Health and Wellness in Social Work Practice

Catalog description

This is an online elective course designed to encourage social work students to explore the ways in which health and wellness permeate the layers of our lives and that of our clients, including the systems with which we interact. In doing so they will have the opportunity to focus on the responsibilities of, and challenges faced by, social workers engaged in this area of practice, a practice that is centered around the professional mandate to enhance human well-being and promote human and community well-being. As social workers are also called upon to pursue social change and justice there will be a deliberate focus on advocacy, at multiple levels and throughout the life course, with vulnerable populations to advance the human right to health. In this course, students will start and end with an exploration of self in the context of social work practice focused on health, healthcare, and wellness. In the process of that journey they will utilize the social determinants of health as a guide to better understand and prepare for opportunities in which social workers provide service and advocate for individuals', families', and communities' human right to health. By using this practice in context framework, students will be better prepared to meet the growing demand in the employment market for professionals with this knowledge and skill set, inside and out of the healthcare sector.