Utilizes an assets-based, community development perspective to assist individuals, families and communities in identifying and meeting community needs. Focuses on working as a team, utilization of community resources and selection of appropriate intervention strategies. Explores individual and community resilience while assisting in implementing local strategies that strengthen protective factors and lower risk factors for ethnically and culturally diverse families, schools, neighborhoods and communities. Examines ways of providing high quality, effective, culturally appropriate social work services. Emphasizes interpersonal and technical skills to manage social work programs, teams, and work groups.
Courses focus upon managing organizational issues and human resources.
Builds on the philosophy of consumer-centered management. Examines the biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors interacting across the life course from infancy to old age. Discusses and critiques major theoretical approaches to human development in its social and cultural contexts. Considers populations at risk and the impacts of racism and other forms of oppression on development. Emphasis on the sources of diversity such as ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation and handicapping conditions.