University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work

University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work

SOCW 6371: Community and Administrative Practice Spring 2010

Instructor: Santos H. Hernández, Ph.D., LMSW-AP Office Phone: 817-272-2170

Professor Email:

Office Number: SWC Bldg A, Rm. 204 Office Hours: Mon: 11:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Thurs: 3:30 - 5:30p.m.

Time and Place of Class Meetings: Thursday, 6 - 8:50 p.m.; SWC Bldg A, Rm. 308

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS), Statement on Requirements of the Content Area

4.5 Social Work Practice: Social work practice content is anchored in the purposes of the social work profession and focuses on strengths, capacities, and resources of client systems in relation to their broader environments. Students learn practice content that encompasses knowledge and skills to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. This content includes engaging clients in an appropriate working relationship, identifying issues, problems, needs, resources, and assets; collecting and assessing information; and planning for service delivery. It includes using communication skills, supervision, and consultation. Practice content also includes identifying, analyzing, and implementing empirically based interventions designed to achieve client goals; applying empirical knowledge and technological advances; evaluating program outcomes and practice effectiveness; developing, analyzing, advocating, and providing leadership for policies and services; and promoting social and economic justice.

Catalogue Description

Surveys theory and builds skills in roles associated specifically with community practice (e.g. community/locality development, social planning, social action) and administrative practice (e.g. supervision, administration, management and management systems). Students complete an advanced assignment in community and/or organizational assessment and intervention and refine skills in making professional presentations.

Expanded Description of Course Content

Since most social work practice takes place within organizations and in communities, understanding and intervening at the organizational and community levels are essential for effective social work. SOCW 6371, Community and Administrative Practice, builds on SOCW 5306, Generalist Macro Practice, by allowing students to design a program based on a community assessment. In addition, students will explore management from a self-assessment perspective. Community and Administrative Practice is required of all students taking the CAP (Community and Administrative Practice) specialization.

Educational Objectives Addressed

SOCW 6371 addresses the following MSSW community and administrative practice concentration objectives.

1.  Build on generalist skills in community assessment to design an intervention strategy including mission, goals, objectives, budget, logic model, and evaluation.

2.  Identify, critically evaluate, and apply appropriate, evidence-informed interventions at the agency or community level

3.  Critically analyze and apply a variety of community and administrative theories to practice.

4.  Demonstrate skills in ethical and empowerment-based social work practice, taking into account the impact of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, culture, religion, national origin and other client characteristics in organizations, and communities.

5.  Design practice evaluation activities to improve human service interventions in organizations and communities.

6.  Demonstrate ability to integrate micro and macro practice, policy, and research into their area of service delivery in order to enhance client well-being

7.  Engage in life-long learning and activities to update and improve professional knowledge and skills

This course relates to and advances the program objectives by allowing students to design a human service intervention based on the community needs assessment knowledge gained in the foundation curriculum. The intervention contains includes vision, mission, program description, goals, objectives, budget, logic model, and evaluation strategy. A detailed logic model links the intervention to theories, history, evidence, ethics, perspective, values, and outcomes. A final assessment of student’s CAP capacities and needs, along with a plan to build on the capacities and meet the needs, ties course learning to future courses, field experiences, and post graduate learning.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Apply relevant theories and models of community and administrative practice, such as ecological systems theory, total quality management theory, organizational culture theories, and service coordination and collaboration models.
2. Demonstrate the importance of using the strengths/capacities, empowerment, and evidence based practice perspectives to guide practice.
3. Critically analyze and develop one’s generalist macro practice intervention skills involved in designing, leading, implementing, and evaluating programs to meet community needs.
4. Demonstrate how program design impacts the values of social and economic justice, stakeholder participation, empowerment, and diversity.

Requirements

SOCW 6371 is required of all Community and Administrative Practice students. The prerequisite is SOCW 5306 or advanced standing. Additional requirements include a GPA of 3.0 in SOCW 5306, SOCW 5304, SOCW 5309, SOCW 5301, SOCW 5303, SOCW 5322, SOCW 5317, SOCW 5310 or SOCW 5310 co-requisite and grade of P in SOCW 5551 (or co-requisite) and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or Social Work-MSSW Non Thesis Adv Standing. Students not meeting these requirements will be required to withdraw from the course.

Important Dates:

January 24, 2010 – End of Add/Drop period.

April 2, 2010 – Last day to withdraw from classes.

Required Textbooks and Other Course Materials

Kettner, P. M., Moroney, R.M., & Martin, L.L. (2008). Designing and Managing Programs: An Effectiveness-Based Approach (3rded.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Lewis, J. A., Packard, T. R., & Lewis, M.D. (2007). Management of human service programs. Belmont CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

Optional:

Coley, S. M. & Scheinberg, C. A. (2008). Proposal Writing (3rded.)., Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Descriptions of major assignments with due dates

Assignments are followed by the number of the learning objective addressed.

1. Program design based on a community assessment. This assignment allows students to develop a human service program in an area of interest or expertise. The assignment utilizes an online template for program development found at https://www3.uta.edu/sswtech/pd/psystem/Authentication/Login.aspx The five-part assignment builds on the SOCW 5306 assessment of a community’s strengths and needs concerning a social condition/problem. The first part is a short community assessment which the program will address. The second part is a detailed description of the program. The third part is an evaluation of the program and its impact. The fourth part is the program budget and budget justification. The final part includes various information such as dissemination, marketing, and organizational capacity. Feedback will be provided at key stages of the assignment. Students will be expected to share their progress on this assignment with the class and consider class suggestions for improvement. Assignment due dates are included in the grading policy below. [1, 2, 3, 4]
2. CAP personal plan. Students will assess their community and administrative practice philosophy, concepts, and skills throughout the semester. At the end of the semester, students will submit an eight to ten page statement of their CAP philosophy, an assessment of their CAP capacities and needs, and an action plan with options for building on their capacities and addressing their needs along with specific recommendations that will help them become a more effective CAP practitioner. The paper should cover both community and administrative practice incorporating literature from the readings and other bibliographic search. Paper should address theories of administrative and community practice to which the student is drawn and a discussion of social work values and principles as well as social justice and diversity. A detailed outline for this assignment will be submitted to the instructor in the 11th week of the semester. Students should be prepared to discuss their outline and progress to date in class. [3, 4]
3. Class Attendance and Participation. Students are expected to attend all class sessions. Students are to be prompt and stay for the entire 3-hour session (a 15-minute break will be given midway through each session). Everyone is granted 150 points for attendance. Up to 9.4 points will awarded for effective participation and attendance per class. No points will be awarded for a missed class session regardless of reason. Excessive tardiness or disruptive behavior may result in a lower course grade. If a student stops attending but does not officially withdraw from the course, he or she will receive a grade of “F”.

Grading Policy

Assignment / Wk due / Points
Assessment (condition, target, history, services, capacities, needs, barriers) / 6 / 150
Program (vision, mission, program description, goals, objectives, tasks) / 8 / 150
Evaluation (objectives, evaluation; information management) / 10 / 100
Financial (budget, revenues, expenditures, budget justification, future funding) / 12 / 100
Other (agency qualifications, collaborations, dissemination, marketing) / 13 / 100
CAP personal plan detailed outline / 11 / 50
CAP personal plan / 15 / 200
Attendance and Participation (see attendance policy) / 150

A=900-1000 points; B=800-899; C=700-799; D=600-699; F=less than 599 points

Evaluation and Grading Criteria for Personal Plan Assignment:

This assignment will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Assignment Requirement – the degree to which students address the requirements of the assignment. Students should take particular care to fully address expectations of the assignment.

Critical thinking - the degree to which students demonstrate their ability to evaluate and critique ideas. Critical thinking will be evaluated in terms of the way students demonstrate their understanding of ideas, apply thinking to evaluating ideas, and use conceptual models as a means of evaluating and critiquing ideas.

Conceptual ability - the degree to which students demonstrate their ability to think in abstract terms, think logically, and organize ideas into a coherent whole. Conceptual ability will be evaluated in terms of students' ability to move across the continuum of abstraction to concreteness and to address the parts as well as the whole.

Communication - the degree to which students demonstrate the ability to organize and transmit ideas in written form. Communication will be evaluated in terms of students' ability to use proper syntax, express ideas clearly, punctuate, and spell.

Search - the degree to which the paper demonstrates that the subject matter has been adequately researched. Search will be evaluated in terms of the assignment demonstrating that material is supported by literature, empirical research, if appropriate, theory, and practice wisdom, and that, where appropriate, differing views are reflected.

Application - the degree to which students' demonstrate the relevance of their ideas to contemporary social work situations. Application will be evaluated in terms of students' ability to derive implications for use of ideas in social work settings and situations.

Attendance and Participation Policy

Your attendance and participation in class are essential in order for you to learn. Students must be prepared weekly and study the assigned readings. Students are expected to be able to discuss the readings and demonstrate acquired learning, show evidence of critical thinking related to the readings, and understand the implications for contemporary social work. Students are expected to contribute to the education of fellow classmates rather than to merely demonstrate their knowledge. Poor classroom behaviors such as side conversations, dominating and disrespectful behaviors, lack of participation in group/class activities, lack of respect for others opinions or differences, and violating class confidentiality guidelines will taken into consideration in the awarding of points for attendance and participation.

Your grade will also be in response to the following: punctuality; respecting and encouraging the opinions of your peers, even if they do not represent your own; speaking up when you have a point to make, a question, a disagreement; willingness to participate in role play experiences; demonstrated ability to give and accept feedback; being prepared to actively work with your colleagues.

Please turn off ringers on cell phones, pagers, etc., before class begins. Laptop computers are permitted only if used for class note taking. Students found to be using computers for e-mail, web browsing, or other non-class related purposes will be prohibited from using computers in class.

Course Outline/Topics and Readings

Week 1 – January 21, 2010 Introduction and course overview

Topics: Introductions and overview of course, obtain agreement on syllabus.

Orientation to Program Development template.

Week 2 – January 28, 2010 Key theories, perspectives and values

Topics: Theories of systems, TQM/CQI, services integration, coordination, collaboration, coalition building, perspectives, values.

Text: Kettner, Ch. 1: Contemporary issues in social service program planning & admin, pp. 3-20.

Text: Lewis, Ch. 1. Facing the challenges of management, pp. 1-93.

Ch. 4. Organizational theory for HSOs, pp. 68-93.

Text: Coley, Ch 1: Orientation, pp. 1-10. Ch 2: Funding environment, pp. 11-20.

Video: (review) The Deming of America: Interview with TQM founder E. Deming [V1315].

Week 3 – February 4, 2010 Problem definition, theories of need

Topics: Needs and capacities assessment (review SOCW 5306); community well functioning, social conditions, social problem identification, politics of problem identification, multicultural perspectives on social problem definition, assessing organizational problems, the logic of assessment and intervention planning.

Text: Kettner, Ch. 2: Understanding social problems, pp. 21-28.

Text: Lewis, Ch 2: The environment of HSOs, pp. 21-40.

Text: Coley Scheinberg, Ch. 3: Needs-based program development, pp. 21-30.

Week 4 – February 11, 2010 Capacities and needs assessment

Topics: Primary and secondary data sources, data collection methods, types of information (e.g., baseline data for planning and evaluation, barriers to services, service statistics, community capacities and resources, socio/political context, etc.), views of need (e.g., normative, perceived, expressed, relative), mapping assets of individuals, associations and institutions, data for organizational assessment & performance measurement.

Text: Kettner, Ch. 3: Need assessment: theoretical considerations, pp. 33-48. Ch 4: Needs assessment: approaches to measurement, pp. 49-70.

Text: Coley, Ch 4: Writing the need or problem statement.

Review--Web: Kretzmann, J, & McKnight, J. (1993). Introduction to "Building communities from the inside out, http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/community/introd-building.html

Web: Best practices in performance measurement http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/npr/ (search for best practices)

Week 5 – February 18, 2010 Evidence based interventions and logic models

Topics: Approach to developing and disseminating interventions that work, logic models, the process and politics of designing and implementing programs, organizational effectiveness.

Text: Kettner, Ch 5: Selecting the appropriate intervention strategy, pp. 73-85.