SoWk 5905 Permanency in Child Welfare (Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013 (2 sections) – full instructor)

This course provides depth and breadth in knowledge and skill acquisition for advanced social work students in their work toward achieving permanency for children receiving services within public, tribal and private child welfare systems. Students will develop knowledge and skills in concurrent planning, preparation for court and custody proceedings, and the process of obtaining orders for protection. Advanced content on implementation of and compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act, customary adoption, kinship care and independent living provides students with deeper understanding of the range of permanency options. Course content also includes critical aspects of adoption (domestic, international) including issues of attachment, grief, loss, identity formation, and disruptions/dissolution.

SoWk 5542 Global Social Work and International Development (Fall, 2014 – teaching assistant) 

This course is designed to analyze theories and strategies of social work and social development in both industrial and developing countries. Applying an international perspective and comparative framework, the course will analyze basic human needs, social problems, and social work and social development strategies in different countries in an era of globalization. The course will critically examine factors that shape countries’ choices of social development strategies, including globalization, inequality, conflict, international diversity, and stratification. Various connections between domestic and international social work and social development will be addressed, along with the roles of international social work and social welfare organizations.

 

SoWk 5051 Human Behavior and the Social Environment (Fall, 2012 – full instructor)

This is the foundation course that covers the Human Behavior in the Social Environment (HBSE) component of the MSW curriculum, considering socio-psycho-biological factors associated with individual and group behavior and development – in interaction with the environment — as they underlie social work practice. Central to the design of this course are the notions that:

  • Development occurs throughout the life cycle, from infancy through old age
  • Observable behavior reflects both organismic (internal) and environmental (external to the individual) influences and their interaction
  • Both person and environment comprise multiple, interacting levels and facets
  • Understanding behavior requires a knowledge of universal principles, a respect for individual differences, and an appreciation of the dynamic tension between the two
  • Oppression and struggling against it are rooted in both person and environment
  • Understanding human behavior and the social environment is central to achieving the social justice that is a primary goal of the field of social work.

 

 

SoWk 8301 Child Welfare (Fall, 2008 – teaching assistant) 

The purpose of this course is to prepare students for practice in a public, private and tribal child welfare setting. The course is designed to provide the student with a focused, practice-oriented learning environment that will build upon previous experiential and academic learning. The emphasis will be upon increasing the student’s conceptual and practice skill level to become an effective social worker in a child welfare setting. The content areas covered will include: use of different assessment tools, assessment of potential risks and resources and evidence of child maltreatment, case planning and intervention models, role of diversity in service delivery including circumstances of racial disproportionality and disparities. Additional issues include use of supervision, work across agency systems including schools, court system, mental health, disability, and substance abuse.

 

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