SW - Social Work GR Level
Human Behavior and the Social Environment presents students with principles and theories related to human development and human behavior, with an emphasis on introducing students to basic concepts related to psychological trauma and adverse childhood experiences as well as the biopsychosocial framework that supports integrated care. Content introduced in HBSE provides a critical foundation for students as they leverage this knowledge to identify and implement clinical interventions with diverse client groups in a variety of practice settings.
Generalist Practice I overviews skills commonly used in generalist social work to engage with clients, conduct an assessment, identify the problem's source, match an intervention to the problem, implement a change strategy, evaluate the success of the intervention and make adjustments as needed, and positively terminate with a client. The course strengthens students' engagement and assessment skills by requiring them to conduct interviews and assessments with individuals and families. By videotaping these sessions and providing students with faculty and peer feedback, students master new skills to develop a strong foundation of generalist knowledge and skills designed to build versatility and confidence when serving diverse client groups in a variety of practice settings.
Research for Social Work Practice is designed to further student's understanding of and ability to apply quantitative and qualitative research methods for the purposes of understanding social problems and examining the effectiveness of social work interventions. This course is the first of two research courses included in the curriculum and it provides foundational knowledge about research design, sampling, measures and data collection techniques, data analysis, and the development of data-driven implications for social work policy, practice, and future research. The course also provides students with an overview of ethical research, presenting historical examples of research misconduct while presenting ethical principles and guidelines for conducting human subjects research, including the role of an institutional review board in conducting research. In this course, students learn beginning data analysis skills using such statistical analytical software as Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Excel. Students will also be introduced to data visualization software (Tableau) to better understand how data can be effectively disseminated to various community stakeholders. A special focus of the course will be to understanding the differences between evidence-based, evidence-informed, and promising practices so students are able to critically consume empirical research as they attempt to identify culturally competent and efficacious interventions appropriate for specific client populations, social problems, and settings.
Diversity and Social Justice introduces students to principles and skills of culturally competent social work practice, characterized by an appreciation for diverse groups and cultures and a sophisticated understanding of the influence of the dominant culture on the health and well-being of diverse and marginalized groups and their ability to access resources and secure human rights. Fundamental to this course is an examination of the inequities, oppression, and disparities experienced differently by groups based on their race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other social locations. Further, the concept of intersectionality will serve as a guiding conceptual framework as the course examines the relationships between power and oppression intrinsic to societal practices and structures that contribute to health disparities and social and economic injustice. Given this course's focus on issues of diversity and social justice, it is also where students are introduced to the history, core values, ethical principles, and practice standards of the social work profession. Integrating foundational professional content into this course helps students understand how the social work profession confronts inequity and oppression, leveraging its distinct knowledge base, values, and skills, but also framing the need for social workers to practice engage with other disciplines.
Generalist Practice II specifically builds on assessment, treatment planning, intervention, and evaluation skills acquired in Generalist Practice I (
SW 503), A focus of this course is to introduce students to concepts, theories and models of practice specific to social work with groups, organizations, and communities while also continuing to hone skills that support effective engagement, assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation and termination activities with clients. Students will be also be introduced to structural and strategic family therapy as two techniques commonly used to guide family counseling. Students will also be provided opportunities to improve their skills in applying the skills they have learned in motivational interviewing, problem-solving, and cognitive behavioral approaches through role-playing, actor simulations, peer feedback, and videotaped sessions. Finally, students will be encouraged to continually identify and the strengths and assets of individuals who play a role in families and groups.
Policy and Advocacy in Social Work Practice is designed to teach students about social work policy practice, identifying how policies developed at the local, state, and national levels and how social welfare programs and other initiatives emanating from these policies attempt to resolve serious social problems affecting diverse client groups. In this class, students will learn ways to effectively and diplomatically work with political leaders and how policy practice has the potential to improve how services and resources are delivered to vulnerable and underserved clients and communities. Students will also learn about the important roles that non-elected state officials play in developing policy and delivering resources and services. Carroll College is located two miles from Montana's state capitol and the state has an open meeting law which allows students to attend any meeting that is being held. With this level of access, students will have many opportunities to meet with and engage with elected and nonelected officials.
Mindfulness and Wellbeing explores the scientific knowledge base related to mindfulness and wellbeing. In this course, we explore practice research-based interventions focusing on attention, self-compassion, gratitude, social connection, body-mind awareness, and more. This class is intended to support the development of research-based skills for self-exploration in personal life satisfaction and tools for professional social work practice, especially when working with vulnerable and underserved populations.
Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis specifically focuses on the assessment and diagnosis of mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders. The course builds on foundational knowledge, skills, and values for engaging with client groups and conducting comprehensive assessments that inform effective treatment / service plans and the appropriate selection of culturally competent evidence-based practices. Given the prominent use of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSWM-5) in clinical environments, students will be provided with an overview of this resource and its role in how mental health challenges are understood and classified. Consistent with the program's focus on culturally competent and ethical practice, students will critically evaluate the role of the DSM-5 in comprehensively assessing clients and its sufficiency is supporting a holistic assessment of health and well-being that includes environmental factors.
Integrated and Interdisciplinary Practice extends the program's focus on person-centered care by emphasizing the unique role of social workers in diverse, interdisciplinary health, behavioral health, and social service settings, including in rural and frontier areas. The course emphasizes the value of social work’s person-in-environment perspective and the profession's understanding that individual health and well-being are intimately affected by mezzo and macro-level factors that transcend the immediate environment of care. To support the development of knowledge and skills that facilitate integrated and interdisciplinary care, students will participate in a number of interprofessional education activities, where they will learn with, from, and about other disciplines social workers may encounter in clinical settings such as nurses, public health professionals, addiction counselors, etc.
Evaluation of Practice supports the program's emphasis on ethical and competent social work practice and the appropriate use of evidence-based practices, providing students with knowledge and skills needed to plan and implement evaluations that assess the fidelity, efficiency, and effectiveness of social work services and interventions. Topics covered the course include the role of evaluation research in social work practice, the role of the evaluator, ethical in evaluation research, use of needs assessments, development and use of logic models, measuring and assessing evidence, cost-benefit analyses, and translational research. The course will also introduce students to basic statistical procedures and other data analysis approaches commonly used in the evaluation of social work interventions and human service programs.
Substance Use and Dual Diagnosis supports the development of specialized knowledge and skills related to the identification, treatment, and prevention of substance use disorders and co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. The course will also explore the intersectionality between substance use disorders and dual diagnoses with other serious social issues and the need for social workers in all practice settings to be attentive and responsive to client needs in this area. Examples of course focus areas include neuroscience of addiction, stages of change and motivational enhancement, medication assisted therapy, the 12-step model, physical health concerns related to addiction, family and natural supports, and more. In addition to the direct practice context, students will examine research and policy contexts to identify opportunities to enhance prevention and treatment interventions.
Leadership and Management prepares students to assume leadership roles in human service organizations and social change systems. Framed within the context of today's challenges confronting social work managers, supervisors, community practitioners and administrators, students will develop organizational knowledge and leadership skills required in the development and management of agency structure, resources, workforce, and cultures of human services. The course will cover topics related to program and service planning, supervision, performance appraisal, budgeting, and leadership and organizational theory. The course also will examine ethical dilemmas inherent to administering social programs and managing human service agencies in the context of a market economy where federal and state budget cuts have created competition for scarce resources.
Field Practicum I provides an intensive, experiential opportunity for students to integrate coursework with practice, developing their understanding and application of the generalist person-in-environment framework while also establishing a solid generalist skill base that will be further developed as the progress through the program's specialized curriculum. In this course, students are assigned practicum placements to ensure that they are provided challenging learning opportunities and receive high-quality supervision from an on-site, program approved field instructor. Students are also provided with a faculty advisor to assure that placement-based learning objectives are aligned with the nine CSWE generalist core competencies. Prior to visiting their field placement, students receive training to support meaningful engagement, assessment, planning, and intervention activities with clients. To further bolster this initial toolkit, students are also exposed to basic principles and skills associated with Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and StrengthsBased Social Work Practice. Ultimately, the goal of this initial education and training is to ensure students enter their field placement with generalist knowledge and skills they can readily apply with beginning confidence as they work directly with clients. This generalist knowledge and skills also services as the foundation for more-specialized knowledge and skills students included in subsequent courses.
Field Seminar I provides students with an intentionally designed peer-learning community where they can critically evaluate the integration of generalist knowledge, skills, and values learned in courses with their field education experience. Through active reflection, that includes constructive feedback from peers and faculty, students reflect on their application of course-related knowledge and skills, identifying areas of strength and areas for improvement. Additionally, students will examine how personal values and spiritual beliefs impact practice decisions and ethical decision-making, assessing how those values and beliefs align with the profession's mission, ethical principles, and practice standards. Finally, a core activity in this and other seminary courses discussed later are regularly scheduled seminars where students will meet virtually with all faculty to critically reflect on and dialogue about how content presented in different courses integrates with their field experience, and evaluate how classroom and field experiences are shaping their identity as a professional social worker.
Field Practicum II is a continuation of Field Practicum I, continuing to provide opportunities for students to apply the knowledge and skills gained in the first semester of the program and new knowledge, skills, and values learning during the second semester. Through weekly supervision with their field supervisor, students continue to assess their progress with learning objectives aligned with the nine CSWE generalist practice competencies.
Field Seminar II continues to leverage the intentionally designed peer-learning community, providing students with a supportive environment where they can dialogue with other students and faculty about their experiences in field education. In this class, students are encouraged to analyze how knowledge, skills, and values learned in classes apply to field work and how their personal values and beliefs are impacting practice and contributing to ethical decision-making and the provision of culturally responsive social work services. Additionally, students will explore their developing professional social work identity, identifying how they are assimilating the profession's mission statement, core values, and practice standards into their day-to-day understanding of what it is to be a professional social worker and how this alignment is demonstrated in actual practice. Finally, this course will continue to include regularly scheduled seminars where students will meet virtually with all faculty to critically reflect on and dialogue about how content presented in different courses integrates with their field experience, and evaluate how classroom and field experiences continue to shape their identity as a professional social worker.
Field Practicum III builds on generalist field education experiences by providing students with supervised clinical field experiences where they are able to apply specialized knowledge and skills and evidence-based interventions. In this course, students will further knowledge and skills related to ethical and culturally competent practice at all levels of the social work change process (engagement, assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation, and termination) with a variety of client groups. Consistent with the advanced nature of this placement students will demonstrate a higher level of proficiency with tasks and assignments and they will be expected to work more independently as they demonstrate competency with specialized program competencies.
Field Seminar III supports the integration of specialized social work knowledge, skills, and values with practice and the continued development of a professional social work identity. In this course, students will present their clinical work, exploring their application of specialized knowledge, skills, and values to the therapeutic process. Consistent with the program's emphasis on culturally competent practice and a focus on strengths, resilience, and empowerment, students will assess the treatment process to assess their application of these principles and methods. Additionally, as with field seminar courses included in the generalist curriculum, this course will include regularly scheduled seminars where students will meet virtually with all faculty to integrate course content with their field experience, and evaluate how classroom and field experiences are shaping their identity as a professional social worker.
Field Practicum IV continues the placement developed for Field Practicum III, providing students with additional opportunities to further refine the application of specialized knowledge, skills, and values related to clinical social work practice. Given that this is the final practicum course for the program, students will be expected to competently demonstrate all specialized competencies as they intentionally integrate coursework into their field education experience. Students will also be expected to effectively utilize field supervision to further refine and develop their application of knowledge, skills, and values to practice.
Field Seminar IV continues to support the integration of specialized social work knowledge, skills, and values developed in the classroom with practice and the continued development of a professional social work identity. As in Field Seminar III, this course will include regularly scheduled seminars where students meet virtually with all faculty to synthesize course content presented in different classes and integrate knowledge, skills, and values with their field experience. This course also serves as the forum where students will develop and present their capstone project, an agency-based project that provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the knowledge, skills, ethics and values necessary for evidence-based advanced generalist social work practice. An additional aspect of the capstone project is that students will identify core attributes of their professional social work identity in terms of beliefs, values, motives, and experiences. Consistent with the program's emphasis on life-long learning and professional development as a component of ethical social work practice, students will also identify opportunities for additional education and development, as well as self-care strategies they will integrate into their practice.
Two Elective Courses are offered to provide students with additional opportunities to further explore specific social problems, treatment modalities, practice settings and client groups. Given the programs specialization in clinical practice, electives will be design to supplement and further extend knowledge, skills, and values developed in other courses. Examples of potential electives include Social Work in Health Care, Wilderness / Experiential Therapy, Crisis Intervention, Grief and Bereavement, Clinical Practice with Older Adults, Homelessness, Interpersonal Violence, Social Work Practice with LGBTQIA2S+ Populations, Clinical Practice with Youth, Play therapy, Animal Assisted Therapy Interventions, and more.