Course Description
This is the first of two practicum experiences. Practicum education is community-based, experiential, transformational learning for practice as a social worker. It allows students to participate in four semesters of direct social work practice with diverse client populations in various social work settings. Through these practicum experiences students will participate in one social work placement over two courses in their junior year. Students will complete a total of 200 hours, over the two courses, at minimum of 10 hours per week. Students will continue with practicum for the total 15 weeks in the spring semester and 8 weeks in the summer semester. Students will engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. In seminar, students will transition into leaders and change agents through conceptualizing and evaluating their social work practice through the CSWE competencies. Additionally, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics will be integrated into student social work practice. (2 credits)
Prerequisites
- ENG 101: English Composition 1
- ENG 102: English Composition 2
- SWK 101: Introduction to Social Work
- SWK 225: Human Behavior in the Social Environment 1
- SWK 226: Human Behavior in the Social Environment 2
- SWK 371: Social Work Seminar 1*
* May be taken concurrently.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Identify and demonstrate an understanding of the psychosocial developmental tasks and life events that require adaptive responses across the life course.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the biological, psychological, social, cultural, economic, and political factors that impact human behavior development across the life course.
- Demonstrate an understanding of biopsychosocial functioning, and the ways in which healthy development, health, adaptive coping, and well-being are supported and constrained by relationships with others including institutional, organizational, and other environmental structures and practice.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the uses and limitations of the concepts of normal developmental milestones, abnormal development, and critical, alternative views of development challenging these concepts.
- Demonstrate an understanding about the relationship between the life course perspective and individual unique life stories as a configuration of specific life-events and person-environment transactions over time.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge across the lifespan to assess person and environment for social work practice.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) / Competencies
- Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
- Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
- Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
- Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
- Engage in Policy Practice
- Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
- Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|
Practicum Paperwork (Weeks 1 & 4) | 10% |
Learning Agreement (Weeks 1 & 3) | 20% |
Timesheets & Supervision Logs (Weeks 2-15) | 10% |
Journal Reflections (Weeks 2-15) | 20% |
Mid-term Evaluation Documents (Week 7) | 20% |
Final Evaluation Documents (Week 15) | 20% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbook
None
Additional Resources
- Additional reading materials, assignments or activities can be determined by the Practicum Agency. For example, Agency training about documentation and client files.
Course Schedule
Week | PLOs | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
1 | 1 | 1,2 | Topic: Welcome to Social Work Practicum Experience 1
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2 | 1,3 | 2,5,6 | Topic: Practice Experience 1
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3 | 1,3 | 2,5,6 | Topic: Practice Experience 2
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4 | 1 | 1,2,3,4 | Topic: Practice Experience 3
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5 | 1 | 1,2,3,4 | Topic: Practice Experience 4
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6 | 1,3 | 2,3,6 | Topic: Practice Experience 5
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7 | 1,3 | 2,3,6 | Topic: Practice Experience 6
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8 | 1,3 | 2,3,5,6 | Topic: Practice Experience 7
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9 | 1,3 | 1,2,6 | Topic: Practice Experience 8
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10 | 1,3 | 1,5,6 | Topic: Practice Experience 9
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11 | 3 | 5,6 | Topic: Practice Experience 10
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12 | 3 | 5,6 | Topic: Practice Experience 11
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13 | 3 | 5,6 | Topic: Practice Experience 12
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14 | 1,3 | 1,4,5,6 | Topic: Practice Experience 13
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15 | 1,3 | 1-6 | Topic: Practice Experience 14
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COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.