Social Work Practice III: Working with Organizations and Communities

Catalog description

This practice course focuses on macro social work practice within a systems perspective. The course clarifies the common elements of practice with systems of all sizes and identifies the application of micro and mezzo strategies of intervention within the organizational and community context, e.g. work with teams, coalitions, boards. The course provides an introduction to role theory and its application to collaboration and other forms of multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary activity. The course begins with an analysis of the worker’s role within the organization, starting with the historical antecedents of social work practice in this macro arena. Practice III demonstrates the relationship of the generalist intervention model (GIM) to work with organizations and the various tasks of the social worker at different phases of intervention. The second half of the course focuses on social work practice with communities. The curriculum includes a systems perspective for understanding communities with an emphasis on ecological and social systems, demographic development, social stratification, and political and economic systems. The course highlights the factors that define power in the community and the worker’s role in promoting social and economic justice. The course includes an analysis of the application of the generalist intervention model (GIM) to the change process in communities. The course includes material on value conflicts and value conflict resolution in social work practice with organizations and communities as well as strategies for evaluation of practice. Co requisites: SWK 611 and SWK 701