Introduction to Clinical Social Work Practice
SSW CP 759
Prereq: permission of the instructor. This foundation clinical practice course presents the basic principles and concepts of clinical practice, including the systematic study and differential assessment of human problems in an urban social context as a basis for differential intervention. Students obtain basic skills in individual and group interventions. 3 cr.

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Clinical Practice and Trauma
SSW CP 803
Prereq: SSW CP 759 and SSW CP 781, or permission of the instructor. Designed to provide an opportunity for students to develop or deepen a working knowledge of different theoretical approaches to trauma and traumatic impact and to examine clinical strategies for intervening with diverse clients who have experienced trauma. Multiple conceptualizations of trauma are discussed, ranging from single-incident events to chronic, complex, and long-term trauma, although students are encouraged to read in-depth a specific area of interest. The course includes exploration of diagnostic issues, evidence-based intervention, controversies, and emerging areas of practice with traumatized populations. Applying a developmental perspective, the course considers both traumatic impact and treatment in children and adults. Larger social, cultural and political forces are considered in shaping both exposure to and recovery from traumatic stressors. Finally, the impact of trauma work on clinicians and strategies for self-care and reducing burnout is a theme of the course. This section will focus on clinical practice with children and adolescents. 3 cr.

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Adult Psychopathology
SSW HB 723
Prereq: SSW HB 720 and HB 721, or permission of the instructor. Provides students with a framework for understanding human behavior when there are challenges to healthy functioning. The descriptive approach offered by DSM-IV is used as a basis for assessment and diagnosis, and emphasis is placed on learning about the etiologies, phenomenology, and course of most commonly seen mental disorders. Throughout the course, differing conceptual frameworks and ethical dilemmas in assessment and practice are explored. Case materials from students, films, and the instructor are used to help integrate clinical practice concepts. 3 cr.

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Implications of Racism for Social Work Practice
SSW HB 735
Prereq: SSW HB 720 and HB 721, or permission of the instructor. Required of all School of Social Work students. Examines the social, psychological, and institutional causes and implications of racism as a dynamic force influencing social work. The course builds on and integrates concepts presented in foundation courses. It analyzes and evaluates the social, cultural, political, economic, and interpersonal contexts of racism that bear on our current policies and institutional arrangements. The course is designed to familiarize students with 1) theoretical overviews of race and racism; 2) historical accounts and contemporary experiences of racism; 3) the formation of racial identity; 4) multicultural contexts and fundamentals of cultural competency; and 5) effective social change efforts based on organizational analysis. 3 cr.

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Communities and Organizations: Analysis and Intervention
SSW MP 759
Prereq: permission of the instructor. Familiarizes the student with basic concepts and strategies related to large system, or macro, practice. The primary focus is on community and agency analysis, along with methods of achieving change within those settings. Students acquire a basic framework for problem solving and an understanding of the opportunities and limits in the role of change agent. 3 cr.

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Social Work Practice Ethics
SSW SP 741
Prereq: permission of the instructor. This required seminar is intended to inspire the moral imagination of students, help them identify and integrate central ethical elements of their educational experience at BUSSW, and prepare them for effective and compassionate ethical practice as professionals. Participants discuss differences between morality and ethics and reflect on the relationship of their own values to those of the social work profession, of their families, workplace, and larger culture. A sociological component on the evolution of social work as a profession identifies some of the ongoing tensions within the profession that influence its ethical stance. Students study a wide range of classical and contemporary ethical theories and their critiques and learn several formal models for ethical decision-making. The course covers both positive aspects and limitations of codes of ethics as well as the relationship of practice ethics to law and the role of law in social work. Cultural competence and self-care as ethical concerns also are highlighted. A case approach is utilized to explore a number of key social, clinical, and bioethical issues from micro, mezzo, and macro perspectives. 3 cr.

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Social Work Research II
SSW SR 744
Prereq: satisfactory completion of SSW SR 743 (C or above) or permission of the instructor. Required of all School of Social Work students. Students are introduced to the concepts and procedures that are fundamental to both descriptive and inferential statistics. Empirical research examining the effectiveness of social work practice, particularly in the urban environment, is explored. Utilizing existing social work data sets, students generate their own research questions/hypotheses and then formulate a scheme to answer these questions effectively. 3 cr.

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Family Law and Children's Rights
SSW WP 710
Prereq: SSW WP 700 and WP 701, or permission of the instructor. This course provides a framework for understanding law and social policy. It examines the impact of law on the social work profession. The class discusses issues of marriage and divorce, child custody and support, children’s rights, and legal research. 3 cr.

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