Course Descriptions

The Integrated Social Work Practice I and II and Field Instruction I and II courses are taught concurrently by the Practice Instructor and the Faculty Advisor(s). Students remain with the same Practice Instructor and Faculty Advisor for both semesters in the Foundation year.

The purpose of the Social Work Practice Course I and II is to teach students the generalist perspective of social work practice which emphasizes the importance of working across a range of systems that includes individuals (adults, children and adolescents), couples, families, agencies and communities. This approach maintains a focus on the interaction between systems, also known as the person-in-environment perspective. It is expected that students will develop a broad approach to social work practice through the use of different modalities and an understanding of the choice and application of interventive approaches, and an understanding of the link between theory and practice skills.

The purpose of the Field Instruction Course is to facilitate the development of the student as a professional social worker who can enter the practice arena in any setting of practice, be able to apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom, perform direct social work practice skills, and act according to social work ethics and values.

Social Work Practice/ Field Instruction I and II provide a generalist foundation and systemic framework that emphasizes the inter-relatedness of clients, the environment, and society. Utilizing a systemic, biopsychosocial/cultural perspective, an understanding of the connection between client, agency and policy practice, and building upon resilience, empowerment, developmental, ego-psychological and organizational theories, students are taught to work with diverse clients in the urban environment and to apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments.

Integrated Practice/Field II also builds on the values, knowledge and skills and behaviors introduced in Integrated Social Work Practice I & Field Instruction I and helps students to better understand short-term, crisis and extended interventions models; self-evaluation and evaluation of practice approaches and models; agency and community practice; advanced practice skills with individuals and families, and the process of termination.

The Integrated Practice/Field courses (Practice/Field Instruction I and II) during the Foundation year help students to understand, learn and behave appropriately in their professional social work roles; to engage with and comprehensively assess their clients in the field placement (including individuals, families, groups and communities) within the contexts of their social environments, agency functioning, and social programs and policies; and to promote, restore and enhance clients' social functioning and as such become agent of change. Students are expected to utilize critical thinking to link social work theories with appropriate practice skills, to critically evaluate their work and the provision of agency services, and to familiarize themselves with research-informed practice.

The core concepts and skills that are introduced in Integrative Social Work Practice/Field Instruction I and II will be further developed in the required and elective Practice and Field Instruction courses in the advanced concentration year. In Field Instruction II students move from the beginning skill level attained in Field Instruction I to generalist practice competence based on creative use of knowledge, value commitments, conceptual ability, and practice skills within the context of their agency.

The profession of social work has historically engaged in activities directed toward the promotion of a just society. In order to carry out this central function, social workers must be able to assess the systemic roots of inequality that promote social and economic injustice and understand the implications of institutionalized discrimination and oppression for individuals, families and communities. Social workers practicing in complex urban environments of today must be knowledgeable about ways in which globalization broadens the frame for viewing issues of social justice to a concern for oppressed populations worldwide. As major providers of social welfare benefits, social workers must also have an understanding of the organization and structure of the social welfare system and how social services are funded. SWPPI is a required course of the professional foundation year, and prepares students for concentrated study in a specific policy area in Policy II taken in the advanced concentration year. The course explores the interplay between values, political and economic structures and how these impact social welfare policy development, create or limit access and availability to social welfare services and benefits, and examines the nature of poverty in the United States. Emphasis is placed on social work practice in the urban environment to enhance understanding of the impact of social welfare policies on oppressed populations of historic concern to the profession like the poor, women, minorities, immigrant groups, as well as the mentally and physically disabled, the elderly, children and families, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals.

Human Behavior in the Social Environment I is centered in the bio-psycho-social perspective, which stresses a multi-dimensional view of human development and behavior. This multi-dimensional view of person in the context of the environment takes into consideration the challenges, stressors and life tasks that occur throughout the life cycle. The individual in his/her environment is seen as a unit where component elements can only be understood in their relationship to each other. The course stresses the centrality of culture, race, ethnicity, gender and the socioeconomic environment.

Using systems theory as a critical theoretical underpinning, Human Behavior in the Social Environment I stresses a non-linear view of development in which there is a continuous reciprocal interchange and mutual impact among different systems (individual, family, group, community). A major focus of the course is on development of the human biological, psychological and social structure as it occurs throughout the life span. Human Behavior in the Social Environment I covers the life cycle from birth to late childhood. Human Behavior in the Social Environment II continues from early adolescence to old age.

The course stresses the need for the development of critical thinking throughout, an examination of the gaps in knowledge that exists in developmental theory, and the role that research plays in knowledge building. The linkages of theories to practice and policy implications are also stressed.

The Human Behavior in the Social Environment II course is centered in the bio- psycho-social perspective, which stresses a multi-dimensional view of human development and behavior. This multi-dimensional view of person in the context of the environment takes into consideration the challenges, stressors and life tasks that occur throughout the life cycle. The individual in his/her environment is seen as a unit where component elements can only be understood in their relationship to each other. The course stresses the centrality of culture, race, ethnicity, gender and the socioeconomic environment.

Using systems theory as a critical theoretical underpinning, Human Behavior in the Social Environment II stresses a non-linear view of development in which there is a continuous reciprocal interchange and mutual impact among different systems (individual, family, group, community). A major focus of the course is on development of the human biological, psychological and social structure as it occurs throughout the life span. Human Behavior in the Social Environment I covers the life cycle from birth to late childhood. Human Behavior in the Social Environment II continues from early adolescence to old age.

The course stresses the need for the development of critical thinking throughout, an examination of the gaps in knowledge that exist in developmental theory, and the role that research plays in knowledge building. The linkages of theories to practice and policy implications are also stressed.

Grounded in an appreciation of the various paths to knowledge and the strengths and weaknesses of each, the temporary and ever-evolving nature of knowledge, and the implication of research methodologies for the hierarchy of evidence underlying assertions, this foundation course introduces students to the basic elements, concepts, methods, logic and issues of empirical research. The goal of the course is to prepare students to become more sophisticated and discerning users of and potential contributors to the social work knowledge base.

This course is designed to help social work students work more effectively with clients from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. It is premised on the idea that there are three distinct and equally essential components to developing cultural consciousness: awareness of self, of the client, and of systems of oppression and privilege that contribute to our own self-concept as well as our perceptions of others.

To address the first component, the course challenges students to engage in a deep exploration of their own cultural identities, values, and biases in a number of areas: childhood and family, race, social class, gender and sexual identity, as well as other cultures. A core concept of this class is that in order to minimize bias and maximize the capacity for empathy in the treatment of all clients, it is imperative that the practitioner engage in ongoing self-exploration.

Throughout the course, students will be asked to broaden and deepen their knowledge about and awareness of cultures and identities outside their own. The lectures and readings provide an introduction to a variety of cultures, with the understanding that the process of knowing any culture other than one's own is a formidable undertaking far beyond the scope of any single course. The focus is therefore less on specific cultural traditions and norms, and more on cultivating skills that encourage the client to articulate their personal experience and definition of their own culture(s).

The third component to the course is an understanding of social identity formation on a macro level: the systems of privilege, marginalization, invisibility and oppression that become inextricably bound to an individual or group's self-concept, as well as to the way the group is perceived by society. Concepts of intersectionality, social identity construction, and systemic oppression will be explored.

Finally, throughout the course, students will be introduced to clinical concepts that are central to the challenges of cross-cultural client work. Clinical examples will be used to illustrate these concepts. These concepts include but are not limited to: transference, countertransference, cultural countertransference, and intersubjectivity.

This course is a required foundation level course that students take in their spring semester. The course considers the importance of group factors on the macro and micro levels, as well as the increased need for and use of groups in a variety of agency settings. All students are required to take this course, which incorporates didactic and experiential teaching methods. The system and empowerment theories, strengths perspective, biopsychosocial assessment, goal setting and group intervention skills covered in the Practice I and II courses are elaborated upon and discussed in relation to one's values, ethics and professional use of self in groups.

The overall objectives of the course are to help students develop an appreciation for the distinguishing features of group work and to provide them with the knowledge, skills and values essential to direct practice with groups in a variety of settings. A curriculum change enacted by the full-time faculty in the 2004-2005 academic year moved the Groups course from the advanced concentration level to the foundation level. The change was made to accommodate many students leading groups in their first year placements and lacking the theoretical framework for running groups.

This course is the last required Practice course offered in the final semester of the Advanced Concentration. The course objectives are three-fold; (1) to help students synthesize what has been learned in different sequences; (2) to consolidate their social work identity; and (3) to prepare them for termination from clients, their field work agency, the school, and their student status, and enter the profession of Social Work.

The course begins with revisiting issues examined in Practice and Policy in the Foundation year, namely, their motivation for seeking training at a graduate school of social work, and the nature of this profession, i.e., the distinctiveness of the social work profession with its dual commitment to direct practice and to affect social justice in work with poor, diverse and oppressed populations. Review of the Code of Ethics is expanded with readings and class presentations on ethical issues and dilemmas, and efforts to resolve them using guidelines for ethical decision making.

Direct practice with traumatized clients and the effects of secondary trauma, a common by-product, are also explored. The seminar examines current professional and practice issues in the urban environment, focusing on issues related to current health policies and managed care. Students discuss the supervisory process from the vantage point of both supervisor and supervisee. They are assisted in preparing for career planning and helped to identify the nature of various career paths in agency and private practice and are then introduced to the issues related to social work licensing in New York State. The course also addresses the nature of professional liability, standards, accountability, importance of evidence-informed practice and methods of monitoring and evaluating practice, therapeutic boundaries, the problems of burn-out, avenues for renewal and professional growth, and ways of contributing to the profession. Throughout the course, emphasis is given to the transition and termination process from student to professional social worker and to the importance of and commitment to the students' own professional growth and the need to engage in career-long learning.

Human Behavior in the Social Environment III (HBSEIII) is designed to expand and deepen the theoretical and empirical knowledge base of the biopsychosocial factors underlying our concepts of mental health and illness. Students will be introduced to the multiaxial system of symptoms diagnosis and the methods and criteria used in making differential decisions about psychiatric diagnoses. They will be expected to be aware of the multiple problems that signal areas of concern regarding individual and family functioning and the centrality of culture, race, ethnicity, and gender in the diagnostic process. Each diagnostic category will include manifestations of the disorder as reflected in the life cycle.

The main diagnostic entities that will be explored include schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, major mood disorders, anxiety and somatoform disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, substance-related disorders, eating disorders, delirium, dementia, dissociative disorders and major personality disorders. The significance of labeling, stigma, and bias with regard to the diagnostic process will be critically appraised and critiqued throughout the course in keeping with the values and ethics of social work practice and issues of social justice. This bibliography contains suggested further readings on childhood diagnostic components.

This course builds upon the content provided in the professional foundation year and is based on social work values, ethics, practice models and principles, and person-in-environment perspectives. The overall goal of this course is to help students deepen and extend their assessment and intervention skills in work with individuals and families who face challenges with a range of problems commonly found in an urban environment, including mental illness, substance abuse, trauma, physical illness, disability, and poverty. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the major theories that inform clinical practice with individuals and families including ego psychology, object relations, family systems theory, cognitive behavioral theory, narrative theory, theories of change, and other emergent theories.

The criteria for the differential use of practice methods are taught. Content related to diversity (e.g., racial, ethnic, class, religious, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability) and oppression is integrated with an understanding of the concepts of power and privilege. Drawing on students' case material and selected video presentations, the course applies individual and family interventive principles to selected client problems in the urban environment.

The overall goal of Research II is to provide students with an understanding of how research is used to evaluate social work practice and programs. The course is designed to provide students with an overview of the methods, concepts, and principles of practice and program evaluation research in order to become practitioners who can engage in self-directed evaluation of their own practice and to make meaningful contributions to program evaluation efforts.

The course focuses on what constitutes a "program," identifying the mission, goals, and social work role within a program, understanding the implications of the organizational history and context of a program, the types and purposes of practice and program evaluation designs, measurement and data collection options, ethical and cultural considerations in the design and implementation of program and practice evaluation, anticipating the possibly diverse interests of various stakeholders in evaluation, and assessing the evaluability of a program.

Students are expected to apply previously acquired knowledge of the scientific approach and research methods to the evaluation of social work practice and programs. Emphasis will be placed upon extending research mindedness and critical thinking skills to the design, implementation, and assessment of evaluations of individual clients and programs.

This advanced concentration course examines urban social problems from the perspective of their impact on individuals, families and communities, focusing on at-risk populations in the context of an urban environment. The course builds on the policy content offered in the Professional Foundation Year and links policy to practice and research skills that have been developed. Emphasis is placed on the link between social and economic justice and issues relating to diversity. The first part of the course is an examination of the policy making cycle, inclusive of social problem definition, policy formulation, implementation and critical analysis of policy. A detailed section on evaluation of policies as they affect societal structures, communities, agencies, clients and practitioners is then discussed. Finally, a major section of the course presents theories related to organizational change and strategies for practitioners to influence policies and promote change at the client level, the agency level, the community level and the broader society.

Field Instruction III and IV build on the objectives achieved in the professional foundation Integrated Practice/Field I and II courses. Students move from a generalist perspective to advanced clinical practice with complex individual, families, group and larger communities/organizational client systems. It strives to deepen knowledge and skills and further the level of mastery in direct practice with individuals, families, and groups. Finally, the purpose of Field Instruction III and IV is to facilitate the development of the student as a professional social worker who can enter the practice arena in any setting of practice, be able to apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom, perform direct social work practice skills, and act according to social work ethics and values.

During the advanced concentration, all students enrolled in field instruction are assigned to advisors who guide students in field matters. Contact is primarily on an individual basis, but may also occur in small group meetings. The Faculty Advisor serves as the school's liaison to the field agency and works with the field instructor and the student to ensure the educational integrity of the field experience. In this role, Faculty Advisors monitor important aspects of the placement including assignments given to the student, the student/field instructor working relationship, and student progress in mastery of learning objectives for the course. The Faculty Advisor can assist with any challenges that arise in maintaining the educational integrity of the placement throughout the placement year.

Students are not allowed to progress into advanced concentration placement without the completion of all professional foundation requirements. In addition, Field III must be taken concurrently with S44.2002: Clinical Practice with Individuals and Families. Field IV must be taken concurrently with S44.2009: Integrative Practice Seminar. Should extended placement hours be required, a practice elective must be taken concurrently.

This course is required of all students in the One-Year Residence Program. It provides 450 hours of supervised practice experience in an approved agency in the fall semester of the year of residence.

This course, a continuation of S66.2500, is required of all students in the One-Year Residence Program. It provides 450 hours of supervised practice experience in the spring semester of the year of residence.

This course will take a critical-thinking approach to considering the contributions and often excessive claims of selected theories of psychotherapy. We will rely heavily on microanalysis of taped clinical interviews as well as readings in the research literature to evaluate each theory. By considering how the problem addressed in a tape from one theoretical framework can be approached through a multi-theoretical lens, we will work towards achieving an integrative clinical theory. The selected tapes will potentially range from classics like the "Gloria" tapes (which cover Rogerian, Gestalt, and rational- emotive theories) and a more recent "Integrative Psychotherapy" tape series through to several current evidence-based approaches to treatment of depression. The format is combined lecture/seminar. Reading assignments will be provided before the first class so students can prepare; final projects will be due the last day of class.

This course will critically examine selected recent controversies over how depression is defined, diagnosed, and treated. Readings will draw on both the empirical-research and conceptual literatures. The broader debate over how to define the concept of mental disorder versus normal distress, as it bears on depression, will also be considered. In addition, we will examine several evidence-based approaches to treatment using tapes of clinical interviews wherever possible. The evidence-based theories to be considered will tentatively include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, and Behavioral Analysis. The format is combined lecture/seminar. Reading assignments will be provided before the first class so students can prepare; final projects will be due the last day of class.

This elective will offer the student an overview of how methods of community organization accomplish goals that are relevant to social work practitioners, as well as how community organization activities address the value base of the social work profession. The course begins by highlighting the social work tradition in community organization practice, and also explores the history and practical application of other popular community organizing models. The steps necessary in community assessment, developing a plan of action to bring about change, and selecting appropriate tactics to implement the plan will be studied. We will also delve deeper into the subject matter by defining and understanding “community,” power, and the role of self in macro practice to explore potential professional challenges.

This course familiarizes social work students with the legal rights of individuals, pertinent laws, and the legal process and clinical practice issues (e.g., confidentiality), thereby enhancing their ability to help their clients. Legal issues relating to HIV/AIDS, juvenile justice, child welfare, the mentally ill, and entitlement benefits are covered.

This course helps students to develop the knowledge and skills essential to working with children in a variety of settings. Drawing on contemporary theories of child development and research, the course focuses on assessment; goal setting; the use of individual, family, and group modalities; interventive principles and techniques; advocacy; and mobilization of resources. The impact of poverty and oppression is emphasized. Special consideration is given to students' case presentations and child welfare case vignettes.

Students may engage in individual study in selected curriculum areas under special circumstances. The independent work is approved if the student furnishes evidence of mastery of the basic content in the social work area selected. The work done by the student in this course is carried out with the guidance of a member of the full-time faculty.

This course focuses on assessment of and intervention with substance abusers and their families. It prepares students with the skills essential to a range of social work roles and practice modalities that can be used with this population. Stereotyped attitudes toward substance abusers are discussed. Special issues related to women, youth, the homeless, and dually diagnosed mentally ill/substance abusing populations are explored. Selected social policy and service delivery issues and research findings are considered.

This course provides students with the specialized knowledge and skills needed for practice in the field of child welfare. Course content includes an overview of relevant historical, legal, developmental, research, and policy issues. Within this framework, a range of social work services to children and families is examined from a practice perspective.

Beginning with a historical and theoretical overview of short-term intervention, this course focuses on the criteria for selecting this type of approach, assessment, goal setting, phases of intervention, specific principles and techniques, and relationship issues. It considers different short-term models in work with individuals, families, and groups and ethical and other issues (e.g., funding of services, managed care, third-party payment) in the use of short-term approaches in a range of social work settings.

This course examines the principles and techniques of couple intervention from a variety of theoretical frameworks. Intervention with traditional and nontraditional forms of couple relationships is considered in the light of the differing nature of clients' presenting problems, diversity, and the agency setting. The interventive process is examined in depth.

This course uses a biopsychosocial perspective as a basis for understanding female development. Beginning with a historical view, this course covers the works of Horney, moving to more contemporary theorists such as Dinnerstein, Chodorow, and Gilligan, among others. The biological and social aspects of female development are examined, as well as women and motherhood, lesbian relationships, women and work, and issues pertaining to women of color.

The works of several theorists from both the object relations and ego psychology schools are studied. Theorists such as Jacobson, Hartmann, Klein, Fairbairn, Guntrip, and Winnicott are covered.

This course considers the value base and theoretical and research underpinnings of cognitive and behavior intervention and the use and integration of these models within a biopsychosocial perspective. Practice principles and techniques that can be used in work with a variety of client problems are examined along with ethical issues.

Using a biopsychosocial and family systems perspective, this course examines life stressors and maladjusted behaviors from infancy through late childhood. Attention is paid to the role that environmental factors and physical illness play in exacerbating stress in children's lives. In addition, conduct disorders, oppositional behaviors, depression, and suicidal behaviors are covered as well as other maladjusted behaviors.

After considering the role of societal attitudes that are crucial in understanding the prevalence of sexual abuse, the course focuses on helping students to understand the special needs of both female and male adult survivors of sexual abuse and violence. It explores the stigma attached to victims of incest and rape. It prepares students to recognize the presence and to explore the history of sexual abuse, and it equips them with the skills essential to the use of the individual, family, and group intervention with this population. Current controversies (e.g., regarding the law, the press, and sexism) are addressed.

The overall objective of this course is to provide students with an integrative framework that combines direct practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities with a commitment to organizational and social change. Students are helped to develop skills in a broad range of practitioner roles. The course examines the history, values, and ethics of the profession; the societal and organizational context of practice; and the impact of racism and oppression. Skills in systems assessment, engagement, interviewing, collaboration and advocacy, relationship issues and self-awareness, and the practice principles of both crisis and extended intervention are taught. A social work laboratory component provides students with opportunities for experiential learning.

This course examines the challenges and opportunities of social work practice in educational settings. It addresses roles and functions of social workers within a complex ecological system of home/school/community. Development of assessment, engagement, and intervention skills in crisis intervention, consultation, group work, advocacy, and mediation are emphasized. The course addresses current urban issues that influence school practice such as violence, homelessness, AIDS, substance abuse, physical and sexual abuse, diversity, and cross-cultural communication.

This course will offer students an introduction to social work practice with children and their families and will acquaint students with the diversity of family composition, family rules and family roles in the 2000's. Students will learn about conventional nuclear family composition, the single-parent home, foster and adoptive homes, homes where children and parents are cross-racial dyads and triads, and homes where lesbian or gay partners are engaged in rearing a natural-born and/or an adopted child. Engaging such families from diverse racial, ethnic, economic, religious and cultural backgrounds will be a major focus in this course, in order to promote students? Current Issues in Contemporary Family Life.

This course will introduce the student to the signs and affects related to grief, loss and bereavement. Each will be defined, described, and presented in how it appears in latent or manifest form. The overall objective of this course is to help students understand acknowledged and unacknowledged grief and/or depression and the effects of significant losses in life. The process of mourning will be illustrated with case vignettes and presented with focus on the life cycle and examined in accord with particular developmental issues per age and stage of life.

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of conflict resolution with an emphasis on social work applications. Students will learn the communication skills necessary for conflict resolution processes. Topics covered will include neutrality skills, causes of conflict, intervention strategies, differential use of the conflict resolution process. Practical skills in mediation, negotiation and conciliation will be covered. Multi-party conflict resolution and application of conflict resolution skills to organizational practice will be touched on. Uses of mediation in divorce and custody cases will be reviewed.

The overall objective of this course is to look at attachment in infancy and early childhood in a contemporary cultural context. Various theories and relevant research are reviewed from a critical perspective. The dialectic between attachment and separation will be explored. Attachment is viewed in the context of an expanding environment with consideration of multiple caretakers, multiple social roles, and diversity of family life and parenting roles.

This course aims to prepare students for effective practice with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people by providing a deeper understanding of GLBT identities, families, health and mental health challenges, and issues of political advocacy. The course will examine a variety of issues that affect GLBT people in contemporary life, and will act as a springboard for students to engage in additional learning in a chosen area of interest. The course will use lectures, guest presentations by local and national experts, classroom discussions, student presentations, assigned readings, and written assignments in order to achieve its objectives.

This course provides students with an opportunity to develop engagement, assessment and intervention skills in individual, family, and group work with urban youth (aged 11-21). The course will focus on practice within a wide range of government and agency-based settings, including: prevention, school, mental health, foster care, criminal justice and residential programs. Attention will be given to the development of skills that foster interdisciplinary collaboration within and between urban systems of care. There will be a focus on understanding the ways in which racism and other forms of oppression can impact both adolescent development and social service delivery systems.

Social work clinicians play a key role in a new approach to criminal justice: therapeutic jurisprudence. Students will become familiar with traditional court approaches in a variety of cases and how the presence of the social work professional in the courtroom results in case resolutions that are more meaningful for the court, for the community and for the defendant. Participants will become familiar with court papers and presenting clinical recommendations in court. The goals of the judge, the prosecution and the defense in both the traditional and therapeutic/problem-solving courts will be discussed. The course concludes with an overview of therapeutic courts nationally and internationally.

The dramatic demographic changes that have transformed the 20th century promise to be equally compelling over the next several decades. Increased life expectancy has profound implications for all disciplines and professions. The purpose of this course is to provide a survey of contemporary issues in aging, science and policy for an interdisciplinary graduate student audience. Specifically, this course will analyze national and global trends in lifespan and quality of life and investigate the broader implications and ramifications. Faculty from across the NYU campus will participate in an interdisciplinary dialogue that will explore key issues related to age and aging.

This course is aimed at developing the knowledge and skills necessary for working with individuals with a diagnosis of serious mental illness using recovery-oriented, evidence-based practices. It is designed for MSW students and MSW mental health practitioners. Students will become familiar with evidence-based practices, within a recovery-oriented paradigm, as a general approach to practice as well as specific evidence-based interventions to use for individuals with a diagnosis of serious mental illness. It is assumed that students will have a basic knowledge of serious mental illness as a pre- or co-requisite, however a review will be provided. Students will learn to examine research literature to determine the various levels of support for specific interventions and essential principles for translating research into practice. In addition, they will identify the appropriate treatment outcomes that reflect effective, quality mental health practice. Each evidence-based practice presented will also be examined for its utility with diverse groups. Providing assessment and treatment to a diverse group of individuals with a diagnosis of serious mental illness is the focus of this course and will be discussed in detail.

Domestic violence occurs everywhere, with different resonances in different cultures. Every country has a criminal justice system, but the attempt to use arrest and prosecution as tools against domestic violence is far from universal. Within each nation where domestic violence is prosecuted, there is debate about whether a criminal-court approach will ever make more than a marginal difference. This debate, examined in a comparative and interdisciplinary context, is the focus of the weekly seminar. Specific areas of inquiry will include mandatory arrest, prosecutorial discretion, no-drop policies, and mandatory reporting to law enforcement by health care providers. The main points of comparison will be India and the United States.

The Comparative Criminal Justice Seminar offered by the Law School is open to SSW and law students. It offers the opportunity (1) to compare and contrast different nations= use of criminal prosecution to combat domestic violence and (2) to develop a critical analysis of the advantages and limitations of different criminal justice strategies. There are no pre-requisites, but students will find it helpful to have academic training or practical experience in one or more of the following areas: domestic violence counseling, policy work, or litigation; criminal law or criminal procedure; comparative or international law or policy; and interdisciplinary work. Course enrollment is by instructor approval.

This is a course with three aspects: critical thinking, spirituality, and psychotherapy. In the last few years, spirituality has become a visibly contentious social issue in American life. From fundamentalism to secular humanism to New Age-ism to atheism, there is a great deal of social controversy and conflict over spirituality. Some people regard the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center or the flooding of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina as a punitive divine intervention by a god of wrath angry at American sins. Other people argue that “Creation Science” or “Intelligent Design” should be taught instead of evolutionary theory. Some people sue to remove the phrase “One Nation under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance and the phrase “In God We Trust” from the dollar bill. Other people attempt to install the Ten Commandments in courthouses and state capitols. Some people believe in one god. Other people believe in many gods – and goddesses. Over 50 percent of Americans believe literally in the virgin birth of Jesus. Presidents from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush describe themselves as “born again.” Freud regarded religion as an illusion with no future. Jung affirmed the religious function of the psyche. The question in this course is: As social workers, how are we to think critically about the role of the spiritual dimension of human existence in the practice of psychotherapy?

Gestalt therapy, with its emphasis on respect for the client’s subjective experience, its strengths based perspective, and its focus on an authentic relationship between the client and worker, provides a holistic and humanistic framework for contemporary social work practice. In conjunction with Self-Psychology’s focus on remaining empathically attuned to the client’s emotional needs, this course will focus intensely on how to enrich the client-worker relationship. This course will cover the basic concepts of both Gestalt Therapy and Self-Psychology and how they can be applied to working with clients in any social work setting. In addition to class discussion and case presentation, this class will involve a considerable amount of experiential work.

This course examines the social, economic, and political dimensions of poverty and inequality in the United States. The course will offer a critical analysis of poverty and inequality with an analytic and descriptive focus on competing theories examining the causes of poverty, the role of policy, and socioeconomic dimensions of stratification, including race, ethnicity, class, gender, immigration status, and other factors. In this course, we will examine the existing and emerging policy issues related to ending poverty. Those policy issues include, although may not be limited to: 1.) Education and Human Capital Development; 2.) Health, Health Care, and Mental Health; 3.) Wealth and Asset Development; 4.) Housing and Community Development; 5.) Work and Employment; and 6.) Family and Social Structures. International perspectives may also be considered.

This course uses three frameworks: conceptualizations based on mind-body medicine, the study of chronic illness and it’s impact on the family and interdisciplinary perspectives about the chronic illness. The class will include an overview of several disorders that impact both health and mental health and look at the interrelationship between the body and the mind. A variety of guest speakers, who are experts in their fields will be invited to present. The course will cover a number of disorders across the life cycle, from childhood to later life. For example, the course will cover Attention Deficit Disorder in childhood; in adulthood, we will look at multiple sclerosis and in older age, Parkinson disease, memory loss and dementia and discuss end of life issues. Using a family-centered approach, the course will examine how these disorders impact both the individual and family. To enhance learning and understanding from the client and family’s perspective the class will include panels of persons and families impacted with some of the diseases covered in class. Implications for social work practice will be covered throughout.

This course focuses on social work practice in medicine and the relationship between physical health, social environments, and psychological functioning. Students will be introduced to the history, roles, and functions of social workers in a variety of health care settings. Student learning will be grounded in the biopsychosocial model, and will address a number of domains, including the impact of illness on families, health communication and behavior, beliefs and spirituality, culture and class. A number of professional issues facing health care social workers will be discussed, including interdisciplinary collaboration, role and boundary definition, surviving managed care, and navigating ethical dilemmas. Activities will include training in conceptualization of illness challenges and presenting problems, writing case material, building self-awareness and identifying clinical interface issues, and the compilation of a “clinician’s toolbox” for direct practice on the front lines.

This course will introduce students to the European-heritage and Indigenous cultures of and contemporary socio-political issues facing developing countries with a focus on Latin America emphasizing issues affecting children and families in of Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Using Costa Rica as the focus of study, domestic and international aid responses to poverty and vulnerable populations, public and private, will be explored.

This course is an opportunity to learn about and from the developing world… in Costa Rica! From a global perspective (with an emphasis on Latin America), we will explore social policy issues as they affect vulnerable populations, particularly children and families. We will be introduced to domestic and international aid responses through guest lectures and site visits.

For the field portion of the program, we will be spending three to six afternoons at a public child care center for very poor, pre-school children, half of whom are Costa Rican and half of whom are from Nicaragua. Students should be prepared to engage the children in activities (arts and crafts, music, dance, games), providing their own supplies.

This advanced practice elective is designed to help students address the special needs and problems faced by immigrant and refugee clients and communities, and to develop culturally competent knowledge, skills, and values that will improve delivery of culturally sensitive and culturally responsive services for refugees and displaced persons, both domestically and internationally.

This course will examine social work practice in relation to major themes, including the refugee experience; the impact of relocation on individuals, families and communities; the psychological ramifications of war trauma and torture; and the phenomenon of human trafficking. Interventions with individuals, families, and communities will be explored across cultures with particularly vulnerable populations. The course will provide an overview of such issues as loss and mourning for homeland; adaptation and coping with a new culture; cross-cultural and inter-ethnic group conflicts; resettlement and family reunification issues; and a range of world view perspectives including acculturation & assimilation, biculturalism, marginality, and traditional ethnic identities. The course will emphasize the advocacy and empowerment roles of social workers when addressing U.S. social policies towards immigrants in the wake of 9/11, and in fighting against anti-immigrant policies, sanctions, and discriminatory practices.

Course description coming soon.

This course provides an introduction to theoretical frameworks and practice of clinical social work interventions with older adults and their families. It is designed to familiarize students with the biological, psychological and social aspects of the aging process. Emphasis is placed on understanding late-life problems and mental disorders, on developing skills in diagnostic assessment, and on formulating and implementing treatment plans. Students are expected to develop proficiency with the core competencies in geriatric social work, including the provision of comprehensive assessment and intervention skills.

This course shatters the myth that social workers have a low visibility and skills for leadership in the political, business, legal, and public policy infrastructures. Over the course of the semester, students will examine the extensive contributions of the profession in government, public and private sector and the transferability of social work skills to a range of leadership roles that change individual lives, transform communities, and create broad based policy and societal impact. Students will examine policy issues and develop strategies to affect change. The class will be challenged to critically group think about finding innovative solutions to long standing problems and how to map a career path for successful leadership.