BSSW Course Descriptions

This course is an introduction to the profession of social work and the philosophical, societal and organizational contexts within which professional social work activities take place. This course provides the opportunity for students to explore their interest in and potential for a career in social work. It introduces the knowledge, skills, and values of social work as a profession and explores the variety of fields of practice and the roles of social workers. Cognitive and interaction skills necessary for
competent practice are introduced in this course. The course emphasizes the value base of social work practice and its commitment to diversity, populations at risk, and social and economic justice for marginalized persons such as immigrant populations. Special attention will be given to role of social work with victims of natural disasters, e.g., Hurricane Katrina 2004, Haitian Earthquake January 2010, Hurricane Sandy 2012, and more recently Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, 2017

3 CREDIT HOURS
Prerequisites: ENGL 150 and SW 220

Methods of Social Work Practice I introduces the knowledge and skills of generalist social work practice including engagement, assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, termination and follow-up. The empowerment and strengths perspectives, social work values and social work ethics are applied to practice with clients of diverse racial, cultural, class and religious backgrounds. Focus is on micro practice with individuals and families.

3 CREDIT HOURS
Prerequisites: SW 323 and SW 337

This course presents theories and knowledge on the development and behavior of individuals and families across the life span, including biological, psychological, social, and spiritual and cultural aspects. The roles of micro, mezzo, and macro social systems in the promotion, maintenance or deterrence of health and well-being are examined. A social systems perspective is used to understand the interactions between and among individuals, families, groups and organizations in the social environment. Diversity
is examined in its many facets including race, ethnicity, social class, gender, sexual orientation, and disability, as it impacts on individual and group development and behavior. Discrimination and other forms of oppression are considered in terms of their impact on individual development and behavior.

This undergraduate course in social work research introduces the beginning students to the foundational knowledge, including but not limited to conceptual framework and analytical tools, of conducting methodologically sound empirical research. The primacy of interdependence between research based practice and practice based research is emphasized in order to make social work practice
recursively evidence informed as well as optimally outcome oriented and effective. The qualitative, quantitative (experimental and quasi-experimental) and mixed method research projects, students choose to undertake, under the close supervision of an instructor, will entail issues that social workers, as front-line clinical and policy practitioners, contend with as they go about engaging individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities to assess their multiple intersecting needs in order to
provide the most empirically grounded interventions/services, consistent with the nine competencies recommended by the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) 2015. The course is purported to integrate four key components of the curriculum design: (a) program and mission goals, (b) explicit curriculum, (c) implicit curriculum, and (d) outcome assessment, as specified by EPAS, within the context of a simple logic model.

This course is designed to review and affirm the history, cultural values, and family structures of the diverse life styles within African, Asian, Caribbean, Hispanic, Native and White ethnic American cultures. This examination of diversity includes issues within groups of gender, class, age, immigration, history, sexual orientation, level of acculturation, color, language, religion, and spirituality. From an ecosystems perspective, the course examines social and economic factors which have shaped the experiences and
socioeconomic status of persons within these groups. Throughout the semester this course will explore the relevance of cultural diversity to social work values and practice.

This course is the second of three required social work practice methods courses within the framework of generalist practice and the empowerment and strengths perspectives. The focus is on the mezzo level of practice with families and groups utilizing the planned change intervention model consisting of engagement, assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, termination and follow-up. There is emphasis on the ethics and values of the profession as they apply to situations with diverse populations
in an urban environment.

This course will further develop the knowledge skills of generalist practice and will provide the knowledge and skills necessary to apply problem solving methods to groups and communities. Students will learn alternative intervention strategies with populations at risk, and examine ethical conflicts in work with groups and communities. Emphasis will also be placed on teaching students how to conduct a generalist social work assessment and engage in action planning in order to frame suggested solutions to group and/or community problems. This course will also emphasize understanding the processes that perpetuate oppression and unequal access to opportunities/resources such as: an unequal access to power within political, social, economic institutions/organizations.

Service-learning pedagogy provides the framework for this course and sixteen hours of experience at a pre-selected community service-learning site is required. This course encourages student experimentation and application through reflection, written work, self and group assessments, and public presentations. Lectures, discussions (small and large group), experiential activities, reflection, and videos will be utilized.

This course explores factors that contribute to populations being at risk and strategies to address risk factors. The impact of group membership on access to resources is examined. Students are introduced to the concepts of distributive justice, human rights and global oppression and its relationship to social and economic justice. Strategies to address discrimination, oppression, and economic deprivation and to promote social and economic justice are discussed.

This course examines the history and development of social welfare policies and services with a significant focus on contemporary social welfare policies and issues affecting at risk populations and the delivery of social services. Students learn to use a policy analysis framework which enables them to analyze and assess social welfare policies for the purposes of planned change and social action. Societal values are explored as they relate to the development of policy and congruence with social work values
and ethics. Cultural diversity, populations at risk, and social and economic justice are considered as important factors affecting both social welfare policies and social services.

In Field Practicum I, students integrate social work knowledge, skills, and values into generalist social work practice in a community agency. Faculty, agency field instructors, and students collaborate to facilitate the transition from classroom to practical field experience. Under the supervision of an MSW, students must complete 15 hours of field work per week for a total of 200 clock hours in an agency approved by the Medgar Evers College Social Work Field Coordinator. No student will be allowed to do
more than the 15 hours required per week. Students are also required to attend a weekly two hour field integration seminar which serves to guide the students through the process of integrating knowledge, skills, and values into practice. Field Practicum I focuses on generalist social work practice with individual, family, and small group client systems at the micro and mezzo levels of practice in an urban environment. This course is the first of two required field practicum courses.

This course is a continuation of SW 420 Field Practicum I. In Field Practicum II, the knowledge, values, and skills developed throughout the social work curriculum will be integrated into social work practice in a community agency. Students continue to engage in structured, individualized learning opportunities in a community agency setting. Faculty, agency field instructors, and students collaborate to assist the intern in applying generalist social work skills, values and knowledge to practice. During the semester, students will complete 15 hours of fieldwork per week for a minimum of 200 hours in an agency setting approved by the Medgar Evers College Social Work Field Coordinator. Please note: Students will not do more than the required 15 hours per week without prior approval by the professor.

This course will serve as a culminating opportunity, students will incorporate the knowledge, skills, and theories learned in social work courses into the final assignment, which is a Generalist Practice paper. Students will utilize the generalist framework in identifying client systems’ strengths in at- risk populations including those discriminated against because of race, gender, or because of other conditions and analyze the effects of policies on social work practice with at-risk populations. In
addition, students will engage in educationally directed practice activities in the agency setting that focus on the generalist problem-solving approach (engagement, data collection, assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation, termination, and follow-up) with individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations. The primary focus of which is on the generalist practice at the macro level with organizations and communities.
Area of Interest Course Descriptions
Area of Interest – Child Welfare

This course will examine the emergence of the child welfare system in the United States. Specific references to the social welfare movement, social policy, and services as they affect children from different cultural backgrounds, and recent changes in local child welfare systems will be examined. Topics covered will include adoption, foster care, child abuse and neglect and the inter-relationship between social problems and policies on the child welfare system. The role and responsibilities of the
child welfare worker will be addressed.

Course Description
The focus of this course is generalist social work practice with children and families. The generalist intervention model along with practice theories that incorporate the strengths perspective and empowerment of clients will be examined. The course will explore some of the critical issues that impact on social work services for children and their families.

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of major social problems facing local communities and the nation. The impact of social problems on diverse populations and on society’s most vulnerable and underserved population will be discussed. The major sociological theories which attempt to explain the elements which make up society, explain how society functions, and what causes problems will be explored. Social welfare policies and the social service delivery system that address
major policies will be examined.

This course examines actual case studies from the field of Child Welfare. These case studies will present multiple issues (e.g., biological, psychological, social) to help students link theoretical frameworks to what is practical in working with children and families. Using the generalist problem solving method, students will learn how to analyze diverse cases in child welfare practice by engaging families, assessing needs, and designing an appropriate treatment plan. The cases will expose students to diverse cultures,
families who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds and provide them with opportunities to become familiar with safety and risk assessment, family case analyses and assessment diagrams.

This course is designed to examine the legal and court systems, major functions of forensic social work, and the interdependence of law and social work. Students will examine and discuss constitutional law, statutory law, administrative law, judicial and common law as they impact on social welfare policy and services for children and their families. A second component of the course focuses on professional ethics, legal liability, and malpractice pertaining to social work practice. Students will develop the social
work skills necessary for preparing and presenting court testimony in case advocacy on behalf of individual clients and social advocacy to affect policy and legislative change, as well as strategies to promote social and economic justice.
Area of Interest Substance Abuse

This course will introduce the abuse of alcohol and other drugs as a bio-psycho-social problem. Students will learn a spectrum of treatment approaches to helping clients achieve abstinence and long-term recovery. Students will acquire greater insight into generalist social work practice including engagement, assessment, planning, evaluation, termination and follow-up as they apply to working with clients with substance abuse issues and greater insight into the client-counselor relationship. Consideration is given
to the ethics and values of the profession as they apply to the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs by diverse populations.

For those seeking certification as a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor by the state of New York, specific requirements include education and training from New York State approved training entities. Each course in the alcohol and substance area of interest is equivalent to 45 hours credited toward certification. Students who successfully pass all five courses will earn a total of 225 hours towards the 350-hour educational and training requirement, in partial fulfillment of the total number of hours that are required.

This course is designed to familiarize students with the disease, culture, and behaviors related to the HIV virus and AIDS. The course will also examine HIV transmission and prevention; including how even small amounts of alcohol and other drugs reduce inhibitions, impair judgment and increases the risk of potentially life-threatening behaviors. Also addressed with be the impact of HIV-AIDS on different populations (e.g., racial/ethnic groups, men and women, the elderly and the LGBTTT(QQIAA) community. Emphasis is placed on the knowledge and skills needed for generalist social work practice with those who are affected by HIV-AIDS.

For those seeking certification as a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor by the state of New York, specific requirements include education and training from New York State approved training entities. Each course in the alcohol and substance area of interest is equivalent to 45 hours credited toward certification. Students who successfully pass all five courses will earn a total of 225 hours towards the 350-hour educational and training requirement, in partial fulfillment of the total number of hours that are required.

This course will address the abuse of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) as they affect diverse populations including racial and ethnic groups, the disabled, the LGBT community, adolescents, the elderly, and the homeless. Focus is on counseling as an intervention and relevant strategies and techniques for working cross-culturally in the field of alcoholism and substance abuse. Key concepts and practices that encourage effective cross-cultural communication (counselor-client and staff-to-staff) in AOD counseling
will be examined. The National Association of Social Work Cultural Competence Standards will be examined for integration into generalist social work practice.

For those seeking certification as a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor by the state of New York, specific requirements include education and training from New York State approved training entities. Each course in the alcohol and substance area of interest is equivalent to 45 hours credited toward certification. Students who successfully pass all five courses will earn a total of 225 hours towards the 350 hour educational and training requirement, in partial fulfillment of the total number of hours that are required.

This course provides an overview of the different legal, prescription, over-the-counter and illegal drugs that are used by a cross section of the American population. Legal ramifications of the use of these various chemicals will be carefully examined. The effects of drugs on the total well- being of the individual, families and communities will also be investigated. Additional topics to be addressed include: prevention measures to discourage inappropriate use, the economic and costs of drug use (including
crime and incarceration factors).

Rationale:

In order to meet the requirements for certification as a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor, students must meet specific requirements including, education and training from NYS approved training entities. Each course in this specialized area of alcohol and substance specialty area is equivalent to 45 hours. Students who successfully pass all five courses will earn a total of 225 hours towards the 350 hour educational and training requirement, in partial fulfillment of the total number of hours that are required.

This course is designed to introduce students to the professional and ethical responsibilities of AOD counselors, including ethical principles; behaviors and boundaries in clinical relationships; confidentiality laws; and the importance of counselor wellness. City, State and Federal laws and procedures that relate to confidentiality (of patient records in general and HIV related issues in particular) and the need for practices that encourage counselor wellness will be addressed. Students will also examine in depth the
Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
Area of Interest – Gerontology

This course explores intergenerational issues in generalist social work practice which impact on the elderly and their families. Focus is on integrating social work knowledge, skills and values in assessment, planning and intervention within an intergenerational framework in practice with families. Issues examined include grandparents raising grandchildren, adult children as caregivers for aging parents and their own dependent children (sandwich generation), and intergenerational relationships in immigrant families. Emphasis is placed on a strengths based perspective, resiliency, empowerment and culturally competent practice.

The focus of this course is on ethical concepts and issues in gerontological social work practice. Student will examine legal issues, social welfare policies, and health policies as they impact on social work practice. A second component of the course will focus on ethical decision making in generalist social work practice with the elderly.