DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
SWK
325-001: MEZZO PRACTICE
Spring 2003
Monday,
Wednesday, Friday - 10:00 to 10:50 a.m.
Henderson
304
_________________________________________
INSTRUCTOR: Linda
Openshaw, D.S.W., A.C.S.W.
OFFICE:
Henderson 310
OFFICE HOURS: Monday,
Wednesday, & Friday
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.;
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
OFFICE PHONE: (903) 468-6095
E-MAIL: Linda_Openshaw@tamu-commerce.edu
__________________________________________
I. COURSE
DESCRIPTION:
This practice course teaches the application of social work skills
to work with groups. Students will
learn the dynamics of task and process groups and will learn how to apply a
systematic approach to the development, implementation, termination, and
evaluation of groups. Prerequisite
Social Work 250 and 275, concurrent enrollment in Social Work 329 required.
II. GOALS
AND OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this course, students will have attained the following competencies:
1. The ability to understand and apply the
NASW Code of Ethics and ethical standards in working with groups.
2. The ability to understand and apply a
generalist strengths perspective to social work with groups.
3. The ability to understand community
needs and apply and evaluate group work skills, particularly the needs of rural
communities.
4. The ability to apply a multi-system
assessment process to working with various groups (relationship building,
treatment, socialization, supervisory, task, organizational, etc.)
5. The ability critically to evaluate
one’s own knowledge, skills, and values in using a multi-dimensional approach
to working with groups.
6. The ability to develop, maintain, and
evaluate multiple types of groups and to apply the planned change process to
promote social justice when appropriate to ameliorate adverse environmental
conditions.
7. The ability to demonstrate and apply an
understanding of diversity (age, race, ethnicity, gender, income, sexual
orientation, disabilities) and to apply it as it relates to the functioning of
groups.
III.
TEXT:
Toseland, Ronald W. and Rivas, Robert
F. (2001). An Introduction to Group Work Practice (4th ed.). Needham Heights, MA. Allyn and Bacon.
IV.
GRADING:
Assignment
#1 100
points
Assignment
#2 100
points
Class
Presentation 50
points
Quiz
#1 50
points
Quiz
#2 50
points
Quiz
#3 50 points
Attendance
and Participation 50
points
In-class
journal 50
points
TOTAL 500 points
A
= 540-600 points
B
= 480-539 points
C
= 420-479 points
D
= 360-419 points
F
= 359 and below
V.
CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION:
Class attendance and participation are mandatory. Student class attendance is essential to achieving the course goals. Roll will be taken at the beginning of each class. It is your responsibility to notify the instructor if you arrive late; however, students who miss more than half of class will not be given credit for attendance. The University policy on attendance will be followed in this class -- students who miss more than six classes may be dropped from the course. Attendance will be taken and reflected in the grade. Excused and unexcused absences present the same problems to your success in this class. Please contact the instructor immediately following an absence to determine if a makeup assignment can be completed to cover missed course material.
Class
participation has three components: (1)
appropriate verbal and non-verbal interactions with classmates, (2)
attentiveness, and (3) active involvement in class activities. Evaluation of class participation is based
on instructor observation. Students
will be given verbal feedback if problems are evident.
VI.
POLICY ON PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING:
Students at Texas A&M University-Commerce are
expected to maintain high standards of integrity and honesty in all their
scholastic work. Faculty are expected
to uphold and support student integrity and honesty by maintaining conditions
that encourage and enforce academic honesty.
Conduct that violates generally accepted standards of academic honesty
is defined as academic dishonesty.
"Academic dishonesty" includes, but is not limited to,
cheating on exams or other course assignments, collusion (the unauthorized
collaboration with others in preparing course assignments), abuse (destruction,
defacing, or removal) of resource material, and plagiarism.
Plagiarism is the “[A]ct of appropriating the literary
composition of another, or parts of passages of his [or her] writings, or the
ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own
mind.” (Black’s Law Dictionary,
Abridged Fifth Edition, 1983). When a
student gives proper credit to the source, it is not plagiarism.
Some examples of cheating include copying answers from
another’s test or assignment, using notes during an exam, giving or receiving
help on assignments, and submitting work already submitted or a previous class
for credit in another class. If a
student suspects cheating is occurring during an exam, the student must
immediately notify the instructor so that the instructor can evaluate the
situation while it is occurring.
Law, University policy, and ethical standards all require
that students refrain from plagiarism or cheating in any form. Social workers must be honest and
trustworthy; therefore, social work students must avoid any behavior that is
dishonest or impairs the trust of others.
Instances of suspected plagiarism and/or cheating will be
thoroughly evaluated. Students found in
violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action by the
Department and University.
VII.
OVERVIEW OF ASSIGNMENTS:
Assignment
#1 - In this paper you will describe
the development of a group. The group
can be one you develop or can be based on your observations of a group that you
have attended more than once in the community.
The paper should include a brief description of the agency and the
client population the agency serves.
Discuss the development of the group beginning with sanction from the
agency (how you will achieve sanction, etc.).
Include the type of group (open or closed), the population served by the
group (including the selection process for members), the physical environment,
the objectives of the group, the length of time the group will run, some basic
norms of the group, the stages of the group and the expected process in each
stage (group development), leadership skills needed, intervention and assessment
skills used, termination, and evaluation.
Back up your paper with references at least two social work
journals. The paper should be at least
five pages long, APA style, typed and double-spaced. The paper will be due on March 14.
Assignment
#2 - Select a method of group work and write a paper that describes the
ideology and application of the method
and how you would apply this method. Describe
the client population best suited for this type of group work, the
length of the group and whether or not you would use a co-therapist.
Class
Presentation - Prepare a class presentation on your selected group work method. The presentation will describe the ideology and application of
the method of group work selected. You
also will lead the class in a simulated group activity that demonstrates the
method of group work on which you have reported. Each presentation must include a handout for each class member
that outlines the basic ideology of this particular group
In-class
Journal – Class will consist of several group activities, and students are
expected to keep a record of their responses to being a member of these
groups.
VIII. EXAMINATIONS:
Quiz
#1 February 24
Quiz
#2 March 31
Quiz
#3 April 28
IX. POLICY ON DUE DATES:
Assignments will
not be accepted after the due dates.
SWK
325-001: MEZZO PRACTICE
COURSE OUTLINE
I. The
Knowledge Base of Group Work Practice.
A.
Definitions of Group Work.
B.
Social Work Values and Ethics
applied to group work.
C. Historical Development of Group Work Methodology.
D. Understanding Group Dynamics.
E.
Leadership skills required in Group Work.
F.
Group Work with Diverse
Populations.
II.
The
Planning Stage of Group Work
III. The
Beginning Stages of Group Work
A. Assessment process,
B. Assessing group functioning as a whole
C.
Assessing
the functioning of individual members
IV. The Middle Stage
A. Treatment Groups: Foundation Methods and specialized methods
B.
Task
Groups: Foundation Methods and
Specialized methods
V.
The Ending Stage
A.
Evaluation
B.
Ending
the Group
X. CLASS
PROGRAM AND READINGS:
|
Week |
Date
|
Topic |
Assignment |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
1 |
January
2003
|
Class introduction. Review of course syllabus and
assignments. Overview of class
subject matter. Introduction of class
members. |
Toseland, Ch. 1 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2 |
January
2003
|
No Class Monday, January 20th –
Martin Luther King Day Historical Developments No class Friday, January 24th |