Courses Taught
COURSE TITLE AND DESCRIPTION
SOCIAL WORK 3413 - CHILD WELFARE
SOCIAL WORK 4614 - SOCIAL WORK IN FAMILY AND CHILD WELFARE - Memorial University
Many social work graduates are hired into public child welfare systems that are mandated under provincial legislation to provide child protection services and programs. Graduates who do not work directly in these systems will likely have to deal with public child welfare systems in their practice. These courses examine history, policy, legal, and intervention frameworks involved in public child welfare work with an emphasis on child protection. The course content is intended to alert students to the realities involved in child protection work and to provide them with an opportunity to think about, read, and engage in debate regarding critical issues surrounding a very difficult and demanding field of practice. Given this intent the course is conceptual rather than skills based.
SOCIAL WORK 4677, ADMINISTRATION IN SOCIAL WORK ORGANIZATIONS
Organizations manage and deliver human services. There is a strong social work contingent in many of these organizations. Social workers are employed at the direct service delivery level as well as in middle and top management positions. This course provides an opportunity for students to gain an understanding and appreciation for these human service organizations and the administrative dimensions and challenges involved in service delivery.
SOCIAL WORK 5212 - AGENCY ADMINISTRATION
Contemporary social, economic, and political climates are challenging public and private human service organizations. These challenges stem from such issues as reduction in funding, cost containment, government restructuring, reduced spending in social programs, technology, demographics, and a reconfiguration of the Canadian welfare state. This course examines administration in human service organizations in the context of these challenges. Roles, responsibilities, and expectations on administration and human service organizations are explored.
SOCIAL WORK 3407 - FOUNDATIONS IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
This course assists students in preparing a personal framework for social work practice. Emphasis is placed on the professional use of self. Assigned readings, class discussions, and group activities will enable students to examine values, beliefs, and assumptions about individuals, groups and communities. Understanding communication, interviewing and relationship skills and behaviour is important in this examination. These skills are studied and practised in order to fully appreciate and understand the significance of the counselling/interviewing role in social work practice.
SOCIAL WORK 3313 - NORTHERN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
This course emphasizes social work practice within the context of northern remote and rural communities. The realities of working within these communities and the challenges they present for social work practitioners are examined.
SOCIAL WORK 2401- SOCIAL WORK PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE
SOCIAL WORK 2700- SOCIAL WORK PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE
These courses provide a general introduction to social work and social work theory. The emergence of social work as a profession, its mission, theoretical orientations, principles, values, ethics, and fields of practice are subject areas studied and discussed. Of primary importance is an examination of these various subject areas in the context of contemporary professional, social, economic, and political environments. Topics covered in this examination are: Contemporary issues and challenges facing the profession, shifts in theoretical orientations, generalist social work practice, northern social work practice issues, and an examination of the profession in the context of social change, advocacy, feminist perspectives, cultural diversity, First Nations, power and empowerment, distribution of resources, gender, sexual orientation, and persons with disabilities.
SOCIAL WORK 5614 - SOCIAL WORK IN RURAL NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
This course examines social work practice in northern and rural communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. The examination explores the realities and the challenges associated with working in these communities with particular emphasis on Aboriginal theory; community building; generalist social work practice; ethics; diversity; feminist perspectives; power and empowerment; natural helping networks, and personal self-care.
SOCIAL WORK 7010 - PHILOSOPHICAL AND HISTORICAL BASE OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE (PhD course)
This course focuses on the philosophical base of social work practice within the context of the history of the development of social work as a practice and as a profession. Students will consider a critical question related to contemporary social work practice and education. They will be expected to explored this question in the literature and in leading class discussions. They will provide a historical context to the question, articulate social work's association in this context, identify key social work scholars involved in this context, provide a conceptual/theoretical analysis, and look at implications for the profession and its future as well as implications for social work curriculum and education.