SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY - SWK 300 (SPRING 2010)Cleveland State University School of Social WorkMichael A. Dover, BSW, MSW, Ph.D. CSU Chester Building #326Office: (216)687-3564 Cell: (216)[email protected] Off. Hrs: MW 2:00-3:00; Tues. 10-11 or by appt.."We must ask ourselves who are in a better position and more called upon to act collectively,politically and responsibly for the goals of welfare than those who have made welfare theirprofession, that is, the dominant occupation of their lives."- Eugen PusicThis is the official course syllabus. An identical version is posted to blackboard. Master Syllabus Course DescriptionSWK 300 provides students with the opportunity to development foundation-level skills inanalyzing social policies and programs. Students also develop the necessary knowledge and skillsfor becoming effective advocates for changes in social welfare policy. In order to do this, theyalso learn skills in identifying policy issues arising from community settings and in collaboratingwith colleagues in effective policy action.This course builds on SWK 201, which covered historical trends in social welfare programs, therelationship of social welfare policy to social oppression and to struggles for social justice, aswell as providing an overview of the major social welfare institutions. this course will provideboth conceptual and analytical skills needed to examine social policies and programs. The coursewill also draw upon liberal arts background in referring to those economic and political factorsthat influence the development of social policy.The course also buildings on SWK201 by providing an overview of the social policies withineach major area of social welfare, including health, mental health, child welfare, incomemaintenance, aging, etc.. The course educates the student about several approaches to policyanalysis of policies in these areas, and the student learns to produce a policy analysis of a selectedpolicy. During the course, students learn to think creatively about the relationship betweensocietal values, social work values and their own value systems and how they are related to socialwelfare policy. Based upon this values clarification, knowledge rooted in the overview of social welfare, as wellas knowledge about the nature of effective advocacy and the range of policy analysis methods,student will advance towards the application of this knowledge. First, they will learn how toidentify policy issues arising from practice and community settings. Next, they will learn how toapply a policy analysis method to the analysis of an important course-relevant social policy. Indoing so, students will have an opportunity to formulate policy positions related to their interestsand practice areas. Finally, they will engage in advocacy as individual students about a course-relevant issue of their choice, and will learn skills in collaborating with others in effective policyaction. By the end of the course, students who have completed SWK 201/300 will be able todemonstrate how they have integrated the values, knowledge and skills which they acquired inorder to ensure that their view of themselves as professional social workers has a policy practicecomponent.School Of Social Work BSW Program CompetenciesGraduates of the School of Social Work BSW Program will be able to:(1.)(EP 2.1.1) practice professional use of self, acquired through engaged learning of coreknowledge, skills, and values which prepares them to use supervision and consultation toadvocate for client services and commit themselves to lifelong learning.(2.) (EP 2.1.2) assess ethical dilemmas through understanding and incorporating personal andsocietal values in addressing client values within the domain of the NASW professional code ofethics, and apply strategies within the context of local and national trends in Northeast Ohio inorder to make principled decisions.(3.) (EP 2.1.3) apply critical and reflective thinking in written and oral communication andprofessional judgments, displaying the ability to integrate information from a multitude ofsources to examine a range of assessment, prevention, intervention, and evaluation models.(4.) (EP 2.1.4) utilize critical consciousness in interacting and engaging diverse populations anddifferences recognizing the importance of the intersectionality of cultural groups, andsubpopulations of client systems and stakeholders, that may be considered as possible sources ofoppression, alienation, and societal marginalization. (5.) (EP 2.1.5) advance basic human rights, and social and economic justice to ensure access tohealth and human well-being to enhance the quality of life for all persons by beingknowledgeable of global oppression and develop strategies to promote and advocate for humanand civil rights, that will be applied within all practice contexts.(6.) (EP 2.1.6) engage in practice that is mutually informed by research to enhance knowledgeof evidence-based interventions and self-evaluation of practice approaches, and apply researchfindings to improve practice, policy, and social and human service delivery.(7.) (EP 2.1.7) analyze critically conceptual frameworks of human behavior and the impact ofsocial systems in effectively working with client systems in completing assessments,interventions, and evaluation.(8.) (EP 2.1.8) develop an awareness of how the Ohio Revised Code and national andinternational laws frame social work practice, know how to formulate and analyze policies, andestablish linkages with community stakeholders to advocate for effective health and human2services.(9.) (EP 2.1.9) respond proactively to the needs of client systems from an ever changingcontextual perspective to advance seamless transparent service delivery that addresses currenttrends and solidify best practices.(10.) (EP 2.1.10) evaluate their own practice to assure that problem-solving with client systemsfollows the generalist practice model; and interact with client systems possessing effectiveprofessional knowledge, skills, and values to change the clients' human condition, and empowerthem to achieve social and economic justice and equality, and reach their potential.Social Welfare Policy Sequence Competencies(1) Identifies as a professional social worker with competence in policy practice skills locatedwithin the context of the history of social work and social welfare. (PC 8)(2) Applies social work ethics about promoting social justice by engaging in social