Department of Social Work and Social Ecology

Social Work and Case Management Courses

STCJ 515 Graduate Research Writing (2)
Provides skills for critical writing, including organization, development of idea, and presentation of conclusion. Develops skills that will be applicable to the preparation of term papers in the students' disciplines. Course may be challenged through successful passing of a test designed to assess critical writing skills.

SOWK 414 Interviewing and Counseling (4)
Provides students with orientation to the procedures, methods, and problems associated with a clinical interview. Focuses on developing basic interviewing skills used in the collection of personal data, including the use of various verbal and nonverbal forms of expression, active listening, and appreciation of client diversity. Gives attention to the student’s development of self-awareness and continuous integration of professional values and ethical conduct in practice.

SOWK 511 Human Behavior and Cross-cultural Environment I (3)
The first of a three-part sequence that provides the basis for understanding human development and life transitions throughout the life span within an ecological perspective. Orients the student to the generalistic, social work approach to understanding human behavior in a cross-cultural context. Focuses on normal behavior from birth through adolescence.
Prerequisite: Program prerequisites in human growth and development, human biology concepts, and cross-cultural issues.

SOWK 512 Human Behavior and Cross-cultural Environment II (3)
The second course in the three-part sequence. Explores the dynamic of human behavior from young adulthood to adolescence, as affected by and expressed in a cross-cultural context. Provides a foundation of knowledge on which to build social work practice skills.
Prerequisite: Program prerequisites in human growth and development, human biology concepts, and cross-cultural issues.

SOWK 515 Social Policy I (3)
Orientation to the beliefs, values, and historical foundations of the social work profession. Emphasis on examining societal, professional, and cross-cultural perspectives and contradictions as these have influenced the development of contemporary social policies and services.

SOWK 517 Foundation Practice I: Individuals (3)
The first of the practice sequences. Provides the foundation for generic social work practice as it emphasizes an ecological systems approach within a cross-cultural context. Provides knowledge of social work principles, ethics, and values that assure a professional approach to individual client needs arising from an assessment of personal and social issues and problems. (Students must take this course before or concurrent with social work practicum.)

SOWK 518 Foundation Practice II: Groups (3)
The second of the practice sequence. Focuses on introducing the student to group work methods. Emphasizes differentiation among the types of individuals, situations, and presenting problems best served by group interviews.

SOWK 519 Foundation Practice III: Organizations and Communities (3)
The third of the practice sequence. Incorporates generic concepts of the generalists approach in organizational and community settings. Provides knowledge and understanding concerning group formation and empowerment. Assists the student in understanding himself/herself as a member of, and an active participant in, community organizations and institutions.

SOWK 520 Foundation Practice IV: Families (3)
The fourth class of the practice sequence. Provides students with an introduction to family interventions. Examines views and issues regarding contemporary family structure and function, and focuses on concepts and techniques used to promote change in family functioning. Course meets state requirement for content in family violence.

SOWK 547 Research Methods I (3)
Reviews the quantitative and qualitative methodological techniques used in designing and analyzing social work research and practice. Primary emphasis placed on preparing students for practice evaluation.
Prerequisite: Introduction to computing and an introductory statistics course.

SOWK 549 Research Methods II (3)
Provides students with a didactic laboratory exploration of computerized statistical analysis. Includes review of statistical techniques such as correlation, chi-square, analysis of variance, and multiple regression. Primary emphasis placed on using and interpreting statistics most common to research designs employed in social work research and practice evaluation.
Prerequisite: Introduction to computing, introductory statistics, and SOWK 547.

SOWK 595 Professional Development Tutorial (2-4)
Tutorial course work aimed at ameliorating difficulties associated with meeting the professional performance competencies of the MSW degree program (see MSW Student Handbook). Students are enrolled in the course as a result of a corrective action plan developed with the department of social works academic standards committee.

SOWK 613 Human Behavior and Cross-cultural Environment III (4)
Third course in a three-part sequence. Presents more complex definitions of dysfunction. Encourages appreciation for sensitivity to the associated needs and issues of affected populations. Facilitates increased application and respect for social work values, policies, and ethics.
Prerequisite: SOWK 511, 512.

SOWK 615 Social Policy II (3)
Second course of the social policy sequence. Emphasizes the structure and processes of social programs, and reviews methodologies for the analysis and development of social policies as applied to social welfare programs. Addresses the professional values and ethics of social change through political and social action.
Prerequisite: SOWK 515.

SOWK 648 Dual Diagnosis (2)
Examines the diagnosis and treatment of clients where mental illness and substance dependency coexist. Special attention given to understanding social rehabilitation frameworks and dilemmas, caregiver issues, the need for family and professional alliances, as well as treatment efficacy and adherence.

SOWK 649 Social Work and Health-care (2)
Considers the physiological, psychological, and social components of various illnesses/conditions encountered in health-care settings. Themes include: the effect of these components on social functioning or rehabilitative and habilitative processes; the common psychological reactions of people to medical treatment; the medical team's respective roles and value orientation, and the impact of these on the patient and his/her family; and issues of loss and death. Special attention given to interventions specific to health-care settings versus those of traditional agencies, and to methods appropriate to interdisciplinary practice.

SOWK 650 Children and Adolescents in Trauma (2)
Provides students with a comprehensive understanding of assessing, intervening with, and treating children and adolescents experiencing trauma. Most common traumatic events to be examined are those associated with sexual abuse, life threatening conditions, and severe familial disruption. The processes of assessing and diagnosing the source and severity of commonly associated behaviors, conduct, and mood disorders examined. Explores applicable intervention and treatment strategies.

SOWK 651 Health-care Interventions with High Risk Families and Communities (2)
Special health-care needs of high risk populations (including the poor, ethnic and racial minorities, recent immigrants, and children in high risk environments). Primary causes of poor health among these groups, and development of realistic goals and strategies for responding to health-care systems. Social work's role in the development of interdisciplinary community health-care systems services reviewed.

SOWK 652 Social Problems within Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations (2)
Overview of the most significant social problems affecting racial and ethnic minority populations. Focuses initially on examining the interactive nature of environmental stresses and successful functioning. Further emphasis placed on the unique practice role of social work in structuring interventions and culturally appropriate treatment approaches.

SOWK 653 Interventions with Special Needs Children (2)
Focuses on practice with children and families in relationship to environmental stability. Attention given to examining how the physical and mental health of children are directly associated with family and environmental permanency. Emphasizes development of parental and social support capacities, as well as the requisite professional knowledge and skills to help children deal with identity issues and concerns of joining a new family. Addresses the impacts of race, ethnicity, gender, economic deprivation, physical illness, and disability.

SOWK 654A Therapeutic Interventions with Older Adults I (3)
Provides an intensive examination of clinical issues related to social work practice with older adults and their families. Students gain increased understanding of the developmental tasks of later life, and the needs, strengths, and diversity of empowered and active older adults. Prepares students to examine and implement evidenced-based interventions at the clinical level with an understanding of how organizational and community-level factors can influence interventions and outcomes. Gives attention to issues related to culturally-competent practice and the interplay of race, ethnicity, and culture.

SOWK 656 Religion and Spirituality in Direct Practice (2)
Acquaints students with predominant theories regarding religion and spirituality from the "person-in-the-situation" perspective. Theoretical orientations include psychodynamic, philosophical, and sociocultural. Examines the implications of these theories in terms of their impact on professional practice.

SOWK 658 Children's Psychotherapy (2)
Considers treatment techniques appropriate for young children with a wide range of diagnoses and behavior problems. Emphasizes the integration of theory and practice of psychotherapy with the ecological perspective of social work practice. Discussion of diagnosis, phases of treatment, and special communication issues. Research, ethical, and value issues addressed.

SOWK 659 Interventions with the Chronically Mentally Ill (2)
Provides students with an understanding of theories and techniques of direct interventions useful in helping those with major mental disorders to cope with their illnesses and aspects of their life situations. Topics include dangerous behavior, acute psychotic episodes, definitions of long-term chronic disability, enhancing social skills and social support systems, case management, and the interaction of medication and social functioning.

SOWK 660 Advanced Theory and Practice with Ethnically Diverse Clients (3)
Theories and concepts of ethnicity explored, with particular focus on their usefulness for understanding ethnic diversity in psychosocial functioning. Examines norms, values, and adaptive coping styles; generational and gender issues in the formation of ethnic identity; the impact of social, political, and economic deprivation on development; attitudes toward health and mental health; degrees of acculturation; styles in the use of help; and other patterns. Students explore their own ethnicity-related styles and identities as well as the potential "fit" between worker and client values and beliefs. Students learn how to apply ethnicity concepts in case situations, including the exploration of ethnic factors in the assessment of functioning and in the development of the therapeutic relationship. Particular attention given to practice with people of color and recent immigrants. Prevailing models of social work practice critically examined in terms of their sensitivity to issues of ethnic diversity.
Prerequisites: Candidacy or permission of department.

SOWK 661 Time Limited Services and Interventions (3)
Examines the rationales and assumptions of brief treatment, presenting the techniques and strategies of time limited services as compared to extended models of treatment. Examines the nature and characteristics of crisis versus traumatic events for their long-term effects on psychosocial functioning. Continuum also examined as it guides assessment, treatment modalities and settings, and interdisciplinary interactions.

SOWK 663 Advanced Social Work Practice with Individuals (3)
Focuses on developing students knowledge and skills in advanced clinical social work with individuals. Classification, evaluation, and diagnosis of the psychiatric disorders described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Emphasis placed on diagnostic and psychosocial evaluation, psychiatric epidemiology, genetic factors in mental illness, and the major categories of drugs used in treating psychiatric disorders.

SOWK 665 Advanced Social Work Practice with Groups (3)
Deepens knowledge of group processes and treatment. Through lecture, discussion, use of case material, and experiential learning in the classroom, the group is examined for its therapeutic impact on individual members. Emphasizes assessment and interventional skills in relation to the development of the group and to the ego functioning of individuals in therapeutic groups.

SOWK 666 Women's Clinical Issues and Treatment (2)
Presents students with the major psychosocial considerations and modalities applicable for working with women in clinical settings. Racial, ethnic, and political-economic issues addressed.

SOWK 667 Advanced Integrative Practice (3)
Provides students in the clinical concentration an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and integration of advanced theories and treatment modalities. Emphasis placed on developing students' skill in selecting practice methods appropriate for working with client populations presenting complex, multidimensional considerations for diagnosis and treatment. Special attention given to furthering students' appreciation for practice evaluation and interdisciplinary interactions as guided by an "autonomy in collegiality" perspective. Underscores the responsibilities of clinical social workers to anticipate and respond to social, political, and other environmental factors changing the nature and availability of services. Prerequisites: SOWK 613, 660, and 682.

SOWK 668 Men's Clinical Interventions and Treatment (2)
Focuses on psychosocial issues faced by men, which have implications for clinical interventions. Attention given to appreciating the influence of life stage, role definitions, race, ethnicity, and gender orientation. Focuses on the psychosocial, emotional, economic, and familial impact of health status change (including chronic illness, disability, and AIDS).

SOWK 669 Child and Adolescent Clinical Issues and Treatment (2)
Explores the use of creative and expressive techniques as alternatives to traditional assessment and intervention methods used with children and adolescents in medical, mental health, and other community intervention settings. Students gain knowledge and skill in the use of play therapy, art therapy, programmed writing, and other expressive intervention techniques.

SOWK 671 Foundation Practice V: Social Work Administration (3)
Provides macro practice knowledge, skills, and perspectives of administrative practices with which to develop, support, and maintain effective service delivery. Topics include role identification and development, situational leadership, strategic planning, levels and types of decision making, management of organizational behavior, use of information systems, budgeting, documentation and reporting, resource development and utilization, and community networking.

SOWK 672 Advanced Practice in Organizations and Systems (3)
Explores the complexities of large organizations and bureaucratic systems. Examines formal and informal structures, communication patterns, and philosophical approaches as these affect the effectiveness and efficiency of services delivery, worker motivation, and resource procurement and allocation. Accomplishes the objectives of the course through the application of diverse organizational and diffusion theories and perspectives as a means to increase students' understanding of their practicum experiences in the policy, planning, and administration concentration.
Prerequisites: SOWK 613, 660, and 682.

SOWK 673 Program Planning and Evaluation (3)
Introduces students to the range of issues, knowledge, and skills required in designing, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs. Students build on knowledge obtained in other concentration courses. Integration of the course focus takes place through the development of a comprehensive program proposal for the students' practicum agency or other identified community group.
Prerequisites: SOWK 613, 660, and 682.

SOWK 674 Fiscal and Information Management (2)
Examines the types of decision-support systems utilized by social work administrators in public and private settings. Emphasizes understanding the theories, principles, methods, and technologies inherent in effective fiscal and information management. Additional special project, with permission of instructor, to receive the additional unit.

SOWK 675 Supervision (3)
Examines the supervisory process in relation to clinical, administrative, educational, and supportive functions. Emphasizes supervisory knowledge, skills, and techniques necessary for the development of staff capable of functioning creatively and independently. Prerequisites: SOWK 613, 660, and 682.

SOWK 676 A Human Resources Planning and Development (3)
Examines the complexities of human resources management in large organizations and/or with diverse employee populations. Strengthens students' knowledge and professional decision making relative to the implementation of federal, state, and local policies (i.e., affirmative action, nondiscrimination, sexual harassment, etc.). Permission of instructor required for students not in the policy/administration concentration. Prerequisites: SOWK 613, 660, and 682.

SOWK 676 B Human Resources Planning and Development Seminar (3)
Selective course taken to supplement SOWK 676 A deepens students' exposure to leading edge discussions on the legal and ethical aspects of human resources management and contemporary issues affecting morale and productivity in today's work environments (e.g., familial dysfunction of employees, single-parent families, care-provider roles of employees, and coworker violence). Learning is supported through guest speakers and panel discussions. Permission of instructor is required for students not in the policy/administration concentration.

SOWK 677 Advanced Integrative Seminar in Psychotherapy (2)
Taught with a seminar format, identifying specific themes of intrapsychic dilemmas and treatment interventions. Students will enhance their analytical writing and verbal skills via presentations based on the biopsychosocial spiritual perspective of psycho pathologies to be encountered as a clinical social worker. Emphasis will be focused towards client/patient therapeutic interaction with the clinical social worker in individual psychotherapy.
Prerequisites: SOWK 613, 660, 682, and 663.

SOWK 678 Advanced Standing Practicum and Seminar (2)
This practicum (200 hours) and seminar experience provides a bridge quarter to integrate the BSW degree experience with the second year of the MSW degree program. Emphasizes reviewing the knowledge, values, and skills of generic social work practice, and defines the additional competencies required for advanced practice. Assists instructor and students in identifying and addressing individualized needs for further development, including application of professional ethics and judgment, use of self as a therapeutic tool, and self-awareness. At the culmination of this course, students formulate conceptual and experiential learning objectives for their second year of study. Students are placed at practicum sites as determined by the program's director of field education. Students' successful completion of this integrative practicum and seminar experience is viewed as further evidence of their appropriateness to receive the advanced standing designation. All advanced standing students are required to complete this practicum (200 hours) and seminar experience during the summer prior to enrolling in SOWK 787 A, B, C.

SOWK 680 Children and Families Policies and Services (2)
Designed to provide students with an understanding of the major social policy issues affecting the current organization and delivery of human services for children and families. Analysis of current debates about the tensions between social policy and the doctrine of family privacy, with attention to the legal basis of state interventions and judicial decisions affecting family relationships, including parent-to-parent and child-to-parent.

SOWK 681 Health and Mental Health Policy and Services (2-3)
Provides a conceptual understanding of the development and organization of the health and mental health systems within institutional and community-based settings as they stem from national and local policy perspectives. Consideration of major issues dealing with the economics of health, health planning, and health legislation. Review of health and mental health programs based on selected cross- national comparisons.

SOWK 682 Legal/Ethical Aspects in Health/Mental Health (3)
Focus on those instances when legal mandates or concerns interact with and affect the practice of social work. Overview of the sources of legal authority, the judicial system, and the legal standards applicable to particular proceedings. Examines the legal implications of the social worker/client relationship. Specific emphasis placed on consent to treatment. Examines the statutes and judicial decisions that govern the confidentiality implicit in a social worker/client relationship. Examines the statutes and judicial decisions which permit or place an obligation on social workers to breach client confidentiality. Course content explored in the context of common and high-risk situations.
Prerequisites: Candidacy or permission of department explored in the context of common and high risk situations.

SOWK 683 Advanced Policy Practice (3)
Deepens student' understanding of both the conceptual and analytical requirements of policy analysis through the integration of behavioral, political, economic, and sociometric frameworks for understanding human conditions. Students gain experience in structuring and defining policy problems, establishing criteria for policy choices, mapping alternative strategies, and applying appropriate analytical and research methods to policy questions. Use of cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and decision analysis as means toward developing formal augmentation toward sustained change.
Prerequisites: SOWK 613, 660, and 682.

SOWK 684 Advanced Policy Projects (2)
Understanding of the interconnections between politics, policy-making, and policy analysis enhanced through firsthand participation in a political action campaign. Choices for projects may focus on local initiatives or those coordinated annually through the California chapter of NASW. Prerequisites: Candidacy and permission of department.

SOWK 695 A, B, C Advanced Research Methods (2, 2, 2)
SOWK 695A, SOWK 695B, SOWK 695C
A three-quarter, sequential course that supports students choosing to advance their knowledge through the examination and application of a broad spectrum of research methods used in professional practice settings. Combines didactic course work with laboratory experiences integrated into the students' advanced practicum in which the student makes use of the identified research designs and techniques. Emphasis placed on developing students' ability to differentiate and apply the most appropriate and widely used research designs and methods at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice, i.e., qualitative versus quantitative or combined formats. At each level attention is given to preparing the student to work with the increasing federal and state requirements for demonstrating intervention effectiveness.

SOWK 697 Applied Research (2, 2)
Course supports students choosing to complete the thesis option. Provides research matriculation in the collection and analysis of data for the thesis. Students required to register for two quarters, or a total of 4 units.

SOWK 698 Thesis (2)
Thesis represents the culminating work of the students independent research. Students register for thesis during the quarter in which they defend their research and submit their final document to the department of social work and Graduate School. As with all other components of the research process, students receive direction through this process from their research adviser.

SOWK 757 A, B, C Field Practicum and Seminar (180, 180, 180)
SOWK 757A, SOWK 757B, SOWK 757C
Provides students with experiential learning opportunities in foundation social work practice. Students are placed at practicum social work sites as determined by the program's director of field education. Students complete 160 practicum hours concurrent with 20 hours of practicum seminar for each of three consecutive quarters. Prerequisite: SOWK 578.

SOWK 787 A, B, C Advanced Practicum and Seminar (220, 220, 220)
Provides students with advanced social work experience in their selected concentration. Advanced practica assigned by the program’s director of field education. Students complete 200 practicum hours concurrent with 20 hours of practicum seminar for each of three consecutive quarters. Prerequisite: SOWK 578, 757A, 757B, 757C; or SOWK 678.
Clinical: SOWK 787A, SOWK 787B, SOWK 787C
Policy: SOWK 787A, SOWK 787B, SOWK 787C
Child Welfare: SOWK 787A, SOWK 787B, SOWK 787C

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Criminal Justice Courses

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Gerontology Courses

GERO 515 Diversity and Aging (3)
Assists students in understanding the complexity of variables related to the aging process. Examines ethnicity, gender, social class, and culture within the context of the physical, mental, social, political, and financial effects of aging.

GERO 599 Directed Study/Special Project (1-4)
Limited to matriculating master’s degree in gerontology students who wish to pursue independent investigations in criminal justice practice or policy under the direction of a department faculty member.

GERO 617 Bio-psycho-social-spiritual Theories of Aging (4)
An interdisciplinary team-taught learning experience that provides an integrative understanding of the biopsycho- social-spiritual aspects and theories of aging, and the impact of these on older adults and their families.

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SPOL 624 Nature/Society Thought and Social Policy (4)
Exploration of fundamental integrative theories and ideas that explore nature/society interactions and change and including key contributions from systems science, economics, sociology, demography, political science, as well as political, social, and cultural ecology. The focus is on learning how to assess the complex interactions between natural and built environments, technology, institutions, social groups and individuals, and value/ethical systems which shape the context for social policy-analysis and decision-making in a rapidly changing world. The goal is to promote integrative habits of thought and practice that promotes sustainable development, both at the community and national/international level, from a Christian perspective. A wide range of issues such as population growth, food production, natural resources management, globalization and technology, energy policy, and socioeconomic restructuring and sustainable development planning will be considered.