Social Work

A foundation course that provides an overview of the social work profession examined through the scope of historical development, related theories, Code of Ethics, and understanding of current practice. The standards of the profession will be introduced to students, and beginning understanding of self and others through issues of diversity, beginning practice skills, and role plays. This course allows a realistic view of social work through the use of guest lecturers from, and field trips to, a variety of social work settings and through an additional requirement for community work.

Policy development process including: structure of the service delivery system; organizations and social inequities in service delivery and organizations, change strategies that promote social and economic justice; examination of history of social welfare in the United States; the ideology, values and policies that have influenced social programs and current programs, organizations, provisions, and issues; participation in an experiential activity is required.

Examination of early childhood disabilities from a strengths based perspective which states that all individuals are seen in regards to strengths. Students will study specific disabilities and know causes; prenatal and post-natal. Service delivery focuses on systems theory which addresses the child with his/her environment. The primary age group discussed is infants and children ages 0-4 with disabilities and their families. Students will develop the understanding of working with interdisciplinary teams.

An introduction to the social work profession; values, ethics, theories, concepts and generalist practice methods. Foundational generalist practice skills for work with client systems of various sizes to include micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice. Generalist social work practice encompasses assessment and intervention within all three levels of practice founded in the principles of systems theory. Students will engage in a variety of experiential learning activities such as: professional writing, social work documentation, human service program design and evaluation, counselor/client relationships, interviewing and assessing techniques, skills in communication and confidentiality.

This is a fundamental course for all social work students. It addresses the areas of diversity in which the Council for Social Work Education requires all social work students to have a working knowledge. These areas include, but are not limited to, issues of race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental ability, age, and national origin. It assists students in becoming aware of and sensitive to these issues, as well as building some beginning skill level with diverse populations. Important social work qualities, such as non-judgmental attitudes, acceptance, and a client-centered approach, will be explored. The required standard or the profession and student, the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics, will be worked with to further the student's ability to understand and use its structure. The class members apply their knowledge by exploring ethical dilemmas and their application with clients, themselves, and the practice of social work.

Content about human bio-psycho-social development through the life stages, including knowledge about social systems in which individuals live (families, groups, organizations, instructions, and communities). The application of systems to a social work perspective of human development; emphasis on life situations encountered by generalist social workers and the impact of factors such as oppression, discrimination, poverty, and sexism.

Substance abuse within family systems and society at large is a prevalent issue in social work practice. This course will provide an overview of the progression of substance abuse and how it has an impact on individuals, families, social institutions, and communities. Identification of substance abuse and dependency, basic counselor-client practice skills, and levels of social work intervention will be incorporated into the curriculum. The format will be interactive and experiential.

This course focuses on introducing students to the theory and practice of gender issues and issues of concern for the LGBTQ+ community. This course will cover topics related to theories of gender and sexuality development, the effects of gender and sexuality diversity across the lifespan and providing a foundation for students to explore the diverse aspects of working with clients in relation to their gender and sexuality identity.

An introductory study of a specific topic in Social Work. Intended for freshmen and sophomores, or for students with little or no background in the subject. The student may repeat the course, but not the same topic.

This course will introduce students to the concepts and principles of social work research methodology. Topics include familiarization with research terminology, problem formulation, conceptualization and operationalizing research questions, measurement, methods of data collection, types of data collection, sampling, causal inference, and research designs. Emphasis will be placed on developing skill in evaluating one's own practice, particularly through single-system design. The course will also develop the student's ability to critically evaluate published research and to formulate and carry out research. Respect for the unique characteristics of diverse populations will be stressed as the course covers social work research in light of diversity, multicultural biases, and social and economic justice.

Enrollment restricted to social work majors. Focus on the professional use of self through client and systems work. Skill emphasis will be in nonverbal behavior, use of various clinical assessment tools, awareness of and sensitivity to cultural and self-awareness. Students will integrate quantitative and qualitative research to generalist social work practice and further develop skills of critical thinking.

Child welfare services and the juvenile justice system; the impact of such problems as abuse, juvenile delinquency, and emotional disturbance on children; and the child as a human being.

Formation, definition, and process of a group; group interactions using group exercises and observations, and beginning facilitator experiences.

An intensive study of aging from an interdisciplinary perspective. The purpose of this course is to contribute knowledge essential for meeting the challenges of an aging society. An examination of the profound effect on individuals, families, communities and society as a whole. Family relationships, the composition of the work force, housing needs, healthcare services, public policies, and the marketing of products and services are explored. Opportunity for experiential learning is made possible through a service-learning component. Students serve in a variety of community agencies that are part of the Aging Network.

A course with flexible content to address current practical needs in human service fields. The course will develop and expand skills essential for understanding a variety of assessment tools in human service professions. It is designed to supplement competency areas as a bridge from theory to application.

Students learn organizational counseling and behavior theories and models to address communication and relationships within organizational settings. The course emphasizes organizational assessment, counseling, change management, negotiation and conflict resolution, problem solving, and decision making; motivational theory, emotional intelligence, leadership development, executive coaching and mentoring; and teambuilding. Participants explore issues impacting on employee and organizational development and performance.

This course describes the military family and how the family exists within the social context of the military. The course will review both normative and unique stressors that the military family navigates and how professionals can intervene effectively to aid with those stressors. Specific issues of family violence, coping with deployments, adjustments through the family life cycle, and advocating with the military for change are covered. The course illustrates how the ethnic identity and diversity concerns of the military family are addressed within the military. The course illustrates the macro and policy concerns that impact on the military family. Finally, the course emphasizes a strength's perspective that can be used to empower the military family.

SWK-351 is the junior/senior level practice course for social work majors. Its focus is on macro-level practice. Topic areas include family systems through general systems theory. Understanding of macro-level government, funding, and human service agency structures is emphasized. Theories and practice of community organizations, needs assessments, and the social worker's role in all of the above is discussed.

Off-campus experiential education in varied community agency settings with exposure to direct practice, service roles, and diverse populations. Prerequisite: Admittance into the social work major and written consent of a social work faculty member.

An in-depth, self-directed study for Junior- or Senior- level students under the guidance of a sponsoring faculty member on a planned topic that is not covered by an existing Keuka College course.

An examination of selected laws, programs, benefits, and services that form the basis of social welfare policy in the U.S., and social welfare policy analysis and its application. The structure of service delivery systems, organizations, and social inequities in service delivery; and organizational change strategies that promote social and economic justice. An introduction to program development.

Examination of the human condition from adolescence to old age (ages 12-82+). Students will learn to identify the critical issues at each developmental stage of life using biological, sociological, psychological, and spiritual assessment models. Generalist issues which affect the entire span of the life cycle will also be addressed. This course heavily emphasizes the shift for students from theory to practice through extensive use of experiential activities which include doing actual assessments, developing a program for a topic of diversity, team-based activities, etc.

Block placement in social service agencies, including generalist work at an approved setting for a minimum of 416 hours for the entire placement experience. The block placement for the traditional program on campus occurs for a minimum of 32 hours a week, whereas the block placement at the Adult and On-line Education (AOE) sites runs a minimum of 16 hours per week for 26 weeks. A research project/competency-based assignments are completed over the course of the seminar. The students evaluate their own practice through individual and group supervision with an emphasis on use of professional self, transference and counter transference. Students develop greater awareness of the professional use of self through parallel process. Prerequisite: Only those students who are candidates for the baccalaureate degree in social work may be admitted into the practicum and seminar.

Off-campus experiential education in varied community agency settings, with exposure to direct practice, service roles, and diverse populations.

An advanced study of a specific topic in Social Work. Intended for juniors and seniors or for students with an appropriate background in the subject. The student may repeat the course, but not the same topic.

A foundational course that provides and examines the social work profession through the scope of historical development, related theories, and understanding of current practice. We will cover the foundational generalist practice skills for work with all three levels of practice: micro, mezzo, and macro levels. As a starting point to the social work profession and its values, ethics, theoretical base and generalist practice methods, this course provides fundamental knowledge and skills required as students foster their professional social work identity.

The purpose of this course is for students to develop a critical understanding of the principles and structure of the NASW Code of Ethics. From this knowledge base, students will scrutinize ethical dilemmas and their application in relation to their personal and professional self - focusing on practice with diverse populations and individual difference. These areas include, but are not limited to: race, gender ethnicity, culture, class, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental disability, age and national origin. Through this critical inquiry, students will become more aware of and sensitive to these issues as well as in developing skill to work with diverse populations.

This course commences with a review of the primary concepts and principles of social work research methodology, followed by more thoughtful exploration of these concepts and practices. Emphasis will be placed on developing skills necessary to successful MSW practice. Respect for the unique characteristics of diverse populations will be stressed as the course covers social work research in light of diversity, multicultural biases and social and economic justice.

This seminar course includes both a classroom and an experiential learning component which allows the student an opportunity to integrate knowledge learned from the foundation courses. Students are required to complete a field practicum placement that is 16-hours per week and conducted in a pre-approved social service agency. A total of 400 hours must be completed over the course of SWK-527 and SWK-587 (approximately 200 hours per semester). The focus of this first in a series of two courses will be on becoming familiar with the social service agency, the intern's role and function at the agency, as well as beginning to integrate classroom learning from the foundation courses to practice applications. Prerequisite: Acceptance into field agency for MSW field practicum.

This course focuses on the student's development and integration of professional use of self in their direct practice with family systems and couples. This course builds on the knowledge and skills gained in SWK-505 Social Work Practice I (work with individuals). This course will begin to expand the student's view of generalist Social Work practice by moving from micro to mezzo approaches. Special emphasis is placed on both diverse populations and awareness of use of self in the professional role. Students continue to develop and refine their skills in professional writing, advocacy, and interviewing.

Generalist Social Work Practice focuses on macro level social work practice which includes the study of community systems within the social environment. This course critically examines the reciprocal dynamics between community members, the social worker as a professional and entities including macro level government, funding agents, and human service agencies. Theories and practice of community organizations, needs assessments and the social worker's role in all of the above will be discussed.

This course focuses on social welfare policy analysis and its application. An examination of selected laws, programs, benefits and services that form the basis of social welfare policy in the United States. The structure of service delivery systems, organizations and social inequities in service delivery is considered in the context of policy analysis. Advocacy and other change strategies that promote social and economic justice are explored.

This course focuses on expanding student knowledge related to human bio-psycho-social-spiritual development through the life stages, including knowledge about social systems in which individuals live (families, groups, organizations, instructions, and communities). The application of systems to a social work perspective of human development; emphasis on life situations encountered by generalist social workers and the impact of factors such as oppression, discrimination, poverty, and sexism.

This seminar course is the second of a two-part series in which students are provided an experiential learning opportunity to complement the knowledge gained in their foundation courses. Students are required to complete a field practicum placement that is 16 hours per week in a pre-approved social service agency. A total of 400 hours must be completed over the course of SWK-527 and SWK-587 (approximately 200 hours per semester).During this semester, the focus will be on practicing social work skills with clients in agencies.

Utilizing an ecological/systemic conceptual framework this course is designed to help students expand and integrate theoretical knowledge and skills through which social work assessment and intervention may be carried out. Course content draws upon concepts and principals of psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic and family/systemic theories that focus on intrapsychic and transactional dynamics of an individual within various systems. The course explores the interconnected nature of these theories with emphasis on integration of the use of theory with social work principles and values as a way to guide competent social work practice with individuals. Therapeutic challenges and opportunities embedded in the various phases of the helping process are examined. Particular attention is given to evidence-based methods of assessment and intervention within agency-based and socio-cultural contexts.

Through the utilization of conceptual and experiential learning activities, this course promotes the acquisition of knowledge and skills related to group processes. Specifically, the formation, definition and process encapsulated within a variety of diverse groups will be discussed, along with intervention strategies and techniques. The course draws heavily on the generalist theoretical framework in the social work and graduate curriculum, and moving the culmination of this to a practice setting. A variety of field and in-class activities will enhance the student's ability to work with groups.

Since mental health issues are ubiquitous in all social work settings and practice, it is essential that social workers be familiar with conceptualizations and current developments in the area of psychopathology. This course is designed to develop a student's understanding of the bio psycho social model of psychopathology, including theories of etiology and diagnostic assessment of behavioral or psychological syndrome or patterns that are associated with an individuals' present distress. Course content will primarily be focused on the accurate classification and diagnostic criteria for the major mental disorders and developing an adequate understanding of the limitations of diagnostic assessment. Students are familiarized with various assessment measures used for psychiatric symptomatology. Ethical and socio-cultural factors in diagnosis and culturally competent professional application of diagnostic knowledge will be emphasized throughout the course.

The purpose of this course is to facilitate student competency in identifying and effectively confronting increasingly complex ethical questions and issues faced in daily social work practice. In addition to a critical review of the Social Work Code of Ethics, this course will address relevant ethical models and theories, steps to ethical decision making and ethical dilemmas specific to practice with individuals, families and groups. Finally, the course will cover a series of ethic's related topics most encountered in contemporary practice. These include bioethics and risk management. Through this course, students will become more self-aware of their own values and biases, allowing them to solidify their professional identities. They will develop ethical decision-making capacities necessary for sound practice that is consistent with social work values and competencies.

This course is designed to prepare the Master's level social worker practitioner with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in research practices that advance the knowledge base of the profession and meet the evaluation needs of agencies, funders, client systems and other various stakeholders. This course will cover research methodology and evaluation skills across the micro, mezzo and macro levels. This intensive advance standing course contains material generally obtained during the foundation year. Upon completion of this course, students will be proficient in their use of research to inform practice and ability to use practice to inform research.

This is the first course in a series of two in which students utilize several Clinical Social Work Practitioner skills through seminar and field education in pre-approved social service agencies. The students expand their expertise in the area of practice of their field practicum while developing clinical skills with an emphasis on micro and mezzo. This course provides experiential learning along with discussion and assignments that support integration of theory as well as professional ethics and values. Through the completion of this two course sequence, students continue to master the competencies and practice behaviors required to become independent social work practitioners. Although each field placement is unique, students will be assessed on their level of competence in social work practice behaviors. Students will need to complete a total of 500 hours over the course of SWK-629 and SWK-689 (approximately 250 hours per semester).

This clinical practice course teaches fundamentals in family therapy and counseling across the family life cycle. Students continue to develop knowledge and skill of various assessment and intervention strategies that are based within various family systems theoretical frameworks. This course provides the students practical application linking theories to techniques that are commonly applied in family therapy and counseling. This broad exposure provides the student with a wide array of perspectives and techniques to utilize in various settings. All families undergo changes and transitions that induce stress. This course explores these common family stressors so that students will have a better understanding as to why a family may be in need of counseling. Particular attention is given to diversity and how diverse families experience various family stressors.

This course concentrates on the basics of trauma theory, etiology, and treatment of traumatic symptomatology so that students can develop the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively treat survivors. Emphasis will be placed on the therapeutic, developmental, cultural, and social needs of the individual and their family system across the life span. Specifically, the course will review the assessment process, including frequently used standardized measures, and the various intervention approaches utilized with the population. Therapeutic considerations impacting the effectiveness of interventions, such as the therapeutic relationship, trust, and professional self-care, will also be reviewed.

This course describes the (in)active military members and his/her family system within the social context of the military and general society. The course will review both normative and unique stressors that this system navigates and how social workers can intervene effectively to aid with those stressors. Specific issues of family violence, coping with deployments, adjustments through the family life cycle, and advocating with the military for change are covered. The course illustrates how the ethnic identity and diversity concerns of the military family are addressed within military culture. The course explores the micro, mezzo, and macro concerns that impact the military family. Strategies utilizing a strengths-based perspective are emphasized throughout the course as a means of empowering the military member and their family systems.

This graduate level course provides students with an overview of basic concepts, theories and understanding of the etiology, assessment and various treatment modalities related to substance abuse disorders. Utilizing client-centered and strengths-based approaches, this elective course builds on foundation social work courses, providing knowledge and clinical skills to students who specialize in or otherwise may encounter issues of substance abuse and addiction in their practice.

This 3-credit elective concentrates on the issues relevant to clinical social work practice with the LGBTQ population and their family members. Content of the course includes contemporary and historical foundational knowledge critical to successful advocacy and clinical practice. Specifically, the course will examine sexual orientation and gender identity, theoretical perspectives associated with this population, issues of diversity, the impact of social and political contexts, issue commonly facing LGBTQ people, and assessment and treatment strategies.

Health Management Organizations (HMO) are increasingly limiting the number of outpatient mental health therapy sessions that are reimbursable by insurance companies. This course offers a time sensitive, solution-oriented approach to working with individuals, couples and families, that address this issue. The course begins by introducing students to the historical development and theoretical underpinnings of Solution Focused Therapy. It then explores the theories, skills, and techniques of solution building, including exploring exceptions, formulating feedback, and asking the "right questions" for time-sensitive therapy. Several Solution Focused techniques are introduced, and students will practice applications in class so that they may leave this course ready to begin the implementation of these techniques in a variety of settings. Strategies for evaluating this practice are provided.

This course provides the student with advanced understanding of human behavior in the context of social environment. This course further examines the family, the community, and the organization as social systems and contexts for the development of individuals and groups. The course reflects social work's unique integration of theories drawn from sociology, psychology, biology, anthropology, and economics to understand the multiple influences on behavior. Human Behavior and the Social Environment has the students apply sociological theories for critical analyses of society, communities, social institutions, and social organizations.

The Advanced Clinical Seminar II course is the final course of the MSW program. This course is the culmination of a process of becoming an Advanced Clinical Social Worker. Building upon SWK-629, students further establish social work knowledge and skills in the classroom and through application in field practicum. Through self-reflection assignments, students develop self-assessments that describe their professional growth and development, articulate the integration of learning, highlight accomplishments, and develop a plan for further professional growth. As similar to the previous courses, students have the benefit of seminar to discuss these areas with members of their cohort for additional insight from their peers. Students will need to complete a total of 500 hours over the course of SWK-629 and SWK-689 (approximately 250 hours per semester).