Social Work 475 - CHILD WELFARE PRACTICE SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE Course Focus, Overview and Goals This course, taught from an anti-oppressive stance, addresses child welfare practice across the range of services that are or could be associated with Canadian child welfare legislation and policy. Two important assumptions underlie the construction of this course. One is that an exploration of the social and historical context of child welfare is essential to understanding current practice, and thus race, class, gender and anti-oppression issues are integrated throughout the course. The other is that an awareness of the influence of one s own social location, values and biases is necessary for ethical and competent social work practice. Child welfare practice is an immense area and it is not possible to cover all relevant material in one course. While certain critical areas have been selected for examination, students should understand that practice in this area requires knowledge acquisition, personal work and skill development beyond what is offered in this course. The intention of this course is to provide a solid foundation for beginning practice and further learning. Educational philosophy and format The course emphasizes the integration of theory and research with practice a social worker must know what s/he is doing and why s/he is doing it. Class time will be divided into approximately ½ presentation and discussion of theory and research knowledge, and about ½ activities involving the application of this knowledge in direct practice skills such as interviewing, note taking/recording, assessment, case presentation, self-care and self-reflection. My teaching is guided by adult learning principles students are expected to participate, think critically, and be self-reflective. My expectation is that students will contribute to their own and class learning by bringing and sharing their own experiences and ideas, and by making the class a safe and respectful place in which others can do the same. Our learning to a large extent will depend on our willingness to practice respect, to listen, to trust, to take risks, and to be open to ideas and beliefs that we might not share. Students will have the opportunity in the first class to come to consensus on class climate commitments that can facilitate this process. Course intentions The general intentions of the course are: 1. To develop and apply an understanding of the historical and current role and function of social workers in child welfare. 2. To develop and apply knowledge and skill in an assessment, intervention and 1
evaluation framework appropriate for child welfare, within the context of working with a diverse population. 3. To explore and apply Indigenous, feminist and anti-oppressive approaches and models of practice in child welfare. 4. To critically examine current approaches to practice in child welfare and to consider new methods or models of service provision which might address current limitations. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to: At a personal level: 1. Clarify your beliefs and values as they relate to child welfare. 2. Critically reflect on your location (factors such as class, race, gender, ability, sexual orientation) and personal life history (with special attention to your family and professional experiences) and how these influence your perceptions, beliefs and attitudes towards child welfare. 3. Critically reflect on your knowledge base about child welfare, your ability to understand, critique and use relevant literature and research about child welfare, and your need for additional training. At a theoretical level: 4. Identify and articulate, at a beginning level, how the intersections of race, class, gender, ability, sexual orientation, etc. influence this area of practice. 5. Relate the larger theoretical issues (the context of child welfare) to the application of skills in practice situations. At a practice level: 7. Develop a practice framework and skills for working in child welfare. Understand, describe and begin to apply appropriate intervention skills in a variety of child welfare practice situations. 8. Articulate an understanding of how social location, both yours and those of client(s), impacts on practice and intervention. 9. Demonstrate an awareness of issues related to transference, countertransference, burnout and vicarious traumatization. Develop a self-care plan that attends to how you are (or might be) impacted by working with child maltreatment and its consequences. 2
10. Use the above skills in a way that minimises structural inequalities and promotes working with rather than for or against clients. ATTENDANCE The University of Victoria Undergraduate Calendar, the School of Social Work's Policy Manual (available on-line at: http://socialwork.uvic.ca/policies) and the School's Student Handbook contain regulations regarding attendance and grading. Please ensure that you are familiar with these policies as they will be applied. Students are required to attend 80% of classes in the course and attendance will be made note of each week. Failure to attend 80% of classes will result in failure in the course unless you qualify for an academic concession and complete and submit the required paperwork. There is a great deal of material to cover in this course, and each student s thoughts, analysis, feelings and ideas about this material will be a very important part of the learning experience for all of us. Given this, I very much hope that every student will make an effort to be present at every class. If you do have to miss a class due to illness or a family emergency, please notify me before class by telephone or e-mail. Students with special circumstances that may affect their attendance or submission of assignments (for example, disability, work conflicts or single parenting) should discuss their situations with me at the beginning of the course. No extensions will be given unless students maintain an ongoing and open dialogue with the instructor. INCLUSIVITY AND ACCOMODATION The School of Social Work is committed to creating a supportive, welcoming and inclusive classroom that aims to ensure that all students have equal access to educational opportunities within both the virtual and face- to- face learning environment. We aim to create a learning context that recognizes different learning styles and needs. It is the School of Social Work s expectation that ALL students meet the established criteria in each course in our professional program. The School of social work appreciates that students may require specific academic accommodation. Some examples of where accommodation may be necessary include (but are not limited to) the following: 1) Disability related (e.g. physical, emotional, intellectual, developmental, psychological and/or learning disabilities); 2) Medical and/or life emergencies (e.g. sudden illnesses, accidents, death in the family, etc); 3) Environmental sensitivities (e.g. allergies to chemical, perfumes and/or dust, sensitivities to light and/or noise levels, etc); 4) Care-giving responsibilities (e.g. responsibilities with caring for children, partners, immediate and/or extended family members, etc) 3
5) Cultural and/or religious observances If you have particular needs around your learning, please speak with your faculty advisor, your instructor, and/or the Disability Resource Centre about how to make this the best learning opportunity. Accommodations will be provided in a respectful manner that protects the individual s self-respect, privacy, comfort and autonomy. Information shared with the instructor will be held confidential as required under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act unless the student provides consent to release information. Please familiarize yourself with the following School of Social Work policies (http://socialwork.uvic.ca/policies/): 1) Assessing Student Learning policy 2) Policy for Students with Disabilities 3) Grade review/appeals Please note: If during the course of supporting a student with an accommodation need an instructor receives information that would lead a reasonable person to believe there is a serious risk to the health, safety or welfare of any person they have a duty to share this information with the appropriate authorities REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATION If you need assistance inside or outside the classroom in order to fully participate in classroom learning and complete the assignments due to a disability, please discuss this with me. The School of Social Work's Policy for People with Disabilities can be viewed at the following link: http://socialwork.uvic.ca/policies/pwdis.htm The Writing Centre is available to provide assistance to students with writing difficulties or learning disabilities. Assistance is also available from the Resource Centre for Students with a Disability. TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM Students are expected to refrain from using laptops, cell phones, Blackberrys and other devices during class time. Cell phones should be turned off except in cases of emergency. If you must have your cell phone on during class, please explain this to me at the beginning of class and set your phone to vibrate. If you must take notes on a lap top due to disability, or must use any other assistive devices, please provide me with confirmation from the Resource Centre for Students with a Disability. PARTICIPATION From my perspective, participation includes both in-class and out-of-class activities. During class discussions and small group exercises, it involves active participation, listening and respectful sharing of your thoughts, feelings, ideas and questions. Outside of class, it involves reading and reflecting on readings, 4
and reflecting on practice and personal experiences related to the readings and the material covered in class, as well as completing all required assignments. Students are encouraged to bring practicum, work and personal experiences into class discussions. My expectation is that the processes of reading, reflection and doing will contribute to your ability to ask informed and thoughtful questions and make informed and thoughtful comments. EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK - INSTRUCTOR The syllabus describes the intentions of the course. Student feedback and assessment about the extent to which the course is meeting these intentions are important to me. I am also interested in hearing student suggestions for how I can improve my teaching and facilitation. There are four main ways for you to evaluate this course and me as the course instructor: Informal mid-point evaluation Feedback to me throughout the course: in person, by e-mail, by telephone, or in writing Formal final evaluation Written, signed feedback to the Director during or after the course Student evaluation of instructors provided through formal course evaluations or by writing to the Director is part of an instructor s teaching dossier and are important factors in decisions about tenure, promotion and merit increases. ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING Please refer to the School s website for important information about academic policies. In constructing the assignments, I have attempted to have each assignment build on the previous one. The university has many resources to assist students with assignment preparation; these are described in the Student Handbook, on the School s website and in the calendar. If the requirements of a particular assignment are difficult for you even with help from these resources, please discuss this with me well in advance of the due date. Please read important information about assignments, assignment writing standards and the lateness policy described in detail at the end of the syllabus. Assignment 1 (a), (b) and (c) - Self-reflection/self-location journal This assignment is broken into 3 parts, with 3 different due dates. Value: 30 points (10 for each submission) Assignment 2 - Assessment and initial safety plan *May be developed in teams but must be submitted as an individual assignment Value: 30 points Assignment 3 - Intervention (case) plan *May be developed and submitted by pairs or triads. Value: 30 points. 5
Assignment 4 - Attendance and participation Value: 10 points Assessment is based on whether you have attended class regularly (on time and for the duration of class), completed the course readings (as evidenced by your ability to discuss them knowledgeably in class and participate fully in exercises built around them) and participated in and contributed to activities. Many types of participation are valued. Students are asked to complete and submit the selfassessment form at the end of the syllabus to contribute to evaluating this component no later than December 4, 2009. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS 1. Strega, S. & Esquao, Sohki Aski (Jeannine Carrière, J.) (Eds.). (2009). Walking this path together: Anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice in child welfare. Halifax: Fernwood Publishing 2. SOCW 475 A01 Course Pack. Both are available for purchase in the bookstore. Please see the end of the syllabus for suggestions for readings beyond the course pack that can assist in assignment preparation and working in child welfare. COURSE OUTLINE Week 1 Introduction to the course Introductions Review of course syllabus and assignments Development of learning/reflection teams Development of class climate commitments Week 2 Context and definitions The historical and current context of child welfare practice Informal history quiz and lecture Legislation review Strong-Boag, V. (2002). Getting to now: children in distress in Canada s past. In B. Wharf (Ed.), Community approaches to child welfare. Peterborough: Broadview Press, 29-46 Lavergne, C., Dufour, S., Trocmé, N. & Larrivée, M-C. (2008). Visible minority, Aboriginal, and Caucasian children investigated by Canadian protective services. Child Welfare 87(2), 59-76 Introduction, Walking this path together (Susan Strega and Jeannine Carrière). 6
(Course Text) NOTE: For this week, you should also review BC Child Family and Community Service Act (Section 13) OR the child protection legislation relevant to the jurisdiction in which you expect to complete your practicum. The BC legislation can be downloaded or viewed at: http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/c/96046_01.htm#section13 Week 3 Abuse and neglect theories Assignment 1A (Self location and self reflection journal, Part A) DUE Video Protection Discussion: Defining child abuse and neglect Required Readings Rimer, P. & Prager, B. (1998). Child abuse defined (Chapter 1). In Rimer, P. & Prager, B., Reaching out: working together to identify and respond to child victims of abuse. Scarborough: Thomson Canada, 1-15 Chapter 10: Reconstructing neglect and emotional maltreatment from an antioppressive perspective (Henry Parada) (Course Text) Shone, B. & Parada, H. (2005). Emotional maltreatment of children and child welfare intervention. OACAS Journal 49(4), 17-22 Swift, K. (1995). Neglect as failed motherhood. In Swift, K., Manufacturing bad mothers : a critical perspective on child neglect. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 101-125 Week 4 Assessment, risk assessment and file recording Readings discussion Learning groups: Assessment exercise: Protection (An experienced current child protection practitioner will be available during class time for consultation on your assessments.) Krane, J. & Davies, L. (2000). Mothering and child protection practice: rethinking risk assessment. Child and Family Social Work 5 (1), 35-45 Chapter 8: Anti-Oppressive Approaches to Assessment, Risk Assessment and File Recording (Susan Strega) (Course text) de Montigny, G. (1995). The power of being professional. In M. Campbell & A. Manicom (Eds.), Knowledge, experience and ruling relations. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 209-220 7
Week 5 Introduction to anti-racist and anti-oppressive child welfare practice Assignment 2 (Assessment/Safety Plan) can be turned in this week Readings review and discussion: Principles of AOP in child welfare Chapter 2: Meeting here and now: Reflections on racial and cultural difference in social work encounters (Donna Jeffery) Chapter 3: Race Matters: Social Justice not Assimilation or Cultural Competence (Sarah Maiter) (Course Text) Chapter 7: What Parents Say: Service Users Theory and Anti-Oppressive Child Welfare Practice (Gary Dumbrill and Winnie Lo) (Course text) Mallon, G. & Woronoff, R. (2006). Busting out of the child welfare closet: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-affirming approaches to child welfare. Child Welfare 85(2), 115-122 Week 6 Putting AOP into practice in child welfare Assignment 2 (Assessment/Safety Plan) final deadline Readings review and discussion Learning group work: First interview in child protection role plays Chapter 14: Engaging Fathers in Child Welfare Practice (Leslie Brown, Susan Strega, Lena Dominelli, Christopher Walmsley and Marilyn Callahan) (Course text) Dumbrill, G. (1998). Carols in the trenches. In T. S. Nelson & T. S. Trepper (Eds.), 101 More Interventions in Family Therapy (pp. 397-401). New York: Haworth Press. Jones, J. (1994). Child protection and anti-oppressive practice: The dynamics of partnership with parents explored. Early Child Development and Care 102, 101-113 Oppenheim, L. (1992). The first interview in child protection: social work method and process. Children and Society 6 (2), 132-150 Week 7 Indigenous children, families & communities Guest instructor Grace Atkinson will facilitate. 8
Chapter 1: Children in the Centre: Indigenous Perspectives on Anti-Oppressive Child Welfare Practice (Jacquie Green and Robina Thomas) (Course Text) Chapter 5: The Practice of Child Welfare in Indigenous Communities: A Perspective for the Non-Indigenous Social Worker (Christopher Walmsley) (Course Text) Chapter 6: Métis Experiences of Social Work Practice (Cathy Richardson) (Course Text) Week 8 - Substance misuse Informal quiz, lecture and discussion Video: Out of harm s way Bush, I. & Sainz, A. (1997). Preventing substance abuse from undermining permanency planning: Competencies at the intersection of culture, chemical dependency, and child welfare. In G. Anderson, A. Shen Ryan & B. Leashore (Eds.), The challenge of permanency planning in a multicultural society. (pp.79-97). Binghamton: The Haworth Press Chapter 13: Healing versus treatment: Substance misuse, child welfare and Indigenous families (Betty Bastien, Jeannine Carrière and Susan Strega) (Course Text) Smith, N. (2006). Empowering the unfit mother: Increasing empathy, redefining the label. Affilia 21(4), 448-457 Week 9 - Violence in the home Assignment 1B (Self location and self reflection journal, Part B) DUE Lecture, readings review and case studies/interview practice Scott, K. & Crooks, C. (2004). Effecting change in maltreating fathers: Critical principles for intervention planning. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice 11(1), 95-111 Chapter 12: Taking Resistance Seriously: A Response-Based Approach to Social Work in Cases of Violence against Indigenous Women (Cathy Richardson and Allan Wade) (Course Text) Corcoran, J. (1999). Solution-focused interviewing with child protective services 9
clients. Child Welfare 78 (4), 461-479 Week 10 - Sexual abuse Readings review and discussion Learning group work: Sexual abuse interview role play Chapter 11: Oppressing Mothers: Protection Practices in Situations of Child Sexual Abuse (Julia Krane and Rosemary Carlton) (Course text) Lovett, B. (2004). Child sexual abuse disclosure: Maternal response and other variables impacting the victim. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 21(4), 355-371 Wood, J., McClure, K. & Birch, R. (1996). Suggestions for improving interviews in child protection agencies. Child Maltreatment 1(3), 223-230 Week 11 Alternative dispute resolution Video: Saputjnik Readings review discussion: Principles for ADR in CW Please read publications available via the web: http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/child_protection/mediation.htm (Publications on family group conferencing and mediation) http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/dro/child-protection/index.htm (Publications on child protection mediation) Chapter 4: Widening the circle: Countering institutional racism in child welfare. (Joan Pennell) (Course Text) Week 12 Children and youth in care Assignment 3 (Intervention Plan) can be handed in this week Readings review, discussion and film ( Wards of the Crown ) Haight, W., Black, J., Mangelsdorf, S., Giogio, G., Tata, L., Schoppe, S. & Szewczyk, M. (2002). Making visits better: the perspectives of parents, foster parents, and child welfare workers. Child Welfare 81 (2), 173-202 Chapter 9: Supporting youth in care through anti-oppressive practice (April Feduniw) Course Text) 10
Ragg, M., Patrick, D. & Ziefert, M. (2006). Slamming the closet door: Working with gay and lesbian youth in care. Child Welfare 85(2), 243-265 Week 13 Resiliency and self-care Final deadline: Assignment 3 (Intervention Plan) Assignment 1C (Self location and self reflection journal, Part C) DUE Discussion of self-care plans Celebration for end of class Required Reading Chapter 16: Practising from the heart (Carolyn Peacock) (Course Text) Recommended reading Regehr, C. et al. (2000). Stressors in Child Welfare Practice. Toronto: University of Toronto. Available for reading or download at: http://www.cecw-cepb.ca/files/file/en/stressors.pdf USEFUL WEBSITES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare: www.cecw-cepb.ca First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada: http://www.fncfcs.com/ Indigenous Child Welfare Resources: http://www.library.ubc.ca/xwi7xwa/childw.htm MCFD: http://www.gov.bc.ca/mcf/ MCFD Publications: http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/child_protection/publications.htm 11