UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA - RENO SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK MSW PROGRAM. SW 624 Social Work Methods with Couples and Families

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1 UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA - RENO SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK MSW PROGRAM Course Number and Title SW 624 Social Work Methods with Couples and Families Instructor Contact Information Office Hours Credits 2 Co-requisite SW 620 COURSE DESCRIPTION SW 624 is one of a four-course sequence that emphasizes the competent application of skills, knowledge and values to social work practice. This course focuses on developing competency in intervening with couples and families. Students will learn how to engage in each stage of the social work intervention process with couples and families, including: rapport building, exploration, assessment, planning, implementation, goal attainment, evaluation and termination. This course furthers students understanding of the strengths-based, generalist social work perspective. Special emphasis is placed on analyzing the ways in which client characteristics (i.e., biological, psychological and socioeconomic factors as well as class, gender, ethnicity, culture, and sexual orientation) interact with the resources and demands of the environment in identifying appropriate intervention strategies. Students will be asked to use critical thinking skills to identify and implement interventions with couples and families that are evidencedinformed, as well as contextually and culturally relevant. COURSE LINKAGES This course is designed to incorporate knowledge, values and skills you acquired in SW 620, in particular those skills related to basic professional communication. To facilitate your understanding of evidenced-informed practice, it is taken with or after completion of SW 640 Principals of Evidenced Informed Practice I. This course also draws upon the knowledge you have gained in previous theory courses (e.g., SW 610 HBSE I) and knowledge of human functioning acquired during undergraduate studies. 1

2 Relevant MSW Program Competencies In accordance with the Council on Social Work Education s (CSWE) 2008 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS), the program prepares BSW students who: Identify themselves as professional social workers and conduct themselves accordingly (2.1.1) Apply social work ethical principles to guide their professional practice (2.1.2) Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments (2.1.3) Engage diversity and difference in practice (2.1.4) Advance human rights and social and economic justice (2.1.5) Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research (2.1.6) Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment (2.1.7) Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services (2.1.8) Respond to contexts that shape practice (2.1.9) Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate their interactions with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities (2.1.10) Course Objectives / Educational Outcomes: At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to: Enact the generalist social work roles in work with couples and families Maintain healthy professional boundaries in all professional interactions Incorporate feedback to alter and improve interventions with couples and families Apply models of ethical reasoning to explore complex ethical dilemmas in practice Explore of how personal beliefs and cultural practices in relation to families shape our understandings and interventions with clients Apply basic communication principles to effectively engage, assess, intervene and terminate with couples and families Analyze the influence of power, professional role and diverse statuses in work with couples and families Prepare accurate and non-biased written assessments, reports, case plans and documentation Apply the principles of cultural humility to build rapport, conduct thorough assessments and identify cultural-appropriate interventions with diverse client groups Identify evidence-based practices for work with couples and families Support assessments, caseplans and intervention strategies with empirical evidence Identify theoretical assumptions influencing understandings of families 2

3 Analyze the influence of organizational culture and policy on service delivery Articulate the purpose of and role within helping relationships with couples and families Identify mutually agreed-upon goals with couples and families Use assessment tools to elicit relevant client information Provide accurate and clear documentation for work with couples and families Complete written assessment, including family timelines, genograms, and ecomaps with a family Prepare a case plan with goals, tasks, roles, and timelines Provide opportunities for closure upon terminating with couples and families Engage in evaluation of outcomes in work with couples and families Instructional Methods This course will implement a variety of collaborative learning techniques. Some of these techniques will include: lecture, class discussion, small group activities, role-plays, fishbowl activities and videos. Course Policies Class Attendance and Participation: As much of the learning in this class is dependent upon class member contributions, you will be expected to come prepared and ready to actively participate in every class meeting. Active participation will include: involvement in class activities and discussions, timeliness to class, and collegial conduct. Students who miss 2 class sessions will lose 10 points. Students who miss 3 class sessions will lose 15 points. Those students who miss 4 or more class sessions will receive a grade of F for the course. Disabilities: Students who have documented disabilities that may affect their learning or performance in this class should contact the UNR Disability Services Office (Thompson Student Services Building, room 101). The instructor will make all those accommodations that are requested in writing by the aforementioned office. Academic Success Services: Your student fees cover usage of the Math Center ( or Tutoring Center ( or and University Writing Center ( or These centers support your classroom learning; it is your responsibility to take advantage of their services. Keep in mind that seeking help outside of class is the sign of a responsible and successful student. Academic Dishonesty: Cheating, plagiarism or otherwise obtaining grades under false pretenses" constitute academic dishonesty according to the code of this university. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and penalties can include canceling a student's 3

4 enrollment without a grade, giving an F for the course or for the assignment. For more details, see the UNR General Catalog. Audio and Video Recordings: To protect the privacy of other class members, students may not record class lectures or labs without consent from the Instructor. Consent will only be given to those students who request accommodations for a disability and show evidence of the need for said accommodation from the DRC. A central component of this class entails pre-professional simulations. To enhance learning and skill growth the Instructor will record these simulations. The Instructor and classmates may view these recordings to provide students feedback on skill use. All recordings will be destroyed upon the conclusion of the class and recordings will be used only for the purposes of feedback within this class. Students will sign a release to record at the start of the first class. Course Requirements Required Readings: You will be expected to have completed all assigned readings prior to the class session. Assigned readings can be found in the Course Calendar. Gladding, S. T. (2011). Family Therapy: History, Theory, and Practice. Upper Saddle, New Jersey, Pearson Education, In. Thomlison, B (2010). Family Assessment Handbook: An Introduction and Practical Guide to Family Assessment. Belmont, California, Brooks/Cole. Selected List of Family and Systemic Therapy Journals (Alphabetical Order) American Journal of Family Therapy Australian and New Zealand Family Therapy Journal Contemporary Family Therapy Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy Journal of Family Therapy (Full Access through Healey Library) Family Process (paid subscription full access) Family Systems & Health Human Systems: The Journal of Systemic Consultation and Management Journal of Family Psychology Journal of Family Psychotherapy Journal of Family Therapy Journal of Feminist Family Therapy Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (Healey Library Full Access) Journal of Systemic Therapies The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families Assignments 4

5 In-Class Activities and Family Assessment Handbook Exercises As this class focuses largely on skill development, you will be graded on your demonstration of these skills in class. These assignments will be completed in class and will be worth 3 points each. There will be a total of ten such assignments spread throughout the semester. Examples of topics for the assignments include: provision of peer feedback, accurate reporting of a brief exchange, use of open-ended questioning, ability to paraphrase or summarize, identification feelings in interaction, use of a level four empathetic response, and cultural humility. Students must be present in the class to complete the assignments. Additionally, the instructor will identify selected exercises from the Family Assessment Handbook that are to be completed and turned in. Make-up assignments will not be provided. Midterm and Final Exams There will be two exams given during the semester. These exams will consist of multiple choice, true/false, and essay questions. Questions will be designed to elicit your understanding of the skills, values and knowledge relevant to work with couples and families. The dates for these exams are noted in the Course Calendar. Each exam is worth 50 points. Make-up exams will only be given to students who experience an unexpected emergency. Students requesting make-up exams must present documentation supporting their need to miss the original exam date. Family Assessment and Case plan Students will complete a thorough assessment of a family either from their field placement using several empirically validated tools as well as traditional genograms, family timelines and ecomaps. Students will incorporate theoretical and research findings to support their assessments. The assessment should form the basis of a thorough case plan. The case plan should include evidence-informed intervention strategies. A complete outline for this assignment will be handed out in class. This assignment is worth 70 points. Twenty of these points will be awarded based upon clarity of writing, correct use of APA, and correct grammar, punctuation and spelling. Grading Grading: Grades will be awarded based upon your performance on the aforementioned course requirements. In-Class Activities 25% Midterm Exam 25% Final Exam 25% Family Assessment and Case plan 25% The following scale will be used to determine letter grades: 5

6 190 or higher A A B B B C C C D D D- 119 or less F 6

7 Sample Course Calendar Week Topic Readings and Assignments Week One 8/30 Introductions and Class Overview Gladding, Chapters 1&2 Individual and Family Life Cycles Healthy and Dysfunctional Families Week Two 9/6 Communication Skill Building (Continue) Simulation Lab Gladding, Chapters 3, 4, 5, 15 Working with Culturally Diverse Families Working with Single-Parent5 Families Working with Blended Families Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in Family Therapy Tomlison, Chapter 1 Tomlison, Chapter 19 (Brittany and her family case study Week Three 9/13 Engaging Couples and Families Gladding, Chapter 6, 7 History of Family Therapy The Process of Family Therapy Week Four 9/20 Week Five 9/27 Psychodynamic and Experiential Therapies Behavioral and Cognitive- Behavioral Family Therapies Tomlison, Chapter 2 Tomlison, Chapter 18 (The Jacques family case study) Tomlison, Chapter 3 Tomlison, Chapter 16 (Del Sol family case study) Gladding, Chapter 8 Couples and Marriage Therapy and Enrichment Week Six Exam 10/4 Week Seven 10/11 Structural Family Therapy Tomlison, Chapter 4 Tomlison, Chapter 15 (Fernandez family case study) Gladding, Chapter 9 Gladding, Chapter 10 Week Eight 10/18 Strategic Family Therapies Solution-focused and Narrative Tomlison, Chapter 5 Tomlison, Chapter 17 (McCoy family case study) Gladding, Chapter 11 Gladding, Chapter 12 7

8 Family Therapies Tomlison, Chapter 6 Week Nine No Class 10/25 Nevada Day Week Ten 11/1 Family Assessment and Case Plan Preparation Week Eleven 11/8 Gladding, Chapter 13 Gladding, Chapter 14 Intervention Approaches Gladding, Chapter 15 Tomlison, Chapter 7 Tomlison, Chapter 8 Week Twelve 11/15 Week Thirteen 11/22 Week Fourteen 11/29 Week Fifteen 12/6 Final Exam Week Contextual Realities in Practice with Families No Class Thanksgiving Simulation Lab Simulation Lab Final Exam Gladding, Chapter 17 Tomlison, Chapter 9 Tomlinson, Chapter 10 Family Assessment and Case Plan Due References Anderson, C., & Stewart, S. (1983). Mastering resistance: a practical guide to family therapy. New York: The Guilford Press. Anderson, C. M. (1999). Dilemmas and challenges of the new millennium [editorial]. Family Process, 38(1), 1-3. Anderson, C. M. (2000). Views retrospective and prospective. Family Process, 39(1), 1-2. Auerswald, E. H. (1972). Thinking about thinking in family therapy. Family Process, 10, Becker, D., & Liddle, H. A. (2001). Family therapy with unmarried African American mothers and their adolescents. Family Process, 40(4), Becvar, D. S., & Becvar, R. J. (2006). Family therapy : a systemic integration (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson A & B. Beels, C. C. (2002). Notes for a cultural history of family therapy. Family Process, 41(1), Bertrando, P. (2006). The evolution of family interventions for schizophrenia. A Tribute to Gianfranco Cecchin Journal of Family Therapy, 28, Boyd-Franklin, N. (1989). Black families in therapy: a multisystems approach. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Brock, G. W. (Ed.). (1998). Ethics casebook (2nd ed.). Washington DC: American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Burr, W. R. (1991). Rethinking levels of abstraction in family systems theories. Family Process, 30(4), Carter, E. A., & McGoldrick, M. (2005). The expanded family life cycle : 8

9 Individual, family, and social perspectives (3rd ed.). New York: Pearson Allyn & Bacon. Colon, F. (1998). The discovery of my multicultural identity. In M. McGoldrick (Ed.), Re-visioning family therapy: race, culture, and gender in clinical practice (pp ). New York: The Guilford Press. Coontz, S. (2000, June 21). Inventing today's families: an historian's view of the challenge. Paper presented at the American Family Therapy Academy 22nd Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA. Coontz, S. (Ed.). (1992). The way we never were: American families and the nostalgia trap. New York: Basic Books. Cowan, P. A., & Cowan, C. P. (2003). Normative family transitions, normal family process, and healthy child development. In F. Walsh (Ed.), Normal family processes (Third ed., pp ). New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Dell, P. F. (1982a). Beyond homeostasis: toward a concept of coherence. Family Process, 21(1), Dell, P. F. (1982b). In search of truth: on the way to clinical epistemology. Family Process, 21(4), Doherty, W. J., & Carroll, J. S. (2002). The families and democracy project. Family Process, 41(4), Falicov, C. J. (2005). Emotional transnationalism and family identities. Family Process, 44(4), Fiese, B. H., & Wamboldt, F. S. (2003). Coherent accounts of coping with a chronic illness: Convergences and divergences in family measurement using a narrative analysis. Family Process, 42(4), Fine, M. (1995). Family school intervention. In R. H. Mikesell, D.-D. Lusterman & S. H. McDaniel (Eds.), Integrating family therapy: Handbook of family psychology and systems theory (pp ). Washington DC: American Psychological Association. Fishbane, M. D. (2001). Relational narratives of the self. Family Process, 40(3), Frisch, K. (2000). Managed care and family therapy. AFTA Newsletter, 79. Hampson, R. B., & Beavers, W. R. (1996). Measuring family therapy outcome in a clinical setting: families that do better or do worse in therapy. Family Process, 35(3), Hines, M. (1996). Follow-up survey of graduates from accredited degreegranting marriage and family therapy training programs. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 22(2), Hirschhorn, D. S. (1999). Postmodern ethics and our theories: Doing therapy versus being therapists. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 18(4), Hoffman, L. (1981). Foundations of family therapy. New York, NY: Basic Books, Inc. Hoffman, L. (1990). Constructing realities: An art of lenses. Family Process, 29, Hoffman, L. (2002). Family therapy: An intimate history. New York, NY: W.W. Norton. Imber-Black, E. (1988). Families and larger systems: a family therapist's guide through the labyrinth. New York, NY: Guilford. Imber-Black, E. (1990). Multiple embedded systems. In M. P. Mirkin (Ed.), The social and political contexts of family therapy (pp. 3-18). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Jones, E. (2003). Working with the "self' of the therapist in consultation. Human 9

10 Systems: The Journal of Systemic Consultation & Management(14), Karpel, M. A. (1980). Family secrets: I. Conceptual and ethical issues in the relational context. II. Ethical and practical considerations in therapeutic management. Family Process, 19(3), Lyddon, W. (1989). Root metaphor theory: a philosophical framework for counseling and psychotherapy. Journal of Counseling and Development, 67, Madsen, W. (1999). Collaborative therapy with multi-stressed families: From old problems to new futures. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Margolin, G., Chien, D., Duman, S. E., Fauchier, A., Gordis, E. B., Oliver, P. H., et al. (2005). Ethical issues in couple and family research. Journal of Family Psychology, 19(1), McGoldrick, M., Gerson, R., & Shellenberger, S. (1999). Genograms: assessment and intervention (2 ed.). New York: Norton. Monk, G., & Gehart, D. R. (2003). Sociopolitical activist or conversational partner? Distinguishing the position of the therapist in narrative and collaborative therapies. Family Process, 42(1), Newfield, S. A., Newfield, N. A., Sperry, J. A., & Smith, T. E. (2000). Ethical decision making among family therapists and individual therapists. Family Process, 39(2), Owusu-Bempah, K. (2002). Uncertainty, risk-taking, and ethics in therapy. In B. Mason & A. Sawyerr (Eds.), Culture, self, and cross-ethnic therapy (pp ). London: H. Karnac (Books) Ltd. Pakman, M. (2004a). The epistemology of witnessing: memory, testimony, and ethics in family therapy. Fam Process, 43(2), Pakman, M. (2004b). On imagination: Reconciling Knowledge and life, or what does "Gregory Bateson" stand for? Family Process, 43(4), Pare, D. A. (1996). Culture and meaning: Expanding the metaphorical repertoire of family therapy. Family Process, 35(1), Paris, E., Linville, D., & Rosen, K. (2006). Marriage and family therapist interns' experiences of growth. J Marital Family Therapy, 32(1), Pulleyblank, E. (2004a). The heart of the matter 2: Integration of ecosystemic family therapy practices with systems of care mental health services for children and families. Family Process, 43(2), Pulleyblank, E. (2004b). The heart of the matter: An essay about the effects of managed care on family therapy with children. Family Process, 40(4), Rober, P. (1999). The therapist's inner conversation in family therapy practice: some ideas about the self of the therapist, therapeutic impasse, and the process of reflection. Fam Process, 38(2), Roberts, J. (2005). Transparency and self-disclosure in family therapy: dangers and possibilities. Family Process, 44(1), Rojano, R. (2004). The practice of community family therapy. Family Process, 43(1), Rosenbaum, R., & Dyckman, J. (1995). Integrating self and system: An empty intersection? Family Process, 34(1), Rosenblatt, P. C. (1994). Metaphors of family systems theory: Towards new reconstructions. New York: The Guilford Press. Sadler, J. Z., & Hulgus, Y. F. (1991). Clinical controversy and the domains of scientific evidence. Family Process, 30(1), Scanzoni, J. (1993). New action theory and contemporary families. Journal of 10

11 Family Issues, 14(1), Scheinkman, M. (1988). Graduate student marriages: An organizational view. Family Process, 27, Scheinkman, M. (2005). Beyond the trauma of betrayal: reconsidering affairs in couples therapy. Family Process, 44(2), Schwartzman, J. (1982). Creativity, pathology, and family structure: a cybernetic metaphor. Family Process, 21(1), Shadish, W. R., & Baldwin, S. A. (2003). Meta-analysis of MFT interventions. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 29(4), Sluzki, C. (1983). Process, structure and world views: Toward an integrated view of systemic models in family therapy. Family Process, 22, Sluzki, C. (1987). Mapping the journey over twenty-five years. Family Process, 26(2), Snyder, M. (1995). "Becoming": a method for expanding systemic thinking and deepening empathic accuracy. Family Process, 34(2), Sprenkle, D. H. (2003). Effectiveness research in marriage and family therapy: Introduction. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 29(1), Sprenkle, D. H., & Blow, A. J. (2004). Common factors and our sacred models. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 30(2), Stone, E., Gomez, E., Hotzoglou, D., & Lipnitsky, J. Y. (2005). Transnationalism s a motif in family stories. Family Process, 44(4), Sveaass, N., & Reichelt, S. (2001). Refugee families in therapy: from referrals to herapeutic conversations. Journal of Family Therapy, 25(1), Szapocznik, J., Hervis, O., Schwartz, S. J., & National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2003). Brief strategic family therapy for adolescent drug abuse. Bethesda, Md.: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Drug Abuse. Umbarger, C. (1983). Structural family therapy. New York: Grune & Stratton. Walsh, F. (1996). The concept of family resilience: crisis and challenge. Family Process, 35(3), Walsh, F. (2003). Family resilience: a framework for clinical practice. Family Process, 42(1), Walsh, F. (Ed.). (2003). Normal family processes (Third ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Watts-Jones, D. (1997). Toward an African American genogram. Family Process, 36(4), Watts-Jones, D. (2002). Healing internalized racism: the role of a within-group sanctuary among people of African descent. Family Process, 41(4), Watts-Jones, D. (2004). The evidence of things seen and not seen: The legacy of race and racism. Family Process, 43(4), Weine, S., Muzurovic, N., Kulauzovic, Y., Besic, S., Lezic, A., Mujagic, A., et al. (2004). Family consequences of refugee trauma. Family Process, 43(2), Weingarten, K. (1991). The discourses of intimacy: Adding a social constructionist and feminist view. Family Process, 30(3), Wendorf, D. J., & Wendorf, R. J. (1985). A systemic view of family therapy ethics. Family Process, 24(4), Zoloth-Dorfman, L., & Rubin, S. (1995). The patient as commodity: Managed care and the question of ethics. The Journal of Clinical Ethics, 6(4),

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