Saint Leo University Department of Social Work Goals:

 

1.                  Prepare students with the knowledge, values, and skills necessary for ethical generalist social work practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. 

2.                  Prepare students with the knowledge, values, and skills needed for ethical social work practice with diverse and oppressed populations.

3.                  Emphasize the use of research and theoretical perspectives to build knowledge for professional social work practice

4.                  Promote continued growth by engaging in both personal and professional development.

5.                  Promote leadership through advocacy and social and political action to improve social conditions that encumber functioning of client systems especially for oppressed and diverse populations. 

 

 

Goal One: Prepare students with the knowledge, values, and skills necessary for ethical generalist social work practice.

 

Objectives

 

Upon graduation, students will be able to:

1.                  Use the planned change generalist practice model with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

a.      Use interpersonal communication skills to interview client and/or client systems and assess client situations

b.      Involve client and/or client systems in the planning and implementation of the planned change model

c.       Utilize skills to effectively close and/or terminate the interview

d.      Demonstrate the ability to effectively evaluate one’s own professional practice

2.                  Demonstrate the use of self in professional social work practice.

a.      Use interpersonal communication skills with peers and/or colleagues, and

      with agencies and communities.

b.      develop and use self-awareness, self-discipline, self-reliance,

      dependability, accountability, flexibility, creativity, leadership, and         organizational skills in generalist social work practice

c.       Demonstrate use of professional relationships with client systems to affect change

d.      Demonstrate purposeful use of professional relationship within agencies and communities.

3.                  Employ critical thinking skills to improve professional practice with clients, peers, and professional colleagues.

a.      Assess, evaluate, and analyze information in order to develop an informed

      decision regarding best practice.

4.                  Utilize theoretical perspectives and research regarding the person-in-environment and lifespan development when implementing the planned change model with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

a.      Use lifespan development for the purposes of assessment and planned change with individuals, families, and groups.

b.      Use Systems Theory and the Ecological Model to assess the person-in-environment with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.

c.       Apply relevant research to inform assessment, planning, and intervention with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities

5.                  Employ the values and ethics of the social work profession when implementing the planned change models with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

a.      Clarify and articulate one’s own personal values

b.      Recognize how one’s personal values impact assessment, planning, and implementation

c.       Apply the NASW Code of Ethics to social work practice

d.      Recognize and resolve ethical dilemmas that impact both client systems and services

e.      Practice without discrimination with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

 

Goal II:  Prepare students with the knowledge, values, and skills needed for ethical social work practice with diverse and oppressed populations.

 

Objectives

 

Upon graduation, students will be able to:

6.                  Utilize the planned change models with diverse and oppressed populations.

a.      Use culturally relevant theories to inform assessment, planning, and intervention with diverse and oppressed populations.

b.      Use relevant research for the purposes of assessment, planning, and intervention with diverse and oppressed populations

c.       Use culturally sensitive interpersonal communication skills when interviewing, assessing, planning, and intervening with diverse and oppressed populations.

d.      Use social work values and ethics to evaluate planned change with diverse and oppressed populations.

e.      Practice without discrimination with diverse and oppressed populations.

7.                  Ensure that services and resources are appropriate to diverse and oppressed populations.

8.                  Recognize the impact of oppression and discrimination on the lives of diverse and oppressed populations.

 

Goal III: Emphasize research and theoretical perspectives to build knowledge for professional social work practice.

 

Objectives

 

9.                  Students will research and employ appropriate theoretical perspectives to inform professional practice and knowledge building

a.      Students will write at least one major social work paper in an academic

      year that incorporates appropriate theoretical perspectives into it.

10.               Students and faculty will engage in research activities that contribute to social work knowledge

a.      Students and faculty will engage in at least one research activity by the end of an academic year

11.               Students will be prepared for graduate social work education if they so choose.

 

Goal IV:  Promote continued growth by engaging in both personal and professional development.

 

Objectives

 

12.               Students will demonstrate the ability to present lucidly and defend rationally an informed professional stance

a.      Students will make at least one formal presentation in a social work class per academic year

13.               Students, faculty, and graduates will use consultation and feedback from supervisors, colleagues, and clients in order to promote professional and personal growth and development.

a.      Students are given feedback by faculty in each social work course they take

b.      Students engage in consultation with faculty for admission into the social work major in their junior year

c.       Students are assessed and evaluated in their field internships at the end of their senior year by their field supervisors

d.      Faculty receive course evaluations from students, engage in annual course reviews by supervisors, annual reviews by supervisors, third years reviews by supervisors, and application of tenure and post tenure reviews.

14.               Students and faculty will attend and/or present at professional conferences and trainings, participate in professional organizations, and provide leadership to the social work community.

a.      Student and faculty will participate or attend at least one professional conference or training in an academic year.

b.      Students and faculty will participate in at least one professional organization a year

c.       Faculty will provide leadership to the social work community through service on community, state, or national social service boards, community development projects, or other activities.

 

Goal V:  Promote leadership through advocacy and social and political action to improve social conditions that encumber functioning of client systems, especially for oppressed and diverse populations.

 

Objectives

 

15.               Students will be able to analyze historical trends in the social work profession and in social welfare policy in order to understand the social, political, and economic impact on client systems. 

16.               Students will be able to assess and analyze, develop, and influence social welfare policies that interfere with client functioning.

17.               Students and faculty will be participate in a community project one year and develop and/or apply strategies to affect change on behalf of client systems and/or diverse and oppressed populations

18.               Students, faculty, and graduates will be able to affect change in social welfare policy through advocacy and social and political action on behalf of client systems and/or diverse and oppressed populations.

a.      Students, faculty, and graduates  participate in Lobby Day in the spring at

      the state capitol sponsored by NASW Florida Chapter

b.      Students and faculty will participate in community projects that advocate

                        for and on behalf of diverse and oppressed populations