Class Descriptions

Social Work Practice in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

SW699

Credits:	3
Prerequisites:	SW 521 and SW 560 or permission of instructor
Faculty Approval Date:	09/03/2014

Course Description

This course teaches practice models and multi-level methods of intervention for effective social work practice in health care, including health promotion, disease prevention, assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, continuing care, and discharge planning. Examples of topics covered include the use of the current ICD system in assessment, screening and early intervention, workplace health promotion, crisis intervention, intervention in major catastrophic or chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, and depression; promotion of optimal adaptation to chronic illness through interpersonal, organizational, and environmental interventions; self-help and mutual aid, rehabilitation and continuing care, supporting caregivers and integrative and complementary interventions. Selected issues and methods in supervision and management are addressed, such as individual, peer and workgroup models on practice. The impact of differences in ability, age, class, color, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender (including gender identity and gender expression) marital status, national origin, race, religion or spirituality, sex, and sexual orientation will be examined , as these relate to various health practices, policies and services.

Objectives

Students who complete this course will be able to:

1. Engage in evidence-based practice as a professional social worker in health organizations and programs. (Practice Behaviors 10.a.IP, 10.a.CO, 10.a.SPE, 10.a.MHS, 10.b.IP, 10.b.CO, 10.b.SPE, 10.b.MHS, 10.c.IP, 10.c.CO, 10.c.SPE, 10.c.MHS, 10.d.IP, 10.d.CO, 10.d.SPE, 10.d.MHS)
2. Participate as an interdisciplinary team member; engage in case advocacy and coordination and in case conferencing and collaboration. (Practice Behaviors 10.a.IP, 10.a.CO, 10.a.SPE, 10.a.MHS)
3. Assess and conduct psychosocial health risk/strengths assessments of individuals, families, groups or communities along a continuum of care. (Practice Behaviors 10.b.IP, 10.b.CO, 10.b.SPE, 10.b.MHS)
4. Demonstrate understanding of the current ICD system assessment process. (Practice Behaviors 10.b.IP, 10.b.CO, 10.b.SPE, 10.b.MHS)
5. Plan, implement and evaluate culturally and gender sensitive individual, family, group, community and organizational interventions focused on prevention, treatment and/or rehabilitation. (Practice Behaviors 10.c.IP, 10.c.CO, 10.c.SPE, 10.c.MHS, 10.d.IP, 10.d.CO, 10.d.SPE, 10.d.MHS)
6. Apply knowledge of selected managerial practices to issues of supervision, staff development, and administration in health care social work practice. (Practice Behaviors 10.c.IP, 10.c.CO, 10.c.SPE, 10.c.MHS)
7. Build partnerships with key health constituencies for the purposes of health promotion, disease prevention and elimination of health disparities. (Practice Behaviors 10.a.IP, 10.a.CO, 10.a.SPE, 10.a.MHS)
8. Examine the impact of differences in ability, age, class, color, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender (including gender identity and gender expression) marital status, national origin, race, religion or spirituality, sex, and sexual orientation as these relate to various health practices, policies and services. (Practice Behaviors 10.a.IP, 10.a.CO, 10.a.SPE, 10.a.MHS, 10.b.IP, 10.b.CO, 10.b.SPE, 10.b.MHS)
9. Incorporate social work values and ethical principles in planning, developing and implementing health care social work interventions. (Practice Behaviors 10.c.IP, 10.c.CO, 10.c.SPE, 10.c.MHS)

Design

The course will include lectures, discussion, small group exercises, individual and group projects, written assignments and guest speakers.

Intensive Focus on Privilege, Oppression, Diversity and Social Justice (PODS)

This course integrates PODS content and skills with a special emphasis on the identification of theories, practice, and/or policies that promote social justice, illuminate social injustices and are consistent with scientific and professional knowledge. Through the use of a variety of instructional methods, this course will support students developing a vision of social justice, learn to recognize and reduce mechanisms that support oppression and injustice, work toward social justice processes, apply intersectionality and intercultural frameworks and strengthen critical consciousness, self knowledge and self awareness to facilitate PODS learning.