Class Descriptions

Management and Organizational Leadership in Child and Family Systems

SW722

Credits:	3
Prerequisites:	None

Pathway Associations

Community Change
Global
Interpersonal Practice
Mgmt & Leadership
Policy & Political
Program Evaluation
Older Adults
Children & Families	Elective (Host)

Course Description

This course will provide fundamental knowledge and skills for leadership and management of organizational work with children, youth, and families whether it be preventive, protective, rehabilitative, therapeutic, or advocacy based services. Students will learn practices to manage human service workers effectively within the competing tensions of child welfare and juvenile justice work such as increasing need and limited resources, high staff-turnover, policy changes, and emotionally taxing work. Students will gain skills in supervisory management for effective team building, organizational innovation, group decision making, and conflict mediation; concepts and skills for reflective supervision; practices to develop supervisory leadership; consider outcomes and measurements for program effectiveness; and principles of fiscal management and grant writing.

Objectives

● Approach managerial decisions and non-profit workplace challenges through applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate. (CSWE 1)
● Use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain professionalism in managing practice situations. (CSWE 1)
● Describe and analyze the organizational and external environment within which child welfare programs would operate. (CSWE 1, 2, 7, 9)
● Describe and apply the responsibilities of social work practitioners in effective oversight and management of human service organizational resources, e.g. management of cash, investments, endowments, and other resources. (CSWE 9)
● Assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of and access to social services, and apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice. (CSWE 5)
● Develop skills to strengthen team based decision making, manage workplace conflict, and positive supervisory strategies. (CSWE 1)

Design

This course will use multiple approaches including lecturers, videos, simulations and role plays, vignettes, discussions, written student presentations, guest speakers, and in-class activities.

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 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.