COURSE OUTLINE. SYLLABUS STATEMENT This course explores social work practice with at-risk populations from a risk and resiliency perspective.

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1 UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY FACULTY OF SOCIAL WORK EDMONTON DIVISION Winter 2012 CNAR website SOWK 555 Practice with At-Risk Populations Winter 2012 Faculty of Social Work, Edmonton Campus Lectures: Mondays, 9:00am 12:00pm Instructor: Sherri Tanchak Tel.: (780) All office hours by appointment COURSE OUTLINE SYLLABUS STATEMENT This course explores social work practice with at-risk populations from a risk and resiliency perspective. COURSE DESCRIPTION This course is designed to create an environment for students to explore various tenets of working with at risk populations from a risk and resiliency perspective. The purpose of this course is to support students to critically examine their beliefs, values and feelings in relation to at risk populations, explore and apply the Resiliency Enhancing Model, and assess possible roles for the social worker at the micro, mezzo and macro level of intervention. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Students will be able to demonstrate 1. An understanding of the risk and resiliency perspective 2. An awareness of concepts of at risk and high risk 3. An understanding of the realities and issues affecting at-risk populations 4. An understanding and application of the Resilience Enhancing Model RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER COURSES This is a senior elective for BSW students intended to build upon previous core courses. REQUIRED TEXT AND OTHER READINGS Greene, Roberta (2007). Social work practice. A risk and resilience perspective. Belmont CA: Thompson Brooks/Cole. Additional reading will be posting on the course Blackboard Site. The Instructor will provide a list on the first day of classes. 1

2 CLASS SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNED READINGS Date Schedule and Discussion Areas Required Readings Welcome and Introductions January 9 Review of Course Outline Exploring risk? History of Social Work and Risk No Reading required for the first lecture January 16 Risk and Resilience Perspective Defining Concepts, Theory, Strengths, Weakness, and Application Risk & Resilience Across the Life Span Resiliency Mandela Issues Affecting At-Risk Populations Chapter 1 & 2, Greene Blackboard Readings - Posted on BB Site January 23 January 30 Social Action Day No Class Risk and Resilience Enhancing Model Phase I- Assessment Phase II Practice Strategies Student Project Presentation Chapter 3-4, Greene February 6 Student Project Presentation February 13 Student Project Presentation February 20 No Class Reading Week 2

3 Date Schedule and Discussion Areas Required Readings February 27 March 5 March 12 March 19 March 26 April 2 Assignment 1 (Part 1) Due at 9:00am (A hard copy of the assignment is to be submitted to the Instructor at the beginning of class) Applying the Resilience Enhancement Model Child Welfare At Risk Youth Applying the Resilience Enhancement Model Persons with Substance Abuse Disorders Persons with Mental Health Problems and Disorders Assignment 1 (Part 2) Due at 9:00am (A hard copy of the assignment is to be submitted to the Instructor at the beginning of class) Applying the Resilience Enhancement Model Persons Experience Traumatic Events and Disasters Fostering Resiliency in Dealing with Violent Death Resilient Enhancement Model and Caregiving Residential School Symposium Applying the Resilience Enhancement Model in the Community Workplace Chapter 5-7, Greene Blackboard Reading - Posted on BB Site Chapter 9, Greene Blackboard Reading - Posted on BB Site Chapter 8 &13, Greene Blackboard Reading - Posted on BB Site Chapter 12, Greene Blackboard Readings - Posted on BB Site Chapter 10-11, Greene Blackboard Readings - Posted on BB Site April 9 Exam Review, Schedule for Final Exam TBA 3

4 ASSIGNMENTS ASSIGNMENT 1: PROJECT OUTLINE OF INTENT AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (20%) Part 1(5%) Project Outline and Intent Length: 2-3 pages Due Date: February 27, 2012 (9:00am) A hard copy of the assignment to be submitted to Instructor at the beginning of class. Suggested Framework for Consideration (Further details will be provided on the first day of class) Identify a specific at-risk population. How does the literature describe this population; that is, what do you notice about the use of writer s and/or researcher s use of language What factors define this population to be at-risk? What are some social work approaches for serving this population? How might social workers work with this population from a risk and resiliency perspective? Reflect on your reasons for choosing this particular area of risk and resiliency research. Part 2 (15%) Due Date: Annotated Bibliography March 12, 2012 (9:00am) A hard copy of the assignment to be submitted to Instructor at the beginning of class. Attach an annotated bibliography citing at least 10 academic sources (journal articles) that you will be able to use to inform this project. In each of the annotations: Describe the content and focus of the reading Critically Assess the usefulness of the research Evaluate its application to the project Note This assignment requires students to search the academic databases and select 10 journal articles that have been peered review. ASSIGNMENT 2: STUDENT IDENTIFIED PROJECT Part 1(15%): In Class Presentation of Project (15 minutes) Presentation Schedule: January 30, February 6 or February 13, 2012 Students are asked to prepare and present a minute presentation to the class on their project. Specific guidelines about the presentation will be provided by the Instructor on the first day of class. Part 2: Formal Paper of an At Risk Population (25%) 4

5 Length: Due Date: 15 Pages (Excluding References and Appendices) (APA 6 th edition format) April 2, 2012 (9:00am) A hard copy of the assignment to be submitted to Instructor at the beginning of class. Research and write a 15 page paper about a specific at-risk population that you would like to better understand. The Instructor will provide further guidelines on this assignment on the first day of class. ASSIGNMENT 3: FINAL EXAM (40%) This long answer exam will cover course material covered over the semester, readings from course text, blackboard readings, and lecture notes. ON LINE REFERENCES There are numerous helpful WEB sites from which you can obtain accurate and recent Canadian statistics and publications, on a wide variety of social work topics, including: Alberta College of Social Workers Canadian Association of Social Workers ResilienceNet The Resilience Research Centre National Network for Family Resiliency Resiliency in Action Project Resilience IT REQUIREMENTS FOR BLACKBOARD ACCESS Students are required to maintain a current University of Calgary IT Account in order to access the University of Calgary Library holdings. Students will be required to access journal articles electronically or using the library holdings at the University of Alberta libraries. COURSE EVALUATION 5

6 Student feedback will be sought at the end of each term through the standard University and Faculty of Social Work course online evaluation process. Students will be invited to provide feedback to the instructor throughout the term. PROTECTING CONFIDENTIALITY IN CLASS AND COURSE ASSIGNMENTS The student must respect all guidelines of confidentiality as outlined in the Social Work Code of Ethics. No information that could potentially identify a client of any service system will be used in class, assignments, or the blackboard discussion forum. 6

7 GENERAL GRADING CRITERIA The following criteria shall generally apply to all written assignments. a. Timeliness: All assignments are to be handed in on the specified due date unless otherwise negotiated. Ten percent will be deducted for each week the assignment is late. b. Critical Thinking and Reflection: Students are expected to demonstrate critical thinking in relation to their appraisal of concepts presented in class and course readings. Students are expected to demonstrate their ability to identify bias and evaluate personal assumptions. c. Technical Merit: Students are expected to submit assignments that are clearly written, logically structured and able to convey desired meaning. Students are expected to use proper grammar and punctuation. In demonstrating mutual respect for the contributions of others, students are expected to cite all sources of information using APA (6 th edition) guidelines for citations and references. As noted in the University Calendar, students may be subject to serious penalties for academic misconduct. Plagiarism is one form of academic misconduct, which involves submitting or presenting work in a course as if it were the student s own work. d. Professional Conduct: As members of the University community, students and staff are expected to demonstrate conduct that is consistent with University and Faculty codes specified in the University of Calgary Calendar. The specific expectations cited in the Calendar include: respect for the dignity of all persons; fair and equitable treatment of individuals in our diverse community; personal integrity and trustworthiness; respect for academic freedom; and, Respect for personal and University/Host Institution property. "If a student is interested in undertaking an assignment that will involve collecting information from members of the public, he or she should speak with the course instructor and consult the CFREB ethics website ( before beginning the assignment." WRITING EXPECTATIONS It is expected that all work submitted in assignments should be the student s own work, written expressly by the student for this particular course. Students are referred to the section on plagiarism in the University Calendar ( and are reminded that plagiarism is an extremely serious academic offence. University of Calgary 7

8 GRADING SYSTEM U of C Calendar View at Letter Grade A Outstanding A 4.00 Excellent - superior performance Faculty of Social Work Percentage* A B B 3.00 Good - clearly above average B C C 2.00 Satisfactory - basic understanding C D D 1.00 Minimal pass - marginal performance F 0 Fail - unsatisfactory performance Below 50 U of C Calendar, Effective with the 2008/2009 University Calendar, the online Undergraduate Calendar is the official University Calendar. You can view the Undergraduate Calendar at The Faculty of Social Work uses the University of Calgary grading system, as shown above. The official grading system must be used to report final grades to the Registrar but need not be used for individual assignments, quizzes, etc. An instructor electing not to use the official system for a particular component(s) of a course must provide the class, in the same format as was used for the course outline, with an interpretation of the system being used. It is at the instructor's discretion to round off either upward or downward to determine a final grade when the average of term work and final examinations is between two letter grades. The University grading system can be viewed online. A cumulative GPA of 2.30 or above is required on all courses taken towards the BSW degree. Students are allowed a maximum of two D or two D+ grades in the equivalent of two half courses throughout their program. Withdrawal No refunds for withdrawal from winter session half-courses after January 20, The last day to add or swap winter session half-courses is January 23, The last day to withdraw with permission from winter session halfcourses is April 13, The Undergraduate Academic Schedule for 2011/2012 can be viewed at The online version of the academic schedule supersedes the information on this course outline. Examinations Exams scheduled during university-scheduled examination periods are the property of the instructor and the University of Calgary and may not be reproduced in any fashion without express written consent. Academic Accommodation It is a student's responsibility to request academic accommodation. If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation and have not registered with the Disability Resource Centre, please contact their office at If you are seeking academic accommodation, please notify your instructor no later than 14 days after the commencement of this course. 8

9 References Allen-Meares. Paula, & Garvin, C. (2000). The handbook of social work direct practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc. Bishop, A. (2002). Becoming an ally. Halifax: Ferwood Publishing. Boylan, J. & Dalrymple, J. (2009). Advocacy as a tool for anti-oppressive practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Brendtro, L., Brokenleg, M. & Van Bockern, S. (1990). Relating to the reluctant. Bloomington, Indian: National Education Service. Brown, C. (1994). Feminist postmodernism and the challenge of diversity. In A. S. Chambon & A. Irving (Eds.). Essays on postmodernism and social work (pp ). Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press. Carniol, B. (2000). Case critical: Challenging social services in Canada. Toronto: Between the Lines. Chappell, Rosalie. (2005). Social welfare in Canadian society. (3 rd Ed.). Toronto: Thomson/ Nelson. Garvin, C., & Seabury, B. A. (1997). Interpersonal practice in social work: Promoting competence and social justice. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Gaetz, S. (2004). Safe streets for whom? Homeless youth, social exclusion, and criminal victimization. Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 46(4), Germain, C. B. & Gitterman, A. (1996). The life model of social work practice: Advances in practice and theory. New York: Columbia University Press. Gilgun, J. F. (2005). The four cornerstones of evidence-based practice in social work. Research on Social Work Practice, 15(1),

10 Graham, J.R., Swift, K.J., & Delaney, R. (2003). Canadian social policy: An introduction. Second Edition. Toronto: Prentice Hall. Hartman, A., & Laird, J. (1998). Moral and ethical issues in working with lesbians and gay men. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services, 79, * From a special issue of the Journal on Ethical Dilemmas. Ivanoff, A., Blythe, B., & Tripodi, T. (1994). Involuntary clients in social work practice. New York: Aldine De Gruyter. Johnson, L.C., McClelland, R.W., & Austin, C.D. (2000). Social work practice: A generalist approach. (Canadian Ed.). Scarborough ON: Prentice Hall, Allyn & Bacon Canada. Kirk, S. (1999). Good intentions are not enough: Practice guidelines for social work. Research on Social Work Practice, 9(3), Mate, G. (2008). In the realm of hungry ghosts: Close encounters with addiction. Toronto: Alfred A. Knoph Canada. Meyer, C., & Mattaini, M. (1995). The foundations of social work practice. Washington: NASW Press. Miley, K O Melia, M. & Dubois, B. (2004). Generalist social work practice: An empowering approach. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Mullaly, R. (2002). Challenging oppression: A critical social work approach. Toronto: Oxford University Press Mullaly, R. (1997). Structural social work: Ideology, theory & practice (2 nd ed.) Toronto: Oxford University Press. Nugent, W., Sieppert, J., & Hudson, W. (2001). Practice evaluation for the 21st century. Belmont: Wadsworth/Thomson. 10

11 Reamer, F. (1999). Social work values and ethics. New York: Columbia University Press. Saulnier, C. R. (1996). Feminist theories and social work: Approaches and applications. Binghamton, NY: Haworth. Saulnier, C.R. (1996). Feminist theories and social work. New York: The Haworth Press. Shera, W. & Wells, L.M. (Eds). (1999). Empowerment practice in social work: Developing richer conceptual foundations. Toronto On: Canadian Scholar s Press Inc. Smyth, P. & Easton-Erickson, A. (2009). Making the connections: Strategies for working with high risk youth. In S. McKay, D. Fuchs & I. Brown (Eds.), Passion for action in child and family services: Voices from the prairies ( ). Regina, Saskatchewan: Canadian Press Research Centre. Turner, F. J. (Ed.) (1996). Social work treatment: Interlocking theoretical approaches (4 th ed.). New York: Free Press. Ungar, M. (2005). Resilience among children in child welfare, corrections, mental health and educational settings: Recommendations for service. Child & Youth Care Forum, 34(6), van Wormer, K., Wells, J., & Boes, M. (2000). Social work with lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Weaver, H. N. (1997). Training culturally competent social workers: What students should know about Native people. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 15(1/2),