THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK Course Number: UG-N360K: GRD-N393U5 Instructor’s Name: Eunice C. Garcia, LCSW Clinical Professor Unique Number: 96597 / 96722 Office Number: SSW3.124G Semester: Summer, 2007 Office Phone: Cell:___________ 471-8213 Email: egarcia@mail. utexas.edu Meeting Time/Place: M/W 5:30-8:00 Rm. 2.116 Office Hours: By appointment, & after class SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH MEXICAN AMERICAN FAMILY SYSTEMS I. Course DescriptionThis course covers the variety of Mexican American family systems and circumstances within which they live, complexity of histories, cultural and personal identities, factors pertinent to human development through the life cycle, and the manner in which social services can be designed and developed within various field of practice. Special issues pertinent to migration, in a bi-national context, are addressed. Finally, in preparation for subsequent practice, class and community-based activities facilitate a gradual immersion into the culture, the exploration of cultural resources within family and community systems, and the development of culturally competent communication skills, as well as the use of systemic, systematic assessment and intervention strategies for ethical direct and indirect services that promote social and economic justice and human well-being. This course is particularly designed for students who have little or no academic or practice background with this population. There is no language pre-requisite. Prerequisites for Undergraduate Students: None Prerequisites for Graduate Students in Social Work: All foundation courses, including HBSE-Life Cycle Course, Social Policy I, Social Work Methods I and II, and Social Work Research Methods. - 1 -Prerequisites for Graduate Students of other Departments/Schools: See Graduate Advisor in respective program. (Instructor will contact outside advisors, upon student’s request, for clarification of course content, etc.) II. Course Objectives: By the end of the course, students will be able to: 1. Explore the historical antecedents and trajectory of Mexican Americans in the United States. 2. Describe complexity of culture and personal identities among and within Mexican American family systems, including differences related to economic, geographic and national origin, generational histories, personal identity, gender, sexual orientation, religious and spirituality beliefs, and pattern of interaction with the larger society. 3. Identify Mexican Americans’ resources, their special needs, and the social policies and social justice issues that impact their development and well-being throughout the life cycle. 4. Demonstrate skill in the application of values and professional ethics as they relate to needs assessment, policy formulation, service planning and implementation, and research with Mexican Americans. 5. Identify, select and apply key principles of cultural competence for social work practice with Mexican American individuals and families. 6. Explore and analyze how social workers can apply and/or adapt practice theories for assessment and intervention with Mexican Americans in selected fields of practice. 7. Use a systemic, strengths approach and effective communication skills for engagement, assessment, planning and intervention with Mexican Americans, including those that have limited proficiency in English. 8. Describe how social work practice can be more effectively offered to Mexican American individuals and families facing specific problems such as health and mental health problems, domestic violence, incarceration, alienation in educational and/or occupational environments, and/or extended family separation/conflicts, etc. 9. Demonstrate skill in self-assessment and goal-directed, professional growth for cultural competence in practice with Mexican Americans. III. Teaching Methods Lectures, audiovisual content, guest speakers and cultural immersion activities will be used. There is no Spanish prerequisite. At least five class sessions will include communication techniques for developing culturally sensitive, professional relationships within which cultural nuances can be incorporated and the client(s) assisted in the exploration of culture-based strategies for goal attainment. Teaching strategies are selected to help students become more comfortable with cultural contexts and the pronunciation of words and names often encountered while working with Mexican American families in the US/MX Border and Central Texas regions. IV. Required and Recommended Texts and Materials A Course Supplement with all required readings for this course will be ready for purchase at a local printer shop. Please obtain your copy as soon as possible. (A brand new publication, if it arrives in time, might be a recommended text. That would be available at the Co-Op.) - 2 -V. Course Requirements ********************************** There will be a total of 10 clock hours devoted to cultural immersion activities. Each student will be required to plan and carry out 10 hours in cultural immersion activities pertinent to the course and the individual student’s learning needs. No more than three hours can be spent on immersion activities by which to become familiar with some aspect of the culture, but the remaining hours need to be conceptualized and planned as service leaning activities. An additional hour is allowed for development of a two-part journal (to be submitted by 5PM on July 18th) in which the most significant experiences are described and reflected upon. A plan for such time investment must be written and submitted to the instructor on June 13th. These activities and journal will be reviewed but and granted 5 points if submitted on time and if they include the following aspects of the experience.. Reactions can vary, from positive to negative, without any consequences on points earned. The journal entries should be comprehensive, including presentation of key activity, observations made, and the significance of each experience for learning more about Mexican Americans. (See attached guidelines.) Potential activities, for personal/individual immersion could be anything that would facilitate practicing Spanish and/or give more exposure to diversity among Mexican American families. Additional ideas will be provided during the initial class sessions. The main idea