98 courses with the subject SWRK, 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.
SWRK 1000Introduction to the Social Work/Social Policy Profession
The course will explore the profession of social work/social policy, the rich career opportunities within the profession, and the skills and education required. As a result of this course, students will be able to: • Define social work/ social policy and develop an understanding of the profession. • Articulate underlying values and assumptions embedded in social work/social policy work. • Identify various social work/social polic careers. • Explore contemporary social problems/issues and view them through the social work/social policy lens. • View the paths, challenges and triumphs of professionals in the field. • Enhance skills for success: o Critical thinking o Technical Writing skills o Research o Oral presentation o Resume writing o Interview skills **This course is only available to students in the NEEL program.
This is a class focused on understanding the many forms and functions of innovation for the benefit of society. At a time when fresh solutions to public problems are increasingly coming not just from government, the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, but from collaborations across the three, we will focus in this class on understanding how to understand need and design effective interventions. We will explore how world changers find opportunity, cultivate ideas, define intended impact, understand competition, and collaborate with other actors. At the end of the course, students should have mastered a set of conceptual tools and practices that will allow them to be effective, collaborative problem solvers in diverse settings throughout their careers. The course has four main objectives: 1. To introduce students to the concepts and practices of social innovation; 2. To equip students with the tools to be able to accurately identify and assess innovation and impact in social initiatives; 3. To train students to view the world from a perspective of social innovation; and 4. To empower students to develop their own solutions to address societal challenges around the world. **This course is only available to students in the NEEL program.
The twofold purpose of social impact measurement is to assess and improve the impact of nonprofit programs and to offer actionable information for ongoing improvement. Social impact measurement is an essential learning opportunity for grant maker and grantee. Developing an evaluation plan, instruments, and processes that are culturally responsive and equity informed will lead to actionable results and learning that will drive continuous improvement. This course offers an overview of leading social impact measurement methodologies and tools in a format that includes asynchronous recorded video lectures, synchronous discussion lectures, readings, and practical assignments designed to teach the design and implementation of a social impact measurement plan.
SWRK 5840Transforming Evaluation: Empowering Stakeholders in Sense-making
The twofold purpose of social impact measurement is to assess and improve the impact of nonprofit programs and to offer actionable information for ongoing improvement. Social impact measurement is an essential learning opportunity for grant maker and grantee. However, developing an evaluation plan, instruments, and process that is culturally responsive with an equity lens and also aligned with nonprofit’s capacity is crucial. This course will offer an overview of leading social impact measurement methodologies and tools and field exercise experience. During the field exercise, student teams will develop an evaluation plan and associated instruments for a local nonprofit using one or more of the methodologies. Teams will present their evaluation plans and offer recommendations for implementation. Lectures will be complemented by class time devoted to field exercise team meetings and off-site field work.FallMutually Exclusive: NPLD 58401 Course Unit
This course introduces the student to the individual and family components of social interaction in a variety of different milieus. Theories of self and personality are studied, along with theories related to traditional and non-traditional family styles, different social and ethni groups, and of assimilation and acculturation. Emphasis is given to the impact of different cultures and traditions on individual functioning. Additional attention is given to selected social characteristics of the larger society, such as factors of socio-economic class which influence individual and family behavior and functioning.
This course explores racism in America as an historical and contemporary phenomenon. It emphasizes the development of evidence- based knowledge about institutional systems of racism, analytical skill in understanding the complexity of institutional racism and other forms of oppression more broadly defined, self-awareness, and the implications of racism for social work services and practices.
SWRK 6040Foundations of Social Work Practice I and Practicum
This is a first of a four-course sequence designed to help students develop a professional stance and evidence-based framework for social work services to individuals, groups, families, and communities. It integrates the student's theoretical learning with the experience in the field placement agency. The student is introduced to a holistic process-oriented approach to social work practice and to methods for implementation. The course emphasizes the social context for practice with special attention to agency purpose, functions and structure; the client system and its perceptions of need; goals and resources and the social worker as a facilitator of change.
SWRK 6140Foundations of Social Work Practice II and Practicum
This is the second in a four-course sequence and continues to examine varied practice frameworks and methods for service delivery in working with individuals, groups, families and communities. It emphasizes the eradication of institutional racism and other forms of oppression along with the integration of a culturally-sensitive approach to social work practice. Attention is given to understanding client problems in the context of different social work practice approaches and service requirements and to increased use of professional values to guide and inform practice.
All Advanced Standing students are required to take this non-credit Integrative Seminar in the summer upon beginning the program. The seminar meets weekly during the second summer session and supports students as they begin their field placement. In order to enroll in the fall, students must achieve satisfactory performance in the Integrative Practice Seminar and summer field placement. Advanced Standing MSW students only.
This course considers various theoretical approaches to justice and health, motivated by the idea that a moral framework is needed to address the ethical challenges posed by inequalities in access, quality, financial burdens, and resource priorities, as well as rising health care costs. The course includes four parts. The first part examines ethical frameworks that involve various approaches to medical and public health ethics. The second part presents an alternative theory of justice and health, the health capability paradigm (HCP), grounded in human flourishing. The third part explores domestic health policy applications of HCP, including equal access, equitable and efficient health financing and insurance, rising costs and allocating resources. The fourth and final part of the course investigates domestic health reform, particularly a normative theory of health policy decision making grounded in political and moral legitimacy. The course scrutinizes the relevance of health justice for governing health at the domestic level, that is within countries, offers a new theory of health and social justice, the health capability paradigm, and of health governance, shared health governance, evaluating current domestic health systems and proposals for reforming them in light of these alternative theoretical frameworks.
This course considers various theoretical approaches to global justice and global governance and analyzes their implications for global health. The course includes two parts. The first part examines accounts of cosmopolitanism, nationalism and other theories of global justice, critically assessing duties ascribed by each that may be owed universally to all persons or confined within associative boundaries of communities or nations. The second part explores applications to global health governance encompassing consideration of human rights and the operation and accountability of global institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization and national health systems. The course scrutinizes the relevance of global justice for governing the global health realm, proposes a new theory of global health justice, provincial globalism, and of global health governance, shared health governance, evaluating the current global health system and proposals for reforming it in light of these alternative theoretical frameworks.
This course examines the idea of health capability. Health capability is the ability to be healthy; it integrates health functioning and health agency. Health capability helps us understand the conditions that facilitate and barriers that impede health and the ability to make healthy choices. Health capabilities are key strengths resulting from individual and societal commitment of human, financial, and physical resources with the goal of helping people thrive. Differences in health capability explain why, for example, personal skills and determination or health beliefs are not enough to achieve health, why people with even the best external conditions can still have poor health, and why a narrow biomedical model of disease is insufficient. Health capability captures the dynamic, interactive, multidimensionality of health and flourishing. Health capability has the effect of creating a virtuous circle; developing people's health capability enables them to create and support the conditions for their own and other's health capability and so forth. It offers an evaluation of the aim and success of public policies in terms of people's lived experiences. The course is motivated by the idea that health capabilities ought to be a primary dimension in which equity in health and public policy is sought. The course includes three parts. The first part engages with the health capability model. The second part examines the health capability profile. The third part explores health capability applications. Twin goals of the course include cultivating the development of students' knowledge base, values and competencies as well as aiding students in identifying, assessing and expanding their own health capabilities for individual and community health and flourishing.
Effective social policy and practice strategies promote social justice and ensure all individuals, groups, and communities have access to high quality, comprehensive, affordable health and social support services. In this course, we use a health equity lens to critically analyze how health and mental health policies are developed and implemented, and how such policies relate to social work practice, program planning, and research. A broad perspective is used in thinking about health and well-being, accounting for intersectional health equity considerations deriving from race, ethnicity, disability or gender. Key policy issues such as financing, cost, access, and the allocation of resources are explored in the context of existing systems and health reform proposals. Students learn about health and mental health policy through inquiry related to the social construction of illness, stigma, social determinants of health, health and behavioral health integration, and specific population groups such as children, families, LGBTQ individuals, or those with specific health conditions, among other topics.
This course focuses on key issues in social work practice in health care settings. Social aspects of health and illness, including cultural variations, health beliefs and behavior, and the impact of illness on the patient and the family, are examined and their relevance for practice is discussed. Appropriate theoretical models for practice are identified and applied to practice in the areas of prevention, primary care, chronic and long-term care. New roles for social work in varied health delivery systems and inter-professional collaboration are explored.
SWRK 7030Impacting Government: Policy Analysis & Coalition Building
This course focuses on developing a theoretical foundation for actionable skills in policy analysis and coalition building across a wide-range of constituencies. The material begins with a structured focus on the ideological underpinnings of social welfare in the United States and the ways in which these perspectives shape our conception of equity, equality, and allocation of resources along the lines of race, class, gender, immigration status, and other identities. We will then utilize this basis for developing analysis frameworks, policy briefs, and media messaging that students will utilize when working with legislative bodies to advocate for and with the populations they serve. Distinct emphasis is placed on becoming conversant across differential systems, ideas, values, and assumptions while remaining grounded in relevant research and empirical approaches. Not Offered Every Year Mutually Exclusive: NPLD 7030 1 Course Unit
This course examines policies for children and their families with a specific focus on child welfare policy. The course examines the interrelationship between: the knowledge base on child abuse and neglect; evaluations of interventions; programs and policies designed to protect maltreated children; and child welfare policy at the state and national level. The course also examines federal and state laws that govern the funding and operation of child welfare systems; the history of child welfare policies; the operation of child welfare systems; and the legal, political and social forces that influence the structure and function of child welfare systems in the United States.
SWRK 7080Advanced Macro Social Work Practice I and Practicum
Advanced Macro Social Work Practice I and Practicum builds on the foundation social work practice courses and focuses on three areas: (1) context of macro practice; (2) organizational structure with a focus on nonprofits; and (3) program design and development. The course begins with providing theoretical frameworks for macro practice and then moves to focus on delivery of services at the community level. Knowledge and skill development focuses primarily on social work practice within communities and organizations. Students learn how to organize and build relationships with communities and develop, plan, manage, fund and assess/evaluate community-based programs. Specific skill development includes learning how to research, develop, write, and pitch a grant proposal. Course content is integrated with practicum work and is specific to the service needs of the populations with whom students are working in their agencies.
In a limited number of cases, advanced-year students may be placed in agencies where there is no available MSW practicum site instructor. In such instances, the student is required to attend the Clinical or Macro Supervision Seminar (depending on their concentration), which meets every other week during the academic year. Students who are required to participate in the clinical or macro supervision seminars will be given 1.5 hours of compensatory time off from their practicum site every other week. Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms 0 Course Units University of Pennsylvania Catalog 2631
This course introduces students to the analysis of contemporary social welfare policy. Several social welfare policy areas, including social inequality, poverty, health care, and housing are examined. Each topic area is also used to illustrate a component of the policy analysis process, including the analysis of ideologies and values as they shape policy formulation, the process by which legislation is proposed and enacted, the roles of advocacy and lobbying organizations, and the challenges of policy implementation and evaluation.
SWRK 7170Art and Social Work: Art and the Ecology of Justice
How can the arts help us build a more just society? How can the arts transform social structures and systems? Public health crises involving clean water (Flint), police violence (Baltimore), and a lack of economic and educational opportunity following reentry (Philadelphia) make legible the need for a new visual language that critiques these conditions and challenges entrenched structural inequalities. We will engage the work of creative practitioners who are mapping new relationships between art and social justice and directly impacting individual and communal well-being. In so doing, the course seeks to challenge traditional constructions of public health, which often isolate individual histories from their social life and their relation to families, communities, and geographies. Readings will build upon disciplinary perspectives in the arts, humanities, and social policy. Requirements include weekly readings, class participation, and a collaborative final project. The course will meet in the Health Ecologies Lab at Slought Foundation, an arts organization on campus.
This is a mandatory, year long, bi-monthly, non-credit course for all students enrolled in the Social Work in Health Care Specialization (SWIHCS). SWIHCS aims to prepare students for successful careers across practice settings and with diverse populations and conditions. Grounded in the tenets of biopsychosocial approaches to direct practice, the specialization bridges systems of practice and introduces students to inter-professional collaboration and leadership skills. This proseminar will serve two functions for students in the specialization. First, the cohort will meet together monthly for case conceptualization, and consideration of challenges unique to health-related placements in both macro and direct practice settings. Second, students will meet monthly for special learning opportunities, guest lectures, and professional development. Topics may include, but are not limited to: direct practice work with children, families, the elderly, and communities coping with chronic and terminal illness, palliative and end of life care, health care advocacy, policy development and evaluation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. 0 Course Units
This course provides a foundation for social work practice with children and adolescents. Beginning with an overview of normative child and adolescent development and psychosocial developmental theory, the course covers various methods for helping at-risk children and adolescents and their families. Emphasizing the complex interplay between children and adolescents and their social environments, consideration will be given to biological, temperamental, and developmental status; the familial/cultural context; the school context; and other aspects of the physical and social environment. Particular attention is paid to working with socially, emotionally, financially, and physically challenged and deprived children and adolescents and their families.
This is a monthly, non-credit course for all students enrolled in the LGBTQ Certificate. The LGBTQ Certificate provides supplemental content and skills to existing professional master's degrees at Penn with specialized courses and fieldwork addressing the legal, physical and mental health care, social service, and educational needs of LGBTQ communities and issues of gender and sexuality, more generally, across the lifespan. Because students can enroll in a variety of courses across schools to meet the certificate requirements, the proseminar is designed to serve as a shared community building and peer mentorship experience for each certificate cohort. The instructor will also provide an additional layer of mentorship for integrating field placement into the academic social work experience. The proseminar will take on different formats over the course of the semester including case review, guest lectures, and in-depth discussion of issues relating to ethics, identity, and cross-professional collaboration. Two Term Class, Student may enter either term; credit given after both terms are complete 0 Course Units
This course enhances the students' ability to practice social work with and on behalf of people with developmental disabilities and their families. The course provides a base of knowledge about developmental disabilities and differences, their causes and characteristics. Students learn how disabilities and learning differences impact personal, familial, educational, social, and economic dimensions for the individual, family and society, with attention to the person's special life cycle needs and characteristics. The course also emphasizes legislative, programmatic, political, economic, and theoretical formulations fundamental to service delivery.
The goal of this course is to introduce the participants to the basic principles and practice of couple therapy. With its rich history as a distinct discipline integrating both individual and systemic theory, students will explore a broad range of theoretical and clinical approaches within this field. Issues such as intimacy, gender, power, class, race, orientation, family of origin, affairs, separation, divorce, domestic violence, sex, parent-child relationships, and money will be discussed.
This course focuses on theory and practice of planned brief treatment in social work practice, primarily with individuals but with attention to couples, families and other groupings. The course covers the history of and different approaches to brief treatment. Topics include treatment issues such as criteria for selection of clients, understanding the importance of time in the treatment relationship, the use of history, the importance of focusing, the process of termination and other issues related to brief interventions. Particular attention will be paid to the use of brief treatment approaches in crisis situations. The course presents various methods of assessing an individual's crisis and of helping clients mobilize their strengths to utilize customary methods of coping and learn newer ways of coping.
This course provides students with assessment and intervention skills for social work practice with varied family/partner configurations. The course begins with a grounding in family systems theory and proceeds to explore patterns of interaction in terms of the wide range of problems that families and partners bring to social agencies. Emphasis is given to exploring ways of supporting change in interaction patterns. Readings are augmented by videotapes of family sessions and simulations of clinical situations from students' field practice.
SWRK 7280Taking Down the Prison Industrial Complex
The U.S. incarcerates more people than any other country, and more than any nation has ever done in history. The racial disparities that mark this carceral regime have led scholars to describe the prison industrial complex as a new form of Jim Crow. Philadelphia has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country, and one of the largest populations on parole and probation. This class explores structural and individual-level pathways to re-engage the vast population of recently incarcerated people who cycle through prisons, jails, juvenile homes, and other detention centers. Drawing on practice informed by critical race, postcolonial, feminist, and queer theories, the class prepares the conceptual and practice foundations for a prison abolitionist orientation in social work engagement with this community. Utilizing a daily workshop format that incorporates members of the Philadelphia decarcerate landscape, students will be trained in direct and macro practice, to engage with people and the carceral systems they are embedded in. The class will engage students with the innovative psychotherapeutic and macro practices being implemented in the Center for Carceral Communities at SP2, alternative programs in Philadelphia’s municipal and federal courts, educational degree programs at community colleges in Philadelphia, co-operative business initiatives for people emerging from incarceration, and social movements such as Black Lives Matter that are shaping the prison abolition landscape. The class blends morning sessions dedicated to discussions of texts with afternoon sessions dedicated to hands-on implementation workshops. At the end of the class, students will be prepared to immediately start engaging with members of the community emerging from incarceration.
SWRK 7310Clinical and Macro Child Welfare Practice
This co-taught course explores the policies, practices, and organizational contexts that shape the U.S. child welfare system. Students examine the social conditions, historical forces, and ideological debates that drive child welfare reform, as well as the systemic inequities that affect children, youth, and families—particularly those from historically marginalized communities disproportionately represented in the system. Course content emphasizes both theory and practice, with attention to safety assessment and planning, risk assessment, permanency planning, and family engagement. Students also analyze how child welfare organizations are structured and managed, and how front line practice interacts with macro-level systems, juvenile courts, and federal child welfare data reporting. By bridging micro, mezzo, and macro perspectives, the course prepares students to critically evaluate and strengthen child welfare practice while advancing equity, safety, stability, and well-being for children, youth, and families.
This capstone course in the Child Well-Being and Child Welfare specialization will integrate direct/micro and macro levels of practice; research in child welfare and related fields, as the research relates to all levels of practice; the relationship of child maltreatment and other social problems; and perspectives from several disciplines, specifically social work, other mental health professions, law, and medicine, as these disciplines address problems of child maltreatment and child welfare. The seminar will highlight issues of social justice, disproportionality - particularly the over-representation of children and families of color in the child welfare system, and disadvantaged populations, including children in general and poor children in particular. Faculty from other disciplines will be features as guest speakers throughout the course.
SWRK 7330Supporting LGBTQ+ Individuals Across the Lifespan
As recognition and acceptance of individuals across and beyond both the sexual orientation and gender identity spectrums continues to progress within the United States, clinical theory and applications for working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer plus (LGBTQ+) individuals has also expanded. This course will explore the clinical theories and treatment approaches geared towards affirming and supporting LGBTQ + individuals within their romantic and/or sexual relationships, families of origin, and families of choice. Areas of development will be addressed across the lifespan including specific milestones related to gender and sexuality development as well as psychological, sociocultural, and spiritual influences upon development. Centering on a social justice approach, learners will be encouraged to critically examine systemic factors impacting LGBTQ+ individuals as well as the intersectionality of various identities including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability/disability, socioeconomic status, educational attainment, mental and physical health, and other identities (both self-assigned and externally applied) that can impact development. Each stage of development will include multiple cases for review and consideration of potential practice implications at the individual, relationship, family, community, and systemic levels. Upon conclusion of the course, learners will have a stronger understanding of the practice theories that exist, the practice models that best fit their professional style, and clear understanding of practice application in regard to affirming and supporting LGBTQ+ individuals.
SWRK 7370Bioethics in Social Work in Diverse Healthcare Settings
As medical technology develops and evolves, ethical dilemmas are occurring more frequently in many diverse healthcare settings. Social workers play an integral and unique role in bioethics: primarily as patient advocates but also as guardians of autonomy and dignity. This can come into direct conflict with decisions patients, families, and healthcare teams are asked to make on a daily basis in healthcare settings. This course will explore many of the major ethical challenges confronting medicine, social work, and biomedical sciences. We will examine legal, institutional and personal positions, beliefs, and values as we consider and debate opposing arguments. You will be challenged to think and write critically, utilizing philosophical, bioethical, and social work frameworks to structure your arguments and ethical decision making. This course will prepare students to actively participate in ethics committees, mediation, patient/family conferences with diverse populations and interdisciplinary collaborative discussions regarding ethical issues in medical settings. 1 Course Unit
Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental disorders seen in social work clients, and frequently they occur concurrently. This course describes the medical and "physical" concomitants and psychosocial factors associated with both conditions and introduces diagnostic and assessment procedures and methods of intervention that social workers use in working with clients with these conditions. The course also considers how culture, social class, gender, and other social differences affect the expression of these disorders and their concomitant treatment.
This course focuses on social work practice in medicine and the relationships between physical health, social environments, and psychosocial functioning. Student learning will be grounded in the biopsychosocial-spiritual model, and will address a number of domains, including the impact of illness on families over the life course, the impact of a diagnosis on family functioning, medical decision making, coping, health beliefs and spirituality, culture and social class. Classroom content will include conceptualization of illness challenges from the presentation/prevention of symptoms to the end of life, in addition to writing case material, building self-awareness and identifying clinical interface issues, and the compilation of a "clinician's toolbox" for direct practice on the front lines. Activities will include the unique opportunity to participate in hands-on, interdisciplinary training at the Simulation Center in the School of Nursing.
Gender and Social Policy develops an advanced understanding of social policies through the lens of gender - a socially constructed classification system based on ideals of femininity and masculinity, which are most commonly understood to be binary, mutually exclusive categories corresponding to sex (female and male). (Gender is) a concept that pervades all aspects of culture: structuring institutions, social identities, cultural practices, political positions, historical communities, and the shared human experience of embodiment*. The class provides students with the opportunity to explore how social policies respond (and contribute) to the needs and risks of different groups of people based on gender classifications. Rather than a survey of "gender" policy, students will be introduced to key feminist and trans concepts and frameworks that can be applied to any social issue and policy intervention. Policy examples may include reproduction, state violence, exclusionary/ inclusive space, and national emergencies. The topics and specific readings may change based on the class's interests and current events. Class assignments are designed to provide an opportunity to practice applying gender theory, as well as for each student to examine a policy issue of import to them through a gendered lens. *Paraphrasing Garland- Thomson, 2002, "Integrating Disability, Transforming Feminist Theory," NWSA Journal, 14(3): pg 4.
Action research is a form of social research that combines research with intervention. It is characterized by a collaborative relationship between the researcher and a client organization that is in an immediate problematic situation. The research process is directed toward addressing the problem situation and producing knowledge that contributes to the goals of social science. Action research is compatible with many of the values and principles of social work. This course also addresses issues of social work ethics and values encountered by the action researcher.
This course provides graduate social work students with research knowledge and skills aimed at enhancing their direct practice with clients. The course examines methods of assessment, methods for choosing and evaluating techniques of intervention, methods for determining the effectiveness of practice and the use of research in social work decision-making. A successful outcome of the course will be that students perceive a more positive relationship between research and social work practice and possess a set of tools that they will be able to utilize in their future careers as social workers. The course starts from an assumption that students have some familiarity with research and are primarily engaged in direct practice with individuals, families or groups.
This course explores Critical Race Theory (CRT). CRT refers to a body of work that emerged during the 1980s and 90s among legal educators to try and explain why there seemingly has been racial progress on the one hand through laws and court decisions that outlaw the most visible symbols of racial discrimination, but growing signs of racial inequality on the other in education, health, criminal justice, housing, politics, and other areas. During the past ten years, fields such as women’s studies, sociology, education, gender studies, history, criminology, and postcolonial studies have begun to look to the insights developed by critical race theorists. Without a doubt, CRT has spawned and/or influenced new areas of inquiry such as Latino/a critical studies, queer studies, critical race feminism, and critical white studies. Although social work researchers have begun to use CRT ideas such as intersectionality, the application of Critical Race Theory to the field remains largely unexplored.
This course focuses on the role of social workers and the social work profession in advocacy and the political arena. It examines the methods of advocacy (e.g., case, class, and legislative) and political action through which social workers can influence social policy development and community and institutional change. The course also analyzes selected strategies and tactics of change and seeks to develop alternative social work roles in the facilitation of purposive change efforts. Topics include individual and group advocacy, lobbying, public education and public relations, electoral politics, coalition building, and legal and ethical dilemmas in political action. Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms 1 Course Unit University of Pennsylvania Catalog 2635
The course will explore and analyze the development of social policy within the context of LGBTQ social movements both assimilationist and liberationist. Among the policies examined are HIV/AIDS, Defense of Marriage Act, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Same-Sex Marriage, Adoption of Children, the DSM and Pathologizing the LGBT Community, Legal Issues, Non-Discrimination, and Hate Law Legislation. Social Services for the LGBTQ community will be discussed as well as support for LGBTQ youth. The particular difficulties confronting transpeople and their acceptance will be examined in the context of the social construction of gender; in this, the work of philosophers Judith Butler and Michel Foucault will be introduced. Questions of social justice will be threaded throughout the course, as will social work advocacy and coalition building.
SWRK 7480Microfinance and Women's Empowerment in India
This course examines microfinance and its engagement with marginalized communities such as those in India. It is designed to provide students with an understanding of the phenomena of microfinance and its role in poverty alleviation. By studying the use of self-help groups with NGO facilitation, their impact on women's empowerment will be examined and understood through interaction with women engaged in microfinance activities.
SWRK 7490Civil Society Addressing Conflict in Israel/Palestine
This course offers a unique opportunity to experience the challenges and complexities of coexistence in Israel, the Holy Land for Christians, Jews and Muslims; a key point of interest and dispute for the international community, and the homeland shared and claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. The course will focus on activities carried out by nonprofit organizations operating within the Israeli civil society, dealing with issues related to coexistence and to the protection and advancement of the civil and social rights of different populations, with special emphasis on the Arab-Palestinian population in Israel. These activities include educational and social services programs, community work and advocacy activities, aimed at creating dialogues and building coexistence among the different populations in the Israeli society and Palestine.
In this course on social policy and the Latinx immigrant community in the US, students will develop a broad understanding of how social policy at the local, state, and federal levels affect Latinx immigrants’ access to and interactions with social services. After developing a critical understanding of the diversity of the Latinx immigrant community and of the sociopolitical and –historical context for the development of social policies impacting this community, students will explore social policy and related social services around immigration, health, education, and labor that deeply affect the lived experiences of Latinx immigrants. Students will then investigate Latinx immigrants’ participation in the development of social policies as well as the ways in which Latinx grassroots movements and organizations influence national debates on public policy and social services for the Latinx immigrant community. Students will also learn about this group’s economic contributions to funding at local, state, and national levels to the U.S. social welfare system, as well as new and current initiatives promoting social policies geared towards social and economic justice for Latinx immigrants. Through course readings, lectures and discussions students will develop tools for critical thinking and analysis about how social services and the daily lived experiences of Latinx immigrants are mediated by policy and its implementation at local, state, and federal levels. Students will also develop skills in case study analysis through interactions and interviews with invited guests – local Latinx immigrant community members and social leaders – who will share their own perspectives, knowledge and firsthand experience around issues related to social policy and Latinx immigrants. Over the course of the semester, students will formulate plans for social policy advocating for social justice and human rights within the Latinx immigrant community.
Spirituality is a critical anchor of a holistic approach to social work, which views individuals, couples, families, groups, and communities in a bio-psycho-social-spiritual context. It varies in extent to which spiritual aspects of social work practice have been addressed explicitly in social work education. In a post September 11th, 2001 world, however, drawing from the wellsprings of spirituality seems more widespread, and even more crucial. Current trends in social work education, including the Council on Social Work Education's Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards support the inclusion of content on religious and spiritual diversity. Accordingly, this course is an advanced clinical practice elective that focuses on spiritual aspects of social work practice. The professional values of client self-determination and empowerment will be stressed as diverse spiritual perspectives are explored. This course will strive to seek a balance of exploring the universalistic as well as the particularistic in relationship to spirituality. Some particularistic religious and/or spiritual traditions will be studied as they exemplify commitments of spirituality and as they intersect with a more universalistic spirituality. The impacts of spiritual and religious systems in relation to diversity (e.g. by gender, social class, ethnicity, culture, and sexual orientation) will be considered. As a practice elective, this course will make linkages directly to students' practice experience in the field as well as to other curriculum areas such as human behavior theory, social policy, and research.
SWRK 7530Constructing America: A Socio-Legal History of Immigration
From the 1790 Act that restricted the right of naturalization to “free whites,” to the quota Acts of the 1920s that limited the entry of non- Nordic immigrants, to the reinvigorated restrictionism of the post-9/11 era, the laws of the nation and the discourses of immigration and immigrants that have enabled them have been key terrains in and through which legitimate and de-legitimized identities have been forged, and populations demarcated as viable participants in society or as undesirable Others to be excluded from full participation. Because immigration has been a central discriminating mechanism through which this selective peopling of the nation has been accomplished, the history of immigration and immigrants is a site par excellence for the examination of the mechanisms through which to examine contemporary issues of diversity, “difference,” and marginalization of populations. Social work’s development as a profession coincided with the period in U.S. history marked by the largest waves of immigration. The strategies the early U.S. social workers and social reformers devised to improve the poor and their communities were interventions located in and focused on immigrants and their neighborhoods. Work with poor immigrants in urban settings, shaped the nature and the direction of social work in these crucial early years of the profession. Moreover, in this work with the largely white immigrants—formulated and accomplished in the context of the rapidly developing social and physical sciences—social work cut its teeth, not only on the abiding issues of race, heredity, and culture, but on the still contested links between the individual and the environment. Examining the history of immigration—the history of the organic past which has constructed the particular demographic make- up of the present-day communities—is indispensable to understanding the profession’s current practices and future aspirations. This seminar will examine the socio-legal history of immigration. We will review major U.S. legislation concerning immigrants and immigration, refugees and asylum, and citizenship and naturalization. The legal codes, as well as the political and social discourses of identity that undergird and enabled those codes, will be analyzed through the lens of poststructuralist theories.
Play is the method children use to master and understand their worlds. When working with children and adolescents, social workers often utilize play as a primary treatment intervention. This course will provide students with a foundation in play therapy theories, techniques, and practice intervention models. Play therapy philosophies will be critically analyzed. Play therapy will be presented for application in a variety of practice settings as well as with individuals, families, and groups. Students will be taught how to apply play therapy to address issues such as trauma, loss, mood disturbance, relational stress, anxiety, and academic performance. Emphasis will be placed on approaching play therapy from perspectives of multicultural competence, empowerment, social justice, and inclusion.
The aim of this course is to increase students' ability to deal more comfortably with the sexual aspect of human functioning. Readings, written assignments, and classroom presentations are directed to realizing the diversity, complexity, and range of human sexual expression. Current information about sexuality from the biological and physiological sciences is reviewed to increase comfort and skill in discussion and handling of sex-related behavior, personal and societal attitudes will be explored. A variety of sex-related social problems encountered by social workers in family, education, health, and criminal justice settings are discussed. Diagnostic interviewing and treatment methods are presented in role play, group exercises and case studies.
This course considers loss as a central theme throughout the life cycle. Content focuses on the physical, psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural aspects of loss, dying and bereavement processes and the interaction among individuals, families and professionals. Students examine historical trends of family, community, and institutional support for the terminally ill and those experiencing traumatic loss and learn ways to advocate for a system of services that supports full decision- making on the part of the client. Course materials, journals, and special projects identify how self and other factors impact service delivery to individuals, families, and communities experiencing loss, including ethical considerations prompted by cost, technology, and end of life issues. Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms 1 Course Unit
This course addresses intervention approaches used in social work practice with individuals, families, and groups who misuse addictive substances themselves or are affected by another's misuse. Students learn about addictive substances, models of intervention, how to engage and assess clients, and how to intervene and evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions. The course incorporates theory and research findings on various strategies of intervention.
This course familiarizes students with mental health and mental disorders within the context of the life cycle, viewed from a biopsychosocial perspective. Prevalent categories of psychiatric disorders are considered with respect to their differentiating characteristics, explanatory theories, and relevance for social work practice, according to the DSM and other diagnostic tools. The course includes biological information and addresses the impact of race, ethnicity, social class, age, gender, and other sociocultural variables on diagnostic processes. Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms 1 Course Unit
Group work is an essential part of social work direct practice. Every social service agency utilizes groups, and social workers will engage with a variety of groups during the course of their careers. Given the fact that collective group processes are especially salient for marginalized communities, group work is essential to direct practice that is embedded in the principles of social justice. Moreover, group work has been shown to be a superior form of intervention for clients battling chronic conditions, entrenched behaviors and social stigma. In an era of evidence-based practice, successful and cost-effective group skills are a vital component of every social worker’s toolkit. Students will learn about different types of groups and modalities, facilitate groups in class and in field settings, and engage with social workers who have implemented group interventions in various communities in diverse contexts. The class will train students to facilitate therapeutic, psychoeducational, task, and decision groups, while helping them to explore how to start, manage and terminate groups in various social work settings.
Fiction provides a lens to look at social issues and social policy through the rich and understandable lives of human beings, their challenges, and their triumphs in the holistic context of their worlds. Through appreciation of the human condition as portrayed in literature, students learn to frame issues more precisely and present arguments in compelling and convincing ways, thus enhancing the capabilities of social workers, social policymakers, and other agents to influence policy change.
SWRK 7690Aging: The Intersection of Policy and Practice
This course examines a variety of social welfare policies that affect the rights and interests of older adults. These include policies related to economic security, health, long term care, and civil rights. In addition, the course reviews the policy-making process with a discussion of the influence of legislative sanctions and case law in establishing aging policy in the U.S. The focus of the course is on critical analysis of the key assumptions driving policy and policy change, e.g. social responsibility vs. individual responsibility. Finally, the course includes a critical examination of the intersection between policy and practice, that is, the influence that policy has on the design of interventions and service delivery practices at the state and local level and the impact of changing policies on communities, providers, and older adults.
SWRK 7730Mental Health Challenges in Childhood and Adolescence
This course will be an opportunity for the student and the instructor to explore the concept "psychopathology" as it has been and is applied to childhood and adolescence. There are some psychopathological challenges that are unique to childhood and some which can manifest themselves throughout childhood into adolescence and adulthood. The social worker/practitioner will encounter a wide range of symptomatic presentations among his/her clients. At this time in the fields of clinical social work, psychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy there are numerous frameworks available to the practitioner to aid in an understanding of symptoms in children and adolescents. During the next several weeks three conceptual frameworks will be articulated. These three frameworks will elucidate the possible meaning, origin, and/or function of the symptoms and offer to the student a vocabulary with which to engage the situation. At the turn of the 19th century into the 20th century, psychoanalysis emerged in Europe as a method of understanding symptoms from the point of view of internal conflict within the child or adolescent. After World War II in the U.S.A., a model of understanding symptoms from a systemic/cybernetic point of view revolutionized the diagnostic processes involved in working with children and adolescents. Since the late 1980's, postmodern ideas, primarily from Europe and Australia, have greatly influenced and informed the understanding of psychopathology in children and adolescents. Narrative, social constructivist, and linguistic usage patterns have become a common vocabulary in the discourse on psychopathology. This course is not intended to be a reading of the history of child psychopathology. It is intended to expose the student to the most influential paradigms in the field of child psychopathology.
This course introduces students to theoretical and practical aspects of social service program evaluation. Students learn about the design and implementation of all phases of an evaluation, from needs assessment to analysis of findings. Skills such as survey construction and budgeting are introduced. Intensive analysis of existing studies illustrates how evaluations are designed and how findings affect social programs and policy.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is the world’s most effective and empirically-based psychotherapy with strong scientific evidence. CBT is a collaborative and empowering psychotherapy that educates and helps clients to motivate themselves, set goals, and develop and implement treatment plans to reach those goals. The purpose of this advanced clinical skills course is to orient students to CBT, to begin applying the basic principles of CBT, and to develop a foundational skill-set in CBT approaches and techniques. Prerequisite requirements: SWRK-6010,
In this course we will examine the underlying theories, empirical foundations, and fundamental skill sets associated with dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). Students will be expected to participate in role plays, lead mindfulness exercises, and carry out chain analyses.
SWRK 7790Social Work in Authoritarian Times: Engaging with
Marginalized Communities Under Attack We live in troubling times. A surging wave of authoritarianism, both in the U.S. and across the globe, has energized discriminatory orientations towards marginalized communities, subjecting them to an expanding regime of punitive cultural and institutional practices. The current landscape of social work practice is marked by shrinking resources for social services, a weakening of institutional diversity and inclusion policies, accelerating violence aimed at impoverished communities, and retaliations directed towards those who advocate for social justice. In other words, the need for Social Work to step up to the challenges shaping this era has never been more urgent. Traditional social work responses to the needs of our communities however, may not be sufficient to address emerging hurdles, and in some cases, might even be exacerbating the crisis. How are we to understand the evolving sociopolitical forces that shape the macro, meso, and direct modes of engagement with our communities? What are the dynamic and emerging barriers confronting marginalized communities? What are clinical, community-level, and structural interventions that might be effective responses in these authoritarian times? What are the creative subjective and material resources, strategies, and protocols that social workers might deploy to collaborate with communities in order to resist marginalization? Drawing on examples and readings from the U.S. as well as global contexts, and in conversation with social workers and activists who are currently negotiating the crises of our times, this class seeks to engage students in a collective process that lays the groundwork for an effective social work response (macro, meso, and clinical) to emerging vectors of oppression. 1 Course Unit
Qualitative research encompasses a variety of methods that enable the researcher to enter into the "lived experience" of research participants. These methods are particularly sensitive to the voices of populations whose perspectives are silenced by dominant societal discourses. The course begins by giving attention to underlying philosophical issues and traditions of qualitative research and proceeds to examine qualitative research design, methods of data collection, strategies to ensure rigor, data analysis, and presentation of findings. Students will learn about research interviewing, focus groups, and participant observation and ways in which qualitative research can be used to inform and evaluate social work practice and programs. Students will have the opportunity to apply qualitative research methods to in-class activities and individual or group projects.
International drug policy is guided by three international conventions, which inform the implementation of national drug control efforts. This framework supports the “war on drugs” approach, the intention of which is to eliminate the production, sale, and consumption of all illicit drugs. After more than a half-century, not only has this deeply flawed approach failed to accomplish its goals, it is one reason that global use and production are at an all-time high. In this course, students will examine lessons learned in drug policy and explore innovative options put into place by a number of states and local governments. Moreover, students will be exposed to a spectrum of topics within the field of drug policy such as development, public health, gender-based issues, human rights, and criminal justice. Throughout the course we will explore some of the larger drug policy questions including: which drugs are illegal and why? what drives and/or impedes drugs regulation? what has been the impact of 50+ years of the so-called "war on drugs"? what are the prospects for, decriminalization and/or legalization? what are the unintended consequences and which populations are impacted by these? Literacy across a full range of drug policy areas will be developed for those who may wish to delve into this topic further, either academically or professionally. Finally, students will be provided opportunities for applied learning. We will review and write grant proposals and experiment with advocacy tools (public speaking, preparing for a press conference, etc.). These skills will capacitate students for future practical policy engagement in this issue area and others.
SWRK 7830Advanced Mental Health Practice with U.S. Veterans
Although this course is open to all students, it is designed for students in the clinical concentration and is required for students in the Cohen Veterans Network Scholars program. The course will focus on clinical knowledge and evidence-based practice skills for common mental health problems in veteran settings. The course will introduce students to the assessment and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression and Anxiety Disorders, Substance Abuse, Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and Suicide Assessment and Management among veteran populations. Other topics may include cultural competency, homelessness, and combat stress disorders. Since this is a seminar course, some classes will be taught by social workers/psychologists from the Veterans Hospital in Philadelphia and the Cohen Veterans Outpatient Clinic.
SWRK 7850Criminal Justice Policies: Implications for Social Work
The United States prison population has risen more than three hundred percent in the last three decades. More people are currently incarcerated than at any other point in the history of the United States, and that of the world. This unprecedented period of incarceration has gone largely invisible although it represents one of the greatest social epidemics in the history of the United States. This course provides a critical analysis of the criminal justice system in the United States from a historical and contemporary perspective. It examines the implications of significant criminal justice policies such as the Rockefeller Drug Laws, 3-Strike Legislations, and Mandatory Minimums on the current state of incarceration, and the phenomenon of "Reentry" and "Recidivism". The intersections of criminal justice and social work practice are unmistakable when examining staples of social work practice such as homelessness, mental health and substance abuse, thus the course is intended to facilitate a more informed/holistic practice for all social work students.
This course integrates trauma theory and practice and expands practice knowledge to include the treatment and assessment of the survivors of trauma. Emphasis is placed on differentiating PTSD from Complex Trauma in order to identify appropriate, evidence-based intervention strategies. Topics covered in the course include an historical overview of the development of our understanding of trauma and the exploration of various types of trauma including war trauma, domestic violence, childhood sexual and physical abuse, natural disasters, the experiences of political refugees and organizational trauma. Among the interventions covered in this course are CBT, EMDR, group and psychodynamic treatment. Students will consider issues that affect those treating the survivors of trauma, such as vicarious trauma, and will explore approaches to self-care. This is an advanced clinical course. Through assignments and class discussions, students are encouraged to use their experiences in the field to deepen their understanding of the material covered in the course.
This course will present the evolution of leadership theory beginning with classical trait theories and ultimately focusing on more modern perspectives such as adaptive, authentic, and shared leadership models that engage more critical understandings of traditional leadership theory. Ultimately, we frame leadership as socially constructed, collective experience that is generated by complex group dynamics. We will examine leadership in nonprofit organizations, government, and social movements. Readings will include a formal overview of leadership theory as well as contemporary feminist and futurist perspectives. The practice focus in on developing new relational capabilities that include deep listening, self-reflection, and adaptive problem solving. “There is nothing so practical as good theory” – Kurt Lewin, Organizational Psychologist “All models are wrong, but some are useful” – George Box, Statistician “To learn which questions are unanswerable, and not to answer them, this skill is most needful in times of stress and darkness.” – Ursala K. Le Guin
SWRK 7890Strategic Management and Leadership of Nonprofits
This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamental issues in strategic management and leadership of nonprofit organizations, with an emphasis on acquiring operational skills grounded in research and critical thinking. The course is designed for those who may have had years of experience managing other people and programs in the nonprofit sector but who want to develop a more systematic mastery of this challenge, as well as students from other sectors who aspire to a nonprofit leadership role. Most class periods will consist of a combination of discussion and lecture. Lectures will introduce new concepts; class discussion and group exercises will allow us to explore and apply those concepts. Guest speakers will share their insights and experiences. You should feel free to ask questions during lectures and are encouraged to engage in discussions. The course contains a team consulting project in which students will work together to tackle a specific strategic problem or address an opportunity to improve the work of a partner agency.
This course offers in-depth study of basic theory, techniques and clinical applications of the Internal Family System’s (IFS) model of care. Together we will explore the foundational skills of the model and how to use it to support growth and healing in diverse client population and communities. This highly experiential course will emphasize mastery of the concepts as well as application of these concepts with clients. Students will be prepared to use core aspects of this model with clients in brief and long-term treatment, group settings and community interventions. This class will meet virtually 10 times and will have two 5-hour, in- person Saturday class commitments. Please join this class only if you can attend both Saturday classes. In this course students will: 1) Develop an understanding of the concept of multiplicity of mind, interpersonal neurobiology and impact of family systems on individuals 2) Learn conceptual framework of the IFS model; 3) Use this model to explore aspects of their clients and one’s own internal family system; 4) Recognizing which parts become triggered when working with different clients; 5) Assess and develop treatment strategies for their clients using the IFS model; and 6) Locate this model within the framework of anti- oppressive social work practices
The purpose of this course is to review the evolution of psychodynamic theory and consider key concepts in psychoanalysis, ego psychology, object relations theory, self-psychology, attachment theory, relational and intersubjective theories and current findings in cognitive neuroscience. Participants will explore human psychological functioning as explained by these various psychodynamic theories and through the biopsychosocial lens that informs social work practice. Students will examine how external factors such as race, class, gender, culture and biology are interwoven with often unconscious, internal psychological determinants, creating the complexities of human behavior that challenge us in our clinical work. Case presentations by students, the instructor and guest lecturers will demonstrate how concepts from psychodynamic theory can be applied to social work practice with diverse clients in varied settings.
This course focuses on practice with older adults and families within a life course and resiliency perspective. It examines the nature of the aging process, needs and life issues, the ways in which persons adapt to changes, and the ways in which interventions may assist with these adaptations. Students learn assessment, case management, and intervention skills, including the use of rapid assessment and diagnostic tools, needed to work effectively with older populations and family caregivers in a variety of community-based and institutional settings. The course emphasizes evidence-based practices that enhance quality of life, dignity, respect for differences, and maximum independent functioning.
SWRK 7950Clinical Foundations in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Though psychedelic plants and compounds have been used in a wide- spectrum of healing practices of most cultures throughout human history, they have quickly been gaining recognition and acceptance in conventional western healthcare in recent years, along with a growing popularity of underground and international ceremonial plant medicine work. Both psilocybin and MDMA have received a “Breakthrough Therapy” designation from the FDA, with the potential for MDMA to be rescheduled in the next twelve months. Additionally, the prevalence of ketamine- assisted psychotherapy practices and increased access to these medicines overall make it important for the next generation of clinicians to be familiar with psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) practices. Even if clinical social workers are not planning to center PAT in their practice, it is highly likely that they will be working with people who may come to them needing to integrate expansive experiences or may want to discuss the use of PAT as a supplement to their therapeutic work. This course offers an in-depth overview of psychedelic-assisted therapy protocols and ethical considerations in clinical practice. We will begin the course with a brief overview of the history of psychedelics and include discussions of salient topics in the psychedelic justice movement regarding accessibility and cultural appropriation throughout the course. Additionally, on the last day of class, students will be offered the opportunity to participate in a music journey experience without the use of psychedelics (those students who would prefer not to participate, can observe).
SWRK 7960Family Economic Mobility: Problems and Policies
The experiences and voices of mothers, fathers, children, employers, children's teachers, human service workers, job training providers, policymakers and others in cities across America graphically show us the "real life" challenges to economic mobility facing today's families and organizations. These voices particularly illustrate how economic, social, and cultural policies, practices, and beliefs intersect to perpetuate economic inequality for low-income and many middle-income working families alike. The labor market, welfare and workforce programs, public schools and government are some of the institutions implicated in this intersection. In the course we deconstruct concepts such as the "work ethic," "family-friendly workplace," and "good jobs" in terms of economic, racial and cultural inequalities and, more broadly, in terms of their meaning, aims and rhetoric. At base, this course examines occupational mobility in America within the broad framework of capitalism, democracy, race, ethnicity and gender. Students from GSE, SAS, City Planning, and Communications often join SP2 students to read and critique classic and contemporary literature from multiple disciplines and explore generative roles for "meso-oriented" social change professionals.
The Home and School Visitor (HSV) Education Law & Policy Seminar meets the requirement for the HSV Certificate, addresses public education laws and policies, considers how poverty and racism influence public education, and provides a macro perspective to understand the role of the social worker in schools. The course is divided into five modules through January and February of the Spring semester. The course content will enhance your understanding of our system of public education and the role that social workers can play in helping it to uphold its mandate of providing a quality education for all students.
Independent studies provide a flexible opportunity for standing faculty and students to work together in pursuing a topic of special interest that is not sufficiently covered by other courses in the curriculum. The content of independent studies is highly specialized and, as such, requires a plan of study developed jointly by the student(s) and the supervising standing faculty member. Part-time faculty members are not eligible to offer independent studies. Plans for independent study should include: a statement of the issues(s) to be studied; a rationale for why the identified issue(s) should be pursued via an independent study; a statement of how the independent study fits into the student’s overall educational plan; a summary of the independent study’s major learning objectives; the methods to be used in carrying out the study; a workable plan; the educational “products” that will result from the study (normally a written report or paper); and the expected date by which the independent study will be completed. The process for arranging an independent study requires approval of the student’s academic advisor, a standing faculty member who has agreed to conduct the independent study, and the MSW Program Faculty Director. The procedures to be followed are: The student discusses interest in doing an independent study with the academic advisor. If the advisor concurs with the student’s submission, the advisor and student will discuss potential standing faculty sponsors. If a standing faculty sponsor can be located, the student and standing faculty sponsor craft the specific plan, including learning objectives, content, and structure for the course. The academic advisor informs the registrar that an independent study for the student has been approved. The Independent Study Course Approval Form must be signed by student, faculty sponsor, Academic Advisor, and MSW Program Faculty Director and then returned to the SP2 Registrar. On the rare occasions that a student is unable to schedule a regular School course, the educational advisor makes a recommendation to the MSW Program Faculty Director who will try to identify a standing or adjunct faculty member able to supervise the course delivered as an independent study. Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms 1 Course Unit 2026-27 Catalog | Generated 08/03/26
The purpose of this course is to teach the basics of practice research, with an emphasis on intervention research and answering practice questions. This course will focus on research ethics, building conceptual frameworks, source credibility, formulation of research questions and hypotheses, various designs, sampling methods, operationalization of concepts and measurement issues, and various scale types and scale selection criteria. Special emphasis will be placed on the development of designing feasible and practical research studies to answer questions of importance to social work practice. The course will cover the selection and development of outcome measures, intervention manuals, and fidelity measures. It will examine evidence-based practice and its relationship to systematic reviews and meta-analysis. The course is restricted to Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) students.
The purpose of this course is to introduce doctoral students to the philosophical and methodological issues of qualitative research. Students will learn about the array of qualitative approaches (such as grounded theory, narrative research, and case study) and will focus heavily on procedures such as generating a research question, gathering data, coding, memo writing, analysis/interpretation, and writing that are common to most approaches. In addition, students will consider ethical issues unique to qualitative research and the role of researcher reflexivity Students will also learn about standards for good qualitative research and how to assess a piece of qualitative research. This will be a “hands- on” class, with a focus on understanding and practicing basic skills with the goal of producing a qualitative proposal and becoming an informed consumer of qualitative research. The course is restricted to Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) students.
The purpose of this course is to broaden and deepen participants' mastery of several theories of development, personality, and behavior that have contributed to social work's knowledge base across the decades and continue to inform clinical social work epistemology today. Drawing primarily from original sources, we will study the evolution of theories central to psychodynamic thought, from Freud's early biological model of the mind, through various relational perspectives, to contemporary work in the fields of attachment and interpersonal neurobiology. The course will also cover the paradigm shift to first- through third-wave cognitive- behavioral theories and explore the potential for psychodynamically- informed cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). We will consider key assumptions, constructs, and propositions of each theory in terms of its congruence with social work's principles, values, and mission and in relation to the profession's person-in-environment perspective. This process will involve critically examining the empirical support and indications for the use of various psychotherapy practices. The course is restricted to Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) students.
This course reviews contemporary theories of Couples and Family Therapy within a historical perspective. Family approaches reviewed include systemic, structural, experiential, attachment-based, narrative, and psycho-educational models. Couples models include the Gottman Method, Emotionally-Focused Couples Work, Imago, and Cognitive Behavioral Work. Case studies, films, and critical discussions will be used to deepen students’ understanding of different models. The course will also include an understanding of economic constraints, cultural differences, sexual orientation, and larger systemic influences. The course is restricted to Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) students.
This course is designed to provide students with a range of statistical methods and applications used for research in human services and clinical practice settings. Topics covered include types of measurement and variables, and basic concepts and techniques for exploring and categorizing data, for generalizing data from sample to population and tests of significance. An emphasis will be placed on the practical applications of data to address social work practice issues. Students will learn how to choose and apply statistical tools to data sources, when and how statistical tools can be used to analyze data, and how to interpret others' quantitative studies. Students will gain hands-on experience in using windows-based statistical software to manage and analyze quantitative data. The course is restricted to Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) students.
Given the prevalence of trauma and its long-lasting effects, professionals in social work and behavioral health frequently encounter individuals seeking support for trauma-related challenges. This course focuses on equipping practitioners with an advanced understanding of trauma- informed assessment, treatment interventions, and resilience-based services. Students will explore the complexities of trauma treatment, including managing challenges and crises, addressing common countertransference and reenactment dynamics, understanding the impact of vicarious traumatization, and fostering post-traumatic growth in both clients and practitioners. The course will also emphasize the importance of considering the client’s context, intersectionality, and cultural background, as well as addressing social justice issues related to trauma causation, consequences, and healing. The course is restricted to Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) students.
Teaching Social Work Practice focuses on the critical elements of teaching social work practice. It presents teaching as a scholarly endeavor that integrates and synthesizes knowledge, skills, values, creativity, and reflection in the planning and transmission of professional comportment, content, and processes in social work education. While the primary focus is on practice courses, the material covered can be used to prepare students for teaching in other curricular areas. An emphasis will be on acquiring knowledge of the goals of social work education and professional development and how these goals inform what and how we teach. Course participants will identify, discuss, and address their unique characteristics and their real and anticipated teaching challenges in the classroom environment. We will build on participants’ strengths, examine, and apply diverse teaching strategies for students with various learning approaches and experiences. Participants will learn how to plan courses by critically applying principles of teaching and learning, lesson organization, as well as incorporating their own unique professional and personal attributes. Different approaches to student assessment will be discussed. In addition, teacher evaluation, an essential aspect of the educational process, will be examined. Students will also learn the essentials of writing a teaching philosophy statement. This course is intended to be interactive, stimulating, and thought provoking. There will be opportunities to practice the application of various teaching techniques and methods discussed from the readings and other resources. We will offer genuine critique and feedback of each other’s contributions in a supportive and open environment with the goal of facilitating your professional development as instructors. The course is restricted to Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) students.
Topics vary. The second and final year of DSW coursework culminates in two electives selected by the student cohort completed as a group. Previous topics include: Neurophysiology of Trauma, Substance Use Interventions, Introduction to Sex Therapy, Clinical Practice with Adolescents and Young Adults, Ethics in Mental Health Care, Trauma Informed Supervision and Leadership for Change. The course is restricted to Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW) students.
This course will present the evolution of leadership theory beginning with classical trait theories and ultimately focusing on more modern perspectives such as adaptive, authentic, and shared leadership models that engage more critical understanding of traditional leadership theory. Ultimately, we frame leadership as a social-constructed, collective experience that is generated by complex group dynamics. We will examine leadership in non-profit organizations, government, and social movements. Readings will include a formal overview of leadership theory as well as contemporary feminist, cultural, and futurist perspectives. The practice focus is on developing new relational capabilities that include deep listening, self-reflection, and adaptive problem interpretation. The course is restricted to Doctorate in Clinical Welfare (DSW) students.
1 Year 2 Fall 1 SWRK 9170 Applied Statistics 1 1 SWRK 9180 Trauma Interventions 1 1 SWRK 9190 Teaching Social Work Practice 1 1 Year 2 Spring 1 SWRK 9200 Advanced Topics in Social Work Practice .5 1 SWRK 9210 American Racism, Patriarchy, 1 Intersectionality, and Social Work Practice
.5 Total Course Units 15 3 Social Work, MSW 15 The Master of Social Work (MSW) Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice is one of the oldest and most well-respected social work programs in the country. The program (ranked 8th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report) is designed to prepare social workers for leadership roles in developing and providing services to individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations in the local, national, and global arenas. Penn’s MSW degree melds cutting-edge innovation with a rich educational tradition rooted in social justice and social change. While students may customize their schedules due to participation in a dual degree or certificate program, enrollment in an international course or study abroad experience, the needs of their practicum placement, or
