SOC 50A: SOCIAL WORK/HUMAN SERVICES SEMINAR
Foothill College Course Outline of Record
| Heading | Value |
|---|---|
| Effective Term: | Summer 2023 |
| Units: | 1.5 |
| Hours: | 1.5 lecture per week (18 total per quarter) |
| Prerequisite: | SOC 11. |
| Corequisite: | SOC 50B. |
| Advisory: | Completion of SOC 1 or 1H recommended. |
| Degree & Credit Status: | Degree-Applicable Credit Course |
| Foothill GE: | Non-GE |
| Transferable: | CSU |
| Grade Type: | Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass) |
| Repeatability: | Not Repeatable |
Student Learning Outcomes
- Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.
- Understand the role of policy practice in advancing social and economic well-being and delivering effective social work services
- Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly
Description
This course provides the student who is participating in a supervised field experience in a community organization, agency, or institution, with a weekly class meeting that provides the academic element to the experiential course offering. The application of concepts gained in the corequisite course to the field experience will be emphasized. This course is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to develop skills that will facilitate gaining employment in the human services field.
Course Objectives
The student will be able to:
- Identify and characterize the major components of social work and human services practice
- Apply a basic code of ethics (e.g., National Association of Social Workers [NASW] or National Organization of Human Services [NOHS]) to fieldwork experience
- Reflect upon the application of ethical and professional standards to the use of self within specific agency settings
- Demonstrate knowledge of fundamental legal guidelines, privacy, and information management related to the standards of professional practice
- Explain the purpose and skills of cultural engagement and humility (e.g., recognizing cultural competence, multiculturalism, and cross-cultural collaboration as areas for ongoing professional development)
- Demonstrate personal self-awareness, non-judgmental assessment and support capability, and readiness for professional development, including feedback from supervision
Course Content
- The developmental journey of becoming a social worker or human services practitioner, and the nature of social work and human services practice as a helping profession
- Codes of ethics (e.g., National Association of Social Workers [NASW] or National Organization of Human Services [NOHS]) and social justice principles
- Legal context of social work practice/human services, and the role of supervision in the professional development journey
- Resources and services that clients need and depend on
- Examination of the needs, interests, resources, values, and opportunities of people who vary in terms of race, nationality, ethnicity, sexuality, spirituality, gender, age, abilities, economic status, or language
- Exploring the progressive nature and skills of generalist practice
Lab Content
Not applicable.
Special Facilities and/or Equipment
When taught as an online distance learning section, students and faculty need ongoing and continuous internet and email access.
Method(s) of Evaluation
Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:
Class participation
Reflection paper
Group or individual presentations
Case study presentation
Method(s) of Instruction
Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:
Lecture
Seminar
Group work
Applied activities
Case study analysis
Representative Text(s) and Other Materials
NASW. Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. 2021.
NOHS. Ethical Standards for Human Services Professionals. 2015.
Cournoyer, Barry R.. The Social Work Skills Workbook. 2017.
Kiser, Pamela Myers. The Human Services Internship: Getting the Most from Your Experience, 4th ed.. 2016.
The NOHS (2015) publication is the most recent and is up-to-date. The Kiser text (2016) is the most recent and up-to-date.
Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments
- Students will be assigned readings from texts such as those listed above, to include reflections/journaling during outside of class time
Discipline(s)
Sociology