Emphases are human diversity and its influence on the social environment, the impact of the social environment on human growth, development, and behavior, and the relevance of these issues to social work practice. The course may be repeated for credit if the topic varies. The theoretical framework of social systems and of intervention. The focus is on generic principles of intervention and the role of the social worker as generalist. The course provides an analysis of professional values, value dilemmas, culturally sensitive social work practice and ethics in practice.
Students learn interviewing skills as they are used in social work practice.
The course focuses on micro-level interviews, but students also learn how to apply interviewing skills to diverse populations at micro, mezzo and macro levels. Students learn use of self, attending, questioning, active listening, and reflection of feelings skills in the context of intentional interviewing. An emphasis is placed on cultural sensitivity in the interviewing process. Effective interviewing approaches with referrals, interviewing for advocacy, telephone and referral skills, and engaging difficult clients are covered. Students use critical thinking skills to recognize and assess their use of interviewing concepts and their progress as social work interviewers.