Courses Offerings and Descriptions

SOWK 600—Social Welfare and Social Policy [3 credits]
This course provides students with a foundation understanding and appraisal of social welfare policies and programs in the United States, and the historical and contemporary forces that have shaped their development. It introduces core concepts to provide both an understanding of the political process and the analytic skills needed to further the achievement of social work goals regarding social policies and programs. The course also reviews the development of the social work profession and its influence on social welfare policies through advocacy, social action, research, and social reform.

SOWK 610 – Structural Oppression and Its Implications for Social Work [3 credits]
Structural oppression – e.g., by race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, (dis)ability, religious and cultural beliefs and practices, ethnicity, national origin, and class – is omnipresent. Its faces and forms shape our consciousness, our communities, and our cultural norms. It influences the way we see both ourselves and others. It impacts our attitudes, our interactions, and our opportunities. We cannot escape it; we can only work to overcome it. This course will encourage its members to interrogate the causes, manifestations, impacts, and means of overcoming structural oppression in its myriad faces and forms. We will explore social identity in the context of a complex web of structural oppression – and the ways that dominant narratives influence the way we see ourselves and others. We will examine how some human differences are given social meaning, and how these differences have been used to divide people and hide and justify systems of exclusion, exploitation and marginalization. Throughout, as we seek to question constructs often considered natural and inevitable, we will challenge ourselves to envision and create more liberatory, equitable, and just ways to practice social work and organize social life.

SOWK 630—Social Work Practice with Individuals [3 credits] (Co-requisites: SOWK 631 and SOWK 635)
The values and societal mission of the social work profession guide this course. An ecological systems perspective and generic problem-solving model are taught to provide students with theory, knowledge, and a value base for purposeful, culturally competent, and sequential intervention with individuals of diverse backgrounds. Generalist skills taught in this course are interviewing, problem identification, problem-exploration, formulating the problem-to-be worked, data gathering, differential assessment, planning, intervention, termination, and evaluation. Initial exposure to finding evidence-based practices for our work with individuals, families and groups will be introduced. Self-awareness and conscious use 14 their understanding of the particular needs of minorities, women, and people of various ethnic backgrounds. Practicum experiences and student application of course content are supported by a field seminar in the foundation year. Field Seminar includes an intentional focus on concepts of privilege and oppression, and their implications for practice. Both the practicum and seminar aim to integrate the entire Foundation curriculum. The practicum and seminar teach a common core of knowledge and principles of social work practice in which students are guided by the values and ethics of the profession.

SOWK 631—Social Work Practice with Communities and Organizations [3 credits] (Co-requisites: SOWK 630 and SOWK 635)
SOWK 631 is a required foundation year course stressing beginning skills and knowledge for practice within social service organizations, networks, and communities, i.e., the contexts in which all social work practice occurs. Understanding and intervening in the environment are skills consonant with the ecological or social determinants perspective that provides focus for the foundation curriculum. This course stresses that social, economic, and political systems are important sources of individual and familial distress. In order to intervene in this distress, it is essential to craft interventions on the macro-social (communities and organizations) as well as the microsocial (individuals and families) levels. In the course, we will also explore the nature and dynamics of diverse communities and social service networks.

SOWK 632—Social Work Practice with Groups and Families [3 credits] (Prerequisites: SOWK 630, 631 and SOWK 635; Co-requisite: SOWK 636 )
This course is designed for foundation students to learn about dynamics and basic procedures for direct practice with groups and families. The course first presents an ecological perspective on groups in clinical and organizational settings, explores group typologies, formation, composition, and development, and teaches concepts of group structure and process. The course then furnishes a foundation on social work practice with families, with emphasis on family structure and dynamics as well as beginning techniques for intervention with families. 

SOWK 645—Human Behavior and the Social Environment [3 credits]
Within the person/environment framework, this course will provide a foundation for social work practice through an understanding of the major theories of individual and family functioning that encompasses biophysical, cognitive, emotional, social and spiritual dimensions. Specific attention will be paid to the roles that culture and cultural identity play in human development and to what constitutes “normal” behavior. Students will master the central concepts of theories that provide the basis for many assessment and intervention tools used in social work practice with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations. Students will also master relevant concepts of genetics and neurobiology to facilitate understanding of human functioning at the biological level. The course emphasizes the interrelations among social institutions, social structures, and social processes on the one hand, and the realities of the lives of families, groups, communities, organizations and societies, on the other. Another major emphasis of the course is on human diversity, both in terms of its inherent social value and with respect to discrimination and oppression.

SOWK 670—Social Work Research [3 credits]
As both consumers and producers of research, social workers need to understand core research concepts. This course provides a solid foundation in social work research, with a special emphasis on evidence-based practice. It will prepare you to evaluate critically the wealth of research and evidence available to inform your practice. Furthermore, you will learn to synthesize empirical research into a systematic review of the literature to address a social work practice of personal interest. of self are emphasized. Self-care will also be discussed. Classroom learning is enhanced through the systematic use of the students’ experiences in work with individuals in their field placements.

FOUNDATION FIELD PRACTICUM
The Foundation Field Practicum courses are core elements of the educational program. These courses provide opportunities for students to integrate knowledge, attitudes, and skills learned in academic courses to the practicum situation at the foundation level of practice.

SOWK 635, 636—Foundation Field Practicum I and II [3 credits each semester]
The Field Practicum is the signature pedagogy of the MSW program. It provides the framework for knowledge and skill development through immediate application of theoretical knowledge presented in the classroom to real situations presented by individuals, groups or service delivery systems. The practicum helps students learn to shape human services in ways that respond to broad social welfare needs and issues through various forms of intervention. Attention is directed to what is currently known and practiced, to the preparation of students for change in the knowledge base and organization of services, and for reflection on the practice curriculum. 

Students registered for foundation field must also be enrolled in SOWK 630 and 631 in the fall semester and SOWK 632 in the spring semester.

ADVANCED POLICY COURSES (Prerequisite: SOWK 600)
Course selections are determined by the student’s concentration and specialization.

SOWK 701—Public Policy for Social Justice (Part I) [1.5 credits] (fall only)
This is a year-long course (1.5 credits each semester for a total of 3 credits) that will meet weekly for an hour and a half each week in a hybrid format. This course will help each of us develop a clearer picture of the world we wish to create, the ability to apply theoretical perspectives and analytical tools to questions to public policy, and the skills of public policy practice. We will motivate and critique a diverse range of perspectives on questions of social justice, and use these perspectives to analyze the development and implementation of public policies. We will cultivate practical policy practice knowledge and skills, which will then be applied - specifically in the context of the Maryland General Assembly (i.e., from January to April), which will act as a sort of “lab” for our applied work. We will also develop an appreciation and understanding of the range of social work involvement in the policy creation, implementation, and evaluation process.

Leadership, Policy, & Social Change concentrators will take this course over 2 semesters of their advanced year as their required policy course. Meets advanced policy requirement for all students and can serve as an elective.

SOWK 702—Public Policy for Social Justice (Part II) [1.5 credits] (spring only)
This is part 2 of a year-long course (1.5 credits each semester for a total of 3 credits) that will meet weekly for an hour and a half each week in a hybrid format. This course will help each of us develop a clearer picture of the world we wish to create, the ability to apply theoretical perspectives and analytical tools to questions to public policy, and the skills of public policy practice. We will motivate and critique a diverse range of perspectives on questions of social justice, and use these perspectives to analyze the development and implementation of public policies. We will cultivate practical policy practice knowledge and skills, which will then be applied - specifically in the context of the Maryland General Assembly (i.e., from January to April), which will act as a sort of “lab” for our applied work. We will also develop an appreciation and understanding of the range of social work involvement in the policy creation, implementation, and evaluation process.

Leadership, Policy, & Social Change concentrators will take this course over 2 semesters of their advanced year as their required policy course. Meets advanced policy requirement for all students and can serve as an elective.

SOWK 704—Social Work and the Law [3 credits]
Social Work and the Law is an introduction to the structure and operations of the legal system as it affects social work practice. The course covers several areas closely related to social work: family and domestic matters, child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, education, and advocacy. Emphasis is on analyzing legislation and court decisions as social policy. The focus includes legal issues relating especially to minors, women, people of color, and other disempowered groups. The course also provides an overview of legal issues bearing upon professional responsibility (such as malpractice, privileged communications, and confidentiality) and offers an introduction to the development of skills used in courtroom testimony.

SOWK 706—Mental Health and Social Policy [3 credits]
This course examines the growth of community mental health in the United States and its relationship to sociological and psychological approaches to various communities and cultural groups. Approaches to mental health, mental illness, problems of service delivery, professional roles, and the possibilities and problems of community mental health are discussed.

SOWK 708—Integrated Behavioral Health Policy [3 credits]
This course is an introduction to U.S. health and behavioral health care policies and programs. This course is designed to prepare students to analyze, develop, and implement health and behavioral health policies across a range of settings, including prevention/promotion services, primary care, acute care, chronic care, and long-term care. It examines the financing and organization of health and behavioral health systems, including the historical and contemporary forces that have shaped their development. We will pay particular attention to evidence-based models that aim to integrate physical and behavioral health services. The role of social workers in health care will be addressed throughout the semester, including the need to work effectively with cross-disciplinary teams of providers. A major focus will be the impact of policies on excluded, marginalized, and vulnerable populations, and the evaluation of policies based on the social work profession’s ethical criteria such as fairness, social justice, anti-oppression, self-determination, and human dignity. The course will also examine diversity dimensions, including ability, age, class, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender, gender identity and expression, relationship status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.

SOWK 713—Social Policy and Health Care [3 credits]
This course is designed to prepare students to assess and understand the impact of American medical and health service programs and policies on human well-being. It has several purposes: (1) to understand the political process through which health service delivery policy evolves; (2) to provide students with background on the organization of health care services so that they have some understanding of the origins and current directions of health care programs; (3) to understand the relationship of medical care and health care programs to other community programs and their impact on various communities; and (4) to enable students, as future social workers, to assess and evaluate program directions and proposals for change.

SOWK 715—Children and Social Services Policy [3 credits]

This course identifies challenges contemporary American families are experiencing and presents strategies for developing policies and services to meet these challenges. It not only examines specific policies and services that most affect families but also considers broader questions concerning power and its distribution, allocation of resources, and the role of government in promoting individual and family well-being. The theme of advocacy on behalf of children and families at all levels is stressed throughout the course. This course will help students build on the knowledge of the evaluative concepts of social policy analysis developed in prior research and policy courses.

SOWK 721—Housing, Homelessness, and Social Policy [3 credits]
This course is designed to prepare students to assess and understand the dialectic between social policies and human well-being, with a focus on shelter in its many manifestations. It has several purposes: (a) to reflect upon the concepts of social justice and social change and their relationship to housing, social policy, and participation; (b) to understand the processes through which housing and homelessness services are financed, constructed, maintained, and evolve; (c) to reflect upon the relationships among housing, health, human growth and development, neighborhoods, and communities; (d) to develop a sufficient knowledge of the background and context of housing and homelessness services in the U.S. so that they might predict and influence future directions of these goods; (e) to understand the relationships between housing markets on the one hand, and policies and programs serving the poor and the disadvantaged on the other hand; (f) to enable students to evaluate program changes and proposals for reform in the institutions providing housing, related services, and financing; (g) to become familiar with the context of housing provisions/ financing and homelessness services in other nations; and (g) to understand the role of social workers as service providers and change agents in access to emergency shelter, homelessness services, and housing.

SOWK 725—Work, Well-Being, and Social Policy [3 credits]
This course provides a theoretical framework for delivering social work services in the workplace. It also explores the possible value conflicts faced by the occupational social worker. It will include a history of social services in the work arena and a comprehensive picture of the delivery points for human services, including, but not limited to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), human resources and occupational health/medicine. Specific subjects such as mental health and substance abuse, work/life, workplace violence and crisis, diversity, globalization and more will be explored with their respective policy implications. Discrimination and equality in the workplace based on gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability, age, employee work status and any other protected categories will be discussed with their appropriate policy questions.

CLINICAL METHODS COURSES (Prerequisites: SOWK 632 and SOWK 636 unless otherwise specified) At least one clinical methods course must be taken concurrently with each semester of advanced clinical field practicum. 

SWCL 700—Advanced Clinical Interventions [3 credits] (Prerequisites: SOWK 630, 631 and SOWK 635)
This required clinical methods course advances students’ ability to work directly with adult individuals from diverse populations using evidence and theoretical models to inform clinical practice. Students will develop knowledge and skills in how to conceptualize client strengths and challenges from different theoretical lenses.  A major focus of learning is being able to develop treatment goals and intervention skills grounded in theoretical and evidence-based models. The specific models of clinical practice addressed in this course are psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, solution-focused, narrative, and other selected evidenced based models. The development, maintenance, and termination of the therapeutic alliance will be explored from different theoretical perspectives. Multicultural readings, lectures and activities will deepen students’ knowledge about the influence of diversity characteristics on therapeutic relationships, client concerns, and effective treatment options. Attention will be given to developing students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to apply ethical standards to clinical practice. This course is required for clinical concentrators.

SWCL 703—Family Therapy [3 credits]                                                                                   
(meets clinical core methods requirement)
Working with families requires a conceptual base in understanding the importance of transactions and patterns between family members, and the development of practice application in family therapy techniques. This course extends knowledge in current theoretical thinking about family interaction, understanding of socio-cultural factors, and providing methods of direct intervention. Students are encouraged to formulate their own theoretical thinking and practice techniques from their integration of the various family therapy models presented throughout the course. The cultural responsiveness of these models across populations is emphasized as is the impact of wider social forces on the family.

SWCL 704—Integrated Behavioral Health Practice [3 credits]
This course is designed to provide students with knowledge of the integration of behavioral health social work practice in primary health care settings. Students will learn practice models and methods for conducting interventions that address underlying factors affecting both physical health and behavioral health conditions using a biopsychosocial perspective in primary care settings. Students will develop competence for working in interdisciplinary teams to address prevalent complex physical health and behavioral health challenges in primary care settings. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to engage, assess, develop appropriate treatment goals, and intervene with clients of diverse backgrounds experiencing prevalent physical health and behavioral health problems in primary health care settings.

SWCL 705—Clinical Social Work With Addictive Behavior Patterns [3 credits]
This course is designed to teach the clinical social work student the following major content areas: 1) current scientific understanding of substance use disorders (SUDs), 2) diagnostic indicators of SUD(s) (DSM 5), 3) drug classifications, routes of drug administration, and intoxication effects for select commonly abuse substances, 4) example evidence-supported screening and assessment instruments, 5) example evidence-supported interventions for treating SUDs, 6) the impact of factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, co-occurring disorders, and health disparities on treatment access and outcomes, and 7) the application of social work values and ethics in the delivery of SUD-related services.

SWCL 712—Clinical Social Work Practice for Chronic and Life Threatening Conditions [3 credits]
This course focuses on the specialized domain of clinical social work practice tailored for chronic and life-threatening physical health conditions. Emphasizing strengths-based, family-centered, intersectional, and culturally responsive approaches, students explore the nuanced landscape of the US healthcare system. Throughout the course, students engage in in-depth interventions with individuals, families, and their social networks across the lifespan, spanning pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric health care settings. From preventive strategies to health promotion activities such as motivational interviewing in primary care settings, to managing chronic health conditions and navigating crisis intervention in acute, life-threatening, and end-of-life scenarios, students develop advanced clinical skills. Additionally, the course critically examines disparities in health outcomes, ethical considerations, and the dynamics of interprofessional collaboration to promote optimal and equitable access to health care provision. While primarily focused on the US healthcare system, relevant global perspectives may also be explored to enrich students' understanding of various practice strategies and approaches.

SWCL 714—Child and Family Health [3 credits]
The course examines maternal, child, and family health using an equity-centered, interdisciplinary, life course perspective, from the prenatal period through adolescence. It builds upon theory and policy introduced in foundation and advanced health courses and critically examines social work services for mothers, other parents and caregivers, children, and adolescents within the family context. It also attends to issues facing pregnant people and parents who do not identify as women. The course places maternal, child, and family health within a historical context and explores the utility of clinical social work practice methods in the provision of services to children and families. A strong emphasis is placed on exploring the strengths and challenges facing marginalized populations and the use of evidence-based interventions employing a public health (micro-macro) perspective, using a variety of case studies.  

SWCL 715—Clinical Applications of Mindfulness and Stress Reduction [3 credits]
(meets clinical core methods requirement)
Students will understand how to apply mindfulness-based interventions as an evidence-informed approach for reducing stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and other symptoms that affect quality of life. Students will learn to understand the cognitive, affective, and neurobiological impact of stress. They will discuss how diversity factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, spiritual/religious beliefs, disability, and other factors impacting stress and coping responses. A neurobiological framework will be used to conceptualize the stress-management techniques taught in this advanced methods course. Psychological, physiological, and sociocultural aspects of stress will be addressed, and stress-management techniques will be explored didactically and experientially. 

SWCL 722—Cognitive Behavioral Therapies [3 credits] (Additional Prerequisite: SWCL 700)
(meets clinical core methods requirement)
This course focuses on skill development and treatment planning related to cognitive and behavioral therapies, within the context of affirming, anti-oppressive clinical social work practice. The course begins with an overview of the behavioral approaches to therapy. Students will become familiar with respondent and operant conditioning, social-learning, behavioral observation/assessment, differential reinforcement, exposure and the application of behavioral interventions in working with individuals, families, and groups across various settings, cultural contexts, and developmental stages. Following content on behavioral approaches, students will learn the theoretical framework and treatment components of cognitive therapy and the role of cognitive interventions in promoting symptom reduction and behavior change. This includes skill development in cognitive assessment, Socratic questioning/guided discovery, cognitive restructuring, and addressing underlying core beliefs. The course will explore various applications of cognitive and behavioral techniques as they are integrated into evidence-based treatment approaches which will prepare students to work with diverse clients in a variety of clinical social work and social service settings.

SWCL 726—Clinical Social Work With African-American Families [3 credits]
The overall objective of this course is to provide a knowledge base on African American families within a community and societal context that is the basis for developing methods and skills relevant for clinical intervention with African American families. The course will explore in depth the literature on African American Families with a focus on understanding the wide range of forces which help to shape the Black family historically. The course will provide the student with the opportunity to expand on the concepts, principles, skills and assumptions about clinical transactions learned in the basic clinical courses; and most importantly to hone the student’s capacity to critically analyze existing models for relevance and appropriateness for intervention with African American Families. Conceptual models for assessment and intervention with African American Families will be presented with the goal of assisting students in clarifying and becoming comfortable with theoretical and practice approaches with African American Families. These theoretical and practice models will recognize the importance of culture in providing effective social work clinical intervention. The course content is presented from a perspective of resilience and strength rather than from a perspective of deficit or deviance, acknowledging the impact of oppression and racism on African American Families and communities, and will examine these issues as critical to clinical practice with African American Families.

SWCL 727—Clinical Practice With Families and Children in Child Welfare [3 credits]
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the child welfare system and its services, focusing on clinical practice with families and children involved. The course examines the critical roles child welfare professionals play in ensuring the safety, permanency and well-being of children and families; including but not limited to identifying child maltreatment, assessing for and knowing the differences between risk and safety, and partnering with families in identifying their strengths and needs for planning. This course will explore the historical context of structural oppression in the child welfare systems and offer space for critical analysis of child welfare professionals’ roles in their engagement with families and children. Participants will look at underlying root causes and impacts of disparities and disproportionality in service delivery across the system continuum. Students  will also gain an understanding of the impact of traumatic events on children and families; and learn to recognize and understand traumagenic behaviors through clinical assessments and interventions.  Through a combination of theoretical frameworks, evidence-based practices, practical skills development, and real-world case studies, this course equips participants with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complex landscape of child welfare and make a positive impact on the lives of children and families.

SWCL 730—Recovery-Oriented Interventions for Adults with Serious Mental Illness  [3 credits] (Additional Prerequisite: SWCL 744)
The focus of this course is on recovery-oriented, evidence-supported, and community-based social work practice with adults diagnosed with a serious mental illness (e.g., psychotic, depressive, bipolar, trauma, anxiety, and dual diagnosis disorders). Recovery-oriented interventions relevant to these disorders help individuals develop/ restore their skills and unleash their power to modify their environments to improve their interactions with their environments. Students will also be exposed to promising practices being utilized/developed in the field including integrative and complementary approaches. Students will consider how privilege and oppression by race, class, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical disability (among other marginalized identities) affect assessment (mis)diagnosis, access to treatment, and intervention planning within community-based mental health service provision. Students will develop knowledge of and skills in recovery-oriented assessment, and treatment planning, cultural interviewing and assessment; translating intervention research into practice and culturally adapting when necessary; delivering psychosocial rehabilitation interventions across diverse populations; and delivering manualized evidence supported practice: Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training for Individuals with Schizophrenia (CBSST). 

SWCL 738—Financial Stability for Individuals, Families, and Communities [3 credits]
This course examines barriers to and opportunities for the financial stability of individuals, families, and the impact of low wealth in communities. The course uses a comprehensive approach examining social programs and direct practice interventions ranging across financial social work and financial therapy, financial services, and policies that can move individuals, families, and communities along the asset-building continuum towards greater empowerment and stability. Policy issues include savings, consumer protection, tax credits, public benefits, racial and gender wealth gaps, intersections of climate justice and economic justice, intersections of economic justice and LGBTQIA+ issues, and other innovative programs. Practice issues include financial screening and assessment and goal setting, financial social work and financial therapy interventions, financial trauma, and integrating all financial interventions within other modes of social work practice and psychosocial interventions, including emerging issues. This is an advanced clinical methods course. It is also offered as SWOA 738  for those wanting an advanced macro methods course. The major assignment for the course will vary according to the concentration (SWCL or SWOA) chosen.

SWCL 744—Assessment, Diagnosis, And Intervention Planning [3 credits] (Prerequisites: SOWK 630, 631 and SOWK 635)
This course is designed to provide students with extensive knowledge of the various forms of mental illness as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Text Revision (DSM-5 TR); an overview of evidence supported interventions to treat individuals diagnosed with a mental disorder; and an understanding of the sociocultural contexts and social justice implications for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Upon successful completion of the course, students will develop competence in assessment (gathering and analyzing relevant information); making sociocultural-informed diagnoses based upon that information; assessing positive and negative factors affecting treatment decisions; developing a sociocultural-informed and evidence-supported intervention plan for individuals diagnosed within each major category of mental illness; and presenting it in a form consistent with current practice in the mental health professions. Students will be prepared for socio-culturally informed diagnosis and treatment planning activities appropriate to a variety of clinical settings. This course is required for clinical concentrators. 

SWCL 748—Clinical Social Work Practice in Relation to Death, Dying, and Bereavement [3 credits]
This course provides students with a framework of knowledge, skills, and professional values for a culturally aware and responsive social work approach to helping clients who confront issues of death, dying, and loss. A comparative, critically reflective lifespan approach to content is employed. The course introduces strategies for communicating effectively about life-limiting illness, mortality, and grief. Risk assessment and intervention skills are surveyed for mitigating potentially negative outcomes such as suicide, homicide, and persistent manifestations of grief. Limits of the health care system, profit motives, and health disparities in mortality outcomes are also critically examined. Students will explore experiences of death, dying and bereavement in relation to diversity of culture, race, age, gender, sexual orientation, and social class. 

SWCL 749-Clinical Social Work Practice with LGBTQI+ Communities [3 credits]
This course focuses on enhancing clinical social work skills for working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, sexual-expansive, gender-expansive, and two-spirit (LGBTQI+) individuals, families, and communities. The course uses life course and intersectional perspectives to illustrate the impact of oppression on LGBTQI+ individuals, families, and communities. The class seeks to elevate the importance of the lived experience of individuals within a social context and arena that is influenced by institutionalized heterosexism and prescribed gender binaries. Students will gain knowledge about affirmative practice, including key theories and frameworks (e.g., minority stress and resilience, queer theory, and gender affirmation theory) for engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation for clinical social work practice with LGBTQI+ populations.

SWCL 750—Social Work in Special Education [3 credits]
This advanced direct practice course will present knowledge, skills, and strategies for engaging in direct social work practice in public schools with students and their families from PreK through high school who have a disability and are receiving special education services detailed in an IEP or services through a 504 Plan. To that end, eight central topical areas will be covered: 1) Laws, legislation, and current policies and procedures guiding identification, assessment, and service provision for students with disabilities through special education with an IEP or IFSP or with a 504 Plan; 2) Assessment skills at the student level, and also family, classroom, and school levels; 3) Formulating Student Development Studies as part of identifying students with disabilities, and participation in multi-disciplinary eligibility meetings; 4) Planning and implementing direct social work services to students with disabilities in schools at the individual, family, group, classroom, and school levels; 5) Crisis response and management including student suicide risk assessment and violence and bully prevention in schools; 6) Consultation and coordination with school staff, families, and outside agencies in service of students with disabilities; 7) The response to intervention (RTI) approach to prevention and intervention services in serving students who are in special education or are at risk of being identified for special education; and 8) Issues and service needs of populations of students vulnerable to poor educational outcomes, for example due to: disabilities; economic disparities; historical discrimination; language or immigration status; incarcerated parents/guardians; parents/guardians with substance abuse or mental health struggles; students’ or parents’/guardians’ sexual orientation or gender expression; or homelessness.

SWCL 754 —Neurodiversity-Affirming Social Work Practice  [3 credits]
This course prepares students to deliver anti-oppressive, evidence-based clinical services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and other neurodivergent people and their families across the lifespan. Students will learn about the incidence and etiology of common IDDs, the unique physical, psychosocial, cultural, and behavioral health needs amongst this group, as well as the local, national, and global landscape of legislation and services many individuals and families navigate to receive clinical support. Several clinical frameworks are covered with an emphasis on skills and adaptations that align with affirming person and family-centered practice including early intervention and behavioral models, family support models, cognitive-behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, creative arts and play therapies, and trauma-focused interventions. Clinical services will be framed in the context of accessibility and disability justice, including current and historical efforts to combat stigma, ableism, and the legacy of institutionalization in social service, education, and healthcare systems.

SWCL 756—Motivational Interviewing in Social Work Practice [3 credits]               
(meets clinical core methods requirement)

This course in Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an intensive experiential approach to learning Motivational Interviewing with Social Work Clients. MI is an evidence-based practice method that increases motivation to make specific and needed behavior or attitude changes for individuals and their families. MI is a directive, client-centered approach for resolving ambivalence and eliciting behavior change across a broad range of behavior domains.

In-Person and Synchronous Online course Teaching Methodology

This version of the MI course relies heavily on skill development using coaching and feedback.  A primary teaching method involves live supervision where students receive coaching during practice interviews.  IN addition, students will review recordings of their work, provide feedback to other students, and receive detailed and specific feedback from the professor.  Students will learn approaches to feedback specific to MI using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Manual and will prepare for a skill-based assessment as a part of their final examination.

Asynchronous Online Course Teaching Methodology Overview

This version of the MI course is asynchronous online, contained within Blackboard. It is designed to provide opportunity for MI knowledge acquisition and skill development. To accomplish this, the course is a blend of individual learning tasks, peer interaction and discussion, and application activities and assignments.  This asynchronous course runs for 16 weeks and contains a brief orientation module and 15 course content modules. Each module within the course contains three main parts:  knowledge acquisition, interaction, and application. Each content module is estimated to be approximately 9-10 hours. This time estimate may vary based on assignments and each student's individual struggles and strengths. 

SWCL 773—Adult Trauma and Clinical Social Work Practice [3 credits] (Additional Prerequisite: SWCL 700)
(meets clinical core methods requirement)
In this course, students will explore the nature and meaning of trauma, building off the history of traumatology, neurobiological aspects, assessing and identifying trauma, and effective practices for treating trauma from various perspectives and modalities. In the first part of the course, students will broaden and deepen their understanding of trauma theory and practice, expanding practice knowledge by learning to apply diagnosis, assessment, psycho-education, safety and stabilization, affect regulation techniques, and core treatment components. The intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, and culture will also be applied. In the second half of the course, students will have the opportunity to examine the interplay of multiple trauma dynamics impacting psychological health/well-being, interpersonal relationships and meaning making process of tragedies experienced by individuals of diverse backgrounds via the presentation of specific trauma types, including developmental trauma, sexual and intimate partner violence, collective or intergenerational trauma, medical trauma, and religious trauma. Throughout the course, students will consider ethical issues, use of self, and especially issues impacting those who work with trauma survivors, such as vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burn-out, exploring approaches to self-care and promotion of wellness. 

SWCL 775—Social Work Practice with Immigrants and Refugees [3 credits]
This course is designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of clinical social work with immigrant and refugee populations. The population in the United States is changing rapidly due to the influx of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from all around the world. This clinical course examines factors fueling U.S. Immigration. It provides an in-depth examination of how immigration has contributed to Racial and Ethnic diversity, what drives diversity in destinations for newly arrived immigrants, and the importance of understanding educational and language diversity among and within immigrant groups. Social work practitioners need to be skilled in understanding the diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds that shape the landscape of the U.S population. The course will offer knowledge and critical skills needed for engaging in social work practice with immigrant and refugee populations. The course focuses on the need for cultural humility in order to assess, communicate, adapt, and provide relevant services. Students will consider their roles in incorporating research-informed practice, practice-informed research, and indigenous healing practices to the fields of health, mental health, and family violence. Further, students will learn the importance of understanding challenges and solutions based on the voice of immigrant and refugee populations.  They will learn how to communicate the U.S. laws and cultural mores, while preserving the client’s dignity and values. The course provides a review of principles clinicians may apply in providing effective mental health services to immigrants. These principles include the following services at the individual, family and community levels: use of an ecological perspective; integration of evidence-based practice with cultural relevance evidence; engaging in cultural humility in assessment and treatment; partnering with community-based organizations; incorporation of a global lens and social justice in providing services.

SWCL 776—Core Concepts in Trauma Treatment for Children and Adolescents [3 credits] (Additional prerequisites: SWCL 700 and SWCL 744)
This course will introduce students to the core concepts (general theory and foundational knowledge), which inform evidence-based assessment and intervention with children, adolescents, and families who are traumatized. Trauma is broadly defined, and includes children and adolescents exposed to traumatic events including, but not limited to natural disasters, war, abuse and neglect, medical trauma and witnessing interpersonal crime (e.g., family violence, intimate partner violence) and other traumatic events from a domestic and international perspective. The course will highlight the role of development, culture, and empirical evidence in trauma-specific interventions with children, adolescents, and their families. It will address the level of functioning of primary care giving environments and assess the capacity of the community to facilitate restorative processes.

Leadership, Policy, & Social Change concentrators MUST take SWOA 701: Advocacy (full time students should take it in the spring of their foundation year).

Please Note: Course titles and descriptions are under review and will be updated as faculty approve changes.

SWOA 701—Advocacy [3 credits] (Prerequisites: SOWK 630, SOWK 631, and 635)
Advocacy is inherent in both social work and social life.  When we were younger, we advocated to stay up past our bedtime and borrow the car.  Indeed, our first advocacy was for food – and then a clean diaper.  Today, we advocate daily on behalf of the people with whom we work – for an appropriate individual educational program or discharge plan, for the benefits and supports needed to live successfully in one’s community, or for a bed in a shelter or treatment facility.

This course moves from individual-level advocacy to more effective systems-level advocacy – that is, advocacy that seeks to motivate intentional change in organizations, public policies, and communities.  We will interrogate the faces of political power, and the ways that power underlies and informs social problems.  We will analyze and propose issues based on various criteria so that our demands are both actionable and potentially transformational.  We will formulate and articulate advocacy plans that incorporate a range of strategic considerations – e.g., the opportunities and challenges provided by the political context, the roles that are available and necessary in an advocacy campaign, and the constituencies and interests that are involved.  We will develop and critique messages and media for various audiences.  We also will assess and propose opportunities for integrating advocacy initiatives in the context of social service agencies.

SWOA 703—Program Development [3 credits] (Prerequisites: SOWK 630, SOWK 631, and 635)
This course is designed to expand students’ knowledge of and skills in the design, development and management of programs in human service organizations within a multi-cultural environment. Program theory and multicultural program development are applied to a range of human service programs. Students will design and develop a program, create logic models and a strategy for performance measurement and program evaluation, develop program budgets and management information systems. Students will also be exposed to various related contextual organizational and management practices such as organizational learning and change, strategic planning, interagency alliances.

SWOA 704—Community Organization [3 credits] (Prerequisites: SOWK 630, SOWK 631, and 635)
Community organizing is a means of bringing people together to address problematic social conditions. As a purposeful collective effort, organizing requires sound analytical, political and interactional skills. An important aspect of those skills for professional organizers involves a continuous pattern of systematic planning, “doing”, reflecting again (theorizing) and acting strategically to build a group that can achieve its aims. Community organization is rooted in the reform tradition of professional social work and such values as self-determination, self-sufficiency, empowerment, and social justice. This course is particularly relevant to direct practice with and advocacy for disempowered groups in the society, such as ethnic and racial minorities, lowincome persons, women, the aged and the disabled. The methods course in community organization is aimed at students who seek to expand and refine their skills in organization-building and collective action. It builds on foundation knowledge and skills from the prerequisite introductory level practice course in the curriculum.

SWOA 707—Social Policy and Social Change [3 credits] (Prerequisites SOWK 630, SOWK 631 and 635)
The course provides an overview of the policy-making process at the federal and state levels and analyzes the roles of the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches of the government in the policy-making enterprise. The focus of the course is on critical analysis of the key assumptions driving policy and policy change, such as social vs. individual responsibility and risk. The course also includes a critical examination of the role that policy plays in the design of interventions and service delivery practices at the federal, state, and local level and the impact of changing policies on people, groups, communities, and providers. In addition, it emphasizes the impact of policy on diverse and at-risk-populations, and its implications for social and economic justice. Students will be introduced to both the analytic and interactional skills associated with social policy development, including social problem analysis, social planning, the legislative process at the federal, state, and local levels, policy analysis and evaluation, and policy advocacy and social change.

SWOA 708—Supervision and Leadership [3 credits] (Prerequisites SOWK 632 and 636)
The future of impactful public and private organizations depends on supervisors and leaders integrating equity and social justice while fostering the capabilities of all people. This course will incorporate contemporary and inclusive strategies to equip current and emerging Social Work leaders and supervisors to successfully work in diverse settings. Mastery of content will take place through team-based learning exercises, case analysis, peer training, readings, and discussion.

SWOA 709 – Remake the World: Skills AND Strategies of Community Action [3 credits] (Prerequisite SWOA 701)

It’s clear: we need to remake the world - not just by being the change … but by creating the change we want to see. Doing so takes vision. It takes skills. It takes strategy. It takes the ability to engage and support people in ways that build their creative and critical potential; to build communities of care and solidarity that can act as both a vision of what could be and as a countervailing force against the status quo; and to use the various technologies available to move society toward more liberatory, equitable, just and sustainable forms of social organization.

This course – offered as either a 3-credit course or three 1-credit courses – will enhance our capacities to act effectively in three areas of community action: strategic communication, collective action, and democratic development. Each 1-credit course will be a unit in the 3-credit course.

The Art & Science of Strategic Communication

(One Credit – Unit 1: Weeks 1-5)

Now more than ever, social workers in all areas of practice – both macro and clinical – need the skills and tools to communicate strategically and effectively, internally and externally with clients, community members, colleagues, stakeholders, funders, decision-makers, media, policy makers, and the general public. Social workers need to know how to shape and deliver compelling messages to a variety of target audiences via a variety of vehicles to achieve desired outcomes. In this one-credit class, students will examine and explore the art and science of strategic communication using a combination of role plays, case studies, on-camera practice sessions, and current events.

Good Trouble: Methods and Strategy of Collective Action

(One Credit – Unit 2: Weeks 6-10)

This one-credit course strives to develop our abilities and deepen our commitment to act effectively with others to create the change we wish to see in the world. We will study and strategize how methods of direct and collective action have been and can be used to persuade and pressure targets; to demonstrate and exercise power; to foster engagement, solidarity and critical consciousness among one’s constituency; and to build alternative social institutions.

Democratizing Wealth, Developing Community, Building Power

(One Credit – Unit 3: Weeks 11-15)

This one-credit course helps us build upon, expand, and refine our organizational development and capacity building skills. The course covers several themes focused on building the economy in a democratic way. The course will critically examine the current economic paradigm that favors the few and ignores the many – one rooted in capitalist accumulation, government-sponsored segregation, and attacks on civic structures that benefit all. Because the master’s house will never be dismantled by the master’s tools, we will examine community and economic development strategies that are sustainable, non-extractive, regenerative, and participatory. Advocacy, community organizing, and social development activities will be included. Culturally responsive practice principles will be woven into class discussions on a regular basis.

 

 

ADVANCED FIELD PRACTICUM
The Advanced Field Practicum continues the signature pedagogy of the MSW program in the advanced curriculum. It consists of two consecutive semesters in a fall-spring sequence. Each practicum semester is completed concurrently with a methods course appropriate for the concentration selected.

SWCL 794, 795—Advanced Clinical Field Practicum I and II [6 credits each semester]
Two semesters in the Advanced Curriculum. Students are assigned to agencies and organizations for practice responsibilities and instruction in clinical social work. A SWCL course must be taken concurrently with each semester of advanced clinical field practicum.

SWOA 794, 795—Advanced Macro Field Practicum I and II [6 credits each semester]
Two semesters in the Advanced Curriculum. Students are assigned to agencies for practice responsibilities and instruction in social administration, human services, and community organization and development. A SWOA course must be taken concurrently with each semester of advanced Macro field practicum.

SOWK 699—Special Topics [1-3 credits]
The topics of these courses vary from semester to semester. Prerequisites may vary. These courses may be used to satisfy elective credit requirements.

SOWK 705—International Social Work [3 credits]
Comparative studies of social work practice provide instruments for better understanding the general laws of social life and opportunities for examining practice trends and issues in a clearer perspective. This course focuses on the study of the social work profession and practice in specified developed and developing nations. This course is taken in conjunction with travel to various destinations, which have included India, Central America and Israel. Required pre-departure classes and post-trip debriefings, presentations, and subsequent planning are also included in the course.

SOWK 767—Intimate Partner Violence: Anti-Oppressive and Healing-Engaged Practice [3 credits]
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant societal problem, with wide-ranging detrimental consequences. Grounded in anti-oppressive and healing-centered practices, students will be introduced to definitions, prevalence, consequences, and dynamics of IPV, as well as theories that have been used to explain why IPV occurs. Students will examine information related to people who experience IPV, people who engage in violent behavior in intimate partnerships, and the effects of childhood IPV exposure. Applying an intersectional social-ecological framework, the course will explore various strategies for responding to and preventing IPV from individual- to community-level interventions. This course will help students think critically about personal and societal notions of why IPV continues to be a prevalent issue as well as how social workers can engage in a range of practices to promote effective intervention and broader societal change. (Prerequisite: SOWK 645)

SOWK 798—Independent Study [1-3 credits]
A student-selected topic is studied under the guidance of a faculty member.

SWCL 709—Tele-Behavioral Health: Delivery of Clinical Social Work Services [1 credit]
An introduction to the practical and knowledge-based skills required to engage in safe, effective, and ethical tele-behavioral health services. Through a series of on-line modules and practice sessions, students will gain confidence and competence in the use of appropriate technology, establishing virtual services with a client, safety planning, and how to handle potential issues that arise. Additionally, students will learn about current research on what treatment modalities are effective delivered virtually as well as how particular services can be competently delivered through technology, e.g. substance use treatment, case management and group treatment services.

SWCL 779—Interprofessional Collaboration in Healthcare Delivery [1 credit]
This 1-credit intensive, hybrid clinical course offers graduate social work students an opportunity to interact and learn with UMB professional students across disciplines in the annual Interprofessional Education Day. Core elements of interprofessional collaboration, including shared decision-making, mutual role understanding, and the development of joint treatment plans, are delivered via online, asynchronous multi-media learning modules.

To prepare social work students to be effective colleagues on healthcare teams, this course uses: (1) brief lectures on the meaning and practice of interprofessional collaboration; (2) experiential exercises to catalyze open communication, role clarification, and healthy partnerships on healthcare teams; and (3) participation in the annual IPE Day at UMB.