.

SW-360 CASE MANAGEMENT IN SOCIAL WORK 3.00 Credits

This course is designed to give social work students skills in managing their cases as they enter the field of social work practice. These skills will include engagement, assessment, service plan development, referrals, client monitoring, evaluation, and termination. Students will also learn to manage client data with popular software programs, such as Excel.

SW-361 CHILD WELFARE 3.00 Credits

This course presents to the social work student a fundamental model of social work practice that addresses a multi-systemic approach to intervention for families that emphasizes safety, permanence and well-being. The class explores best practice methods of intervention with diverse populations that are a blend of policy changes and practice applications in the domain of child welfare practices.

SW-363 ETHICS IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE 3.00 Credits

The focus of this course is to familiarize the student with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics and for students to develop and ability to apply these codes to a variety of specific problem situations. Students will explore current professional, ethical, and legal issues in a variety of settings and learn how to think through ethical issues in a systematic manner. Principles of ethical decision making and decision-making strategies will be explored. Pre-requisite: Junior standing.

SW-364 SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS 3.00 Credits

This Social Work elective course focuses on Social Work practice with children, adolescents, and their families. The course incorporates social work practice theory and skill development, relevant policy issues and the considerations, and emphasizes the ways in which empirical research informs practice.

SW-365 AGING IN THE 21ST CENTURY 3.00 Credits

As the American population ages, millions of people referred to as "baby boomers" have begun to retire. However, unlike any time in our history, that population will not be like the stereotypes of old people sitting quietly in rocking chairs. In fact, they will be a population to be reckoned with as they make increasing economic, political, and social demands and will expect to have those demands addressed. The purpose of this course is to create an holistic and positive understanding of older people and how they expect to live in the 21st Century. Their physical, psychological, social, philosophical, ethical, and spiritual dimensions will be infused into on-line discussions and class assignments.

SW-366 SOCIAL WORK AND SPIRITUAL DIVERSITY 3.00 Credits

This is an elective course offered to students in the Social Work program with the purpose of understanding the role of spirituality and religion within the context of social work's commitment to the person-in-environment perspective and individual diversity. Religion and spirituality have a profound influence on the lives of clients seen by social work practitioners as well as on social workers themselves. This course considers the role of religion and spirituality in the socialization process of the professional and the client. It examines religious values, ethics, principles, and philosophies as influences.

SW-386 FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH 3.00 Credits

This course introduces research as a scholarly and evaluative process. In the course, students analyze and critique empirical articles while constructing a comprehensive literature review on social work practice topics. The course highlights basic social scientific research techniques, including qualitative and quantitative methods, data collection, assessment and single-subject design. The use of research and the use of evaluation of practice as tools in the professional repertoire of skills available to the social work generalist are emphasized. The ethics of scientific inquiry are stressed throughout. Course enrollment is limited to Social Work majors. Pre-requisites: Core Math course.

SW-390 DIRECTED STUDY IN SOCIAL WORK 1.00-3.00 Credits

SW-392 SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIAL WORK 1.00-12.00 Credits

SW-393 SERVICE LEARNING 1.00-12.00 Credits

SW-394 INTERNSHIP IN SOCIAL WORK 1.00-12.00 Credits

SW-395 PRACTICUM IN SOCIAL WORK 1.00-12.00 Credits

SW-399 RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP 1.00-3.00 Credits

SW-400 CASE MANAGEMENT IN SOCIAL WORK 3.00 Credits

This social work program elective is designed to give social work students skills in managing their cases as they enter the field of social work practice. These skills will include engagement, assessment, service plan development, referral, monitoring clients, and termination. In addition, students in this course will learn to use spreadsheet and database programs to manage data on their clients. Students will demonstrate their skills through weekly discussions and exercises.

SW-401 VIOLENCE AND THE FAMILY 3.00 Credits

This course focuses on the causes, prevalence, treatment and prevention of violence that individuals may encounter when working with families. It provides a historical approach to the issue of violence, the various frameworks to understand it, and the domestic trends that both promote and hinder it. The course will maintain a dual focus on victims and perpetrators of crime, and how they interact with social and economic justice issues. The course will explore the impact of violence on vulnerable groups such as children, women, elderly, mentally ill, minority groups, and others special populations. Topics include child maltreatment, domestic violence, courtship violence, school violence, gang violence, workplace violence, abuse of elderly and disabled, hate crimes, and more. The course will help students to develop a culturally competent view of the impact of violence upon individuals, families and the society at large. Students will learn about violence prevention and intervention strategies that may be used in practice, programming, policy, and research.

SW-405 TRAUMA AND RESILIENCE 3.00 Credits

This course will provide students with a level of understanding of trauma's effects on the brain and body necessary for becoming trauma-informed practitioners, as well as advocates for trauma-informed agencies and communities. The course will examine current research on the NEAR sciences, neurobiological effects of trauma, epigenetics, the Adverse Childhood Events study, and resilience for the purpose of understanding trauma-informed practice in the field.

SW-407 TREATMENT OF COMPLEX TRAUMA 3.00 Credits

The course will provide a comprehensive overview of the treatment of complex trauma. Students will be introduced to a variety of clinical perspectives and issues in working with complex trauma and consider culturally-informed practices. Students will also learn the basics of working with complex trauma through experiential exercises and personal skills practice. Students will explore how their own lived experiences and biases may impact their therapeutic work those who have experienced complex trauma. The nature of this course requires self-analysis and to that degree self-disclosure. This is an inherent practice in learning the skills necessary to provide ethical treatment to others. You are not, however, required to reveal any specific details of your life, but may choose to use the aspects of your life that you are comfortable working with.

SW-410 INTRODUCTION TO DIALECTICAL BEHAVIORAL THERAPY 3.00 Credits

This course is designed as an introduction to the underpinning theory and treatment components of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) as designed by Marsha M. Linehan. We will explore why and how DBT was developed and we will examine research that supports its use. We will explore client profiles and treatment structures that are most suitable for the successful implementation of DBT. Instruction will include an overview of the skills modules that are foundational to DBT and effective application of these modules, including some practice developing our own personal use of DBT skills. Pre-requisite: Acceptance into the Social Work Program or permission of the instructor.

SW-442 GENERALIST PRACTICE IN MEZZO-INTERVENTIONS 3.00 Credits

Building upon previous practice classes, this course explores the theories and dynamics of group behavior, and the techniques of working with and within diverse groups in a variety of community and organizational contexts. Students learn to assess interaction patterns, individual change through group processes, ethical options and their own group skills as an emphasis within generalist practice. Course enrollment is limited to Social Work majors. Pre-requisite: SW 341 and admission to social work program.

SW-443 SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES 3.00 Credits

The Generalist Approach is continued with emphasis on social work practice with and within organizations and communities. Emphasis is place on the importance of the many systems affecting large numbers of individuals. Organizational and community structures are examined in order for the beginning practitioner to understand and intervene in the agencies and community within the social service delivery system. Course enrollment is limited to social work majors. Pre-requisite: SW-341 and admission to the social work program.

SW-480 DIVERSITY AWARENESS IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE 3.00 Credits

This course synthesizes knowledge, values, and skills regarding diverse experiences among client systems, allowing students to demonstrate their understanding of the effects of diverse characteristics in shaping personal identity and the human experience. The course focuses on the intersectionality of multiple factors of age, class, color, culture, physical and mental ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, political ideology, race, spirituality, sex, and sexual orientation. The course will address the consequences of human differences that may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation, as well as privilege and power. Pre-requisite: SW-341 or permission of instructor.

SW-483 FIELD EDUCATION I 4.00 Credits

Guided by a learning contract, Field Education I is a supervised learning experience enabling the student to apply learned techniques, theories, and professional values from social work foundation courses within an agency setting. Field Education I focuses on supervised social work practice in a human service agency. Enrollment is limited to students admitted to the BSW Program. Graded P/F only. Pre-requisite: SW341.

SW-484 FIELD EDUCATION II 4.00 Credits

Guided by a learning contract, Field Education II is a supervised learning experience enabling the student to apply learned techniques, theories, and professional values from social work foundation courses within an agency setting. Enrollment is limited to students admitted to the BSW Program. Graded P/F only. Pre-requisite: SW 483.

SW-485 FIELD SEMINAR I 2.00 Credits

This course focuses on classroom learning. The class facilitates the student's professional development toward entry level generalist practice by providing a forum for the integration of field experiences with classroom learning of social work knowledge, skills, and values. Enrollment is limited to students admitted to the BSW Program. Co-Requisite: SW 483.

SW-486 FIELD SEMINAR II 2.00 Credits

This course focuses on classroom learning. The class facilitates the student's professional development toward entry level generalist practice by providing a forum for the integration of field experiences with classroom learning of social work knowledge, skills, and values. Enrollment is limited to students admitted to the BSW. Co-Requisite: SW-484.

SW-487 SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH PROPOSAL 3.00 Credits

This course is designed to expand upon the knowledge and skills learned in SW 386: Research Methods through practice-informed research. The student will learn about descriptive, comparative, and correlational research designs and develop a research proposal that includes an introduction, literature review, and methodology section. The student is also required to complete an IRB application. Pre-requisites: SW-386.

SW-488 SOCIAL WORK STATISTICAL ANALYSIS 3.00 Credits

This course is designed to expand upon the knowledge and skills learned in SW 386: Research Methods and SW487: Social Work Research Proposal through research-informed practice. The student will learn about and utilize descriptive and inferential statistical analysis to analyze and interpret their collected data. Topics include: measures of central tendency, measures of variability, correlation methods, simple analysis of variance, and hypothesis testing. The research paper will include the research proposal from SW 487 as well as the results and discussion section based on their collected data. Pre-requisite: SW-487.

SW-490 DIRECTED STUDY IN SOCIAL WORK 1.00-3.00 Credits

SW-491 WORKSHOP IN SOCIAL WORK 1.00-3.00 Credits

SW-492 SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIAL WORK 1.00-12.00 Credits

SW-493 SERVICE LEARNING 1.00-12.00 Credits

SW-499 RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP 1.00-12.00 Credits