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NASW
The Professional Foundation Areas
Social
workers must demonstrate proficiency and competence in nine
professional areas: Professional Values and Ethics, Diversity,
Populations at Risk, Social and Economic Justice, Human Behavior in
the Social Environment, Social Welfare Policy and Services, Social
Work Practice, Research, and Field Practicum.
1.
Professional Values and Ethics
The BSW
has an integral relationship to social work purposes and to the
fundamental values, knowledge, and skills of social work. The Code
of Ethics guides all practice for professional social workers.
Values include the rights of self determination, the dignity and
worth of all humans, the uniqueness of individuals, and the rights
to resource opportunities. These concepts are infused throughout
the entire curriculum.
2.
Diversity
The
social work profession, by virtue of its system of ethics, its
traditional value commitments, and its long history of work in the
whole range of human services, is committed to preparing students to
understand and appreciate cultural and social diversity.
Differences and similarities in the experiences, needs, and belief
of people is infused throughout all courses and experiences.
3.
Special Populations
The
social work program provides content related to oppression and to
the experiences, needs, and responses of people who have been
subjected to institutionalized forms of oppression. It also
specifically provides content on ethnic minorities of color and
women. Content is infused throughout the curriculum.
4.
Social and Economic Justice
Students
develop an understanding of the dynamics and consequences of
economic injustice, including all forms of human oppression and
discrimination. Theory and practice content presents strategies for
achieving social and economic justice and combating cause and
effects of oppression.
5.
Human Behavior in the Social Environment
In
keeping with social work's person-in-environment focus, students
need knowledge of individuals as they develop over the life
span and have membership in families, groups, organizations, and
communities; students need knowledge of the relationships
among human biological, social psychological, and cultural systems
as they affect and are affected by human behavior.
Classes
required to meet these needs include: General Psychology,
Developmental Psychology, Sociology, Social Problems, and Human
Biology. The Human Behavior and the Social Environment course
integrates these concepts.
6.
Social Welfare Policy and Services
| The major aims of
study in this area are to prepare professionals to function
as informed and competent practitioners in providing
services and as knowledgeable and committed participants in
efforts to achieve change in social policies and programs.
Students are expected
to develop skills in the use and application of scientific
knowledge to the analysis and development of social welfare
policy and services. They should know the structure of
service programs and the history of the organized profession
and other social welfare institutions. Social work means to
advance the achievement of social work goals and purposes. |
Courses
in the sequence include: Introduction to Social Work, Social
Welfare Policy I, and Social Welfare Policy II.
7.
Social Work Practice
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Social work practice embraces multiple
methods and models, including generalist practice and a
variety of concentrations. Social work practice occurs with
individuals, families, small groups, organizations, and
communities. The curriculum content relating to practice
must include knowledge base and practice skills. The
practice skills taught for use in any practice context and
with any size system must reflect an integration of
professional purposes, knowledge, and values. |
A prerequisite to all
practice classes is Interviewing Skills. Three practice
classes are offered including: Practice I : Individual,
Practice II: Groups and Family, and Practice III: Community
Organization and Social Change. |
8.
Research
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Informed criticism and a spirit of
inquiry are the basis of scientific thinking and of
systematic approaches to the acquisition of knowledge and
the application of it to practice. The content on research
should impart scientific methods of building knowledge for
practice and of evaluating service delivery in all areas of
practice. Social Research is offered in the junior year.
Research methods are infused throughout all social work
courses. |
9.
Field Practicum
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The field practicum is an integral part
of the curriculum in social work education. It engages the
student in supervised direct service activities, providing
practical experience in the application of the theory and
skills acquired in all the foundation areas. The objective
of the practicum is to produce a professionally reflective,
self-evaluating, knowledgeable, and developing social
worker. |
The
practicum is during both semesters of the senior year or in a summer
block. Students begin to prepare for generalist practice by
integration of knowledge and skills in this agency experience.
Seminars are provided at both levels to promote self-awareness as
well as integration of theory and practice.
Presentation College is committed to the total development of the
student as reflected in the mission statement. One method to obtain
this is to promote a strong liberal arts education.
A liberal
arts base must be completed prior to acceptance into the Social Work
Program. Liberal arts courses required prior to acceptance within
the social work program include: EN113, SP233, EN233, MA243, BI123,
RS123, RS273, SO103, PS133, PS153, and HS223. Additional liberal
arts courses will compliment the social work courses after
acceptance into the Social Work Program.
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