SOWK-330 Social Work Practice/Macro Systems

Please note that this syllabus is intended as an example only. It may not exactly match each session of the class offered.

Instructor: Jeff Bryant, MSW, LCSW

Download Syllabus

General Course Description

This course emphasizes theories, methods and techniques of practice within organizational, neighborhood, and community context. We will be exploring what generalist practice in Social Work means and how it interacts with macro practice. Change strategies such as social action, legislative policy, citizen participation, advocacy, and service development are explored. Learning about organizations and communities will be the dominant theme, including ideas like program development, macro interventions, purpose of program evaluations, macro practice in communities, developing and managing agency resources and other concepts. This will be a “hands on” approach to macro practice.

Prerequisites/Co-requisites

• Foundations of Social Work, SOWK 230
• Admission to the Social Work Program
  

Academic Course Standards

Criteria from the Council on Social Work Education Curriculum Policy Statement (CSWE C.P.S.) relevant to this course are as follows:

• Social Work Values and Ethics
  • B6.3 Programs of social work education must provide specific knowledge about social work values and their ethical implications and must provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their application in professional practice. Students must be assisted to develop an awareness of their personal values and to clarify conflicting values and ethical dilemmas. Among the values and principles that must be infused throughout every social work curriculum are the following:
    • B6.3.1 Social workers’ professional relationships are built on regard for individual worth and dignity and are furthered by mutual participation, acceptance, confidentiality, honesty, and responsible handling of conflict.
    • B6.3.2 Social workers respect people’s right to make independent decisions and to participate actively in the helping process.
    • B6.3.3 Social workers are committed to assisting client systems to obtain needed resources.
    • B6.3.4 Social workers strive to make social institutions more humane and responsive to human needs.
    • B6.3.5 Social workers demonstrate respect for and acceptance of the unique characteristics of divers populations.
    • B6.3.6 Social workers are responsible for their own ethical conduct, the quality of their practice, and seeking continuous growth in the knowledge and skills of their profession.
• Diversity
  • B6.4 Professional social work education is committed to preparing students to understand and appreciate human diversity. Programs must provide curriculum content about differences and similarities in the experiences, needs, and beliefs of people. The curriculum must include content about differential assessment and intervention skills that will enable practitioners to serve diverse populations. Each program is required to include content about population groups that are particularly relevant to the program’s mission. These groups include, but are not limited to groups distinguished by race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental ability, age, and national origin.
• Promotion of Social and Economic Justice
  • B6.5 Programs of social work education must provide an understanding of the dynamics and consequences of social consequences of consequences of social and economic injustice, including all forms of human oppression and discrimination. They must provide students with the skills to promote social change and to implement a wide range of interventions that further the achievement of individual and collective social and economic justice. Theoretical and practice content must be provided about strategies of intervention for achieving social and economic justice and for combating the causes and effects of institutionalized forms of oppression.
• Populations at Risk
  • B.6.6 Programs of social work education must present theoretical and practice content about patterns, dynamics, and consequences of discrimination, economic deprivation, and oppression. The curriculum must provide content about people of color, women, and gay and lesbian persons. Such content must emphasize the impact of discrimination, economic deprivation, and oppression upon these groups. Each program must include content about populations-at-risk that are particularly relevant to its mission. In addition to those mandated above, such groups include, but are not limited to, those distinguished by age, ethnicity, culture, class, religion, and physical or mental ability.
• Human Behavior and the Social Environment
  • B6.7 Programs of social work education must provide content about theories and knowledge of human bio-psycho-social development, including theories and knowledge about the range of social systems in which individuals live (families,groups, organizations institutions, and communities). The human behavior and the social environment curriculum must provide an understanding of the interactions between and among human biological, social, psychological, and cultural systems as they affect and are affected by human behavior. The impact of social and economic forces on individuals and social systems must be presented. Content must be provided about the ways in which systems promote or deter people in the maintenance or attainment of optimal health and well-being. Content about values and ethical issues related to bio-psycho-social theories must be included. Students must be taught to evaluate theory and apply theory to client situations.
• Social Work Practice
  • B6.9 At the baccalaureate level, professional social work education prepares students for generalist practice with systems of all sizes. Practice content emphasizes professional relationships that are characterized by mutuality, collaboration, and respect for the client system. Content on practice assessment focuses on the examination of client strengths and problems in the interactions among individuals and between people and their environments. Social work practice content must include knowledge, values, and skills to enhance the well-being of people and to help ameliorate the environmental conditions that affect people adversely. Practice content must include the following skills: defining issues; collecting and assessing data; planning and contracting; identifying alternative interventions; selecting and implementing appropriate course of action; using appropriate research to monitor and evaluate outcomes; applying appropriate research-based knowledge and technological advances; and termination. Practice content also includes approaches and skills for practice with clients from differing social, cultural, racial religious, spiritual, and class backgrounds and with systems of all sizes.

Course Objectives and Measures

This course has the following objectives and measures:

1. Apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work (CSWE C.P.S.: B5.7.1) Students will have an understanding of multiple approaches for functionally defining “community," “institution,” and “Organization” for professional practice. The outcome from this objective is for the student to be able to recognize and use ecological and systems-based theories in practice.
   Measurement of this objective includes performance on examinations, class activities, exercises, and discussions.
2. Function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems and under supervision, seek necessary organizational change. (CSWE C.P.S.: B5.7.12) Students will receive knowledge of strategic choices in selecting community organization interventions. The outcome for this objective is for students to recognize different choices such as advocacy, changing policies within agencies, creating new organizations and services, and influencing community decision making.
   Measurement of this objective includes performance on examinations, class activities, exercises, and discussions.
3. Apply critical thinking skills within the context of professional social work practice by integrating learning from other disciplines, into a comprehensive model of social work assessment and practice. (CSWE C.P.S.: B5.7.1) Students will develop an awareness of how different strategies may be sequenced or combined according to practice needs. The expected outcome of this objective is for students to be able to selectively choose and integrate the strategic approaches studied in class on the basis of professional judgment and available resources.
   Measurement of this objective includes performance on examinations and successful completion of the Community Analysis Paper)
4. The ability to identify, research, and plan collective intervention strategies at the community level for specific populations at risk. (CSWE C.P.S.: B5.7.9) The outcome from this objective is for students to acquire and sharpen basic workshop design and facilitation skills necessary for practice.
   Measurement of this objective includes performance on examinations, class activities, exercises, and discussions.
5. Familiarity with selected practice techniques that are appropriate for the emerging professional (CSWE C.P.S.: B5.7.6) Outcomes include mastery complex organizational techniques such as program evaluation and review, program finance and grant writing, meeting design, meeting facilitation, and basic program evaluation approaches.
   Measurement of this objective includes performance examinations, class activities, exercises, discussions, and successful completion of the Grant Proposal.
6. Engage in practice within the values and ethics of the social work profession with an appreciation of, understanding of, and respect for the positive value of human diversity in many contexts. (CSWE C.P.S.: B5.72) Students will receive knowledge concerning the sensitivity to practice concerns and sensitivities with vulnerable consumer populations such as racial and ethnic minorities, gay and lesbian people, and the homeless.
   Measures include performance on examinations and participation in class activities and discussions.

Resources

Required

• Generalist Practice with Organizations and Communities, Kirst-Ashman and Hull, Second edition.
• Various Handouts

Course Evaluation

Students will be evaluated by performance on the following areas:

1. Midterm Exam: 30%
   There will be a mid-term exam designed to measure comprehension of the course content. This will be a combination of multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank and short answer. Students will be provided with a study guide, which we will go over in class prior to the exam.
    
2. Community Analysis and Action Plan: 25%
   Students are to choose a community and define it and start looking at problems within that community. Things like populations-at-risk, social injustice, what human needs are not being met in this community and others. Then identify a community-based problem and form an action plan to address it. Additional information on this assignment will be handed out later in class.
    
3. Grant Proposal and Presentation: 30%
   This project is to help you get a sense of how to put a grant proposal together and the importance of learning this skill. The project will be working on developing the basics of a grant proposal: the format, program description and content. After you are finished with the written proposal you will present it in class. More information on the outline of the proposal and presentation will be handed out later in class.
    
4. Class Performance: 15%
   The class performance grade is based upon the following criteria: participation in class, involvement with discussions in small groups, additional task as assigned such as writing a letter to influence the legislative process and attendance.

Extra Credit: May be earned, if the student chooses, by bringing in current newspaper articles, information off he Internet or magazines related to the topics of this class. You will bring in the article, give a brief summary and the professor may generate comments from other students. Put your name and date on the article and turn into the professor. There is a maximum of 5 articles for the semester. This could make a difference in a letter grade.

Portfolio Requirement

Clean paper copies of the Community Analysis and Action Plan should be turned in to the instructor at the end of the semester for your portfolio. The paper copies can be made at the program office at the program’s expense. Further instructions will be provided in class.

Course Policies

1. Attendance is mandatory and participation in discussions and activities is expected. Be sure to notify me ahead of class time if you are unable to attend class for any reason.  
2. Pre-grading of the paper, with opportunities to revise in order to improve your grade, is available to all students. However, students may only take advantage of this prior to the pre-grade deadline in the class schedule. All Pre-graded papers must be submitted with the final revision. Students are encouraged to utilize the University’s Writing lab if experiencing any difficulty.
3. Be certain to complete the scheduled readings prior to coming to class, they will increase class discussion. Late work is not accepted without penalty, and no make-up exams will be given.
4. All University policies regarding Academic Misconduct will be strictly followed.
5. Specific handouts outlining the expectations for the proposal and the paper will be provided to students. It is therefore anticipated that students will closely adhere to these expectations, including all mandated content or formats. Failure to do so will affect the student’s grade.
6. The professor is committed to being available to students when needed. Students may utilize e-mail or voicemail to reach the professor. Minimum office hours this semester are as follows: Tuesdays, 2-3:00p.m.; Wednesdays, 4-5:00p.m.; Thursdays, 10-11:00a.m. The students can expect to find the professor in his office or GH 216 during these hours. However, office availability is not limited to these times. It is advantageous to make an appointment when possible, but this is not necessary.
7. Prior to the exam, students will receive a comprehensive study guide and participate in a review session during class.

Class Schedule

Week 1
Introduction to the course:
Go over Syllabus

Week 2
What does Generalist practice mean?
Using Micro skills in Macro Practice
Read: Kirst-Ashman & Hull: Ch. 1, 2
Handout: Community Analysis and Action plan

Week 3
Understanding Organizations
Go over writing letter to influence legislation.
Read: Kirst-Ashman & Hull: Ch. 4
Handout: Grant Proposal and Presentation

Week 4
The process of Organizational Change
LEAD: Go over how this will work.
Read: Krist-Ashman & Hull: Ch. 5, 6, 7

Field Trip
Social Worker Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) (more information will be given in class): Field Trip

Week 5
Community Change and Advocacy, Social Action and Populations-at-Risk
Developing a Budget
Read: Kirst-Ashman & Hull: Ch. 9, 11

Week 6
Understanding Neighborhoods
Read: Kirst-Ashman & Hull: Ch. 8
Due: Letter for Legislators
Study Guide for Mid-term: Go over in class.

Week 7
Mid-term Exam

Week 8
Program Evaluation
Read: Krist-Ashman & Hull: Ch. 10
Due: Pre-grade for Community Analysis
Week 9: March 9, 2004
Spring Break: No Class

Week 10
Work on Grant Proposal
In Class exercise
Handout: Read for class exercise

Week 11
Mezzo Skills in Macro Practice
Read: Kirst-Ashman & Hull: Ch. 3
Due: Community Analysis

Week 12
Macro Practice: Ethics and Ethical Dilemmas
Read: Kirst-Ashman & Hull: Ch. 12
Due: Pre-grade for Grant Proposal

Week 13
Developing and Managing Agency Resources
Read: Krist-Ashman & Hull: Ch. 14

Week 14
Stress and Time management
Read: Kirst-Ashman & Hull: Ch. 15
Due: Grant Proposal

Week 15
Presentations

Week 16
Presentations