SOCIAL POLICY & PRACTICE (SW) {SWRK}

SOCIAL WORK

601.History and Philosophy of Social Work and Social Welfare. 1 c.u. May be taken by undergraduate juniors and seniors. Permit of the instructor is necessary. Contact the registrar, Nancy Rodgers, Room B-22. School of Social Work, Caster Building. This course offers a historical perspective for understanding current issues of social welfare and social work. It examines the social, racial, political, and economic forces that explain the development of social welfare and social work in the United States. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of gender and race in shaping social policy. Programs, policies, and issues are analyzed as responses to long-term changes in social and economic conditions in the United States and the needs and demands of oppressed groups for full participation in the life of the country.

602.Human Behavior in the Social Environment I. May be taken by undergraduate juniors and seniors. Permit of the instructor is necessary. Contact the registrar, Nancy Rodgers, Room B-22, School of Social Work, Caster Building. 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 nontraditional family styles, different social and ethnic 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.

604. Foundations of Social Work Practice. May be taken by undergraduate seniors in sub-matriculation program. Permit of the instructor is necessary. Contact the registrar, Nancy Rodgers, Room B-22, School of Social Work, Caster Buildingl. 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.

611.Contemporary Social Policy. Prerequisite(s): SWRK601. 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.

612.Group, Organization, and Communities in the Social Environment. Prerequisite(s): SWRK602. The focus of this course is on developing an understanding of how human behavior occurs to the context of group, organizational, and community relations. The dynamic nature of how groups, organizations and communities come into being, are nourished and change over time and impact upon client systems will be fully explored.

613. Understanding Social Change and Issues of Race and Gender. SWRK603. Prerequisite(s): SWRK603. This course builds upon the foundation of historical, psychological,sociological, economic, political, and personal knowledge about institutionalized forms of racism and discrimination developed in SWRK603, American Racism and Social Work Practice. The course uses understanding elements of oppression to critically examine strategies for addressing racism and sexism in organizations and communities through systematic assessment and planning for social change. The course examines change at three levels: organizations, communities, and social movements.

614. Social Work Practice. Prerequisite(s): SWRK604. This is the second in a four course sequence and continues the examination and use of 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.

701.Health and Mental Health Policy. (C) Free Elective. This course provides an overal view of the historical, social and economic dimensions of the health care delivery system: how health policies are developed and implemented, and how such policies influence social work practice, program planning, and research. Key health policy issues such as financing,cost, access, and the allocation of resources are explored in the context of health reform proposals. Students investigate how health policy affects specific population groups such as women and children, persons with chronic mental illnesses, persons with AIDS, older adults, and minorities.

702.Social Work Practice in Health Care. (C) Direct Practice Elective. 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.

703.Impacting Government Policy in Pennsylvania. Macro Practice Elective. This course focuses on social changes in health care as it impacts the lives of older people and their families. Using Pennsylvania as a model, we will focus on the administrative and legislative systems. Topics will include the recent controversial changes to Medicare, re-balancing of the long-term care system and efficacy of behavioral health treatment programs. Students will learn how to impact social change at the policy level by planning a social marketing campaign. They will develop materials to influence consumer understanding and behavior, such as editorial and legislative briefings. Students will have the opportunity to interact with officials, legislators, and advocates as they build the framework to support a social change agenda.

704.Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice I. (A) Required for Direct Practice Concentration. Building on the foundation established in the foundation social work practice courses, this course introduces advanced theoretical frameworks for clinical practice from which students build conceptual practice frameworks. The course helps students choose and learn the components of a practice approach in the context of social assessment, agency auspices, and the student's developing theoretical framework.

706. Policies for Children and Their Families. (C) Free Elective. 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.

708.Advanced Macro Social Work Practice I. (A) Required for Macro Practice Concentration. Advanced Macro Social Work practice builds on the foundation social work practice courses and is composed of three interrelated disciplines: community organization, planning, and administration. In Macro Practice courses, the student develops knowledge and skills for practice in communities, organizations, and/or other social systems. This course, the first of two Macro Practice courses, begins by developing a theoretical framework for macro practice. Knowledge and skill development focuses primarily on social work practice within communities and on the planning of service delivery at the community level. Students learn how to identify community-based social problems, organize and build relationships with communities, and develop programs. Specific skill development includes learning how to conduct needs assessments, staff committees, run meetings, and write grants. The content is integrated with fieldwork and is specific to the service needs of the populations with whom students are working in their field agencies.

709.Heterosexism and Social Work. (C) Free Elective. This course builds on the foundation year focus on institutional oppression by applying this model to the status of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in U.S. society and in social welfare systems. The course assesses the relationship of heterosexism and homophobia to other forms of institutional oppression, including racism and sexism. The course includes an overview of the treatment of sexual minorities in the U.S. and in the social work profession with a focus on issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual; and transgender clients as an under-served and mis-served population. The intersection of racism and heterosexism is a focal point to explore the concerns and needs of LGBTQ people of color. Current theoretical frameworks for understanding sexual identity and the uniqure situations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning people throughout the life cycle will be identified.

714.Advanced Direct Social Work Practice II. Prerequisite(s): SWRK704 Required for Direct Practice Concentration. The focus of learning in this semester is differential intervention and the expansion of the professional role and repertoire. Students extend and refine their practice knowlege and skills and learn to intervene with group systems and selected problems. Students consolidate their identification as professionals and learn to constructively use environment to affect systems change.

715.Introduction to Social Work Research. Required Course. This course presents the broad range of research tools that social workers can use to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their practice. The course emphasizes the process of theory development, conceptualization, and hypothesis formulation across a broad spectrum of social work practice situations. The course includes methodological considerations relating to concept operationalization; research design (experimental, survey, and field), sampling instrumentation, methods of data collection and analysis, and report preparation and dissemination. The course also emphasizes how social work research can help professionals better understand and more effectively impact problems of racism and sexism in contemporary American society.

718.Advanced Macro Social Work Practice II. (B) Prerequisite(s): SWRK708 Required for Macro Practice Concentration. This course, the second of two Macro Practice courses, helps students develop the knowledge and skills required to become an effective and creative social work manager. Management and behavioral science theories and concepts, as well as techniques and methods, are introduced. Students also learn how to strategically plan programs at the organizational level and explore how public policy influences service delivery. Students learn to utilize administrative skills to promote social change within a variety of systems that influence the lives of client populations. Students have the opportunity to apply this administrative content to their field agency.

719.Prenatal and Early Childhood Development. Free Elective. May be taken by undergraduate juniors and seniors. Permit of the instructor is necessary. Contact the registrar, Nancy Rodgers, Room B22, School of Social Work, Caster Building. This course presents a coherent portrait of the development that transforms a person from the prenatal period to infancy to young childhood. The course bridges standard theories of development with new approaches such as social learning, cognitive development, developmental psychobiology, and other psychological theories used to understand the child. Integration of different perspectives on development is geared to demonstrate the interrelated nature of growth in cognition, learning, language, emotions, personality, physical growth and social behaviors. Students research areas of individual interest. Free Elective

720.Middle Childhood and Adolescence. Free Elective. This course focuses initially on growth and behavior in the often overshadowed period of middle childhood, and in greater depth on the adolescent period. Change in the psychological, physical, cognitive and social domains of growth is examined and is related to changing relationships and overt behaviors. The influence of social factors is a continuing theme. Concepts like "adolescent rebellion" are questioned and re-evaluated. Connections between uneven development and social problem behavior are examined. Knowledge is salient to school social work as well as to other practice domains. Students research areas of individual interest. Free elective.

722. Practice with Children and Adolescence. Direct Practice Elective. 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. Direct Practice Elective

724. Developmental Disabilities. Direct Practice Elective. 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.

726.Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention. Direct Practice Elective. 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.

727.Practice with Families. Direct Practice Elective. 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.

728.Ethnicity in Contemporary America. Free Elective. This course focuces on major ethnic groups in America as a way of exploring cultural differences, ethnic retention, and the nature of pluralism in our society. Students examine family patterns, religion, educational institutions and other factors that transmit and maintain cultural and ethnic differences. Students define and develop the implications of these social factors for use in social work practice.

729.Social Statistics. Research Option. This course provides students with a broad range of statistical methods and applications. It introduces social work students to the use of quantitative data for planning and evaluating social programs and social policy. Course topics include conceptualization and measurement of variables and basic techniques and concepts for exploring and categorizing data, for generalizing research findings and testing hypotheses, and for statistical data processing. Students will gain experience in using a Windows-based statistical software package on personal computers. Emphasis is placed on the practical application of data to address social policy and social work practice issues. Students have the opportunity to critique the application of data analysis and presentation in technical reports and professional journals.

730.Community Mapping. (M) Macro Practice Elective. This macro practice elective course is intended to teach graduate social work students how to use mapping as a tool for understanding, organizing, and serving communities. Students will learn how to use quantitative data and geographic information systems (GIS) within a conceptual framework focused on how the environment influences individual and group outcomes. Building on the content of the advanced macro practice curricula (SWRK708 and SWRK718), this class will use readings, discussions, and assignments to teach students how mapping can be used to assess needs and assets, develop, implement and evaluate programs,and build community.

731.Sociology of the American Jewish Community. (A) Prerequisite(s): Free Elective/Certificate in Jewish Communal Services course. Must be enrolled in Joint MSW/Jewish Communal Studies Program. Must be enrolled in Joint MSW/Jewish Communal Studies Program. This course is an overview of the sociololgy of the American Jewish Community in the context of the social history of American Jewry. Students will become familiar with the demography and social characteristics of the community as well as its social structure and institutions. The Jewish family, synagogue and communal organizations will be seen through the sociological perspective which will enhance and broaden the analysis of the familiar. Conflict between institutions and patterns of innovation will also be explored along with the educational structures necessary for the continuity of minority identity and leadership into the next generation.

732. The Jewish Family: Institution in Transition. (B) Prerequisite(s): Free Elective/Certificate in Jewish Communal Services course. Must be enrolled in Joint MSW/Jewish Communal Studies Program. This course is designed to give a sociological overview of the contemporary Jewish family in the context of Jewish history and tradition. The traditional Jewish family,the role of the single-parent family, dual-career families, the impact of divorce, and devising a policy to support Jewish family life within the current institutional structures and alternative ones are considered.

733. Catholic Social Thought and the American Catholic. Prerequisite(s): Free Elective/Certificate in Catholic Social Ministry course. Must be enrolled in MSW/Catholic Social Ministry Certificate program. This course examines the increasing gap between the nation's and the Church's challenge to American Catholics. Racial intolerance and poverty in our own country are considered. Peace and disarmament teaching are examined for their implications for spiritual living, teaching, and preaching.

734.History of the Catholic Church in America. Prerequisite(s): Free Elective/Certificate in Catholic Social Ministry course. Must be enrolled in MSW/Catholic Social Ministry Certificate Program. This course provides a historical survey of the Catholic Church in the United States from the beginning to the present, with special emphasis on the church in Philadelphia, PA.

735.Social and Economic Development. Macro Practice Elective. Social Policy reflects the dominant political and economic ideologies of societies at distinctive moments in their social histories. This course focuses on the evolving nature of the socio-economic policy development process in economically advanced countries, but especially that of the United States. The course helps students draw on their current practice experiences to identify the unique contributions made by social workers to social and economic development (SED) policy development. Particular attention will be given to the range of SED policy "actors" and the dominant sectors of SED activity in development-oriented social work practice (e.g.housing, health care, income security, community development, etc.)

736.Building Community Capacity. Macro Practice Elective. This course provides an introduction to community organization and community capacity building. The course encompasses strategies, models, and techniques for the creation of organizations, the formation of federations of existing organizations; and coalition-building, all designed to address problems requiring institutional or policy changes or reallocation of resources to shift power and responsibility to those most negatively affected by current socioeconomic and cultural arrangements. The course emphasizes development of strategies and techniques to organize low-income minority residents of urban neighborhoods, and to organize disenfranchised groups across geographic boundaries as the first required steps in an empowerment process.

738. Anxiety and Depression. Direct Practice Elective. 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 consideers how culture, social class, gender, and other social differences affect the expression of these disorders and their concomitant treatment.

740. Strategic Planning and Resource Development for Public and Nonprofit Organizations. Macro Practice Elective. Resilient organizations engage in a continuous process of self-review and refocusing. Referred to as "strategic planning," this process requires the active participation of a broad range of agency "stakeholders" who, in their work together, seek to realign the organization's goals, structures, and programs to make them more responsive to the changing needs of their service populations. Building on the content of foundation pratice courses, this course strengthens the student's capacity to engage in strategic planning and resource development with nonprofit organizations. The importance of organizational flexibility, innovation, and the creation of public-private partnerships is emphasized throughtout the course.

742.Practice with At-Risk Youth. Direct and Macro Practice Elective. The discourse on juvenile justice in the United States,once driven by themes of treatment and rehabilitation, has been dominated in recent years by vocabularies of punishment and incapacitation. The juvenile court, an enterprise founded by social reformers and the social work profession at the turn of the century to "save children," is now under severe political and legislative pressure to impose harsher penalties on younger and younger offenders who are increasingly portrayed as violent "super-predators," while its most vulnerable segments, children and youth, stand in greatest need of what a social service system can offer. Not surprisingly, those most likely to wind up under supervision are economically poor, under-educated, disproportionately of color and disproportionately at-risk to become victims of violent crimes. How does the profession situate itself in this discourse and what are individual social workers to do?

743.Action Research. Prerequisite(s): SWRK715. Research Option. 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.

744.Direct Practice Research. Prerequisite(s): SWRK715. Research Option. 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 decisionmaking.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.

745.Policy Research. Prerequisite(s): SWRK715. Research Option. This course introduces the process of policy analysis, stressing the joint use of qualitative and quantitative methods. Targeted to both the social work activist and the social worker within the agency, the course first explores how and why policy analyses are used and then introduces specific techniques. Methods will be illustrated through examples of policy research. These examples improve students' skills in understanding how policy analyses may directly impact who they serve and the resources available to those they serve. Assignments develop research skills while allowing students to use methods most suited to their interests. Specific techniques discussed include interviewing, observation, descriptive data analysis, researching the legislative process, cost-benefit analysis, and simple quantitative models. Combining techniques allows for more complete discussions of process evaluation, social experiments, and discriminating between alternative policies.

746.Political Social Work. Macro Practice Elective. 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.

747.(URBS456) Social Planning and Community Organization. May be taken by undergraduate juniors and seniors. Permit of the instructor is necessary. Contact the registrar, Nancy Rodgers, Room B-22, School of Social Work, Caster Building. This course explores the theory and methodology of social planning community development and social action. The student is expected to be able to demonstrate basic competence in social planning/community organization through a practical application in a field setting.

748.(GSOC548) Women's Voices in Social Work and Social Welfare. Free Elective. This course offers students a feminist lens through which to think about and examine constructions of gender that affect social work practice and social welfare policies. The course enhances students'knowledge of women's contributions to the field of social work, feminist theories,women's "ways of knowing,"and feminist practice approaches as they apply to selected arenas of social work. Special attention is given to economic, psychological, and social risks faced by women and ways in which social workers can better understand, validate, and empower women clients and transform social services to promote human well-being. The course is predicated on the idea that women are diverse and that gender intersects with other "isms," including racism, ageism, heterosexism, ableism, and classism.

749.Welfare and Economics. FREE ELECTIVE - May be taken by undergraduate juniors and seniors. Permit of the instructor is necessary. Contact the registrar, Nancy Rodgers, Room B22, School of Social Work,Caster Building. This course examines the social welfare aspects of major economic decisions in the United States. Particular attention is paid to exploring the implications of social choices in relation to the following goals:the achievement of increased equality in the distribution of income and power, the elimination of unemployment, and the control of inflation. The growth of public welfare programs and the base of funding for social services are examined in terms of the nation's economic and political objectives. Free Elective

750.(SWRK965) Comparative Studies in Social Welfare. Prerequisite(s): SWRK 715. Social Work and social welfare are major institutional vehicles through which societies assure a minimal level of living for all their citizens. The content of this course focuses on achieving a fuller understanding of the social, political, and economic dynamics of contemporary welfare development in the United States and other countries. The multi-faceted contributions of social work, the social services, and social welfare to national and international social development within rich and poor countries will receive special attention. Students will be expected to demonstrate beginning skill in the use of comparative methods to analyze cross-national welfare dilemmas of particular interest to them.

752. Welfare Politics. May be taken by undergraduare juniors and seniors. Permit of the instructor is necessary. Contact the registrar, nancy Rodgers, Room B-22, School of Social Work, Caster Building. FREE ELECTIVE. This course examines the impact of the political environment on the formulation and implementation of social welfare policy. It examines the structure of the American federal system:the division of power between federal,state and local governments and among executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Particular attention will be paid to the role of special-interest groups in achieving social welfare goals within the system. In addition, the role of protest and insurgent political movements in transforming the welfare system is addressed. Free Elective

754. Fiscal Management and Management Information Systems for Nonprofit Organizations. Macro Practice Elective. Effective fiscal management and the development of integrated management information systems are two of the leadership responsibilities shared by senior administratiors of all not-for-profit organizations. Building on the content of both the foundational (including SWRK715) and advanced macro practice curricula (SWRK708&SWRK718),this course will introduce students to the stewardship responsibilities incumbent on administrators of not-for-profit organizations in allocating and accounting for the use of all fiscal, human and other resources under their control. Special emphasis in this course will be placed on identifying principles of financial planning and accountability, the development of effective electronic systems for tracking and monitoring the use of financial resources, the integration of agency-specific financial information into larger reporting and accountability systems, and the application of these principles to enhancing organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Attention also will be given to identifying and resolving ethical dilemmas confronted by organizational managers as they seek to optimize use of the fiscal and other resources for which they are responsible.

756.Human Sexuality. May be taken by undergraduate juniors and seniors. Permit of the instructor is necessary. Contact the registrar, Nancy Rodgers, Room B-22, School of Social Work, Caster Building. FREE ELECTIVE. 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. FREE ELECTIVE

757.Loss through the Life Cycle. DIRECT PRACTICE ELECTIVE. 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. DIRECT PRACTICE ELECTIVE.

758.Faith-Based Practice and Management. DIRECT AND MACRO PRACTICE ELECTIVE. This course prepares students to work to existing and newly formed faith-based social service agencies. It also serves as a national laboratory to extract new knowledge of best practices and the variability of managing and practicing in faith-based social service agencies.

759.Substance Abuse Interventions. Direct Practice Elective. 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. DIRECT PRACTICE ELECTIVE

760.Mental Health Diagnostics. FREE ELECTIVE. 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 charateristics, 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. Free Elective

761.Spirituality and Social Work Practice. Clinical Practice Elective. This course strives to seek a balance in exploring the universalistic as well as the pluralistic in relationship to spirituality. Some pluralistic religious and/or spiritual traditions are studied as they exemplify commitments of spirituality and as they intersect with a more universalistic spirituality. The course considers how spiritual and religious systems are related to diversity, including gender, social class, ethnicity and culture, and sexual orientation. Clinical Practice Elective

765.Human Resource Development and Supervision. (B) Direct and Macro Practice Elective. This course builds on social work knowledge, values, and skills gained in foundation practice courses and links them to the roles and functions of social workers as supervisors and managers in human service organizations. Course focus is on providing students with an overview of basic supervisory and human resource development concepts so they may be better prepared as professional social workers to enter agencies and provide direct reports (supervisees) with meaningful and appropriate direction, support, and motivation. DIRECT AND MACRO PRACTICE ELECTIVE

766. Organizational Politics and the Dynamics of Change. (C) May be taken by undergraduate juniors and seniors. Permit of the instructor is necessary. Contact the registrar, Nancy Rodgers, Room B-22, School of Social Work, Caster Building. FREE ELECTIVE.

This course explores how and when organizational change is possible. It is based on two bodies of thought:(1)the behavior of individuals within groups and the behavior of groups within organizations, and (2) the ways conflicts emerge and develop a "life of their own"within human systems. The dilemmas associated with changing human systems are investigated using a paradoxical lens, spotlighting counterintuitive ideas such as "to change, preserve the status quo," and "to grow, cutback." The effectiveness of the change strategies adopted by the "powerful," "the powerless," and those caught "in the middle" is examined. FREE ELECTIVE

768.Social Policy Through Literature. (A) FREE ELECTIVE. This course uses works of fiction that pertain to a specific social issue in order to examine the effect these issues have in human terms on the individual, the family, and the community. 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 role of social worker as advocate for policy change. FREE ELECTIVE

769.Economic and Social Policies of Aging. May be taken by undergraduate juniors and seniors. Permit of the instructor is necessary, Contact the registrar, Nancy Rodgers, Room B-22, School of Social Work, Caster Building. Macro Practice Elective. This course examines the economic problems of older people and an aging society. Specifically, it examines both individual and family aging, and discusses their relevance to the financial aspects of the "graying of America." It also (1) analyzes the basic elements of retirement income security in America, including Social security, employer pensions, and Medicare, as well as health and long term care costs, and (2) addresses issues of public responsibility versus individual responsibility for financial security. Finally, the course reviews and evaluates connections among financial and gerontological concepts, public policy issues, and social work practice. MACRO PRACTICE ELECTIVE

770.Social Welfare and the Law. FREE ELECTIVE. This course helps students understand the ideal and real functions of the law and recognize the influence of behaviors on the law, and of the law on behaviors. Students have the opportunity to evaluate strengths and limitations of law for empowering historically disadvantaged populations.

771.Social Work Values and Ethics. FREE ELECTIVE. This course is concerned with the influence of idealogy, values,and ethics on the development of social welfare policies and social work practice. Particular emphasis is given to the impact of such concepts as freedom,equality, and justice on the creation and implementation of social service programs and on the underlying value structure of alternative modes of social intervention. The course also provides students with a framework to understand and apply ethical concepts such as confidentiality, self-determination, truth-telling, paternalism, conflict of duties, and "whistleblowing," in the daily realities of professional practice. These concepts and their relationship to terminal values are taught through the analysis of cases from the changing environment of policy and practice in the United States.

774.Program Evaluations. Prerequisite(s): SWRK 715. (PREREQUISITE SWRK 7I5)- RESEARCH OPTION. This course introduces students to theoretical and practical aspects of social service program evaluation. Students learn about the design and emplementation 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.

775.(GSOC775) Intimate Violence. Free Elective. The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the definition, theories, causes, processes, consequences, and social interventions in intimate violence. The course will attempt to provide insight on the phenomenon of intimate violence by examining the ways in which it affects survivors, perpetrators,, and their children. This will be accompolished by reviewing the current research as well as by exploring how intimate violence is constructed by the participants on the personal, interpersonal, and social structural level. Free elective

776. Community and Economic Development. This course examines the evolution, practice, and strategies of community economic development (CED) in the United States. The definition of and the history behind community economic development and its relationship to traditional economic development and community organizing are explored. Critical analyses of CED and examination of development strategies that seek to respond to these critiques are considered. The course focuses on the identification and development of skills employed in community economic development. Strategies for community economic development including housing development and rehabilitation, microenterprises and small business development, job training and workforce development, and promotion of the arts are examined. MACRO PRACTICE ELECTIVE

Qualitative Research. (C) Prerequisite(s): SWRK715. Research Option. Qualitative research is particularly attuned to the perspectives of vulnerable, oppressed individuals whose voices are often muffled. This course introduces students to research approaches that help one attain a deep understanding of persons, groups, settings, processes, and problems. It explains philosophic issues guiding qualitative research and addresses research design, data collection methods, data analysis, and methods of presentation. Particular attention is given to the study of individual narratives, ethnographic field methods, and focus groups. This course shows how qualitative research approaches can be used to develop social service programs, assess programs, and to evaluate practice. Students will have the opportunity to use qualitative research strategies in class and in assignments. Prerquisite SWRK715

Christian Social Ethics. Prerequisite(s): Free Electice/Certificate in Lutheran or Christian Social Ministry course. Must be enrolled in Certificate program. This course examines the church's historic teachings and current understanding of sexuality, marriage, and family, and of controversial issues in this area through the use of theology,fiction, and films.

Alienation and Reconciliation. Prerequisite(s): Free Elective/Certificate in Lutheran or Christian Social Ministry course. This course examines alienation from a theological perspective and then shifts focus to a sociological look at how alienation operates in society, particularly around the dynamics of economics, color, and gender.

794. (NURS514) Aging. May be taken by undergraduate juniors and seniors. Permit of the instructor is necessary. Contact the registrar, Nancy Rodgers, Room B-22, School of Social Work, Caster Building. This course is offered as an interdisciplinary course with the School of Nursing. It emphasizes the physiological, psychological, social, economic and political factors accompanying and shaping the process of aging. Students examine normal and pathological changes in physical, mental and social functioning associated with aging. Course material addresses the implications for the well-being of older persons of such factors as ageism, economic deprivation, exits from social roles and various forms of "minority status," including being gay or female. Students examine the nature of interdisciplinary roles and practice.

796. Poverty, Welfare and Work. May be taken by undergraduate juniors and seniors. Permit of the instructor is necessary. Contact the registrar, Nancy Rodgers, Room B-22, School of Social Work, Caster Building FREE ELECTIVE.

This course examines the impact of work and nonwork on the individual and society. Special emphasis is placed on examining the roles of government, voluntary agencies, management and labor in defining the purposes of social policy. Topics include: the history and philosophy of work, health issues in the workplace, women and work, labor- management relations, the democratization of the workplace, and racial and sexual discrimination in employment. FREE ELECTIVE

SM 799. (PUBH536) Advanced Topics. Staff.

804. Methods of Inquiry:Quantitative Research Methods. Prerequisite(s): Must be enrolled in D.S.W. program. The purpose of this course is to teach the basics of practice research, with an emphasis on intervention research. This course will focus on research ethics, building a conceptual framework, source credibility, question and hypothesis formulation, design, design, sampling, measurement, and scale construction and selection. 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 emphasize the selection and development of outcome measures, intervention manuals, and fidelity measures. It will closely e xamine the use and development of practice guidelines, evidence-based practice and meta-analytic procedures.

805. Methods of Inquiry:Qualitative Research Methods. Prerequisite(s): SWRK804-001. Must be enrolled in D.S.W. program. This course will cover the essentials of qualitative research. Students will learn how to "situate themselves" in the research process so as to best capture the lived experience of the subjects under investigation. The course will explore the appropriate use of intensive interviews, grounded theory and ethnography. Mixed methods that employ both qualitative and quantitative approaches, will also be covered.

812.Clinical Theory I. Prerequisite(s): Enrolled in D.S.W. program. 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 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. In this first semester, 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. This examination will constitute a case study of the manner in which theories are socially constructed and will lay the foundation for critical inquiry into the social and political biases inherent in the Western European intellectual tradition from which most theories of human behavior have emerged.

813.Clinical Theory II. Prerequisite(s): SWRK812. Must be enrolled in D.S.W. program. This course will cover a number of new therapeutic approaches and the theories and evidence that support them. For heuristic purposes, the theories considered will be divided between "Theories of Explanation," which help us to understand our clients better, and "Theories of Intervention," wich help us to understand the various helping processes. Particular attention will be paid to the processes of how intervention theories and models are developed. Some specific examples, such as cognitive-behavioral, dialectical behavior therapy, existential and other approaches will be examined. The specific orientations to intervention will also, as much as possible, be influenced by student choices and input.

899. Independent Study. Independent studies may be arranged on an individual or small group basis between students and a faculty member. The learning objectives associated with independent studies are highly specializaed and must relate directly to the student's individualized educational plan. Students, with the faculty member, share responsibility for the design, structure and content of an independent study. No more than two independent studies may be arranged for an individual student.

NONPROFIT/NGO LEADERSHIP

787.Leadership and Capacity Building. Prerequisite(s): Enrolled in NPLD program or permission of instructor. Corequisite(s): MSW program free elective. Governance, Legal Structures, Organizational Behavior and Ethics. Given the growing concern regarding leadership of for profit,nonprofit/NGO governmental organizations that has led to increased public scrutiny and legal regulation, this course focuses on governance in the social service sector.

788.Envisioning and Realizing Possibility. Prerequisite(s): Enrolled in NPLD program or permission of instructor. Corequisite(s): MSW program macro practice elective. Strategic Planning, Resource Development, Communication and Social Marketing. Critical to the success of any nonprofit organization is the development and execution of a strategic plan leading to a business plan, which is effectively marketed to potential investors/donors. This course will examine the dynamic relationship between planning, resource development and social marketing.

789.Action and Efficacy. Prerequisite(s): Enrolled in NPLD program or permission of instructor. Program Design, Implementation, Evaluation and Social Statistics. This course examines how an organization designs, carries out and evaluates its programs to best implement its mission statement within the context of organizational and financial constraints.

790.Value Creation and Stewardship. Prerequisite(s): Enrolled in NPLD program or permission of instructor. Financial Management, Budgeting and Accounting. This course focuses on managing the financial and human resources of an organization and conceptualizes value creation and organizational stewardship in broad, enervating and creative ways.

791.Transformational Reasoning. Prerequisite(s): Must be enrolled in Master's Program in Nonprofit/NGO Leadership or permission of instructor. Critical Thinking, Social Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Social Movements. and Social Change. This course, which runs across two semesters, provides the architecture for the program as a whole, infuses critical and innovative thinking into all aspects of learning and functions as an integrative device for the complete curriculum. (Year-long seminar)

792.Transformational Reasoning. Prerequisite(s): Enrolled in NPLD program or permission of instructor. Critical Thinking, Social Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Social Movements and Social Change. This course, which runs across two semesters, provides the architecture for the program as a whole, infuses critical and innovative thinking into all aspects of learning and functions as an integrative devise for the complete curriculum. (Year-long Seminar)

793.New Leadership Frontier. Faculty. This course is a .50 credit unit course. Permission of instructor. NPLD793 is a two semester course especially designed for Wharton graduate students interested in "social impact" and the ways private, public and nonprofit organizations partner to address major socio-economic/political challenges.Students with such a passion and vision will apply to become Wharton-Nonprofit Leadership Fellows (or Associates) through a process to be managed by the Wharton Graduate Leadership Program. A small number of first year Wharton graduate students will be accepted into this program. All participants will enroll in both semesters of NPLD793 and NPLD794 . During the first semester,Wharton students and NPL students are integrated into a cohort working jointly on projects and assignments. In the second semester, Wharton students work in smaller units on projects that speak to their vision of incorporating their business training with their interest in nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations.

795. Non-Profit Leadership. Faculty. Prerequisite(s): Permission of Director of NPL program needed to register for course. This course consists of several, two-day (Friday-Saturday) workshops that are conducted in the spring semester. The workshops, taught by faculty from around the University (Law School, School of Arts & Sciences, Wharton, School of Social Policy & Practice) on themes such as creating digital videos for social change; social entrepreneurship; topics in nonprofit law; advocacy and lobbying for mission driven nonprofits;negotiation and strategic planning; and social accounting provide an opportunity for hands-on, practical skill-development, relevant to people with managerial or leadership aspirations/responsibilities in the nonprofit world. NPLD students enrolling in this elective select three (3) Friday-Saturday workshops, which together constitutes 1.0 graduate credit. Students from programs like the graduate MBA program that have fractional credits may, after all students taking it for a full credit have been placed, take a single workshop for .33 credit. This course is open to graduate students in all graduate and professional schools within Penn with the permission of the director of the NPL program.

SM 799. Advanced Topic. Faculty.

900. Field Study. Non-credit course. Field study is intended to provide the doctoral student with an opportunity to explore the implications of practice for further theory development in the profession. Each field study program is developed in accordance with the student's track identification and his or her individual needs. Concurrently with field study, the student takes a track process seminar. One term as arranged.

SOCIAL WELFARE (PhD)

803. History and Philosophy of Social Welfare. This seminar traces the evolution of social welfare from ancient to modern times focusing on its implications for the development of contemporary social welfare in the United States. The course examines the development of social welfare systems and the underlying philosophies inthe context of the social, economic, political, and cultural environments in which they emerged. Topics include the evolution of modern conceptions of the "welfare state,"the role of public, private and voluntary sectors in the social services, trends in social and family history and their relationship to social welfare, the professionalization of social work, and methods of historical and social policy analysis.

810. Geographic Information Systems and Environmental Planning. Tomlin. Introduction to the use of geographic information systems (GIS) in urban and regional planning. Reviews the conceptual foundations of GIS. Students achieve proficiency in Arc View.

811. Social Theory. (C) Course reading consists of the original works of theorists who offer classical, contemporary and postmodern perspectives on social thought, social interaction and issues germane to social welfare. Through intensive examination of multiple theoretical frameworks, students are expected to increase their analytical and critical orientation to theory. This ore nuanced understanding about epistemology, underlying assumptions, and theory construction can then be used to inform the student's substantive field of study and methodological orientation to research. This course is conducted in mixed lecture-seminar format. Students have the opportunity to practice pedagogical techniques and exercise class leadership.

852.Introduction to Social Work Research. (A) Prerequisite(s): Completion of concurrent enrollment in a course on introductory Social Statistics. This is the foundation course in social work research. It deals with the nature of scientific inquiry; theory and its relation to research design and hypothesis testing; and various models of data collection, sampling, and analysis of research and is supported in following personal interests within the structure of ethical scientific research. Each student prepares an original study which demonstrates integration of the semesters work. Students learn to work on their own. At the end of SWRK 852, they are prepared for moreadvanced coursework in research.

853.Qualuative Research. (B) Prerequisite(s): SWRK 852 or an equivalent. The methodology of accountability research in human service programs will be studied. Emphasis will be placed on social program evaluation, idiographic research, and secondary data analysis in policy research as specialized methods of social work research. Attention will be given to the social, political and fiscal issues typical of evaluation studies conducted within agency settings. Students will undertake a laboratory experience in an ongoing program evaulation project.

855. Advanced Research Methods. (B) Prerequisite(s): SWRK852 and Introduction to Statistics. The methodology of accountability research in human service programs is studiesd. Emphasis is placed on social program evaluation, idiographic research, and secondary data analysis in policy research as specialized methods of social work research. Students undertake a laboratory experience in an ongoing program evaluation project.

861. Policy Analysis. (B) This course examines alternative models of policy development and applies them to current issues in social welfare. It emphasizes frameworks for policy research and secondary analysis of governmental data. Topics include: race, class, and sex in policy outcomes; major social welfare programs; and the design, implementation, and evaluation of social service systems.

903.Integrative Seminar I. (B) Prerequisite(s): Completion of all core courses. The goal of this seminar is to provide a forum for testing new ideas within a scholarly and professional framework in order to assist with the development of a dissertation proposal. Specific objectives include: 1) identifying a research area of interest, 2) increased skill in developing a literature search, 3) developing a capacity to create operational hypotheses or questions, 4) developing a research design, and 5) designing a data analysis and interpretation plan.

904.Integrative Seminar II. Prerequisite(s): Completion of all core courses. The goal of this two-semester course is to provide a forum for testing new ideas within a scholarly and professional framework in order to assist with the development of a dissertation proposal. Specific objectives include 1) identifying a research area of interest. 2) increased skill in conducting a literature search, 3) developing a capaciy to create operational hypotheses or questions, 4) developing a research design, and 5) designing a data analysis and interpretation plan.

965. (SWRK750) Research Seminar in International Social Work. Prerequisite(s): SWRK 852 or an equivalent course. Empirical tests of prevailing theories of International Social Welfare development are reviewed critically. Students will learn how to construct and interpret welfare-relevant social indicators and will be expected to acquire skills in computer-based simulations and model building. Students will work together in conducting analyses of social welfare patterns in variety of rich and developing nations.

966. The Politics of Welfare. This course examines the impact of the political environment on the formulation and implementation of social welfare policy. It examines the structure of the American federal system--the division of power between federal, state, and local governments and between executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Particular attention will be paid to the role of special-interest groups in achieving social welfare goals within the system. In addition, the role of protest and insurgent political movements in transforming the welfare system will be addressed.

968. Social Welfare and Social Economics. This course examines the social welfare aspects of major economic decisions in the United States. Particular attention is paid to exploring the implications of social choices in relation to the goals of the achievement of increased equity and equality in the distribution of income and power, the elimination of unemployment, and the control of inflation. The growth of public welfare programs and the base of funding for social services are examined in terms of the nation's economic and political objectives.

995. Doctoral Dissertation. Doctoral Dissertation

MASTERS IN SOCIAL POLICY

628.Social Policy Analysis - Part I. (C) Prerequisite(s): Enrolled in MSSP program or permission of instructor. Understanding the development and implementation of legislation is critical to the policy analysis process. This work occurs in a political context. Thus, a social problem analysis framework will be the lens through which issues and policy initiatives will be critiqued. By reviewing both contemporary and historical social policy initiatives, this course will provide students with an understanding of the structure, function and processes of the legislative and executive branches, including the establishment of a legislative sanction, the role of the regulatory process, appropriations, methods of financing as well as strategies to effect social policy change.

629.Research and Evaluation Design. Prerequisite(s): Enrolled in MSSP program or permission of instructor. Research and Evaluation Design introduces social research methods in the context of social policy and program evaluation. The course provides a conceptual and practical understanding in the design of experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental research and in the application of quantitiative and qualitative methods. Students learn about the application of the research process and skills in all phases of assessing a social policy and developing a social program, including needs assessment, implementation analysis, and evaluation of policy or program effectiveness. Students learn to be critical and informed consumers of research and to apply quidelines of research ethics in social policy settings.

630.Quantitative Reasoning. Prerequisite(s): Enrolled in MSSP program or permission of instructor. Quantitative Reasoning is designed to provide students with a broad range of quantitative methods and applications. The course provides a conceptual understanding of inferential statistics including probability theory,confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing. Topics covered are: operationalization and measurement of variables:exploration and categorization of quantitative data; generalization of research findings from samples to populations; and statistical data processing and analysis. Students will have hands-on-experience in applying quantitative reasoning to address social policy issues and program evaluation using existing datasets. Students will have the opportunity to present data in different formats and to critique the application of quantitative data in technical reports and professional journals.

631.Social Policy Analysis Part 2. Prerequisite(s): Must be registered in Masters in Social Policy program or permission of instructor. This course introduces students to the structure of policy making in the U.S. in particular policy made via the judicial branch of government. The course will focus on a concrete understanding of the elements of case law including legal research and writing,judicial jurisdiction and forms of authority, the organizational flow of federal and state courts and other legal concepts. This course will help students to understand and interpret case law using a social problem analysis framework which critically evaluates the social and cultural contexts of such law. Students will also learn strategies to effect social policy change on the judicial side, including writing legal briefs, legal advocacy, and case vs. class action law suits.

632.Capstone Seminar. Prerequisite(s): Enrolled in MSSP program. The focus of the Capstone Seminar is three-fold: 1) to help students integrate the theory and practice of social policy analysis; 2)to help students formulate a manageable plan for conducting a graduate-level analysis of a social policy issue, problem or dilemma of special interest to the student; and 3) to facilitate the student's work in preparing the required policy analysis thesis. When appropriate, the Capstone Seminar also will assist students in bridging their experiences in the social policy field research internship with those of completing work on the thesis.