UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT WILMINGTON DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK SWK 341 Generalist Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families SPRING 2014 Dr. Robert Blundo MW 11:00-12:15 and TTR 8-9:15 McNeil Hall 3096 McNeil 1030 962-3438/ 395-8386 Course Description This course is the second of a four-part generalist practice course sequence. It integrates the basic strengths-based, solution-focused working relationship orientation into social work practice at the micro level of the generalist practice framework: working with individuals and families. Emphasis will be placed on generalist practice modes of intervention--case management, advocacy, brokering, brief counseling, education, solution focused issue management, and crisis/trauma management within a diverse and multicultural society. Issues of social justice, social policy, ethical and fiduciary responsibilities, empowerment, assessment, and recursive evaluation will be integrated into micro practice knowledge and skills. Purpose This course will prepare students to think and engage client systems in terms of the micro level of the generalist practice framework. Students will learn to think in terms of the contextual implications of the interface of person-in-the-environment and the use of micro level practice knowledge and skills in addressing client system needs. Students will learn through practice the basic process of collaborative articulation of the issues to be addressed by engaging in collaborative and evolving assessments, formulating collaborative options and solutions, taking action, and engaging in recursive evaluation of the process and outcome. Students will learn the various roles within generalist practice through which they may engage those with whom they work: case management, advocacy, brokering, brief counseling, education, and crisis/trauma management with individuals and families. Students will focus on engaging individuals and families in terms of empowerment and strengths by means of a solution focused process. Students will continue to practice integrating ethical and fiduciary responsibilities into practice. Students will continue to integrate knowledge and skills related to diversity and individual uniqueness into their practice. They will recognizes and consider the impact of policy decisions, from the agency to societal levels, on the work they do with individuals and families. Prerequisite: SWK 240 and SWKL 240Course Objectives 1. Students will demonstrate an integration of the strengths-based /solution-focused working relationship skills and process to the micro level of practice with families 3. Students will understand and demonstrate the basic collaborative steps of engagement, assessment, formulating options, taking action, and engaging in recursive evaluation of the process and outcome case management. 4. Students will understand and demonstrate the use of the basic modes of generalist practice: case management, advocacy, brokering, linking, brief counseling, and education. 5. Students will understand and demonstrate the ability to recognizing, appreciate, and work with people’s strengths and resilience in the context of relationships with other individuals, families, groups and communities in organizing services around individual and familial needs. 6. Students will master the basic steps in engaging crisis situations with individuals, families and communities. 9. Students will demonstrate the beginning skills in creating case records, to include assessment, process recording, progress notes and summaries. 10. Students will demonstrate a continued recognition and inclusion of issues of social justice, social policy, diversity, as well as ethical and fiduciary responsibilities in micro practice. Required Readings: A major task for the course is the assigned readings. The class will move at an appropriate pace to insure meaningful coverage of the material. The value of the class discussions, class exercises and your assignments will depend heavily upon your having read the assigned readings and reacting to them critically. Examinations will include all assigned readings as well as material presented in class and from class exercises. Textbooks Required: DeJong, P. & Berg, I.K. (1998). Interviewing for Solutions. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Other readings in the Library:Blundo, R., & Greene, R. (2007). Survivorship in the face of traumatic events and disasters. In R. Greene,(Ed.). Social work practice: A risk and resiliency perspective. Belmont, CA: Thomson Osher, T. M. & Osher, D. M. (2002). The pardigm shift to true collaboration with families. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 11 (1), 47-60. Backhaus, K. (2011). Solution-Focused brief therapy with families (pp. 287-312). In L. Metcalf, (Ed.) Marriage and Family Therapy. New York: Springer. Cowger, C.D.,& Snively, C. A. (2006). Assessing client strengths: Individuals, family, and community empowerment. In Saleebey, D., (Ed.), The strengths perspective in social work practice (4rd Edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Rapp, C. A. (2006). Strengths-based case management. In Saleebey, D., (Ed.), The strengths perspective in social work practice (4rd Edition). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Greene, G.L. Mo-Yee, L., Trask, R., & Rheinschield, J. (2000). How to work with clients’ strengths in crisis intervention (pp. 31-55). In A. R. Roberts (Editor), Crisis intervention handbook (2nd Edition). New York: Oxford. Course Requirements Regular Attendance & Class Participation Regular attendance and active class participation enhances the conduct of this class and the learning that can take place. You are strongly encouraged to ask questions, disagree if you have other ideas, offer ideas and suggestions, participate in demonstrations, and just get as involved as you can. Final grades can be adjusted at the discretion of the instructor based upon your preparation and interaction in the classroom. Required Readings Each student is expected to keep up with the readings and to be able to discuss and/or ask questions about the content of the readings. 1. Examinations: We will discuss in class the nature of the examinations [what format they will take] and the number of examinations to be given during the semester. 2. Strengths Based/Solution focused Assessment: Each student will complete two assessments. The first Assessment will be done using your self as the client. The