School of Social Work

Virginia Commonwealth University

SLWK 201: Introduction to Social Work

Fall, 2005

Joseph Walsh, Instructor Office Hours: Tuesday 11:00 – 2:00,

Room 319 Raleigh Building and by appointment

828-8208 (W); 745-6365 (H) e-mail: jwalsh@atlas.vcu.edu

Students with disabilities, who may need an accommodation to participate and maximize learning in this course, should contact the instructor promptly to discuss this issue.

Students are expected to abide by the policies of the VCU Honor System. These policies are published annually in the University Resource Guide.

Course Description

SLWK 201. Introduction to Social Work. Semester course; 3 lecture hours; 3credits. Systematic overview of the social work profession. Begins the process of professional socialization, both through class content and required service experience. Knowledge of the nature of social work, the fields of social work practice, target populations, overview of social work methods.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course students will be able to demonstrate:

1. Knowledge and experiential basis necessary to make an informed decision about pursuing a career in professional social work.

2. An ability to examine motivations and goals in relation to social work as a profession and to analyze personal values in relation to professional values and ethics.

3. A beginning understanding of the profession of social work, its historical development, purpose, distinguishing characteristics, knowledge and value base.

4. A beginning knowledge of the development of social welfare, the context of social work practice, the structure and function of service delivery systems and the role of social work in service delivery systems.

5. An increased level of awareness, which includes a beginning ability to think critically about social issues, social problems, and needs of special populations (e.g. the elderly, poor, gay and lesbian, women, minorities, etc.).

Text

Ambrosino, R., Heffernan, J., Shuttlesworth, G., & Ambrosino, R. (2005). Social work and social welfare: An introduction. (5^th ed.). St Paul, MN: West Publishing.

COURSE FORMAT

Our class sessions will consist of:

a. Instructor lectures

b. Informal discussions of the readings and other course material

c. Student reports of volunteer activities

d. Guest presentations by practicing social workers

e. Video presentations.

Students are encouraged to be active participants; ready to discuss what comes up in class and at the volunteer agencies. Don’t just sit and listen! I’m not that interesting, anyway!

Assignment and Evaluation

Your course grade will be based on the following:

Attendance and Participation 10%

Agency Presentation 10%

Two Exams 25% each

Final Paper 30%

Completion of Volunteer Experience Required but not graded

Details of the Assignments

Attendance and Participation

(10% of the course grade)

The participatory nature of this course leads to my expectation that you attend every class session in its entirety. In this way you assume responsibility for helping to create a mutual learning environment for all of us. If you cannot attend a class, please inform me in advance if possible.

Each student’s classroom comments should reflect sensitivity to the feelings of classmates and be constructive in tone.

A “non-graded” portion of this assignment involves each student, with two other classmates, assuming responsibility to lead the class discussion of the major points of one week’s reading. There is no “presentation” involved, but I will rely on those three students to know the material for that week particularly well. I may call on you to comment about or clarify some major points from the reading. This is no big deal – don’t get stressed about it – it’s just a way to generate student participation!

All students begin the semester with 8 out of a possible 10 points for the attendance and participation grade. One point will be deducted for any missed class. At the end of the semester, one or two additional points may be added to your grade to recognize a significant level of participation in class discussions.

No student who misses more than five classes can receive a passing grade for the course.

The Volunteer Experience

(Required but not graded; time sheet is due December 13)

The purpose of this assignment is to provide students with an experiential introduction to the field of social work and a view of social work in action. This experience will expose you to social service agencies, the activities of a professional social worker, and social work clients. Through this human services experience you will be able to evaluate your affinity for social work practice.

Requirements:
 
1. Spend a minimum of 24 hours (preferably about two hours per week for 12 weeks) in observation, direct service, or both in a social agency.
2. Make arrangements for yourself directly with the agency's volunteer coordinator.
3. There must be a BSW or MSW social worker on staff at the agency, but this person does not have to be your volunteer coordinator or supervisor.
4. Once arrangements are made, I must sign the “Volunteer Agreement” form (provided in this syllabus) as evidence of my approval of your plan.
5. Keep an accurate log of all dates and times you were present at the agency in fulfillment of the 24 hours minimum required. A time log is also provided at the back of this syllabus Turn this log in to instructor no later than December 13. The log should be signed by the volunteer coordinator or supervisor certifying that you have completed the indicated hours on the dates shown.
 

This is a mandatory but ungraded assignment. Students who do not complete the volunteer experience will not receive a passing grade in the course.

The Two Exams

(Each one worth 25% of the course grade)

There will be two exams, given on October 4 and November 8. The exams will include course material covered up to that point. They will include multiple-choice, fill in the blank, and short answer questions taken from the readings, class activities and discussions.

Agency Presentations

(10% of the course grade, scheduled throughout the semester)

Choose a social service agency that includes social workers and about which you are interested in making a presentation. This can be your volunteer agency or another agency. Gather information about this agency including:

1. The specific services provided by this agency. What exactly does the staff do? How do they do it?

2. The client populations the agency serves

3. Eligibility requirements to receive services from this agency

4. How the agency is funded. Is it privately or publicly funded? Does the funding limit services that are provided?

5. Why is this agency useful to social workers? What type of social workers would make referrals to this agency? What academic degrees do the social workers there have?

Present the information to the class and include any brochures or informational packets you may collect. The presentation style may be informal (no written outline or paper required). However, it is expected that you be knowledgeable about the agency and can respond to questions from the class. Presentations should be 10-15 minutes.

The Final Exam

(30% of the course grade)

This is a 5-page take home essay in which you must cover the following topics:

1. Discuss your volunteer experience and how it helped to illustrate for you aspects of the social work profession covered by assigned readings or class discussions. (25 points)

2. Discuss how you observed or experienced core social work values and ethics at work in this volunteer experience. (25 points)

3. How has this course affected your understanding of the social work profession and social work major? (25 points)

4. If you were a social work major prior to this course and have since changed your mind, what helped you change your mind? If you were not a social work major and this course made you think about majoring in social work, what aspects of the course or volunteer experience influenced you? (25 points)

Other important information about the bsw program

Admission to upper level social work courses

Introduction to Social Work (SLWK 201) and Communication in the Helping Process (SLWK 230) are pre-professional courses intended to provide students with knowledge of social work and communication processes, as well as experience with the kinds of demands made upon social workers. For students to be admitted to the professional program they must:

· Attain Junior status

· Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 on all hours previously obtained

· Have a grade of “B” or above in Introduction to Social Work (SLWK 201) and Communications in the Helping Process (SLWK 230)

· Have completed all required liberal arts courses.

BSW Program Portfolio Project

Effective Fall 2003, all BSW students are required to complete a Student Portfolio prior to their graduation. This package will consist of selected course materials (written assignments, exams, quizzes, case recordings) you will have completed while enrolled in required program courses (including this course). In order to complete this assignment, you will need to retain all of your written work as you proceed through the curriculum. For this course: the required materials include the following:

SLWK201 (to be assigned at a later date)

1.

2.

3.

Faculty will review the portfolios as a way of assessing our BSW curriculum and not you as an individual student. Although ungraded, feedback about the quality of your portfolio will be available to you if you wish to receive it.

Please keep in mind that the Portfolio must be completed and turned in during your final semester at VCU. You will not be permitted to graduate without turning in your portfolio. A detailed explanation of the student portfolio, including its purpose, content, and procedures for completion is available from the BSW program director.

Weekly Course Schedule

Part I: Understanding Social Welfare and Social Work

August 30 Course Introduction and Overview

Preparation for volunteer experience

September 6 Introduction to Social Welfare and Social Work

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program

Readings: Chapters 1 and 2

September 13 The Systems and Ecological Perspective of Social Work

Readings: Chapter 3

September 20 Diversity and Social Justice

Readings: Chapter 4

Part II: Social Work Methods of Intervention

September 27 Generalist Social Work Practice, Part I

Reading: Chapter 5

October 4 Exam #1

October 11 Generalist Social Work Practice, Part II

Reading: Chapter 6

Part III: Fields of Practice

October 18 Poverty and Homelessness

Reading: Chapter 7

October 25 Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Developmental Disabilities

Reading: Chapter 8

November 1 Health Care

Reading: Chapter 9

November 8 Exam #2

November 15 Children, Youth, and Families

Reading: Chapter 11

November 22 Older Adults

Reading: Chapter 12

November 29 Criminal Justice

Reading: Chapter 13

December 6 Social Work in Rural Settings

Reading: Chapter 14

Final papers and volunteer time sheets are due by December 13

SLWK 201: Introduction to Social Work
Volunteer Agreement
 
Requirements:
 
1. Spend a minimum of 24 hours to be completed prior to July 12, 2004 in observation, direct service, or both in a social agency.
2. Student must make arrangement himself or herself directly with agency's volunteer coordinator.
3. There must be a BSW or MSW social worker on staff at the agency.
 This person does not have to be the student's volunteer coordinator/supervisor.
4. Once arrangements are made, the instructor must sign this form as evidence of his approval of the volunteer experience.
5. Keep an accurate log of all dates and times student was present at the agency in fulfillment of the 24 hours minimum required for this assignment. Turn this log in to instructor no later than July 14, 2004. The log should be signed by the volunteer coordinator or supervisor certifying that the student completed the indicated hours on the dates shown.

 
Student:  ________________________ Date:____________
 
Agency/ ________________________
 
Program/ ________________________
 
Address: ________________________
 
 ________________________
 
Telephone: ________________________
 
Volunteer
Coordinator: ________________________
 
Social Worker
On Staff: ________________________
 
Degree: ________________________
 
University: ________________________
 
Agency 
Representative’s
Signature: _____________________________ Date:______________
 
Volunteer Agreement
 
________________________________ agrees to volunteer a minimum of 24 hours at 
 
________________________________ on the following dates and times ____________
 
______________________under the supervision of _____________________________.
The student agrees to complete all 24 hours on or before July 12, 2004. 
 
 
Date  Time In  Time Out Total Hours Supervisor’s Signature

 
 
I certify that _________________________________ has completed _______ hours of
volunteer service under my supervision.
 
____________________________ __________________
Volunteer Coordinator/Supervisor Date