Syllabus – SSSW Practice Lab 2021-2022

EXPANDED COURSE DESCRIPTION

Social Work Practice and Learning Lab, SSW 717 (PL) is the first of a two-semester foundation social work course that introduces all Silberman School of Social Work students to professional social work practice in the contemporary contexts of individuals, families and groups, organizations, and communities. PL content exposes students to core beginning social work skills and knowledge, with an emphasis on applying essential concepts and skills across social work methods. Drawing upon practice wisdom, theory and principles derived from just practice and liberation social work practice, and mindfulness, the Lab explores the contexts in which social work is practiced, and the differential use of practice methods (Clinical Social Work, Community Organizing, Planning & Development, and Organizational Management and Leadership) in contemporary professional social work.

Today, in the face of the pandemics of COVID 19 and anti-Black racism, Social Work Practice and Learning Lab will explore the impact of colonialism on the development of social work practice in the United States. The United States is a settler colonial society which is distinctly different from a ‘sojourner elite’ colonial society. In the latter, colonizing elites never intended to make the colonies their homes. The colonies were temporarily established to enable the extraction of resources to be sold as commodities to build wealth. However, in a settler colonial society, Eurocentrism…valorized European civilization as the apex of human achievement. Indigenous cultural traditions and systems of knowledge were denigrated as backward and uncivilized. The colonized were treated as people without history. The struggle against this has been especially central in settler colonies in which the displacement of Indigenous institutions was most violent. The just practice framework and the readings assigned for Lab provide foundation content for students to engage in critically reflective practice. This foundation allows students to grasp both the psychological and social consequences of oppression in their social work practice, on themselves, and at the individual, the group, the community, or at the agency levels.

Students are exposed to common aspects of all social work practice and the distinct aspects of methods-based social work. Lab provides a framework for students to understand methods-based social work practice skills, and moves sequentially through the four fundamental phases of all social work practice that are used by social workers. Students are taught how to apply and critically examine social work’s core ethics and values. Students learn that awareness of social and economic injustice must lead to opportunities for service users to choose to collectively challenge oppressions that shape the contexts in which life is lived and engaged.

Social Work Practice & Learning Lab is scaffolded on the following four fundamental phases of social work practice, thereby providing students’ opportunities to both understand and practice the fundamentals in the Lab class:

· Pre-Engagement: tuning in as a practitioner (using mindfulness, developing awareness of privilege, power and positionality), and understanding the agency context in which social work is practiced;

· Relationship-Building & Engagement: authentic use of self, tactical self-awareness, boundary setting, establishment of trust, and assessing dynamics of power, privilege, oppression, and positionality;

· Assessment & Community Engagement: Collaborative learning with service users and colleagues, developing familiarity with the community while being mindful of dynamics of power, privilege, oppression, positionality, and agency auspice; and,

· On-going Intervention: Establishing worker-service user/community member agreements for work, interventions with individuals, family, groups, communities, and organizations, and on-going relationship building.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

As a result of successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Attend to professional roles and boundaries (EPAS 2.1.1)
Advocate for client access to the services of social work. (EPAS 2.1.1)
Recognize and manage personal values in a way that allows professional values to guide practice. (EPAS 2.1.2)
Make ethical decisions by applying standards of the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and, as applicable, of the International Federation of Social Workers/ International Association of Schools of Social Work Ethics in Social Work, Statement of Principles (EPAS 2.1.2)
Apply strategies of ethical reasoning to arrive at principled decisions. (EPAS 2.1.2)
Recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create or enhance privilege and power. (EPAS 2.1.4)
Gain sufficient self-awareness to eliminate the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse groups. (EPAS 2.1.4)
View themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants. (EPAS 2.1.4)
Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination. (EPA 2.1.5)
Advocate for human rights and social and economic justice. (EPAS 2.1.5)
Use empathy and other interpersonal skills. (EPAS 2.1.10)

CSWE COMPETENCIES AND PRACTICE BEHAVIORS

Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS)	Practice Behavior
2.1.1 Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly.	PB 1a: Advocate for client access to the services of social work PB 1c: Attend to professional roles and boundaries
2.1.4 Engage diversity and difference in practice	PB 4a: Recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create or enhance privilege and power PB 4b: Gain sufficient self-awareness to eliminate the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse groups PB 4d: View themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants
2.1.5 Advance human rights and social and economic justice	PB 5a: Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination PB 5b: Advocate for human rights and social and economic justice
2.1.10 Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities	PB 10b: Use empathy and other interpersonal skills

OVERVIEW OF CSWE COMPETENCIES and PRACTICE BEHAVIORS FALL SEMESTER 2021

Session	Date	Topic	CSWE-EPAS	CSWE PRACTICE BEHAVIOR
I	8/26	Introduction	2.1.4 Engage diversity and difference in practice	-View themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants
II	9/02	History of Social Work and Practice Lab Course	2.1.1 Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly	-Attend to professional roles and boundaries
III	9/09	Introduction to Ethics in Social Work Practice (To be explored further in Spring Semester)	2.1.1 Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly 2.1.4 Engage diversity and difference in practice 2.1.10 Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities	-Advocate for client access to the services of social work -View themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants -Use empathy and other interpersonal skills

IV	9/23	Asking for Help	2.1.1 Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly	-Attend to professional roles and boundaries
V	9/30	Pre-Engagement Mindfulness Use of Self in Social Work Practice	2.1.4 Engage diversity and difference in practice 2.1.5 Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination	-Recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create or enhance privilege and power -Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination
VI VII VIII	10/07 10/14 10/21	Engagement: Part 1– Introduction to Just Practice Framework Engagement: Part 2 Engagement: Part 3	2.1.1 Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly 2.1.4 Engage diversity and difference in practice 2.1.10 Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities	-Advocate for client access to the services of social work -View themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants -Use empathy and other interpersonal skills

IX	10/28	Assessment: Part 1	2.1.10 Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities	-View themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants
X	11/04	Assessment: Part 2 Just Practice- infused Assessments with Individuals and Families	2.1.4Engage diversity and difference in practice 2.1.10Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities	-View themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants -Use empathy and other interpersonal skills
XI	11/11	Assessment: Part 3 Just Practice- infused Assessment with Agencies and Organization	2.1.5 Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination 2.1.10 Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities	-Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination -Use empathy and other interpersonal skills
XII	11/18	Interventions	2.1.10 Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities	-Use empathy and other interpersonal skills
XIII	12/02	Just Practice Assessment	2.1.5 Advance human rights and social and economic justice	-Understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination
XIV	12/09	Intersectionality	2.1.1 Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly 2.1.4 Engage diversity and difference in practice 2.1.10 Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities	-Advocate for client access to the services of social work -View themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants -Use empathy and other interpersonal skills
XV	12/16	Endings and Rituals	2.1.10Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities	-Use empathy and other interpersonal skills

CLASS PARTICIPATION RUBRIC

CRITERIA	Unsatisfactory = 0	Limited = 1	Proficient = 2	Exemplary = 3
Critical Analysis (Understanding of Readings and Outside References)	Discussion/dialogue in class shows little or no evidence that readings were completed or understood. Contributions are largely personal opinions or feelings, or “I agree” or “Great idea,” without supporting statements with concepts from the readings, outside resources, relevant research, or specific real-life application.	Discussion/dialogue in class repeat and summarize basic, correct information, but do not link readings to outside references, relevant research or specific real-life application and do not consider alternative perspectives or connections between ideas. Sources are not cited.	Discussion/dialogue in class displays an understanding of the required readings and underlying concepts including correct use of terminology and proper citation.	Discussion/dialogue in class displays an excellent understanding of the required readings and underlying concepts including correct use of terminology. Postings integrate an outside resource, or relevant research, or specific real-life application to support important points. References cited appropriately.
Participation in learning community	Discussion/dialogue does not contribute to ongoing conversations or respond to peers’ contributions. There is no evidence of thoughtful replies to questions and comments in class.Class contributions are relevant to those offered by peers and are documented with assigned readings, related research, or personal experience.	Contributions sometime add to ongoing conversations as evidenced by affirming statements or references to relevant research asking related questions or, making an oppositional statement supported by any personal experience or related research.	Class participation contributes to the class’ ongoing conversations as evidenced by affirming statements or references to relevant research asking related questions or, making an oppositional statement supported by any personal experience or related research.	Contributions actively stimulate and sustain further discussion by building on peers’ responses including building a focused argument around a specific issue asking a new related question making an oppositional statement supported by personal experience or related research.
	Contributions are at midpoint or later in the module or contributions are only offered on the last day of the module.	Class contributions are in response to points made by peers several days after the initial discussion.	Contributions respond to peers in the moment.	Class contributions are relevant to those offered by peers and are documented with assigned readings, related research, or personal experience.
Etiquette in dialogue with peers	Interactions show disrespect for the viewpoints of others.	Some of the interactions in class show respect and interest in the viewpoints of others.	Interactions in class show respect and interest in the viewpoints of others.	Interactions in class show respect and sensitivity to peers’ gender, cultural and linguistic background, sexual orientation, political and religious beliefs.