School of Social Work

Courses

SOC WK 1000 Introduction to the Field of Social Work: 1 semester hour

This course introduces students to social work as a profession and helps them to become familiar with the various roles of social workers across service sectors and throughout society.

SOC WK 2000 Social Work and Social Issues: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC 1010 or PSYCH 1003. Examination of the network of social programs and services developed in response to social problems in modern urban communities and the various roles and functions performed by the helping professions. Students will be introduced to basic values, skills, and training involved in a helping relationship as well as the characteristics of clients seeking help and professionals engaged in the helping process.

SOC WK 2001 Social Work and Social Issues Lab: 1 semester hour

Prerequisites: SOC WK 2000 (may be taken concurrently). The lab session will be used for field trips to social agencies which will allow students to better understand the many roles social workers are involved in This course is required for social work majors. Concurrent enrollment in SOC WK 2000 is required.

SOC WK 2102 Introduction to Gender Studies: 3 semester hours

Same as HIST 2102, SOC 2102, POL SCI 2102 and GS 2102. This core class is required for all Gender Studies Certificate earners. This class introduces students to cultural, political and historical issues that shape gender. Through a variety of disciplinary perspectives in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, the course familiarizes students with diverse female and male experiences and gendered power relationships.

SOC WK 2200 Social Welfare as a Social Institution: 3 semester hours

Same as SOC 2290. Prerequisites: SOC WK 2000 (may be taken concurrently). This course 1) examines the development of social welfare service and philosophies underlying existing practices and systems; 2) analyzes social welfare programs with particular emphasis given to public income maintenance provisions; 3) presents issues surrounding special needs of minority and diverse populations; and 4) provides an overview of the development of social work as a profession.

SOC WK 3100 Social Work Practice with Individuals: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 2200, SOC 1010 and PSYCH 1003 (any of these prerequisites may be taken concurrently with this course). This course presents basic knowledge, skills, and theory used for entry-level professional practice, such as problem assessment, interviewing skills, crisis intervention, and referral procedures. Students learn to assist clients to negotiate systems effectively and to use resources, services, and opportunities.

SOC WK 3210 Social Issues and Social Policy Development: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 2200, POL SCI 1100, and ECON 1000. The identification of issues concerning governmental provisions to meet contemporary social needs, with analysis of the principles and values underlying alternative solutions. A study of the processes by which citizen opinions and public policies evolve and are implemented in areas such as income maintenance, crime and delinquency, employment, family and child welfare, and public mental health.

SOC WK 3410 Research Design in Social Work: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC 3220 or CRIMIN 2220 or PSYCH 2201. Students explore research concepts and procedures (hypothesis testing, sampling, measurement, and design) emphasizing issues in social work research. Students learn to collect, analyze and present data.

SOC WK 3510 Human Behavior in the Social Environment: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: BIOL 1012; and SOC 2160 or PSYCH 2250 (prerequisites may be taken concurrently). This course will focus on the normative stages in the life span, and specifically, how human development is affected by the physical environment and social status characteristics. Empirical information and theoretical views on human development will be included. Human development will be viewed as a complex interaction of individual developmental stages with family, social, and community systems.

SOC WK 3700 Diversity and Social Justice: 3 semester hours

Same as GS 3700. Prerequisites: SOC WK 3100; and PSYCH 2250 or SOC 2160 (prerequisites may be taken concurrently). Analyzes the structure, dynamics, and consequences of social and economic injustice, and the impact on diverse groups in American society. Examines theoretical models and practice principles for work with diverse groups.

SOC WK 4110 Social Work Practice with Families and Groups: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Admission to the BSW program, SOC WK 3100, SOC WK 3510 (may be taken concurrently), and SOC WK 3700 (may be taken concurrently). This course continues the presentation of basic knowledge and practice skills for entry level professional practice begun in SOC WK 3100. It builds on the generalized helping model, incorporating specialized skills for working with specific groups of clients (e.g., children, older adults, and people with mental illnesses and/or disabilities), with families, and with small groups.

SOC WK 4300 Social Work Practice with Communities: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 3210 (may be taken concurrently) and admission to the BSW program. This course includes basic practice skills with an emphasis on analysis and intervention at the community level. It includes an assessment of community assets and needs and the development of community-level interventions. An emphasis is also placed on helping the practitioner evaluate the impact of interventions.

SOC WK 4350 Human Service Organizations: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: POL SCI 1100; PSYCH 2250 or SOC 2160 and admission to the BSW program. This course seeks to help develop knowledge of organizational functioning and an understanding of organizational history, principles and philosophy of effective administration. Students develop theoretical and empirical understanding of groups and organizations, including concepts such as power and authority, organizational structure, goals, membership, leadership, motivation, technology and organizational culture. They will learn to develop a budget and to submit proposals for grant funding. Using a systemic perspective with organizations as settings for practice students learn to function in and through organizations.

SOC WK 4398 Child Maltreatment: A Multidisciplinary Approach: 3 semester hours

Same as PSYCH 4398 and CAST 4398. Prerequisites: CAST 3290 or PSYCH 3290 (may be taken concurrently), or consent of instructor. This course, with its interdisciplinary emphasis, focuses on the systemic response to the primary domains of child maltreatment by multidisciplinary teams and child advocacy centers. Risk factors, cultural considerations, and mandated reporting of child abuse and neglect are emphasized. Students will begin to develop professional skills pertaining to child maltreatment, using a variety of experiential learning modalities.

SOC WK 4604 Introduction to Motivational Interviewing: 1 semester hour

Prerequisites: SOC WK 4110 or SOC WK 5100, or consent of instructor and admission to the BSW or MSW program. This course focuses on skill development in Motivational Interviewing (MI), a specific style of interaction used to help clients/patients increase internal motivation to change behavior. The course will include theoretical underpinnings of MI, including a review of research establishing MI as an evidence-based intervention for a number of behavior areas. The course will also review a model of learning MI and provide specific opportunities for students to practice the skill. The broad objective of this course is to provide social work students an overview of Motivational Interviewing and its application to various domains of social work.

SOC WK 4610 Intimate Partner Violence: 3 semester hours

Same as GS 4610. Prerequisites: SOC WK 3510. This course focuses on theoretical and empirical understanding of domestic violence in US society and social work practice with battered women and their families. It addresses direct services, community organizing, and public policy changes to help end violence against women. Relationships between violence against women and other forms of oppression (e.g., racism, economic exploitation, heterosexism and social class) are explored.

SOC WK 4620 Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 4110 or SOC WK 5100 or equivalent, (or taking concurrently), or consent of instructor. This class examines the interface of psychological, physical, social, and spiritual aspects of addiction. This practice class is designed to deepen students' abilities to address clients' issues related to addictions and addictive behaviors, including: prevention, assessment, and intervention. It builds on the generalized helping model within a systems perspective, and it introduces specialized skills for working with individuals, with specific groups of clients, with families, and with small groups.

SOC WK 4631 Social Perspectives of Global Migration: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing. This course examines the causes and consequences of human migration and provides a multidisciplinary backdrop for students to develop an understanding of the phenomenon of population movements with relevance for their particular fields of study. For example, students in business would gain knowledge of the migration experience for consumers, small business owners, and human resource management; education majors would benefit as they work with diverse student populations in schools; nursing students may develop an appreciation for cultural norms that prevent patient compliance; students in social work, psychology, and counseling may get a better understanding of issues of adaptation; and majors in political science could gain an appreciation for causes of policy development and implications of implementation.

SOC WK 4641 Crisis Intervention: 1 semester hour

Prerequisites: SOC WK 4110 or SOC WK 5100 or equivalent (or are taking concurrently), or consent of instructor. This course introduces students to the theoretical framework and skills needed to understand and engage in effective crisis intervention. Students will learn a specialized model for assessment and intervention with people in crisis and will have an opportunity to apply this model to a variety of case situations. Credit cannot be granted for both SOC WK 4641 and SOC WK 5641.

SOC WK 4670 Cross Cultural Perspectives on Social Policy: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 3210 or equivalent. This course examines social policies in different countries, which may include social insurance, social assistance, health care, and social services. Using a comparative framework, the course examines the nature of government involvement, and public and private sector relations. It examines adequacy, equity, inclusiveness, comprehensiveness, effectiveness, and efficiency of social policies in the countries being studied.

SOC WK 4751 Skills for Healing Racism: Facilitating Dialogue for Institutional Change: 1 semester hour

Prerequisites: BSW senior standing or graduate standing. This course will enable students to explore the social structures, institutions and patterns of thinking and behavior that perpetuate racism. In this very interactive format, participants will develop facilitation skills necessary to attempt institutional change in their agency, school or community. Students will explore their roles, both as the oppressed and the oppressor, in the dynamics of race relations and societal change.

SOC WK 4752 Social Action and Social Movements: 1 semester hour

Prerequisites: Junior standing. This course will enable students to explore social justice movements in the United States and the St. Louis metropolitan area. Students will focus on the oppression of groups based on identities including, race, social class, gender, ability status, and sexual orientation. In addition, students will also focus on social actions that developed in response to the oppression faced by diverse identity groups, (i.e. protests, boycotts, letter writing campaigns, etc). In this very interactive class format, participants will explore specific ways to become involved in social action to make changes in the U.S. and local communities. Upon completion of this course, students will be prepared to become change agents who actively engage in social action to make a difference in the lives of individuals, families, and the broader community.

SOC WK 4755 Poverty, Human Rights, and Social Justice: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Junior level standing. This course examines poverty as a human-rights issue and considers local, state, national, and global interventions from a social-justice perspective. The course examines poverty related outcomes at different levels (individuals, families, communities, and systems), and discuss efforts to reduce poverty across the life spectrum. The course also addresses issues such as environmental justice, disparities, and special topics such as human trafficking and drug use that are exacerbated by poverty.

SOC WK 4800 Supervised Field Experience in Social Work I: 4 semester hours

Prerequisites: Admission to the BSW program; SOC WK 4110 (may be taken concurrently); consent of instructor. This course provides students with practical experience in social service agencies. Students work at the agencies approximately 20 hours per week. The purpose of this experience is to familiarize students with agency operations. Selection of the agency is based on student educational needs. Concurrent enrollment in SOC WK 4801 is required.

SOC WK 4801 Integratve Field Experience Seminar I: 2 semester hours

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. This seminar provides an opportunity for students to integrate previous course work with their experience in social work agencies. Classroom discussion will emphasize direct practice issues. Concurrent enrollment in SOC WK 4800 is required.

SOC WK 4850 Supervised Field Experience in Social Work II: 4 semester hours

Prerequisite: SOC WK 4800, SOC WK 4801 and consent of instructor. This is a continuation of agency practice experience. Students work at the agency approximately 20 hours per week and continue at the same agency as SOC WK 4800 or change agencies with the consent of the instructor. Concurrent enrollment in SOC WK 4851 is required.

SOC WK 4851 Integrative Field Seminar II: 2 semester hours

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and concurrent registration in SOC WK 4850. This seminar is a continuation of SOC WK 4801. Classroom discussion will emphasize adminstration and community organization issues.

SOC WK 4900 Special Study: 1-10 semester hours

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Independent study through advanced readings in method and philosophy on a topic of particular interest, or field research in an agency.

SOC WK 5100 Generalist Social Work Practice: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Admission to MSW program or permission of MSW Program Director. This social work practice course uses a problem-solving approach to help students develop theoretical and empirical understanding and practical application of generalist social work methods. Students gain knowledge and skills that include interviewing, assessment, crisis and short-term intervention, contracting, resource development, and case documentation needed for competent direct practice with diverse populations.

SOC WK 5200 Social Policy and Social Services: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Admission to MSW program or permission of MSW Program Director. This course covers the history and development of social welfare policies, legislative processes, and existing social welfare programs. Students examine frameworks for social policy analysis, analyze how social and economic conditions impact the process of social policy development and implementation, and learn to address policy practice in social work.

SOC WK 5300 Community Practice and Social Change: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Admission to MSW program or permission of MSW Program Director. This course focuses on economic, social, as well as political theory and research on social change in communities. It examines conceptual models of community practice within the generalist model and develops skills in organizing, advocacy, and planning.

SOC WK 5350 Social Work and Human Service Organizations: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Admission to MSW program or permission of MSW Program Director. This course helps students to develop theoretical and empirical understanding of groups and organizations, including concepts such as power and authority, structure, goals, membership, leadership, motivation, technology, and organizational culture. Using organizations as settings for social work practice and as targets for change, students learn strategies and skills for assessment and intervention.

SOC WK 5410 Critical Thinking and Analysis: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Admission to MSW program or permission of MSW Program Director. This course requires students to think critically about social work practice and analyze its evidence base. It is the first of a two-course sequence designed to provide students with the knowledge base and skills for using the scientific method ethically to advance social work practice, knowledge, and theory. It focuses on understanding a variety of methods for critical analysis and synthesis of academic literature. Students learn the importance of critically assessing quantitative and qualitative research methods and how to apply an ethical decision-making model to resolve ethical dilemmas including the use of research results to inform practice.

SOC WK 5450 Social Work Research Methods and Analysis: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5410 and an approved statistics course. This advanced research course focuses on the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data for advanced social work practice, knowledge, and theory. Students learn to use and interpret various statistical procedures for analyzing quantitative data including bivariate and multivariate analysis, and they learn content analysis for qualitative data. Students will apply these analytic techniques to social work case material using computer software applications.

SOC WK 5500 Human Behavior in the Social Environment: 3 semester hours

Same as GS 5500. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. This course focuses on theoretical and empirical understanding of human behavior in the social environment using a life-span perspective. It introduces biological, behavioral, cognitive, and sociocultural theories of individuals, families, and small groups, and their implications for the professional social worker's understanding of socioeconomic status, gender, disability, ethnicity, race, and sexual orientation.

SOC WK 5635 Social Work Practice with LGBT Populations: Deconstructing the Alphabet Soup: 3 semester hours

Same as GS 5635. Prerequisites: SOC WK 5100 and SOC WK 5500 or consent of instructor. This advanced-practice course focuses on developing the knowledge and skills necessary for effective social work practice with LGBT persons, families, and communities. The goal of this course is to facilitate deeper understanding of LGBT identities, relationships, health and mental health challenges, and issues of race, age, religion, spirituality, and class and how these intersect. The course treats lesbian women, gay men, bisexual, and transgender persons as four distinct communities.

SOC WK 5641 Advanced Crisis Intervention: 1 semester hour

Prerequisites: SOC WK 4110 or SOC WK 5100 or equivalent (may be taken concurrently), or consent of instructor. This course introduces students to the theoretical framework and skills needed to understand and engage in effective crisis intervention. Students will learn a specialized model for assessment and intervention with people in crisis and will have an opportunity to apply this model to a variety of case situations. Credit cannot be granted for both SOC WK 4641 and SOC WK 5641.

SOC WK 5700 Diversity and Social Justice for Social Work: 3 semester hours

Same as GS 5700. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. This course analyzes the structure, dynamics, and consequences of social and economic injustice and the impact on diverse groups in American society. It examines theoretical models and practice principles for work with diverse groups.

SOC WK 5800 Graduate Field Practicum I: 4 semester hours

Prerequisites: Admission to MSW program and consent of academic advisor. This course provides integrative field experience in generalist social work practice.

SOC WK 5801 Foundation Field Practicum Seminar: 2 semester hours

Prerequisites: Admission to MSW program and consent of academic advisor. This course integrates academic content from foundation course work and experiential learning in field placements. The course goals are to conceptualize the problem-solving process in field practice, synthesize theory into a social work approach that encourages creative use of self, and underscore ethics and service to diverse groups in practices.

SOC WK 6150 Theory and Practice with Families: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5100 or equivalent, graduate standing and departmental approval. This course will examine theoretical approaches to social work with families, including the impact of the social environment. Skills will include assessment and multi-disciplinary intervention with multi-problem families. Special emphasis will be given to poverty, chemical dependency, intra-familial violence, physical and mental illnesses, and working with family members of diverse cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, races, sexual orientation, and ability. Values and ethics will be emphasized.

SOC WK 6160 Advanced Social Work Practice Across the Life Span: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5100 or equivalent or consent of instructor. Examines theory and empirically-based assessment and intervention strategies for diverse populations across the life span. Students will gain basic mastery of behavioral, cognitivebehavioral, brief therapeutic and supportive psychotherapeutic techniques and their appropriate use with children, adolescents, and young, middle and older adults. The course will also consider the effects of family, peers, and societal context (e.g. poverty, racism, and ageism) in understanding psycho-social stressors particular to each life era, including academic failure and delinquency, substance abuse, physical and mental illness, family disruption and instability, and grief and loss issues.

SOC WK 6200 Family Policy: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5200 or equivalent or consent of instructor and graduate standing. Examines policy development, implementation and impact of social policies on children, youth, and families. International national, and state policies that affect basic family needs will be the focus, including topics such as economic support, health care, child care and protection, and child and youth development. Intended and unintended consequences of existing policies on the family will be examined as well as future policy directions.

SOC WK 6250 Social and Economic Development Policy: 3 semester hours

Same as POL SCI 6418. Prerequisites: SOC WK 5200 or equivalent, or consent of instructor. This course examines the economic and political urban processes that planners, policy makers, service organizations and advocates seek to influence. In this course students will develop skills in policy analysis and development. The course provides an introduction to three models of modern political economy, then seeks to deepen these broad analytic approaches by examining more recent policy developments in cities like St. Louis. This course also focuses on recent strategies to address issues such as employment, wages, housing, education, taxes and social services.

SOC WK 6300 Leadership and Management in Nonprofit Organizations: 3 semester hours

Same as P P ADM 6300 and POL SCI 6300. Prerequisite: Graduate standing required. Addresses the role and scope of the independent sector in the United States, as well as the leadership and management of nonprofit organizations within that sector. Topics include the economic and political scope of the independent sector, the role of volunteerism in a democratic society, and the role and scope of philanthropy. Topics in voluntary organization management and leadership include the dynamics, functions, and membership structure of NPOs, especially staff-board and other volunteer relations; governance and management of NPOs; resource mobilization; and program development management and evaluation.

SOC WK 6310 American Philanthropy and Nonprofit Resource Development: 3 semester hours

Same as P P ADM 6310. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. This course addresses the history, philosophy, roles and scope of philanthropy in the United States, including its role in the nonprofit, voluntary sector. It further examines the contemporary forces which impact philanthropy and charitable giving, both by institutions and individuals. The course examines the effective planning and management of development programs (e.g., annual giving), fund raising vehicles (e.g., mail solicitations) and the fund raising process, form planning through donor relations.

SOC WK 6311 Staff Management Issues in Nonprofit Organizations: 1 semester hour

Same as P P ADM 6311. Prerequisites: Graduate standing required. This course addresses issues involved in managing staff in nonprofit organizations. The course will cover the following topics: fundamentals of staff supervision; balancing supervisory processes with counseling and coaching; selecting, hiring, evaluating, and terminating staff, and legal issues that affect these processes.

SOC WK 6312 Legal Issues in Managing Nonprofit Organizations: 1 semester hour

Same as P P ADM 6312. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. This course addresses legal issues involved in managing and governing nonprofit organizations. The course will cover the following topics: The Board as steward of the organization; Director and officer liability; tax laws concerning charitable giving; legal issues in managing staff and volunteers (e.g., hiring, evaluating, and terminating employees); Missouri nonprofit law.

SOC WK 6313 Financial Issues in Managing Nonprofit Organizations: 1 semester hour

Same as P P ADM 6313. This course addresses financial issues involved in governing and managing nonprofit organizations. The course will cover the following topics: cash flow analysis; budgeting; fund accounting; cost accounting (determining costs for programs and services); understanding and using standard financial statements, including balance sheets, cash flow statements, statements of activity, and operating and capital budgets.

SOC WK 6380 Advanced Community Development Theory & Practice: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5200 and SOC WK 5300. In this advanced community practice course, students examine concepts, theories, and models of macro level practice and gain skills for addressing complex community building challenges. Course content focuses on theories of social change, empowerment, and promotion of social and economic justice for culturally diverse and at-risk communities. The roles of community organizer, community developer, and social planner are emphasized in this course to help students understand and apply mezzo-macro social work interventions in urban settings.

SOC WK 6400 Practice and Program Evaluation: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5410 and SOC WK 5450 or equivalent or consent of instructor; concurrent enrollment in concentration practicum (SOC WK 6800 or SOC WK 6850). This course provides students with specialized knowledge in the use of qualitative and quantitative research skills to evaluate the effectiveness of social work practice. Topics will include single system design, group designs, and program evaluation. Students will design and conduct a research project associated with their advanced social work practicum. Students will present results of their evaluations to the class and to the agency. Issues related to values and ethics will be emphasized as students develop and conduct their research.

SOC WK 6443 Health Care Policy: 3 semester hours

Same as POL SCI 6443, P P ADM 6430, GERON 6443. Prerequisites: Graduate Standing and consent of instructor. (MSW students will normally take the social policy foundation course prior to enrolling in this course.) Survey course examining current issues in health care policy that face the nation. Policies are placed in a historical context to show how issues have been influenced by different political and economic conditions. Secondary consequences and limitations of current trends in health policy are explored.

SOC WK 6444 Integrated Health Care: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5500 or its equivalent. This course will introduce students to the essential practice skills needed to effectively address the challenges of integrating services, care and support for persons with health, mental health, and substance use problems.

SOC WK 6449 Human Resources in the Public Sector: 3 semester hours

Same as POL SCI 6449 and P P ADM 6490. This course presents an overview of personnel and labor relations in the public sector. It places particular emphasis on issues which are unique to the public sector, such as the merit system, the questions of representative bureaucracy, and the constraints of personnel in the nonprofit sector. Course topics may include personnel reforms in the federal sector, equal employment and affirmative action policies, testing, selection, hiring, comparable worth, job evaluation and labor relations, including grievance arbitration and collective bargaining.

SOC WK 6491 Strategic and Program Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: 3 semester hours

Same as POL SCI 6490 and P P ADM 6550. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. This course covers strategic and program planning and its ability to enable an organization to concentrate on efforts and set priorities guided by a mission, vision, and an understanding of its environment. The course focus is on preparing a strategic plan and a program plan for a nonprofit organization and analyzing an organization's ability to deliver goods and/or services to its constituents in today's economic, social, and political climate.

SOC WK 6601 Cognitive and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy Models for Social Work: 1 semester hour

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5100 or advanced standing, and graduate standing. This course examines theory and evidence-informed practices through use of the Cognitive Behavioral and Rational Emotive Behavioral therapy models. Students will use these theories to conduct hands-on intervention practice of assessment, treatment planning, interventive strategies, and termination when working with a family or direct practice setting. Student-conducted interventions through the use of role-plays will be videotaped and viewed by the instructor and classmates at each stage of the therapeutic process. This course will include integration and application of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders through the psychotherapeutic process.

SOC WK 6603 Play and Interactive Models for Social Work: 1 semester hour

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5100 or advanced standing status, and graduate standing. This course examines theory and evidence-informed practices through use of Play and Interactive therapy models. Students will use these theories to conduct hands-on intervention practices of assessment, treatment planning, interventive strategies, and termination when working with a family or direct practice setting. Student-conducted interventions through the use of role-plays will be videotaped and viewed by the instructor and classmates at each stage of the therapeutic process. This course will include integration and application of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders through the psychotherapeutic process.

SOC WK 6605 Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment: 1 semester hour

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5100 and SOC WK 5500; or their equivalents. This course will include in depth information on screening tools to identify high risk substance use, application of SBIRT and specific motivational interviewing techniques, referral procedures that include how and to whom to refer patients for further treatment and how best to communicate with specialty providers, procedures for following patients after referral, use of electronic health records, and how to integrate SBIRT into established systems of care.

SOC WK 6606 Evidence-Based Approaches in Direct Social Work Practice: Dialectical Behavior Therapy: 1 semester hour

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5100 or advanced standing status, and graduate standing. This course examines theory and evidence-based practices through the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) model. DBT combines cognitive and behavioral theories in individual and group treatment. Students will use these theories to understand the DBT skills of Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Distress Tolerance. Students will engage in role playing while learning the four components of DBT: DBT skills training, DBT individual therapy, DBT phone coaching, and DBT therapist consultation team meeting. This course will include integration and application of the DSM-5.

SOC WK 6610 Telehealth: The Integration of Social Work and Technology: 1 semester hour

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5100 or equivalent. This course explores the use of technology to facilitate social work practice with individuals and families. By examining the pros and cons of telehealth, ethical and legal considerations, and best practice methods, students will be able to assess the feasibility of telehealth as a service delivery mechanism for their own practice. Through structured role play and reflection, students will become familiar with techniques to enhance their practice effectiveness when using telehealth with clients.

SOC WK 6611 Trauma Informed Social Work Practice: 1 semester hour

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5100 or equivalent. This course explores the role of social workers when engaging clients who have experienced trauma. Students will gain an understanding of how trauma impacts client functioning and the impact of trauma on relationships and human development. Students will apply a strengths-based approach and critical thinking theory to case scenarios, and, they will learn the coping process for compassion fatigue.

SOC WK 6630 Diagnosis and Related Pharmacology for Social Work Practice: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5100 or equivalent or consent of instructor. Course is designed for social work students, and will provide an overview of the development and treatment of selected mental health disorders classified by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In particular, the course will examine, from a systems perspective, the psychological and neuropsychological etiologies of mood, psychotic, personality and other disorders and their preferred pharmacological treatment.

SOC WK 6640 School Social Work Practice in Public Schools: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5100 or equivalent or graduate standing and consent of instructor. Examines the role of the social worker in school settings and includes work with youth, families, and communities in relation to the child or adolescent's functioning in school.

SOC WK 6645 Social Work in Healthcare Settings: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5100 and SOC WK 5500 or equivalent. This course is provides students with a framework for the practice of social work in a rapidly changing healthcare system. The course examines the role and scope of practice of the social worker within the healthcare team in various settings and on different levels of the healthcare continuum (e.g. acute in-patient care, chronic out-patient care, long-term care, community health, telehealth, and hospice.) Students will learn how to incorporate the bio-psycho-social-spiritual elements of health into assessments of persons presenting a variety of health concerns and issues. Students will learn how to develop an effective treatment plan utilizing various short-term interventions including, but not limited to: solution focused therapy, motivational interviewing, crisis intervention, and resource referral. This course will address other topics that affect social work practice including ethics, policy/organization, current use of technology, interdisciplinary treatment models, and outcome evaluation.

SOC WK 6800 Graduate Field Practicum II: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 5800 and SOC WK 5801 and consent of academic advisor. This course provides integrative field experience in students' graduate social work practice concentration areas. It may be taken concurrently with SOC WK 6850 with special permission.

SOC WK 6850 Graduate Field Practicum III: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: SOC WK 6800. This course provides advanced integrative field experience in students' graduate social work concentration areas.

SOC WK 6900 Directed Study in Professional Social Work: 1-10 semester hours

Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor. Independent graduate-level study on a topic of particular interest through readings, reports, and field work under faculty supervision.

Sharon Johnson
Professor and Dean
Ph.D., Washington University

Baorong Guo
Professor
Ph.D., Washington University

Joseph Pickard
Professor
Ph.D., Washington University - St. Louis

Shirley Porterfield
Professor
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin - Madison

Michael Gearhart
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University

Florian Sichling
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Chicago

Sha-Lai Williams
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Washington University

Annah Bender
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. , Washington University

Erica Koegler
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University

Patricia Rosenthal
Clinical Professor
M.S.W., Washington University

Lori Curtis
Teaching Professor
M.S.W., Washington University

Linda Wells-Glover
Teaching Professor
M.S.W., Washington University

Courtney McDermott
Associate Teaching Professor
M.S.W., Saint Louis University

Diane Beckerle O'Brien
Associate Teaching Professor
M.S.W., Washington University

Lois Pierce
Professor Emerita and Dean Emerita
Ph.D., Washington University

Margaret Sherraden
Professor Emerita
Ph.D., Washington University

Uma Segal
Founders Professor
Ph.D., Washington University - St. Louis