ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY / INSTRUCTOR: / Tuwana T. Wingfield, AM, LCSW
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK / OFFICE: / Rachel Cooper 309
Semester: / Summer 2015 / OFFICE HOURS: / By Appointment Only
Course: / 422
Wednesday 5pm-7pm
5/13, 5/27, 6/10, 6/24, *7/1,7/8, 7/22,*7/298/5
*Asynchronous Sessions / OFFICE PHONE: / 309-438-5005
Section: / 01 / EMAIL: /

FOUNDATION PRACTICUM SEMINAR

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

Integrates foundation coursework with generalist social work practice in an approved agency. Concurrent registration required in SWK 498.01 Foundation Practicum 2 semester hours.

Prerequisites: Satisfaction of all foundation requirements except SWK 498.01 and SWK 422 or advanced standing; and graduate standing.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The MSW foundation practicum seminar is designed to support the educational focus of students’ agency-based internship. The seminar meets for 7 sessions over the course of the foundation practicum placement. The sessions assist students in applying in their agencies the knowledge acquired throughout the MSW foundation curriculum, and in acquiring new knowledge to inform their practice. The seminar provides opportunities to analyze and critically reflect upon placement experiences and to link these experiences with ideas and concepts from class and related readings. Students discuss practice concerns and examine issues of professional development. By exchanging information in the seminar, students broaden their practicum education beyond their individual placements and gain a basic understanding of social work practice in diverse settings.

RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER COURSES

SWK 422 Foundation Practicum Seminar and its associated course SWK 498.01 Foundation Practicum build on knowledge acquired in the other courses comprising the social work foundation curriculum. SWK 422 and SWK 498.01 together facilitate integration and application of the professional knowledge base that is prerequisite to the advanced curriculum.

COURSE GOALS

The goals for this course are to:

  1. Integrate foundation coursework with practice in the field.
  2. Expand students’ professional knowledge and skills for generalist social work practice.
  3. Develop a sense of self as a professional social worker.
  4. Enhance perception of the values and ethical principles underlying social work practice.
  5. Enhance skills in self-assessment and planning for professional development.
  6. Develop awareness of one’s responses to diverse clients.
  7. Introduce the use of supervision, consultation, collaboration, and continuing education to develop professionally.

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the course, students will have achieved the following outcomes. Students will be able to:

  1. Apply social work values and ethical principles to practice.
  2. Evaluate the fit between personal and professional values.
  3. Use self-reflection to evaluate professional behavior (e.g., maintain confidentiality, establish necessary professional boundaries, professional presentation of self, collegiality, reliability, giving and receiving constructive feedback, dressing professionally).
  4. Describe the casework/problem solving process with client cases.
  5. Describe the methods of practice evaluation used in the practicum agency.
  6. Describe the application of practice theory and/or models to client cases.
  7. Use the professional literature to inform selective intervention with clients.
  8. Assess one’s cultural competence.
  9. Identify cultural biases in agency practice.
  10. Use APA guidelines for professional writing.
  11. Articulate the agency mission and philosophy, client demographics, programs and services, practice approach, and quality assurance procedures.
  12. Describe the impact of federal, state, and local legislation, statutes, and regulations on agency practice and clients.
  13. Assess agency policies and practices for their capacity to promote social justice.
  14. Critique the effects of social policy on clients and agency practice.
  15. Use seminar and field instructor’s feedback for self-reflection.
  16. Evaluate one’s professional development in practicum.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS

Professional Readings: Students are required to read professional literature within their field of practice. These readings may be recommended by the field instructor, task supervisor, the ISU Faculty Liaison or by the student.

Self-Directed Learning: What students get out of their seminar experience is directly related to what they put into it. The seminar will be enhanced by active, purposeful participation of all involved. Please enjoy yourself in this class and take your contribution to it seriously.

Attendance and Participation:Active and meaningful participation in seminar is essential for collective and individual learning, mutual support, and problem solving. Seminar participation and contribution to collective learning will be part of the evaluation of the student’s performance in the field. Attendance and participation is mandatory. Students are expected to attend and participate in all in-class sessions. A student should not be enrolled in a course if other obligations will interfere with getting to class regularly and punctually. See Course Schedule for required dates to be on campus. We meet face to face 7 times over the semester, on alternating weeks. There will also be on-line work via ReggieNet.

Seminar Discussion Guidelines: Successful class discussion depends upon people being “good citizens” by taking joint responsibility for making sure that discussion moves forward. That means both following guidelines and helping others enforce the following:

  1. COME PREPARED. Complete all assigned readings and come prepared to talk.
  2. Listen as well as talk.
  3. STEP UP.Raise questions. Asking questions, asking for clarification from faculty or from other members of the class, and asking each other questions is as important, and often more valuable, than making points.
  4. Build on each other’s points. Refer to each other and let people know how what you are saying is related to the discussion.
  5. If you want to change direction of the discussion make it explicit. By doing so, you allow the class to decide whether or not they want to change direction. You all the class to close up one discussion before beginning another. This also allows the class to know where you are coming from. You may know what you are talking about, but the class, which is still thinking about the previous discussion, may think you’re totally off base because they don’t realize that you are changing the topic.
  6. Make your point and support your position, then allow the discussion to move on. Do not persist in defending points. There is nothing more frustrating to a discussion than someone who keeps bringing the conversation back to the same point, restated, over and over again
  7. SPEAK YOUR TRUTH. Bring in your background. Let others know where you are coming from. If you are using information or are informing your comments from personal experience or from knowledge gained outside of class, you should tell the class that. It helps us know where you are coming from. Otherwise, half of the class will not be listening to you but will be sitting there whispering to each other "was that in the readings?
  8. Respect diversity of opinions as well as perspective:
  1. Do Not Stereotype and never dismiss. Just because someone takes a standpoint one day does not mean that every time that person opens her/his mouth everyone should roll their eyes and think "okay, here's the [blank] stand point again”
  2. Do Not Assume. We come from a variety of backgrounds and have a diversity of lives that you may or may not find out during your time at ISU. Don't assume that people are X. You should never assume that "we" are talking about "them" whether the "them" are clients or certain groups of people.
  1. Make the classroom a safe place. Things that people say in the classroom should not be repeated outside of class. Discussion and learning happen when people feel that they can experiment, openly discuss ideas, try on different concepts, be challenged and grow without being judged. No one wants to be standing in the coffee line to hear someone say, "Can you believe she said that!!"

Additional Instructor Expectations: NO CELL PHONES, LAPTOPS OR PAGERS ON DURING CLASS. If there is an emergency situation that requires immediate access, please inform the instructor prior to class.

Assignments: Promptness in completing class assignments is a requirement. However, circumstances may arise which make it impossible to complete class requirements on time. When such circumstances occur, appropriate arrangements must be made in advance whenever possible.

Written Work: Written work should show thoroughness, accuracy, clarity and professionalism. Such writing generally requires first writing, then review, then editing and rewriting.

─All work should be carefully proofread and corrected. Papers should be free of errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

─All work should follow APA 6th Edition guidelines

─Purdue University Online Writing Lab

─All work must be typed, double-spaced, with numbered pages unless the professor instructs otherwise. Each assignment should be titled, dated, annotated with your name, and stapled or placed in a binder.

─Papers should use standard margins unless the professor instructs otherwise. The Microsoft Word default setting for margins is 1” top, 1” bottom, and 1.25” each left and right. The header and footer default setting is 0.5” from the edge.

─Papers should use standard fonts. The department standard is Times New Roman 12 point.

─Students should retain copies of all work turned in to the instructor.

─Missed or late work: If a student misses a class, he or she will be responsible for any missed class content. Missed in-class work generally cannot be made up. Only in extraordinary circumstances will such work be accepted.A grade of incomplete (I) will be given only in rare circumstances. A student who has received a grade of incomplete is not in academic good standing until the incomplete has been successfully cleared.

Nondiscriminatory language: Oral presentations and written work should use non-sexist, non-racist, and non-stigmatizing language. Faculty may return papers for revisions in language prior to grading. Be sensitive to your use of language

Special Needs: Students with special needs should notify the instructor immediately so that available accommodations can be made. Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 438-5853 (voice), 438-8620 (TTY).+

Academic Misconduct: Plagiarism, cheating, and all other forms of academic misconduct are not only considered a violation of university regulations, but are also considered a serious breach of the ethical code of conduct for the social work profession. Students are expected to remember that they are in the process of becoming professional social workers. As such, they are expected to abide by the ethical standards of the profession. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics is available to students on the Internet at

ASSIGNMENT #1

Weekly Journals: 20% of Course Grade (Submitted EVERYSUNDAY at 11:59 PM)

(13 journals X 5 points each= 65 points)

The field journal serves as a way to chart both personal and professional growth. It is the faculty liaison’s best method for monitoring your progress; thus it should be done with care and thought. Through the journals, your faculty liaison checks your ability to present ideas clearly, analyze experiences, and apply practice principles to your day-to-day work in the field. The faculty liaison also checks for basic writing skills since writing is a critical social work skill. Submission dates: 5/17, 5/24, 5/31, 6/7, 6/14, 6/21, 6/28, 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26, 8/2, 8/9

What counts when writing your weekly journal?

  1. Clarity and thoroughness of content.
  2. Depth and perceptiveness of assessments and analysis.
  3. Up to date, complete and confidential (use initials or first name only).
  4. Openness and honesty in your journaling.
  5. Improved level of skill development over time.
  6. Improved quality of evaluations of self, clients, and events.
  7. Improved quality of goals established and plans for accomplishing these goals.
  8. Use of basic principles, terms, theories, etc.
  9. Journal turned in on time.

Weekly Journal Format

Name: / Week Ending:
Hours worked: / Number of ongoing clients:
Number of hours of supervision: / New clients seen:
In service training / Other related activities:

This journal is a professional journal that records your experiences throughout the practicum and helps you to chart your professional growth. You are required to answer 1 of the following 15 questions each week. Be sure to select a different question each week however, the topic of the week will always be one of the required questions.

  1. WEEKLY JOURNAL TOPIC (See below)
  1. What stimulated your interest from the readings, discussion in the seminar or other classes? What concepts became clearer or more confusing?
  1. Discuss your observations or experiences regarding the impact of external systems on client services, i.e.: policy, programs, politics, personalities etc.
  1. Discuss your awareness of an ethical dilemma pertaining to a client /case situation, colleague, practice settings, the social work profession and/or other professionals. Describe a possible solution to this dilemma.
  1. Discuss cultural issues and your awareness of these issues that pertain to your personal/professional or internship site dynamics. Cultural issues may include race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, ageism, gender issues etc.
  1. What are you learning about the supervisory process and dynamics? What topics did you discuss in supervision? If your supervisor is not a person with a social work degree, discuss how you approach supervision, knowing you may have a different perspective on client issues. What values or knowledge may be in conflict?
  1. Discuss the institutionalized barriers that thwarted either you or your client’s efforts toward goal attainment during this past week. Be specific.
  1. What stands out as most important/significant this week and why? Focus on micro, mezzo and macro practice. What social work principles or values are most relevant?
  1. As you reflect on the past week, what did you learn that you were able to apply to either class work or your work directly with clients? What theory of human behavior and the social environment intervention fits with this situation?
  1. How does content discussed in seminar class this week fit with what you are doing every day? In what ways could there be more overlap between class materials and your internship? Be specific.
  1. What client related questions arose during the past week? What actions and strategies did you consider to address the question or situation? If you took action, what was the result? If you didn’t take action, what was the result?
  1. What did you do this week to manage any stress related issues in your personal and/or professional life? What skills have been applied or could be applied in future situations such as these?
  1. What personal growth issues (i.e.: awareness, insights, struggles etc.) emerged recently and how did you cope with them? How do these issues impact your professional development? What aspects of your personal views and experiences might be influencing your perceptions related to your own growth as a professional?
  1. Discuss the progress you are making on your learning goals. Be specific and elaborate.
  1. OTHER

WEEKLY JOURNAL TOPICS

Week 1 journal topic: Respond to the following questions. What aspects of your work do you feel most confident and knowledgeable about? How do you learn best? What do you want to learn this year in this seminar and in your field practicum? What was your past experience in supervisory relationships: positive and negative aspects? What else do I need to know to help you learn most effectively in this seminar and in your field practicum? Due 5/17/15

Week 2 journal topic: Write a short summary describing your agency and your field placement. Include the mission statement, what services are provided, client population served. Discuss your level of confidence in your abilities at this point. What anxiety/concerns do you have as you start your practicum? Due 5/24/15

Week 3 journal topic: Confidentiality. Prior to this class, discuss with your field instructor and other staff, the agency's guidelines for confidentiality (release of information, case records, clients' access to records, forms clients must sign, etc.) Include in your journal a discussion of confidentiality practices within your agency. Comment on how the reality of confidentiality practices may differ from the “ideal”. What are some “red flags” that you have observed? What did you do? What should you have done? Due 5/31/15

Week 4 journal topic: Discuss how your co-workers use interviewing and assessment skills in their interactions with clients. What have you observed? Which approach seems to match your preferred style of interaction? ANDDiscuss how safety issues are handled in your agency. What is your agency's protocal for keeping clients and workers safe? Due 6/7/15

Week 5 journal topic: Discuss the problem solving strategies your clients use in their daily life. Focus on the strengths perspective. In addition, discuss with your field instructor what constitutes problem assessment in your setting. Address general issues related to the problem solving process. What skills do your clients use in resolving issues and situations? What types of coping skills do your client’s regularly utilize?? Due 6/14/15