Lecture
Presentation
Multi-media
Small group discussion.
Course content will be guided by research, empirical knowledge and best practice. The following values and principles, consistent with professional standards, inform course content.
- Social workers best serve their clients and the community when they are able to negotiate for resources and services across all formal and informal systems.
- Canadian social work practice began with communities and continues to support the fundamental rights of people in communities to develop and manage their environment.
- Competing interests and needs will always challenge coherent and planned community response and development.
- Social work knowledge and skills are directly applicable to working with communities and other systems.
- Social work practice can provide support and leadership to broad based community and social change particularly where resistance and/or conflicting views are present.
- The values of social work feature the inherent capacity and resiliency of individuals and their right to self-determination. This value also applies to community work.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Describe how core social work skills, both analytic and process, apply to work within and between systems, community development, and problem-solving;
2. Describe how to apply principles of collaborative dialogue as a vehicle for change in a variety of community settings, including within and between formal systems;
3. Describe and apply knowledge and skills to work with resistance in organizational settings and the community, while working towards consensus;
4. Analyze the historical impact of Canadian social work practice in community support, organization and change;
5. Apply a variety of social work community practice models to case examples;
6. Apply knowledge and skills related to community practice, including the following practical tools:
- strategies to conduct a community needs assessment/analysis,
- identification of options for community mobilization and empowerment,
- an understanding of the principle of individual and systemic advocacy;
7. Demonstrate an ability to identify the strengths and limitations of alternative approaches to community social work practice, and advocacy and negotiation between systems.
This course will conform to Douglas College policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations. Typical means of assessment may include some or all of the following:
- Written papers
- Exams
- Presentations (individual or group).
Texts and papers such as the following, the list to be updated periodically:
Brown, J., & Hannis, J. (2011). Community development in Canada (2nd ed.). Toronto: Pearson.
Fauri, D., Wernet, S., & Netting, F. (Eds). (2004). Cases in macro social work practice. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
Wilks, T. (2012). Advocacy and social work practice. Berkshire, England: Open University Press.
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