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 ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½policy 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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