SOCWK 4970 Field Practicum

Students will explore and apply theories of human behavior and the social environment, the strengths perspective, and person-in environment perspective when working with individuals and families. Role plays, as a form of experiential learning, will be used to help students practice basic attending skills, empathic responses, and apply the generalist intervention model when working with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds. Students will learn how to practice in alignment with the social work professional values and ethics. In addition to role plays, students will observe, discuss, and provide feedback to each other about the application of micro-practice skills as an integral aspect of learning throughout the course. Finally, students will examine how a person's lived experiences is often an intersection of multiple factors. Self-reflection and evaluation of the student' own life experiences and their impact on their work with individuals and families will facilitate this understanding
Prerequisite(s): SOCWK 1150 Introduction to Social Work and declared Social Work major.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

Students will identify the theoretical underpinnings as well as practical applications of group work as a vehicle for social work. Students will also explore how and why groups function and develop skills and techniques of membership and leadership. Students will role-play group facilitation to practice engagement, assessment, planning, intervention, and termination with and on behalf of diverse individuals. Students will explore how to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to improve service provision. Prerequisites: Full admission to the social work program, or permission of the social work program director.
Prerequisite(s): SOCWK 1150 Introduction to Social Work and full admission to the social work program, or permission of the social work program director. (Normally offered each spring semester.)

Students will explore the three primary areas of macro social work practice: policy, organization, and community practice and the application of the Generalist Intervention Model in these arenas. Major emphasis upon community and organization assessment, program planning, and evaluation, through a human rights lens. This practice-oriented course will provide students an opportunity to collaborate in the assessment of a community and to create a project or program to address an identified need, while applying social work theories, concepts and professional values. Prerequisites: Full admission to the social work program, or permission of the social work program director.
Prerequisite(s): SOCWK 1150 Introduction to Social Work and SOCWK 2200 Social Welfare Policy, Services, and Delivery Systems and full admission to social work program, or permission of the social work program director. 
(Normally offered each spring semester.)

Students will be introduced research methods used in generalist social work practice. Course content emphasizes critiquing research methodology, including data collection, sampling and analysis. Students will engage in a single-subject design study where they will identify and implement an intervention and evaluate its outcomes for practice effectiveness. Students will explore ethical and anti-racist research practices and the application of evidence-based practice to improve policy and social service delivery. Prerequisites: Full admission to the social work program, or permission of the social work program director and a statistics course.
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing, SOCWK 1150 Introduction to Social Work, full admission to social work program, and one of the following Statistics courses: SOC 2910 Social Statistics or PSYCH 2100 Psychological Statistics or ECON-2100/ BUSAD 2100 Business and Economic Statistics or MATH 1300 Statistics.
(Normally offered fall semester.)