88 courses with the subject SWK, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
SWK 160Introduction to Social Work
This course is designed to give the student an overall orientation to the field of social work. It is a basic survey course that examines the social work profession from its beginnings to the present day. The course addresses problems and injustices experienced by individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and societies and the social work profession's response to these challenges. The student will be introduced to the generalist model of social work practice and the theoretical perspectives that inform social work practice, particularly th systems perspective and the empowerment approach. Social work fields of practice and levels of social work involvement will also be examined. Throughout the course, social work values and ethics will be explored. This course has a service-learning (SL) designation and includes a 20- hour community-engaged learning component.
This course is designed for social work and other undergraduate students to explore issues in relationships and sexuality. This course examines human sexuality from a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual perspective within a developmental framework. Students will have opportunities to examine and clarify personal and societal values, consider issues of diversity, and apply ethical perspectives to issues of sexuality with particular emphasis on underrepresented groups including children, LGBTQ persons, older adults and people with disabilities. Students will learn to apply specific approaches to ethical decision-making to ethical dilemmas of interpersonal relationships and sexuality. This course is offered in a rotating fashion with other Social Work electives. 3 SWK 250 Resilience and Strength: An Introduction to Puerto Rico There is a saying in Latin America - "Puerto Rico: tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca de los EE.UU." (Puerto Rico: So far from God and so close to the United States). This course will look at "la Isla del Encanto" - the Enchanted Island - and the challenges it has faced throughout its history as well as the strength and resilience of the people in facing those challenges. It will examine Puerto Rico from multiple perspectives: historical; its relationship to the US; and, through the eyes of the local Diaspora. This course is a community-based learning course. Throughout the semester we will visit with local organizations that are run by or work with Puerto Ricans in the diaspora in Philadelphia. We may even visit with an organization or two in New York City. Students will be expected to work with a local organization to carry out a project designed by the organization. This course is offered in a rotating fashion with other Social Work electives.
SWK 250Resilience and Strength: An Introduction to Puerto Rico
There is a saying in Latin America - "Puerto Rico: tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca de los EE.UU." (Puerto Rico: So far from God and so close to the United States). This course will look at "la Isla del Encanto" - the Enchanted Island - and the challenges it has faced throughout its history as well as the strength and resilience of the people in facing those challenges. It will examine Puerto Rico from multiple perspectives: historical; its relationship to the US; and, through the eyes of the local Diaspora. This course is a community-based learning course. Throughout the semester we will visit with local organizations that are run by or work with Puerto Ricans in the diaspora in Philadelphia. We may even visit with an organization or two in New York City. Students will be expected to work with a local organization to carry out a project designed by the organization. This course is offered in a rotating fashion with other Social Work electives.
These special topics courses are designed to address contemporary issues in generalist social work practice. Topics include gerontology, mental health, child welfare, family violence, drug and alcohol intervention, trauma, immigration, global social work, and social and economic justice. Students are advised to check with the Department Chair about current offerings and to provide suggestions for future topics. These courses are offered in a rotating fashion with other Social Work electives.
This course will provide an examination of the historical roots of the United States’ response to human needs through social welfare policy, including the distribution of power, status, and resources. The experience of oppression and discrimination of vulnerable groups will be stressed. Contemporary social welfare policy in the United States is examined, with emphasis on the reciprocal processes between social work practice and social policy development. A systematic framework for policy analysis will be presented and applied to contemporary social welfare policies, stressing critical thinking in how these policies can be improved to better serve individuals, especially those who have historically experienced oppression and discrimination. Approaches for advancing social and economic justice and human rights will be employed. Ethical issues associated with the allocation of resources will be highlighted. Global interconnections of oppression also are explored. Prerequisite or concurrent with POL 151
SWK 320Human Rights and Social Justice for Social Work
This course will examine social issues and injustices as they relate to social work. A central focus will be the struggles of individuals, families, and communities from around the country and around the world. This course will deepen the student's understanding to the concepts of social justice, human rights, social welfare, liberation and oppression, and explore how these concepts are understood at different times and in different places. In addition, they will discuss ways to promote human rights and social, economic and environmental justice in social work.
This course will examine issues related to migration locally, nationally, regionally and globally. The course will examine the push and pull factors related to migration. It will examine the immigrant and refugee experience, including US immigration policies and practices. Finally, the course will address issues to consider when working with immigrants and refugees. The course will include discussions of historical, economic, political, social, cultural, and climatic factors as they relate to migration. The course will make use of poetry, art, music, recordings, guest speakers, and readings.
qThis elective course will examine the issues of professional practice in child welfare that will enable students to bring skills and knowledge to bear in assessing and intervening in situations involving children and families. The student will become familiar with a range of both public and private child welfare services and approaches. The legal, social, and psychological ramifications of protective services, foster care, adoption, and permanency planning on children will be discussed. This course will promote the application of culturally competent practice as well as examine roles with special populations in the field of child welfare practice. We will critically examine current child welfare policies and practices, including child abuse and neglect, while reflecting upon the influence of historical events and persons. This course will explore the history and legal framework for the contemporary child welfare system; identify trends in child maltreatment and the organization of services; and identify current reform efforts and debates in policy, programs and practice. Attention will be given to the legal foundation for child welfare practice including federal and state of Pennsylvania laws that affect child welfare decisions. Innovative and creative intervention strategies designed to preserve families and to promote service integration will be presented. Culturally sensitive adaptation of these models will be addressed, along with the need to build partnerships and community collaboration to successfully deliver services to children and their families. La Salle University Catalog 2023-2024 - Undergraduate 269
This course seeks to provide space for students in the helping professions to reflect inward and assess, plan and develop a holistic self-care plan while building resiliency so they can fulfill their professional role in assisting others. This course is designed to assist students in developing their own ongoing multidimensional selfcare practice, including examining the areas of their life that offer opportunity for growth. Defining self-care beyond the standard commercial definition will be explored, including the importance in the helping professions of well-being. We explore the critical nature of prevention measures for vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout. This course will pay particular attention to the impact of when the practitioner is needing to be resilient while both they and the people they serve, are dealing with significant life events.
SWK 352Healing Approaches to Trauma: Working with Individuals and Communities
This course provides an overview of trauma and explores approaches to healing. We will begin with a basic understanding of individual and collective trauma and trauma-informed practice. The course will introduce a range of approaches to healing, broadening the tools we have for responding to trauma in holistic ways. These innovative approaches may include: clinical therapeutic and self-help, mind-body, body-centered, animal-assisted, collective and community-based, and social justice-oriented. This course may be of particular interest and importance for students of social work, psychology, sociology, nursing, religion, and communication.
This elective course will examine the ethical perspectives of social justice and the ethical dilemmas of working with vulnerable children and families. We will critically examine current policies and practices relating to children and families' circumstances and be able to apply appropriate social work perspectives that encourage sound practice, while reflecting upon the influence of historical events and persons. The course will enable students to bring skills and knowledge to bear in assessing and intervening in situations involving children and families. Formerly SWK 330. This course is offered in a rotating fashion with other Social Work electives.
These special topics courses are designed to address contemporary issues in generalist social work practice. Topics include gerontology, mental health, child welfare, family violence, drug and alcohol intervention, trauma, immigration, global social work, and social and economic justice. Students are advised to check with the Department Chair about current offerings and to provide suggestions for future topics. These courses are offered in a rotating fashion with other Social Work electives.
This is the first of three practicum courses, to be followed by SWK 480 and 481 respectively. This course is an introduction to social work practice. The purposes of this course is four-fold: 1) to provide students with an introductory opportunity to integrate the bio-psycho-socio-spiritual perspective and social work theory and practice; 2) to provide students with an educationally-directed experience in order to enhance the development of engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation skills; 3) to orient students to begin to identify with the social work profession and its values, and 4) to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate learning of practice behaviors. In this introductory practicum course, the student will focus primarily on the processes of generalist social work with individuals in their social environment. Each practicum setting, however, is unique and many students will have opportunities to participate in most or all aspects of the generalist social work process. This course is taken concurrently with SWK 341 -Generalist Practice with Individuals. In the 200-hour practicum experience, students begin to develop competency in generalist social work in an approved setting under the supervision of a professional social worker.
This course will provide students with an understanding of co-occurring disorders, related concepts and theories, and the inter-relationship between mental health issues and substance use and abuse. Mental health issues and substance abuse will be examined using the DSM 5, with specific attention to key symptomology and increased risk. Screening and assessment tools and intervention strategies for co- occurring disorders will be explored. The use of self in a professional setting, and cultural considerations will also be examined. Students will gain an understanding of the implications of current policy on individuals, families, communities and agencies as it relates to mental health and substance use disorders.
This course focuses on social work engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation in generalist social work practice with families and with groups. It provides an investigation of and skill development in direct engagement, assessment, intervention, evaluation, and advocacy strategies for effective and ethical generalist social work practice with families and groups. Prerequisites: SWK 341, SWK 381. Open to social work majors only. Concurrent with this course is SWK 480 – Professional Practicum II, an educationally-directed field practicum which helps the students integrate and utilize the skills from SWK 440 with client systems.
This course is the third in a three-part sequence in generalist social work practice. This course specifically focuses on engagement, assessment, and interventions/collaborations/evaluation with organizations and communities. However, as in the other courses in this sequence, there will be a focus on the integration of micro, mezzo, and macro skills for effective generalist practice. Social work values and ethics, as in all other social work courses, provide a foundation for this course. Students will acquire knowledge and skills for engagement, assessment and interventions/ collaboration/evaluation with organizations and communities utilizing a systems framework within the empowerment tradition in social work. In this course students will be introduced to a variety of approaches to macro social work practice so that they will gain the necessary skills and knowledge for engagement, assessment, and intervention/collaboration/evaluation on a macro level. Concurrent with this course is SWK 481 – Professional Practicum III, an educationally- directed field practicum which helps the students integrate and utilize the skills from SWK 441 with client systems.
This course provides the student with an opportunity to do research with a faculty member. The student and the faculty member agree on the research project before the student registers for the course.
This course is a continuation of the 444 research course. It provides the student with an opportunity to continue to conduct research with a faculty member. La Salle University Catalog 2023-2024 - Undergraduate 271
These special topics courses are designed to address contemporary issues in generalist social work practice. Topics include gerontology, mental health, child welfare, family violence, drug and alcohol intervention, trauma, immigration, global social work, and social and economic justice. Students are advised to check with the Department Chair about current offerings and to provide suggestions for future topics. These courses are offered in a rotating fashion with other Social Work electives.
Generalist Practicum: Part B provides the student with an educationally directed social work practice experience. The student integrates social work theory and skills that have been acquired in the practice sequence thus far (SWK 340, 341, 381, 460 & 480). While the focus of this practicum is assessment and intervention with organizations and communities, the student will continue to develop skills intervening with individuals, families, and/or groups, as well. The student continues to integrate the values and ethics of the profession into his/her generalist social work practice. This practicum is taken concurrently with SWK 461: Generalist Practice with Organizations and Communities.
This course discusses the major categories of psychological disorders, as well as theory and research regarding etiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Introduction to the use of the DSM.
SWK 510Multidimensional Approaches to Human Development
This course examines the foundational aspect of social work practice, that is, the development of the "person in environment." The course is designed to provide knowledge and understanding of theory, research and practice issues related to human behavior and development. Human behavior is presented as a bio-psycho-socio-cultural phenomenon. The course focuses on people as individual and as members of families, groups, organizations, communities and global society. Course content covers life course and life span development from conception through later adulthood and death and examines the impacts of racial, ethnic, socio-cultural, religious/spiritual and gender diversity on human behavior. These impacts on special population groups including racial and ethnic minority groups, immigrants, minority religious groups, women, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, children, older adults, and people with disabilities will be evaluated. The social work profession's ethical responsibility for enhancing individual and social functioning and advancing social, economic, and environmental justice will be emphasized.
3 This course focuses mainly on chemical substance abuse but considers 3 the etiology and manifestations of other addictions as well. Attention 3 is given to the occurrence of addiction in the family with particular 9 reference to the physical, behavioral, and attitudinal manifestations of 30 addictive behavior and identification and diagnosis of addiction, as well as the selection of appropriate processes of intervention.
SWK 520Human Rights & Social Justice for Social Work3
3 This course will examine social issues and injustices as they relate to social work. A central focus will be the struggles of individuals, families, 3 and communities from around the country and around the world. This 3 course will deepen the student's understanding to the concepts of social justice, human rights, social welfare, liberation and oppression, and explore how these concepts are understood at different times and in different places. In addition, they will discuss ways to promote human rights and social, economic and environmental justice in social work.
This course will examine issues related to migration locally, nationally, regionally and globally. The course will examine the push and pull factors related to migration. It will examine the immigrant and refugee experience, including US immigration policies and practices. Finally, the course will address issues to consider when working with immigrants and refugees. The course will include discussions of historical, economic, political, social, cultural, and climatic factors as they relate to migration. The course will make use of poetry, art, music, recordings, guest speakers, and readings.
This course will examine the ethical perspectives of social justice and 3 the ethical dilemmas of working with vulnerable children and families. 3 We will critically examine current policies and practices relating to 3 children and families' circumstances and be able to apply appropriate 3 social work perspectives that encourage sound practice, while reflecting upon the influence of historical events and persons. The course will enable students to bring skills and knowledge to bear in assessing and intervening in situations involving children and families.
This course seeks to provide space for students in the helping professions to reflect inward and assess, plan and develop a holistic self-care plan while building resiliency so they can fulfill their professional role in assisting others. This course is designed to assist students in developing their own ongoing multidimensional selfcare practice, including examining the areas of their life that offer opportunity for growth. Defining self-care beyond the standard commercial definition will be explored, including the importance in the helping professions of well-being. We explore the critical nature of prevention measures for vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout. This course will pay particular attention to the impact of when the practitioner is needing to be resilient while both they and the people they serve, are dealing with significant life events.
This course is designed to prepare the student for the professional practicum in social work. The course will familiarize the student with the 3 roles of the student intern and will guide the student in developing skills 3 for the social work relationship, as well as an understanding of profession practice. The course will assist the student in identifying diverse and vulnerable populations that pose the most challenge for students so that they can gain understanding of, and comfort and experience interacting with various social groups. The course will also introduce interviewing and empathic listening skills and provide opportunities for students to practice these skills.
This course focuses on the processes of ethical engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation in generalist social work practice with individuals. Skills are developed in initiating the social work relationship, assessing individual client strengths and challenges, advocating for individuals, developing intervention plans, evaluating outcomes, and appropriately ending the professional relationship. Prerequisite(s): SWK 540 Corequisite(s): SWK 540
This course investigates the processes of attachment, loss, and grieving. The course explores loss, in life and in preparation for death, and addresses both acceptable and disenfranchised loss and grief. Theories of bereavement and grief counseling and companioning skills are presented.
SWK 552Resilience & Strength: An Introduction to Puerto Rico
There is a saying in Latin America - "Puerto Rico: tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca de los EE.UU." (Puerto Rico: So far from God and so close to the United States). This course will look at la Isla del Encanto - the Enchanted Island - and the challenges it has faced throughout its history as well as the strength and resilience of the people in facing those challenges. It will examine Puerto Rico from multiple perspectives: historical; its relationship to the US; and, through the eyes of the local Diaspora.
SWK 560Generalist Practice with Families and Groups
This course focuses on social work engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation with families and groups. It provides an investigation of and skill development in generalist social work practice, focusing on systems theory and empowerment perspective. Students gain knowledge and skills for effective and ethical generalist social work practice with families and groups. Prerequisite(s): SWK 540 Corequisite(s): SWK 540, SWK 580
SWK 561Generalist Practice with Organizations and Communities
This course specifically focuses on engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation with organizations and communities. Social work values and ethics provide a foundation for this course, which highlights the integration of micro, mezzo, and macro skills for effective generalist practice. Students will be introduced to a variety of approaches to macro social work practice. Students will acquire knowledge and skills for engagement, assessment, interventions, and evaluation with organizations and communities utilizing a systems framework within the empowerment tradition in social work. Prerequisite(s): SWK 540 Corequisite(s): SWK 540, SWK 581
Research Methods for Generalist Social Work Practice is a one-semester course. The purpose of this course is to prepare the generalist social work practitioner to understand the research process, develop the steps of research design, including a survey instrument, and seek approval for the project from the La Salle University Institutional Review Board. The student will be exposed to a variety of social research processes and methods, including qualitative and quantitative methodologies; program evaluation; and needs assessment research. Emphasis on understanding and applying social work values to research will be included. Students will examine ethical dilemmas facing researchers and those studying research, especially as this relates to work with vulnerable populations. This course highlights how research interfaces with successful social work practice.
This course provides students with an educationally directed field experience designed to enhance the development of engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation skills in generalist social work. Students complete 250 hours of fieldwork in an approved setting under the supervision of a professional social worker. Prerequisite(s): SWK 540 Corequisite(s): SWK 540, SWK 560
SWK 585Mental Health & Substance Use: Support & Recovery
This course will provide students with an understanding of co-occurring disorders, related concepts and theories, and the inter-relationship between mental health issues and substance use and abuse. Mental health issues and substance abuse will be examined using the DSM, with specific attention to key symptomology and increased risk. Screening and assessment tools and intervention strategies for co-occurring disorders will be explored. The use of self in a professional setting, and cultural considerations will also be examined. Students will gain an understanding of the implications of current policy on individuals, families, communities and agencies as it relates to mental health and substance use disorders.
This course is designed to provide an understanding of working with children, adolescents, and their families. It will focus on treating a variety of presenting issues, as well as provide several theoretical perspectives for working wit families with children and/or adolescents. We will explore many clinical interventions for working with youth of varying ages, and the course will include play therapy. Students will have many experiential opportunities to learn about play therapy techniques and interventions. Careful attention will be paid to ethical issues, laws regarding mandated reporting, duty-to-warn, when treating children and adolescents, as well as cultural and diversity issues will be addressed.
This is a clinical skills course that focuses on the initial problems addressed in the process of therapeutic intervention, namely the self- regulation of thoughts, feeling, and actions. Training is in a broadly conceived cognitive behavior therapy that includes a variety of specific intervention strategies designed to address problems of self-regulation.
A clinical skills course that focuses on the issues addressed in those counseling and psychotherapy approaches that see the gaining of insight as a significant goal in the change process. Key concepts identified with these specific approaches will be presented along with general process issues for working with individuals. techniques specific to a number of insight-oriented approaches will be explored and students will be encouraged to gain both an understanding of these skills and the ability to utilize them.
This course combines experiential and didactic approaches. The student learns the major theoretical approaches to group counseling and psychotherapy and also participates in group counseling sessions on issues presented by the classroom group. this experience will show the dynamics of groups and lad to the acquisition of skills needed to assist in the resolution of behavioral problems.
This course explores multicultural counseling theory as well as culture- specific counseling strategies for culturally diverse clients. It is designed to help students develop their multicultural counseling competence and increase their ability to work effectively and ethically in a complex and diverse social world.
This course will offer a critical examination of the development of racism in the U.S. and within social work as a discipline and profession in the United States with a focus on how social work practice, theories, and interventions perpetuate racism and oppression. The course will use critical race theory and intersectionality to discuss how different forms of oppression -- discrimination based on race, ethnicity, immigration status, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, to name a few - are connected and how the dominant culture, both inside and outside social work, misuses power to maintain their advantage and privilege knowingly and unknowingly. It will then offer frameworks for practice that are anti-racist, anti-oppressive, abolitionist, and that promote social, economic, and environmental justice.
This course examines human relationships with particular reference to their various forms, functions, and patterns of development. The processes of attachment, separation, individuation, and differentiation are highlighted and are used in a contextual (systemic) framework to examine each relationship. Special emphasis is placed on the clinical applications of this knowledge to couples and families. The student is required to complete a study of one of his/her primary dyadic relationships.
This course focuses on an understanding of how addictive processes interact with social and family contexts. This allows more effective treatment interventions to be designed. The current research on family dynamics and treatment of codependence, adolescent substance abuse, and children of addicts will also be reviewed.
Social service agencies and nonprofit organizations permeate society and are a main source of enhancing well-being for individuals, families, and communities. Social workers are often employed by these agencies for service provision and program management and development. Increasingly, social workers are tasked with leading complex social services agencies and non-profit organizations. This course aims to provide students with the necessary skills to manage and lead in complex environments. Students will identify their own theory of leadership and how leadership applies to organizational management. Additionally, students will identify organizational structures and the processes for managing and developing programs within these structures. Students will also learn how to mentor employees and develop skills for providing supervision. Through course work, students can expect to gain knowledge in evaluating and implementing programs. Ultimately this course prepares students for the arduous, but necessary task, of transitioning from direct practice to a leadership role within the social work profession. Prerequisite(s): SWK 510, 540, 541, 565, 560, 561, 580, 581, 591
SWK 650Advanced Integrative Practice with Children & Families
Advanced Integrative Practice with Children and Families emphasizes the application of advanced theory and practice principles for working with children and families in diverse practice settings. This course provides students an opportunity to consider approaches of current and emerging models of service delivery across the spectrum of settings where clinical intervention may be necessary, as well as more systemic intervention, which would address needs in a setting where social work may be one of many services offered (such as educational, healthcare or child welfare agencies). Models of child and family practice that emphasize promotion of wellbeing for the child and their family are considered.
This course prepares students to apply social work knowledge and skills in school settings through engagement, prevention, assessment, and intervention from a multilevel approach focused on students, families, and the school community. The purpose of this class is to give students an introduction to social work practice in school settings. Emphasis will be providing school social work services from a multi-level approach with the student, family, and school, school social work standards, values, and ethics.
Advanced Practicum: Part A is the first, in a two-part practicum that provides the student with an educationally directed advanced social work practice experience. The student integrates social work theory and skills related to their area of concentration, while guided by a practicum instructor to practice within an ethical and professional framework. This practicum is based in an agency or organization within the community. Students are expected to complete 300 hours in the field and participate in a weekly seminar class. This practicum must be taken concurrently with SWK 680: Advanced Practice for Individual & Family Well-Being.
Advanced Field Practicum: Part B is the second in a two-part practicum that provides the student with an educationally directed advanced social work practice experience. The student integrates social work theory and skills related to their area of concentration, while guided by a practicum instructor to practice within an ethical and professional framework. This practicum is based in an agency or organization within the community. Students are expected to complete 300 hours in the field and participate in a weekly seminar class. This practicum must be taken concurrently with SWK 661: Advanced Community & Policy Practice for Well-Being.
