The United States is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, yet we live in a society riddled with inequality. Too often this inequality is hidden from many Americans. The purpose of this course is to understand where inequality exists and how it is able to sustain itself. Students will read articles and books on how racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia are prevalent in society's economic, social, and political structures. They will also examine how these create a society where some are guaranteed privileges and opportunities while others are denied it.

Focuses on the historical, philosophical, legal, and ethical perspectives of educational services for learners with special needs. Reviews exemplary programs, relevant current literature, state and federal laws, development of an IEP, and case studies.

Transition planning is crucial for equipping students with disabilities for success after high school. It is centered on their aspirations and future goals, forming an integral part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (2014). Well-structured transition plans are essential for successful outcomes for students transitioning from high school to young adulthood. These plans require equitable practices that seamlessly integrate academic and transitional support. This course examines support services and educational and employment opportunities available to students with severe disabilities. It involves analysis of the prerequisite skills in functional academics, language, hygiene, motor skills, interpersonal skills, transportation, and money management. Participants will explore placements and supervision of learners on worksites and in post-secondary environments.

This course is part of the Autism Specialization Program. SPND 491 encompasses the applied behavior analysis training sequence offered at the New England Center for Children.  This sequence is offered throughout the year. The course sequence also incorporates NECC orientation classes, a subsequent series of trainings in applied behavior analysis, online modules, and competency-based fieldwork with learners with autism as outlined below. The Behavioral Analytic Strategies for Teachers of Learners with Autism sequence covers topics such as defining behavior, data collection systems, matching-to-sample techniques, prompting, shaping, naturalistic teaching, and amongst other teaching procedures specific for learners with autism. Trainings are provided in a variety of formats, including lecture and discussion, enhanced instruction, and behavioral skills training.  Acquisition of skills is measured through successful completion of competencies, and mastery of verbal knowledge is measured through written tests. Field work required.

This course is part of the Autism Specialization program. This course builds on the content of Applied Autism Research I and Lab. In this course, students will complete an empirical project based upon the principles of experimental design. Each project will incorporate observation and measurement techniques, and students will learn how to summarize, analyze, interpret, and graphically display data. Students will present a completed research project, in oral or poster format, to colleagues in the field of special education who are experienced in conducting research with learners with autism. Field work required.

This seminar examines supervision and oversight of behavior analytic programs and ethical standards required of behavior analysts. Designed to complement practicum hours, it features discussions, role-play, collaborative problem solving, and case examples to strengthen ethical practice, professional competency, and effective supervision in applied settings while helping prepare for QBA exam.

This is an introduction to statistics for everyone who needs to collect, describe, and draw inferences from data. We will discuss various sources of data (experiments, surveys, etc.), graphical and numerical descriptions of data, confidence intervals and hypothesis testing for drawing inferences, and simple and multiple linear regression for making predictions. Students will become proficient in the use of R for these tasks.

This is an introduction to statistics for everyone who needs to collect, describe, and draw inferences from data. We will discuss various sources of data (experiments, surveys, etc.), graphical and numerical descriptions of data, confidence intervals and hypothesis testing for drawing inferences, and simple and multiple linear regression for making predictions. Students will become proficient in the use of R for these tasks.

Human Behavior in the Social Environment allows students to participate in the in-depth study of the physical, psychological, social, and cultural forces impacting the growth and development of individuals within the context of their families, communities, and society. Students explore foundational theories necessary to an understanding of human growth and development and integrate information from biology, psychology, sociology, and social work. Using a life span approach, a social work strengths perspective, a social justice perspective, and a person-in-environment framework, Human Behavior in the Social Environment follows the human life span, covering the prenatal period through older adulthood and end of life. There are 40 hours of service learning in SW 253

This course is intended to help students apply knowledge of social work skills, values and ethics to immersive community and virtual field experiences and to assist students in integrating classroom learning with their emerging practice experience. The course will also support students' socialization into the profession and their self-reflective preparation for their Senior Field Practicum. The Junior Virtual Field Experience will provide the student with learning opportunities that complement SW 351 Social Work Practice l: Introduction to Generalist Practice and SW 352 Social Work Practice ll: Work with Individuals and Families, and provide a basis for generalist practice. In this context, students will be expected to develop and discuss knowledge, understanding and skills concerning relationships with prospective clients, supervisors, coworkers and external organizations. Students will also develop their resume and work on communicating skills development as they prepare for Senior Field Internship. In the Junior Field Lab, students will share learning experiences across a variety of immersive community and virtual field experiences. Students will be active learners in group process and group leadership skills. Lastly, students will discuss and understand the professional use of self in the social work role. Prereq: SW 351; Taken concurrently with SW-352

The second in the Program's series of four practice courses, this course continues the integration of theory and practice and advances the development of the generalist knowledge, values, and skills required to intervene with individuals and families from engagement through termination. Students continue to solidify the helping techniques and processes introduced in the Social Work Practice I course. In addition, this course is taught concurrently with the 100-hour, semester-long junior social work field placement. Material from each student's field placement experience is integrated into the class through discussion. Online Degree Completion; Taken concurrently with SW 345CD; if not SW 352CD before SW 345CD.

This course prepares students to plan for, assess, facilitate, and evaluate social work practice with groups. Students will develop an understanding of the developmental stages of groups, roles among group members, and the function of mutual aid.

The Social Work Field Placement and Seminar I (Fall) is designed for the senior social work student in order to integrate classroom learning with practical social work experience in an agency setting. Throughout the Fall semester, students participate in 16 hours of field placement per week toward completion of the 425-hour, year-long BSW senior field placement requirement. In addition, students meet once per week for a 1 hour and twenty minute, in-class field seminar led by the BSW Program Field Director. Through reflective discussion, weekly assignments, and major projects and papers, the Field Seminar focuses on the integration of theory and practice, building the student's professional social work identity, enhancing self- awareness skills, advancing practice competencies, and synthesizing field learning. All aspects of agency field work, including learning to work within the agency context, effectively using supervision, using research to inform practice, utilizing social work values and ethics in practice, and applying social work knowledge and skills with clients are addressed.

The Social Work Field Placement and Seminar II (Spring) is designed for the senior social work student in order to integrate classroom learning with practical social work experience in an agency setting. Throughout the Spring semester, students participate in 16 hours of field placement per week toward completion of the 425-hour, year-long BSW senior field placement requirement. In addition, students meet once per week for a 1 hour 20 min, in-class field seminar led by the BSW Program Field Director. Through reflective discussion, weekly assignments, and major projects and papers, the Field Seminar focuses on the integration of theory and practice, building the student's professional social work identity, enhancing self-awareness skills, advancing practice competencies, and synthesizing field learning. All aspects of agency field work, including learning to work within the agency context, effectively using supervision, using research to inform practice, utilizing social work values and ethics in practice,and applying social work knowledge and skills with clients are addressed.

This course provides students with the necessary skills to analyze the social welfare policies, benefits, and services that create the context in which all social workers practice. Students will learn about current state and federal policies related to a range of social welfare concerns (e.g., poverty reduction, health, housing/homelessness, criminal justice, disability, child welfare, immigration), the evolution of these policies, and the socio political and economic environment that has influenced their development and implementation. Students will build upon what they learned in SW403 Macro Social Work: Social Policies, Communities and Organizations by delving more deeply into various policy analysis frameworks, the mechanics of conducting policy analysis, and the evaluation methods to determine a policy's impact and effectiveness. To appreciate the complexities, contradictions, strengths, and weaknesses of the American approach to social welfare, students will be encouraged to think critically about the role of economics, politics, ideologies, values, and alternate policy models in each of these areas. The roles of power and privilege in social welfare policy will be assessed as they pertain to equality, equitability, and discrimination based on identity and social location. Class discussion, readings, and assignments will underscore the reciprocal relationship between clinical social work practice and social welfare policy.

This course is an intensive examination of the dynamics of various forms of oppression in U.S. society. The selection of the oppression of racism is deliberate. Through the analysis of critical race theory and intersectionality, students will come to understand the reasoning for this initial emphasis. The course begins with an analysis of racism from structural, (social) psychological and applied perspectives. This approach frames the analysis of other forms of oppression. Types of oppression (sexism, classism, homophobia, etc.) are examined in relationship to sociopolitical and economic factors, and historical themes that continue into the present day are identified. The course will explore the costs of oppression to all individuals and its differential impact on individuals in dominant and subordinate positions. The importance of power and the dynamics of domination and subordination in all forms of oppression will be explored. Practice issues will be examined in relation to multi-level interventions (i.e., individual, group, organizational and institutional).

This one semester course provides knowledge of the major categories of diagnoses for adults as formulated in DSM-5 and of theoretical perspectives in those categories. Attention is given to the dynamics of development and culture, and to the interrelationship among biological, psychological, and social/cultural systems that impact diagnosis. Focus will be on utilizing these elements in order to provide a comprehensive bio-psycho-social assessment. Treatments specifically related to these diagnoses will be noted.

This 3-credit course examines crisis intervention and treatment approaches for children and adolescents, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable populations. Since crisis intervention is an integral part of social work practice, this course aims to provide students with knowledge of contributing factors, theories and practice models which best inform crisis intervention in social work with children and adolescents.Students will use a systems-based framework in their analysis of crisis situations and become familiar with the skills necessary to implement effective techniques with children and adolescents. The course will provide students with the opportunity to apply critical thinking skills when working with crises, as well as examine policy issues, ethical issues, and the intersectionality of oppression and the implications of oppression and discrimination on crisis experiences and interventions. Further, students will develop an awareness of the importance of engaging in self-care practices that will support their well-being when working with crises.

Social workers across all sectors of practice engage with individuals, groups, families, organizations, and communities that are significantly affected by substance use and substance use disorders. In this 3-credit course, students will become familiar with the histories and theories that shape understanding of substance use. Set within a social justice framework, students will critically analyze the intersections of substance use with racism, classism, xenophobia, and other forms of structural oppression. Informed by the person-in-environment perspective, students will explore the complex interactions of historical, political, cultural, and social factors that influence substance use and health disparities. Motivational interviewing and harm reduction strategies are foregrounded, preparing students to deliver services for people who use alcohol and other drugs and have mixed goals related to substances, whether that is to maintain or make changes to their use. Through a simulated learning experience, there will be opportunities to practice engaging with a client and assessing their substance use. A comprehensive, strengths-based, collaborative, and multidimensional biopsychosocial assessment will be developed. Students will acquire knowledge and skills related to evidence-informed substance use prevention, education, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing recovery support. Throughout the semester, students will be invited to reflect on their own perceptions of substance use and people who use drugs to increase self-awareness and promote clinical and policy practices that are guided by compassion and interprofessional research.

This course introduces the fundamental principles of social work research, stressing the link between research and practice. Students will develop their critical thought regarding ethical considerations in research and will learn to design a research project. Also, students will learn to be critical consumers of research and professional literature, with a focus on the specialized interests and needs of individuals, families, and communities served through social work practice and allied professions. Students will develop an understanding of how statistics are used in research. Readings and class discussions will present principles of evidence-based or evidence-informed practice. Emphasis will be placed on the application of research to the practice of social work in micro and macro settings.

Continuation of SW446A, weekly agency-based practicum which focuses on foundation social work skills. Students complete agency-based assignments in addition to process recordings and assessments.. - First year (i.e., generalist/foundation) practicum days are Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. - First-year (i.e., generalist/foundation) courses are offered on the following days and times: Monday (evening only), Tuesday (evening only), Wednesday day and evening), Thursday (evening only), Friday (day only). Prerequisite: SW 446A Corequisite: SW 421B

This course is designed to help students develop foundational knowledge and skills for social work practice with sexual and gender minority populations. Students will utilize a multi-dimensional framework to critically analyze power, privilege, and oppression relative to LGBTQ+ populations. Grounded in a social justice perspective, the first few weeks of the course are designed to help students gain an understanding of relevant ethical principles and dilemmas; models of identity development across race, class, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, and historical period; health disparities and resilience; history of social work discourse related to LGBTQ+ populations; and basic principles for affirmative social work practice. Students will develop knowledge about the mutual influence of individuals, families, and institutional factors, including social policies and cultural factors. Students will learn basic skills for competent practice with LGBTQ+ populations over the life course, with a particular focus on engagement, assessment, and intervention. Specific areas of practice will be explored, including intimate partner violence, suicide risk, HIV/AIDS, and substance use disorders. Students will critically examine the values of the social work profession and reflect on their personal values for the purpose of raising self awareness and examining personal biases related to heterosexism, heteronormativity, transphobia, and cisnormativity.

This course will examine the public health problem of suicide, with specific attention to prevention, intervention, and postvention approaches. Students will gain an understanding of suicide epidemiology and underlying theory, as well as risk and protective factors for suicide. This course will familiarize students with evidence-based practices and ethical considerations with suicidal clients, including learning directly from individuals with lived experience with suicidality. Students will also learn about the current state and national strategies for suicide prevention, as well as policies related to suicide. Upon completion of this course, students will gain skills in assessment and management of suicide risk, intervention and treatment techniques with suicidal clients, and postvention approaches with survivors of suicide loss.

This is a clinical practice course with intimate partner violence in the context of family (broadly defined) life. Students will learn specific skills in identifying, assessing and intervening with and on behalf of family members where domestic violence is present. You will be encouraged to reflect on your own knowledge about families, violence, and systems responses to violence, both as family members and as helpers. We will consider the experiences of women and men in heterosexual and same-sex relationships as both victims and abusers, and of children living with domestic violence, attending carefully to community and cultural contexts. We will address legal issues and criminal justice system responses, child protective services, and health care system responses. We will discuss and research current controversies in the field of intimate violence.

There is a growing interest in psychotherapists of all theoretical orientations, for information about "Mindfulness", the cultivation of intentional, present focused awareness. Mindfulness is a core healing process in psychotherapy and has become a significant influence on contemporary Psychotherapy over the past decade. It has been shown to be a key component in many empirically validated interventions like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based cognitive therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. In this course we will examine the application of mindfulness to a wide range of clinical populations and conditions as well as the current neuroscience findings of its effects and the history of its development in the west. The course will ask participants to participate in experiential exercises of mindfulness and meditation and practice what they've learned each week between classes. They will also be asked to embody mindfulness as they learn, ensuring the essential qualities of compassion for self and others in the learning.

The course is designed to help students learn, in depth, about the policy-making process at the federal level, and to develop skills for political action. The course includes seminars and workshops taught by faculty from Simmons SSW, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Other speakers will include key leaders and advocates in policy and lobbying organizations, as well as professionals from the NASW. Other goals include learning about the health care system in the United States and, specifically, the Medicaid Program.

This class is an introduction to a variety of theories and principles of play therapy. Case material, including student's own material will be used. Readings, videos, case discussions, and experiential activities will be used to deepen the student's understanding of theory and technique. Students will be encouraged to gain comfort in their work with children and to explore their own theoretical orientation. Upon completion, students will have a clear foundation from which to treat children of all ages. Prerequisite: SW421B. This course meets the requirement for a clinical practice elective.

The course is designed to introduce students to the theory and practice of survey research. Students will work individually and collectively to prepare for and conduct a survey that will be pilot tested during the course. Course topics will include: matching research design to data needs; understanding the role of qualitative research in quantitative survey measurement; probability and non-probability sampling methods; developing questions and questionnaires; choosing modes and methods of data collection; analyzing survey data; and the effective presentation and reporting of survey findings to relevant audiences.

This course is designed to introduce students to the elements of qualitative research data analysis. It follows the course SW 654 which introduced the historical and philosophical foundations of qualitative research methodology, key research strategies in qualitative research and principles for research design in qualitative research. In this course you will deepen your understanding of these key research notions and develop hands-on understanding of techniques and tools used to conduct this research.

This course presents the common descriptive and inferential statistical tests performed in applied research. Topics include: probability theory, normal & non-normal distributions, drawing inference with t-test, ANOVA, and correlation and regression. The emphasis of learning will be more on concepts and applications using IBM SPSS than on computations and statistical theory. This course will provide students with a strong foundation in basic statistical reasoning that will help them in more advanced courses.

This course is meant for doctoral students considering teaching as part of their career, and for social work educators who seek an opportunity for disciplined reflection on their teaching. Considerable attention is paid to developmental and stylistic issues, teaching methods and course planning.

This is a seminar course designed to help students integrate material learned across PhD courses, advance their individual scholarly agendas and research work, and develop professional academic and career skills. Students enroll in this course SW 685 every semester they are in the program (Fall, Spring, and Summer terms). First and second year students enroll in 685 section A; Third year students enroll in section 685B, and students in their fourth year and beyond enroll in section C, only during Fall and Spring terms.Note: Instructor Consent Needed

This is a seminar course designed to help students integrate material learned across PhD courses, advance their individual scholarly agendas and research work, and develop professional academic and career skills. Students enroll in this course SW 685 every semester they are in the program (Fall, Spring, and Summer terms). First and second year students enroll in 685 section A; Third year students enroll in section 685B, and students in their fourth year and beyond enroll in section C, only during Fall and Spring terms.Note: Instructor Consent Needed

This is a seminar course designed to help students integrate material learned across PhD courses, advance their individual scholarly agendas and research work, and develop professional academic and career skills. Students enroll in this course SWO 685 every semester they are in the program (Fall, Spring, and Summer terms). First and second year students enroll in 685 section A; Third year students enroll in section 685B, and students in their fourth year and beyond enroll in section C, only during Fall and Spring terms.

This practicum is for Social Work PhD students and focuses on developing and applying research skills while working on an active research study at the School of Social Work. Before registering, PhD students must have a signed research practicum agreement with the faculty member they will be working with. This is a required practicum.

This 3-credit course focuses on the context of macro social work, defined as policy practice, community practice, and organizational administration and management. This course will familiarize students with each of these practice environments by grounding them in the relevant historical and contemporary background of social work and social welfare policy, and then focusing on the theoretical frameworks and evidence-informed practice models for organizational and community engagement, assessment, and intervention. This course will underscore the responsibility that social workers have to understand and address the systemic factors that create circumstances of social, economic, and environmental injustice, with specific attention to the complexity of practice contexts and the influence of power and privilege on human rights. Students will learn strategies for social work at the macro level (i.e., policy, communities, and organizations) to influence, formulate, and advocate for social change related to social injustices based upon, but not exclusive to, race, ethnicity, language, class, religion, gender identity, sexuality, ability, citizenship status, age, and nationality. Throughout the course, examples will be drawn from local, national, and international contexts.

This 3 credit course builds upon SWO 403 Macro Practice: Social Policy and Social Work Organizations and Communities. Students will learn about current federal, state, and local policies related to a range of social welfare concerns (e.g., poverty reduction, health, housing/homelessness, criminal justice, disability, aging, child welfare, transportation), the evolution of these policies, and the socio-political and economic environment that has influenced their development, implementation, and evaluation. To appreciate the complexities, contradictions, strengths, and weaknesses of the U.S. approach to social welfare, students will make connections about the role of economics, politics, ideologies, values, and alternate policy models in each of these areas. The roles of power and privilege in social welfare policy will be assessed as they pertain to race, ethnicity, language, class, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, citizenship status, age, nationality, and indigenous status. Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze social welfare policies, evaluate public budgeting for policies and programs, understand the role of the judiciary branch in the policy process, and assess the implementation of policies and the evaluation of their effectiveness. Class discussion, readings, and assignments will underscore the inextricable relationship between clinical social work practice and social welfare policy and practice. Students will consider how to incorporate policy work and advocacy into their own social work practice.

Since its inception, the social work profession has been committed to developing health and human services that promote diversity and alleviate and/or eliminate social oppression and injustice. Rooted in the ecological perspective, social workers are aware of and can identify large social structures and processes that can negatively impact the well-being of communities and individuals. This 3-credit course is an intensive examination of how racism meets at the intersection of other dynamics of oppression to shape our and our clients' experiences as we work together. The selection of the oppression of racism as a primary focus for the course is deliberate. Through the analysis of critical race theory and intersectionality, students will come to understand the reasoning for this emphasis. The course begins with conceptualizing race as a social construct and racism as a system that exists on multiple domains. From there, using an intersectional approach, we will examine the research focusing on how people develop racial identities in the face of racism, and how our racial identities position us to do our work. While thinking about how to disrupt racism in key sectors, such as the health professions and schools, we will then focus on how to enact culturally responsive care at the micro, meso, and macro levels in ways that honor the expertise and strengths of BIPOC people and their communities.The course is designed to stimulate critical thinking, help us critically reflect on our positionalities, and develop systematic critical analyses that lead to identifying ways that social workers can intervene and oppose oppression professionally and personally.

This 3-credit course emphasizes an ecological approach to human development and behavior in micro, meso, and macro level social systems of the individual, families and groups, organizations and communities, and larger society that is cognizant of historical and cultural contexts. The first half of this course provides students with a foundation of classic theoretical frameworks in which to understand human development and behavior from using the person-in-environment, biopsychosocial, sociocultural, and social change lens. Students will understand frameworks of ethical decision-making and how to apply principles of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Particular attention is paid to culture, race, class, gender and sexual orientation as dynamic social constructions that can be sources of both oppression and strength at all levels of social systems. Concepts of resilience, intersectionality, sociocultural, and social change ground an understanding of empowerment and resistance to oppression. The second half of the course focuses on current theoretical frameworks to understand the processes that shape human behavior and development of self across the life span. The course emphasizes the biopsychosocial processes and the influence of culture and society on human behavior and development. After completing this course, students will learn to understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards that impact practice with individuals, families and groups, and communities across the life span.

In this one semester 3 credit course students learn to assess psychiatric diagnoses described in the DSM-5, considering those diagnoses and compounding psychosocial challenges from multi-theoretical lenses. Throughout the course there is a central focus on issues of social justice and oppression, and the interrelationship between biological, psychological, and social/cultural systems that impact diagnosis and treatment. Treatments connected to diagnoses are noted briefly. Students will be able to comprehensively assess, diagnose, and write bio-psychosocial assessments of their clients that convey the social justice lens of social work. Teaching techniques may include didactic presentations, guest presenters, videos, class discussions, and practice exercises.

This 3 credit course examines crisis intervention and treatment approaches for children and adolescents, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable populations. Since crisis intervention is an integral part of social work practice, this course aims to provide students with knowledge of contributing factors, theories, and practice models that best inform crisis intervention in social work with children and adolescents. Students will use a systems-based framework in their analysis of crisis situations and become familiar with the skills necessary to implement effective techniques with children and adolescents. The course will provide students with the opportunity to apply critical thinking skills when working with crises, as well as examine policy issues, ethical issues, and the intersectionality of oppression and the implications of oppression and discrimination on crisis experiences and interventions. Furthermore, students will develop an awareness of the importance of engaging in self-care practices that will support their well-being when working with people in crisis.

This yearlong course will focus on the action, reflection, and skills of generalist social work practice. We will consider the basic processes of social work practice: engagement, assessment, contracting, intervention, evaluation, and termination, and their application to a wide range of issues and problems. We will look at various levels of intervention (intrapsychically, interpersonally, and inter-systemically), various practice settings, social work practice roles, and theoretical perspectives. (3 credits per semester)In the first term, particular attention is given to the multidimensional approach to assessment and intervention, interviewing skills, the development of the professional identity of the social worker, and the professional relationship with the client(s)/client systems. Generalist social work practice is rooted in the ecological/ecosystems framework. Theories of empowerment and strengths-based perspectives are emphasized. Social work practice as framed and contextualized by professional codes of ethics, legal precedence, agency, and organizational dynamics, neighborhoods, and communities will be studied and analyzed.In the second term, we will continue to deepen our knowledge and skills in assessment and intervention, the differential use of self, and specific approaches to practice with particular populations. Additional practice approaches will be introduced�"psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, narrative, and collaborative approaches with multi-stressed families�"which incorporate a solution-focused modality and narrative perspective. We will explore the use of evidence-based (or informed) practice. Ways of evaluating practice and using the professional literature as an aid to practice choices will also be discussed.While all sections of the course share a common outline for the syllabus, books, readings, and written assignments, each professor will shape their section to meet the specific needs of the classroom. Instructors will use a variety of mini-lectures, role-play, case presentations, process recordings, videos, and standardized cases to demonstrate different models and see the ways that different social and behavioral theories lead to particular ways of intervening. Given the changing demographics of U.S. society, there is a particular emphasis on cross-cultural understanding and on working with clients across the age spectrum.

Welcome to SWO 421B! The second semester of this yearlong 3-credit course will carry forward the ecosystems perspective from the first semester and will introduce students to four main practice theories: psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, narrative, and solution-focused. Within each framework, we will examine core principles and begin to explore implications for each phase of the helping process: engagement, assessment, planning, evaluation, and termination. Drawing upon these theoretical frameworks as an organizing framework for thinking about generalist social work practice, the course proceeds to explore work with individuals, families, and communities in various contexts and circumstances. Students will deepen their assessment skills and their intervention skills at micro, mezzo, and macro levels. An emphasis will be placed on collaborative consultation of student case presentations as one way of conceptualizing the work and thinking from multiple perspectives about intervention strategies. We will explore the use of evidence-based (or informed) practice. Ways of evaluating practice and using the professional literature as an aid to practice choices will also be discussed.

Social workers across all sectors of practice engage with individuals, groups, families, organizations, and communities that are significantly affected by substance use and substance use disorders. In this 3-credit course, students will become familiar with the histories and theories that shape understanding of substance use. Set within a social justice framework, students will critically analyze the intersections of substance use with racism, classism, xenophobia, and other forms of structural oppression. Informed by the person-in-environment perspective, students will explore the complex interactions of historical, political, cultural, and social factors that influence substance use and health disparities. Motivational interviewing and harm reduction strategies are foregrounded, preparing students to deliver services for people who use alcohol and other drugs and have mixed goals related to substances, whether that is to maintain or make changes to their use. Through a simulated learning experience, there will be opportunities to practice engaging with a client and assessing their substance use. A comprehensive, strengths-based, collaborative, and multidimensional biopsychosocial assessment will be developed. Students will acquire knowledge and skills related to evidence-informed substance use prevention, education, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing recovery support. Throughout the semester, students will be invited to reflect on their own perceptions of substance use and people who use drugs to increase self-awareness and promote clinical and policy practices that are guided by compassion and interprofessional research.

This 3-credit course is the first course of a required two-semester sequence and is taken concurrent with practicum education courses. Building on knowledge and skills mastered from the foundation practice course, the course expands and deepens students' understanding and application of the major social work paradigms (ecological, social justice, cultural responsiveness, ethics, and use of evidence). Through case examples and role play, students will enhance their ability to collect, appraise, and organize appropriate clinical data throughout all stages of the social work process (engagement, assessment, formulation, goal setting, intervention, and evaluation). In addition, students will analyze, compare, contrast, interpret, and apply major social work practice approaches (psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, solution-focused and narrative) to learn how to decide which approach is most beneficial for each specific client in achieving positive outcomes. Finally, students will be able to assess and interpret specific client challenges demonstrating knowledge of course themes related to professional use of self, the therapeutic relationship, assessment skills, and brief treatment.Prerequisite: SWO 421B

This 3-credit course is the second course of a required two-semester sequence and is taken concurrent with practicum education courses. Students combine theoretical knowledge and insights with evidence-based strategies for specific populations. Each practice approach reflects different ways of gathering, organizing, and reflecting on pertinent information and leads to distinct ways of conceptualizing issues and co-constructing clinical processes with clients. Students learn to identify which practice method or intervention is most beneficial for each specific client in achieving positive outcomes. Specific populations will be considered in this course, including children and adolescents, families, older adults, and sexual and gender minorities. The course focuses on deepening your knowledge and advanced clinical skills working with these populations. As this is a course that focuses on clinical practice, the aim is to include a significant amount of demonstration, role-play, and expert insight across the asynchronous and synchronous learning.

This 3 credit course introduces the fundamental principles of social work research, stressing the link between research and practice. Students will develop their critical thought regarding ethical considerations in research and will learn to design a research project. Also, students will learn to be critical consumers of research and professional literature, with a focus on the specialized interests and needs of individuals, families, and communities served through social work practice and allied professions. Students will develop an understanding of how statistics are used in research. Readings and class discussions will present principles of evidence-based or evidence-informed practice. Emphasis will be placed on the application of research to the practice of social work in micro and macro settings.

Generalist Practicum Education I is an agency-based course in which students apply, in supervised practice, the theoretical concepts, principles, values, and ethics taught in the generalist curriculum. In addition to the supervised learning of clinical skills with individuals, families, and groups, students will learn the varied roles and skills used by social workers at the agency and community level. Case based learning is deepened and amplified through field instruction, process recordings, and required written assignments.Prerequisites: SWO 446XCorequisites: SWO 421B

The Simulated Practicum Experience (SPX), a 14-week, three credit course that constitutes the first term of the generalist practicum placement. The SPX involves weekly asynchronous content, live sessions, and select assignments designed to prepare students for the practicum placement. This course creates a learning lab guided by a strengths-based, anti-oppressive practice approach where students apply social work values, ethics, knowledge, and skills to simulated interactions with standardized client-actors, role plays, and practice scenarios. Accordingly, the course provides an opportunity for students to build social work competencies and to prepare for practice-based learning grounded in the exploration of affective and cognitive processes including self-reflection and self-regulation, critical thinking, and cultural humility.In addition, students are exposed to a generalist social work process, evidence-based modalities, ethical decision-making, risk assessment, and working in interprofessional teams. Agency and larger system contexts for services, as well as the impact of social and economic policy on agencies and clinical practice, will be woven throughout the course. Throughout the course, students practice use of practicum education learning methods, including a competency-based learning plan and evaluation, process recording, and other reflective practice tools. In addition, students are introduced to the purpose and practice of supervision, as well as practicum education expectations. After successful completion of the course, students enter the three-term agency-based placement, which comprises the final term of the generalist placement and both terms of the specialized placement.Simulation training is an evidence-based teaching and learning pedagogy and an essential method for applying knowledge to practice. It provides the highest level of experiential learning while retaining the safety of working with actors, instructors, and peers rather than actual clients. Importantly, simulation offers a unique opportunity for observed practice and learning in a supportive environment where students will benefit from instructor guidance, peer support, and engage in reflective practice for application to future practice. Scholarly research indicates that students who engage in simulation practice increase their knowledge, skills, and confidence as practitioners.

The 447AX course serves as the first half of the Specialized Practicum Education experience, and is a course in which students apply, in supervised practice, the theoretical concepts, principles, values, and ethics taught in the specialist level curriculum. In addition to the supervised learning of clinical practice skills with individuals, families, and groups, students learn organizational level social work skills. Case based learning is deepened and amplified through instruction, process recordings and required written assignments.

The 447BX course serves as the second half of the Specialized Practicum Education, and is an agency-based course in which students apply, in supervised practice, the theoretical concepts, principles, values, and ethics taught in the specialist level curriculum. In addition to the supervised learning of clinical practice skills with individuals, families, and groups, students learn organizational level social work skills. Case based learning is deepened and amplified through instruction, process recordings and required written assignments.

This three-credit course presents a multifaceted overview of the dimensions, challenges, concerns, and attitudes about human sexuality�"how it evolves over the lifespan and is directly informed by social, familial, and political contexts. Exploring our attitudes and belief systems about human sexuality, and how they are informed by our social location allows social workers to mindfully engage in conversations with our clients about their sexual orientation, sexual identity, sexual behavior, gender identity, gender expression, and social location. Implications for practice with diverse populations will be discussed throughout the course. The course integrates various evidence-based interventions used when working with various populations. Specifically, Strength-Based, Narrative Approaches, Trauma-Informed Care, and Affirmative Practice will be explored. Through engagement and intervention, the course prepares social workers to assume a significant role in helping clients understand and tend to issues of human sexuality.

This three credit course will examine the public health problem of suicide, with specific attention to prevention, intervention, and postvention approaches. Students will gain an understanding of suicide epidemiology and underlying theory, as well as risk and protective factors for suicide. This course will familiarize students with evidence-based practices and ethical considerations with suicidal clients, including learning directly from individuals with lived experience with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Students will also learn about the current state and national strategies for suicide prevention, as well as policies related to suicide. Upon completion of this course, students will gain skills in assessment and management of suicide risk, intervention, and treatment techniques with suicidal clients, and postvention approaches with survivors of suicide loss.

In this 3 credit course, students will gain relevant knowledge and practice skills in order to practice motivational interviewing and dialectical behavior therapy �with� diverse client populations in an array of settings. In the first half of the course, students will gain exposure to the spirit of motivational interviewing as both a philosophy about client engagement and an approach that is sensitive to and respectful of the client's ambivalence about change. They will learn how to ask questions and respond to clients in a way that is curious, reflective, supportive, and ultimately strives to promote client self-determination, well-being, and readiness for change. MI has been proven to be an effective approach for clients who struggle with substance use disorders and other addictive disorders, as well as suicidal ideation. In the second half of the course, students will focus on dialectical behavior therapy, which is a manualized curriculum developed by Marsha Linehan and teaches clients the skills that enable self-regulation of affect, and to consider how their own meaning making and perceptions impact their behaviors that inform their sense of self and relationship with others, and is used with clients in both individual and group settings. Students will also learn how to integrate MI and DBT as a combined intervention strategy when appropriate.

This 3-credit course focuses on developing advanced social work practice knowledge, skills, and core competencies with a focus on health care delivery. Course content emphasizes critical thinking, group discussion, demonstration, and integrative practice learning to increase students' conceptual and practice skills to be well-trained practitioners in diverse health/health care settings. Students will hone skills in psychosocial assessment and treatment integrated with the aspects of the medical and physical functioning of the person-situation configuration. Coping tasks of individuals and family members are viewed with cultural humility, from a perspective of growth based upon psychosocial capacities, pre-illness coping patterns, phases of the illness process, and health beliefs and prognosis for physical functioning and life. Structural factors contributing to health disparities, access to and utilization of health care services are prioritized. Given the dynamic nature of health care, the course addresses both the opportunities and challenges posed by emerging public health crises and other developments, and the flexible adaptation of skills needed to respond to this changing environment including work carried out in the fast-paced context of crisis and time constraints.The course covers specific content areas including health equity and the social determinants of health (SDOH); unique social work roles in health care practice in the context of policy, technology, organization and health behavior theory; use of evidence-based assessment tools, treatment, and clinical intervention models within a variety of health settings; interdisciplinary team collaboration; working across the life span; grief and loss dynamics; discharge planning, case management, and managed care; and legal and ethical issues.

This is a clinical practice course with intimate partner violence in the context of family (broadly defined) life. Students will learn specific skills in identifying, assessing and intervening with and on behalf of family members where domestic violence is present. You will be encouraged to reflect on your own knowledge about families, violence, and systems responses to violence, both as family members and as helpers. We will consider the experiences of women and men in heterosexual and same-sex relationships as both victims and abusers, and of children living with domestic violence, attending carefully to community and cultural contexts. We will address legal issues and criminal justice system responses, child protective services, and health care system responses. We will discuss and research current controversies in the field of intimate violence.

The object of this 3 credit course is to provide a working knowledge of the basic principles and specific techniques of a contemporary multimodal approach to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with consideration of its integration with other therapeutic approaches such as dialectic behavior therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction. Issues presented include depression, anxiety, interpersonal relationships, phobias, psychosis, and working with children and adolescents.

This 3-credit course is designed to educate students about the basic principles of program evaluation and prepare them with the knowledge and skills they need to evaluate social work services, programs, and agencies. Using case examples and their agency settings as laboratories, students will learn about three major types of evaluation�"needs assessment, process, and outcome�"including how to conduct them and the ways that each informs the other. Students will deepen their knowledge of social work program theory and design, with a specific focus on developing logic models, and have the opportunity to apply program evaluation principles to practice-level assessments. Throughout the course, students will engage in critical discussion about the tensions, ambiguities, and potential for oppression that accompany current evaluation models and practices. Students will exit the course with the skills necessary to think evaluatively about every aspect of their practice, work collaboratively when engaging in evaluation activities, and apply an anti-oppressive and antiracist lens to those activities.Prerequisite: Completed or Enrolled in SWO 441 or MSW with Advanced Standing

This course examines best practices for providing treatment to child and adolescent survivors of complex trauma as well as intervention strategies designed to work with families who have experienced chronic stress and trauma. Clinical social work with traumatized individuals and families requires a flexible and informed skillset. This course will provide an overview of current literature and empirical evidence relating to the treatment of complex trauma in childhood. It will further review current models of best practice with emphasis placed on work with vulnerable and marginalized populations.This course will provide students the opportunity to understand and engage in a variety of treatment approaches, as well as examine ethical issues, policy issues, and issues pertaining to social justice, and their relationship to trauma treatment. The course will build on the knowledge and skills acquired in the foundation year Human Behavior in the Social Environment and Practice courses.

This 3-credit course provides an in-depth examination of current trauma-informed practices for adult survivors of complex trauma and trauma. Clinical social work with traumatized individuals and families requires a flexible and informed skill set. This course provides an overview of current literature and empirical evidence relating to the treatment of complex trauma in adulthood, with an emphasis placed on work with vulnerable and oppressed populations. This course provides students with the opportunity to understand, engage, and intervene in a variety of treatment approaches, as well as examine ethical issues, policy issues, and issues pertaining to social justice, and their relationship to trauma treatment.The course is the second semester of the Lifespan of Trauma Treatment course and builds upon 528A: Lifespan of Trauma Treatment with Children and Adolescents. Additionally, the course builds on the knowledge and skills acquired in the foundation-year Human Behavior in the Social Environment and Practice courses.

In-Person & online. There are three sessions via zoom and then the course meets in-person in DC. The course is designed to help students learn, in depth, about the policy-making process at the federal level, and to develop skills for political action. The course includes seminars and workshops taught by faculty from Simmons SSW, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Other speakers will include key leaders and advocates in policy and lobbying organizations, as well as professionals from the NASW. Other goals include learning about the health care system in the United States and, specifically, the Medicaid Program.

This 3 credit course is designed to provide a bridge to the concentration year clinical curriculum and practicum placement. A strong emphasis is on exploring the development of a professional social work identity and on supporting student's increasing self-awareness and ability to learn from practice experience. The course will focus on broadening the capacity for the use of self, promoting reflective practice, conceptualizing various theoretical perspectives and their application to clinical work, and enhancing the ability to work across difference.

This 3-credit course introduces students to the theory of attachment, covering areas such as patterns of attachment across the life span, relevant development theories, challenges of adolescence, adult attachment styles and relationships, how different attachment issues may manifest at different stages of life, and practical implications of attachment for conducting clinical therapy sessions. The neurobiology of attachment, the implications for attachment in trauma recovery, and the development of psychopathology from an attachment and neurobiological perspective are explored. Special attention is paid to the early life experiences including preverbal life experiences, adverse experiences of childhood, and the impact of abuse and neglect in childhood. This course explores clinical applications and usefulness of case conceptualization from an attachment and neurobiological aspect. Evidence-based approaches are utilized as the foundation for our exploration of clinical applications.

The 596 course serves as the first half of the Advanced Standing Practicum Education experience, and is a course in which students apply, in supervised practice, the theoretical concepts, principles, values, and ethics taught in the specialist level curriculum. In addition to the supervised learning of clinical practice skills with individuals, families, and groups, students learn organizational level social work skills. Case based learning is deepened and amplified through instruction, process recordings and required written assignments.

The 597 course serves as the second half of the Advanced Standing Practicum Education experience, and is a course in which students apply, in supervised practice, the theoretical concepts, principles, values, and ethics taught in the specialist level curriculum. In addition to the supervised learning of clinical practice skills with individuals, families, and groups, students will be socialized to the identity of a professional social worker and the many roles that social workers occupy in agencies and in the community. Case based learning is deepened and amplified through instruction, process recordings and required written assignments.

As the first leadership course in the DSW, it sets the foundation for developing skills to prepare students for leadership roles. This course covers a variety of leadership theories and perspectives, challenging students to develop and assess their own leadership style, with a particular emphasis on inclusive leadership.

This course imagines the inner life of the adult learner via examination of social learning theory, cognitive and metacognitive science, contemplative practices, the interconnectedness between emotions and knowledge acquisition and retention, and other diverse approaches to student engagement. The course deconstructs the impact of structural racism within the classroom. 

This seminar is grounded in the NASW Code of Ethics which suggests that all actions social workers take have ethical implications and consequences, and that social justice considerations in particular must be weighed with every action. Students will develop knowledge and skill in using an anti-racist, ethics-informed approach to decision-making. Prerequisite: SWO 704

This course will examine how professional social work knowledge evolves in philosophy and the social sciences. Traditional and postmodern theories will be examined in relation to clinical practice with vulnerable populations served by social workers. The course also explores the elements of racial trauma and the associated hidden wounds.

This course is designed to prepare students for diverse roles in organizational leadership with a focus on shifting institutional culture, creating social change, and advancing anti-racist policies and practices. Students will deepen their knowledge of organizational theories; concepts of power, privilege and oppression within institutional frameworks; and for effective change leadership.Prerequisite: SWO 701

This course is designed to deepen students' understanding of theories that advance practice using Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Power Analysis, and Anti-Racist lenses. Conceptual frameworks including social justice, intersectionality and anti-racism are placed within an ecological perspective to understand the relevance of interactions, dynamics and consequences of structural bias and discrimination. Students explore the supporting science of historical and intergenerational trauma.Prerequisites : SWO 704

This course explores the role, relevance, and methods associated with becoming scholar-practitioners. Students will focus on developing skills that are ground in research, informed by experiential knowledge. Students will engage in systematic inquiry to critically evaluate and utilize evidence for practice in clinical settings, developing and disseminating practice-relevant knowledge with a particular focus on underserved and underrepresented populations.Prerequisites: SWO 703Corequisites: SWO 703

This course provides DSW students with the foundation needed to develop and design a course from a Learner Centered and Anti-Racist Approach related to creating learning objectives, assessments, syllabi and other key course design elements, and which will include a Learner Centered instructional plan rooted in inclusive pedagogy, effective instruction strategies, and classroom dynamics.Prerequisites: SWO 702

The course will examine social justice and anti-racist considerations in clinical program supervision, field education supervision, and management. This includes challenging oppressive workplace structures and building decolonized work climates and cultures. This course is designed to grow and strengthen the student's leadership identity in relation to decolonized clinical supervision and agency management.Prerequisites: SWO 701

This course teaches students to develop culturally responsive strategies for classroom dynamics, promote cultural humility, foster debate, and create anti-racist, inclusive classrooms. Students will apply DEIPAR principles, engage in self-reflection, and analyze scholarly literature to build effective, equitable learning environments.Prerequisites: SWO 708

This course builds on Practice 1 and 2 to examine clinical processes with complex, diverse populations. Students will analyze critical race theory and intersectionality, exploring the impact of these processes. Using radical social work and a decolonizing lens, students will study change processes for diverse populations in clinical settings. Prerequisites: SWO 706

This course develops expertise in interdisciplinary social work practice, focusing on models, cross-disciplinary approaches, and leadership skills. Students explore stakeholder-centered methods, examine the impact of interdisciplinary work on outcomes, satisfaction, and structural change, while addressing social determinants of health in diverse team settings.Prerequisites: SWO 709Optional co-requisite: SWO 711

This course will examine the nature of leadership adaptation in the context of the life-cycle of non-profit agencies. The class will explore tensions and ambiguities of leadership, as well as personal and public resistances to diversity, equity, inclusion, power, anti-racist considerations. Class discussions unfold using workshop style discussions to facilitate student application of ideas in new ways and/or in new contexts.Prerequisites: SWO 705, SWO 707, and SWO 709Optional co-requisite: SWO 712

This is a process intensive course toward degree completion. Students will work with course faculty to refine their Proposal and build toward oral defense of their Capstone proposal. This is done through a scaffolding process where the students first develop their comprehensive exam, then develop their literature review, and construct their proposal. Weekly updates between the student and instructor occur. Prerequisites: SWO 707, SWO 710, SWO 711, and SWO 713

The Capstone project allows students to showcase their understanding of rigor and DEIPAR within the three program pillars, demonstrating expertise in their chosen area of the social work profession. Students can creatively choose the medium and delivery method. This course dovetails the Capstone project implementation and student learning through exploring topics through diversity, equity, inclusion, intersectionality, power and anti-racism lenses.Prerequisites: SWO 710 and SWO 714