Preventive and intervention settings and resources will be reviewed along with a thorough examination of the policies and practices of the American child welfare system. This course provides an overview of issues in the field of aging which are related to social work practice. Changes among the elderly such as health, finances and social roles are studied with particular reference to potential need for assistance. Various ways in which the practitioner works with older people and the role of social workers in developing social policy on aging are explored. This course surveys the evolution of major social welfare programs and analyzes recent government responses to social welfare needs in the United States.
Emphasis is placed on analysis of and alternatives to current social welfare policies and programs.
Such knowledge is used as a foundation for the development of social work assessment skills. A study of the nature of alcoholism and its effect upon individuals and dynamic family systems. The physiological, psychological and social impact of alcohol on specific groups, especially women, children and adolescents, will be addressed. Issues of the adult child of the alcoholic will also be discussed. Students will develop assessment skills to identify alcoholics and their families within the social service population.