This two-quarter course emphasizes the design and practice of social work interventions at the individual, family, group, and community levels. Students are introduced to the history, mission, ethics, values that inform direct practice with individuals, families, groups, and communities, as well as the theories, concepts, skills, and empirical evidence that form the base for social work practice. Course material examines the needs, resources, and potential for change at the individual, family, group, and community levels, and provides students with an understanding of various options to support individual and collective growth and change. In addition, special emphasis is placed on self-awareness, power, and privilege, and the use of self in direct practice. Students will develop skills in identifying and defining problems, implementing and refining change strategies, evaluating the impact of practice interventions, and weighing the ethical considerations of various choices. Particular attention is given to developing change strategies for working with underserved, vulnerable, and diverse groups.
This course explicitly employs a critical social work framework for exploring direct practice in social work. Throughout the course, we will together endeavor to better understand the influence and impact of sociopolitical factors such as race/ethnicity, class, gender identity, sexual identity and sexualities, age, religion, health status, immigration status, culture, and other social, political, economic, and ecological factors. In so doing, we will employ an intersectional perspective that examines how these and other factors serve as interlocking matrices of both marginalization and liberation, and how this understanding informs engagement, assessment, and change strategies with diverse individuals, families, groups, and communities. A key component to critical social work is understanding and critiquing dominant models of social work practice and policy, and working to envision and create new models of social transformation at the individual and collective levels. Thus, in this course, we will discuss historical and current trends in social work practice, as well as generate and test ideas for challenging oppression in our individual and collective practice.
40922 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Theory and Practice
ognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT) is a major practice theory that integrates the theoretical perspectives and therapeutic techniques of both Cognitive Theory/Therapy and Behavioral Theory/Therapy. As such, CBT focuses on helping client to develop the skills to monitor and change their own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Through lectures, readings, skill labs, exams, and workbooks, students will learn skills to conduct assessment, intervention, and evaluation of clients from within a cognitive behavioral framework. The relationship between theory and practice is emphasized, as is the empirical evidence supporting the use of CBT to effectively address a range of emotional, health, and behavioral problems with diverse populations. Critiques of CBT will be discussed, and students will be expected to integrate social work values and ethics in their use of CBT. Course assignments will emphasize the application of CBT techniques in practice.
