THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK Course Number: SW 393R3 Instructor’s Name: Colette Duciaume-Wright, LMSW-ACP Unique Number: 62660 Office Number: 3.122A Semester: Fall 2002 Office Phone: 210-822-6083 Meeting Time/Place: M 8:30a-11:30a Office Hours: Monday 11:30am- 12:30pm Rm. 2.112 THEORIES AND METHODS OF FAMILY INTERVENTIONS I. Standardized Course Description This course is designed as a seminar for students in the clinical concentration or for students desiring a basic understanding in models and methods of family intervention. The content will include an overview of several different models of family intervention with a focus on intervention skills and techniques. II. Standardized Course Objectives By the end of the semester the student should be able to: 1. Compare the various theoretical approaches to working with the family as a system, including understanding the impact of the ecological and social environments in which families live. 2. Demonstrate understanding of similarities and differences among theories and their theoretical perspectives, value bases, and gender critiques. 3. Integrate and demonstrate application of procedures, techniques, and methods of differing family intervention models. 4. Understand and integrate research information on effectiveness of empirically based practice for different family interventions on problems frequently seen in practice such as: chemical dependency, child maltreatment and severe mental disorders. 5. Demonstrate skill in applying knowledge concerning multi-level policies and their impact on interventions with families of diverse culture, socioeconomic background, race, sexual orientation, and ability. III. Teaching Methods This class provides opportunities for both theory and skill development. Family practice models will be presented through a combination of lectures, demonstrations of the practice interventions, experiential learning and class discussions about skills. Each student is expected to contribute from informed reading, classroom and field experiences or personal life experiences as the 1student is comfortable. At times classes of this nature may bring up personal issues for a student. If this is the case, the student is encouraged to speak to the instructor privately and to seek out services from the Student Health Center. Confidentiality It is expected of all class participants that the materials shared by fellow students is kept confidential. IV. Required Texts Nichols, M., & Schwartz, R.C. (2001). Essentials of Family Therapy. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. McGoldrick, M., et al. (Eds.). (1996). Ethnicity & Family Therapy (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Recommended Texts Boyd-Franklin, N. (1989). Black Families In Therapy: A Multi-Systems Approach. New York, NY: The Guilford Press Carter, B., & McGoldrick, M. (Eds.). (1999). The Expanded family life cycle (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon Readings are available on electronic reserves. To access the reading by week, go to http://www.utexas.edu/. Click Libraries, click Library Services-Reserves, click Electronic Reserve, click Colette Duciaume-Wright on the drop-down menu under instructor. The password for the class will be given at the first class. V. Course Requirements The grade for this course will be based on the student’s ability to demonstrate knowledge of and application of methods from the major models of family therapy. Class attendance, participation, and promptness in completing assignments will be considered when assigning grades. Grading will be based on total points accrued by the end of the semester. All papers should be typed and double-spaced following APA (5th Ed.) format. 1. Researched Group demonstration & Presentation: (25% of grade) Part One: The class will divide up into groups for an experiential demonstration of a family therapy session using techniques from a particular model of intervention. The group will compile a bibliography with 10 to 12 references that were used to prepare the presentation. The bibliography will be due on the day of the presentation. In addition, the 2group will make a formal presentation to the class addressing the following topics: a)Description and analysis of the family relative to the life cycle stage, beliefs, organization, communication, social context and problem or stressor. b)Application of the family therapy model relative to the tenets andconstructs of the model; assessment of the family relative to the problem; and interventions made during the demonstration, Include the rationale for using each intervention and assess its impact on the family or family member. c)Explain how the therapist was impacted by the family and its members during the “family session” and discuss any countertransference issues that are significant. d)Assess the model used relative to research and empirical support for the clinical effectiveness of this model and discuss any limitations of this model with specific populations. Be creative in your presentation; it may be a live demonstration or you may tape a session that is evaluated in class. You may ask for audience participation if you like. The use of an outline or handouts addressing the issues outlined above is encouraged. The presentation is expected to last approximately one hour. I will assume that all members of each group are sharing the burden of the work. If this is not the case, please notify me. All group members will be assigned the same grade for their presentation, so it should reflect equal responsibility on all member’s parts. Part Two: Each student in the group will submit a reflection paper to address the following: (due one week following presentation) a) What was it like to work in the group? b) What role did you take on in the group process? c) How does this role relate to the role you normally take on in your own family? 2. Skills Building Project: (25% of grade) Develop a set of intervention techniques for working with ethnic-minority families. Choose an ethnic-minority family group and develop an in-depth understanding of how to work with this cultural group. Include culturally relevant developmental outline and a description of the basic characteristics of this family. Also include several techniques that may be used to gain rapport and facilitate change in this family. Think about how you might be perceived as a practitioner and consider any power differentials between