Syllabus template - Texas A&M University - Central Texas

Texas A&M University-Central Texas Social Work department
SWK 303 110: Social Work With Diverse populations
Tuesday and Thursday, 5:00 to 7:30 PM, room ____ WARRIOR Hall
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|Semester: |Summer 2016 |
|Instructor's Name: |Claudia Rappaport, PhD, ACSW, MSSW |
|Office Number: |420D Warrior Hall |
|Office Phone: |(254) 519-5432 |
|E-Mail: |rappaport@tamuct.edu. NOTE: ONLY USE THIS ADDRESS TO EMAIL ME;|
| |DO NOT TRY TO EMAIL ME THROUGH THE BLACKBOARD SYSTEM! |
|Office Hours: |Monday and Wednesday, 12:00 to 2:00 PM |
| |Tuesday and Thursday, 2:00 to 5:00 PM |
I. Course Description Catalog Description: This course will familiarize the student with the
cultural roots of the diverse ethnic groups that make up American society,
tracing the process of acculturation that characterizes their American
experience. Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites to this course. This diversity
course is especially designed for students going into counseling and human
services professions. Other students who are taking it as an elective are
a welcome addition to the class, but please understand that examples used
will be geared to persons who will be going into the social work and
counseling fields. I hope you will be an active participant in the class
discussions to add your own field's perspective on the topics we will be
discussing. There is no professional field in the United States in which
cultural competency is not an issue, so I feel sure you will find useful
information in the class. Handouts for this class will be delivered via the Blackboard Online
Learning system, so please be sure you have access to Blackboard. If you
have any problems, contact the Online Learning department. Note: For social work majors, this is one of three foundation-level social
work classes you need to take to qualify for formal admission to the social
work major. The other two courses are Introduction to Social Work and
Methods and Skills of Interviewing. If you will have completed all three
of those classes by the end of this semester, you need to plan to turn in
your application to the major by July 15. II. Nature of Course
Social work practitioners and other professionals frequently encounter
client populations that differ from themselves in terms of gender, sexual
orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, cultural background, and
religious practice. Competencies necessary for multi-cultural professional
practice are examined. A framework for interacting effectively with
culturally diverse populations is presented. Important topics to be
covered include history of oppression, religious practices, family
structure, acculturation, poverty, language, racism and prejudice, socio-
political factors, child-rearing practices, values, and beliefs.
Professionals must work to alter their practices to fit the needs of
culturally diverse populations. In order to do this, all professionals
need to heighten their awareness of their own cultural backgrounds and how
these invariably influence their interactions with other people. This supports students' learning the model of Generalist Social Work
Practice: Work with individuals, families, groups, communities and
organizations in a variety of social work and host settings. Generalist
practitioners view clients and client systems from a strengths perspective
in order to recognize, support, and build upon the innate capabilities of
all human beings. They use a professional problem-solving process to
engage, assess, broker services, advocate, counsel, educate, and organize
with and on behalf of clients and client systems. In addition, generalist
practitioners engage in community and organizational development. Finally,
generalist practitioners evaluate service outcomes in order to continually
improve the provision and quality of services most appropriate to client
needs. Generalist social work practice is guided by the NASW Code of
Ethics and is committed to improving the well-being of individuals,
families, groups, communities and organizations and furthering the goals of
social justice. (From the website of the Association of Baccalaureate
Social Work Program Directors, Inc.) Teaching Method: The primary teaching approaches in this course will be
collaborative and active learning. Material in the course will be
presented through interactive class discussions based on reading
assignments, videotapes, and written assignments. III. Department Mission The mission of the Texas A&M University-Central Texas Bachelor of Social
Work Department (TAMUCT BSW Department) is to provide a high quality,
rigorous, and innovative learning experience that helps students develop
the knowledge, professional behaviors, and values that are essential in a
generalist social work
practitioner. The Department aims to achieve its mission by . responding to the needs of the local community, including the military
and non-traditional students, . providing a student-centered education that fosters personal and
professional responsibility, . providing compassionate mentorship that models the core values of the
social work profession, and . fostering commitment to the profession's core values of Service, Social
Justice, Dignity and Worth of the Person, Importance of Human
Relationships, Integrity and Competence, as well as a commitment to human
rights and evidence-based practice
Until Fall 2014 the TAMUCT Social Work Department had accreditation through
the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) as a branch campus of Tarleton
State University. Now our Department is in the process of pursuing
independent accreditation and has been granted candidacy by CSWE, a process
that is expected to continue until Spring 2017. For questions about the
current status of this process, please contact Dr. Michael Daley, Program
Director.
Program Framework The Social Work Program curriculum is rooted in a framework established by
the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Specifically, the program
endeavors to develop social workers who promote human and community well-
being by being able to demonstrate the following 10 core competencies upon
graduation: 1. Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself
accordingly (2.1.1a-f). 2. Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice
(2.1.2a-d).
3. Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional
judgments (2.1.3a-c). 4. Engage diversity and difference in practice (2.1.4a-d). 5. Advance human rights and social and economic justice (2.1.5a-c). 6. Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research
(2.1.6a-b). 7. Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment
(2.1.7a-b). 8. Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being
and to deliver effective social work services (2.1.8a-b). 9. Respond to contexts that shape practice (2.1.9a-b). 10. Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families,
groups, organizations and communities (2.1.10a-d).
Each core competency has specific, measurable practice behaviors that help
students and their professors determine if the competency has been
achieved. There are 41 total practice behaviors. The complete list of
practice behaviors can be found at the end of this syllabus or by reviewing
the student handbook. IV. COURSE OBJECTIVES AND RELATED PRACTICE BEHAVIORS This course provides content that helps prepare you, the student, to engage
in the following CSWE competencies and related practice behaviors: . Practice personal reflection and self-correction to assure continual
professional development (2.1.1b) . Attend to professional roles and boundaries (2.1.1c) . Recognize and manage personal values in a way that allows professional
values to guide practice (2.1.2a) . Apply strategies of ethical reasoning to arrive at principled
decisions (2.1.2d) . Recognize the extent to which a culture's structures and values may
oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create or enhance privilege and
power (2.1.4a) . Gain sufficient self-awareness to eliminate the influence of personal
biases and values in working with diverse groups (2.1.4b) . Recognize and communicate their understanding of the importance of
difference in shaping life experiences (2.1.4c) . Advocate for human rights and social and economic justice (2.1.5b) . Substantively and effectively prepare for action with individuals,
families, groups, organizations, and communities (2.1.10a[a]) The objectives for this course that support the CSWE-related practice
behaviors are: 1) Understand importance of culture in establishing effective services
for clients. 2) Respect differences in cultural values, beliefs, rituals, and
traditions. 3) Explore personal culture, biases, beliefs, and prejudices. 4) Develop knowledge and awareness of personal and other cultures to
recognize and advocate against biases and stereotypes. 5) Become familiar with guidelines for effective professional practice
with members of various cultural and racial/ethnic backgrounds in the
U.S. 6) Utilize knowledge and awareness of culture to uphold social justice
and integrity-based practice. 7) Engage in appropriate and professional helping relationships with
persons from a variety of diverse backgrounds