Completing an advanced concentration requires 36 credits, including 6 credits of related field experience. The child welfare concentration prepares you for leadership responsibilities in child welfare services in public and voluntary sectors. Some students in the program already hold positions in such systems. You develop advanced practice skills in working directly with families and children, the expertise needed to manage the organizational support for quality programs, and the ability to design and evaluate programs that promote the welfare of families and children. Courses in social work practice emphasize empowering people to find their own solutions by encouraging them to focus on their strengths.
Studies use solution-focused and family systems methods.
You study child and family development and the social policies affecting children and families. In studying families at risk or those with special problems, you also focus on such subjects as parents' rights and children's best interests. You must take 24 credits of required courses and 12 credits of elective courses, in addition to the foundation curriculum. The family mental health concentration prepares you for direct service roles with families and individuals. The program provides the specialized skills you need to assess stress points in individuals and in families, and in their relationships with other systems.