Columbia University School of Social Work
 
T6801 Social Welfare Policy

Overview and Rationale

The policy foundation course is designed to meet a series of objectives. It is central to students' preparation as social workers and provides a critical context for education as social work practitioners. The overarching goals of this course are that students learn about the major social policies and programs that affect people's well-being or quality of life and various aspects of social service delivery; understand the ways in which direct social work practice enacts social policies and is shaped by them; and develop beginning expertise in understanding social policy content and the skills needed to influence social policy.

Learning Outcomes

In this course, students will learn to . . .

  1. Describe the "social sector" in the U.S. (non-market transfers, goods, and services) in terms of the economic, social, and political context of the U.S.
  2. Explain basic historical, intellectual and cross-national perspectives on current U.S. social policy issues.
  3. Describe how public policy affects the level and structure of resources available to meet the needs of clients.
  4. Identify how social justice and social work practice fit within the policy context ("practice enacts policy").
  5. Use knowledge of social policy and its context to advance social justice and practice more effectively.

Council on Social Work Education Core Competencies

This course contributes toward mastery of the following core areas of social work competency identified by the Council on Social Work Education.

Social workers . . .

  • Identify as professional social workers and conduct themselves accordingly.
  • Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments.
  • Engage diversity and difference in practice.
  • Advance human rights and social and economic justice.
  • Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.
  • Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being, and to deliver effective social work services.
  • Respond to contexts that shape practice.
  • Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Core Content Themes

  • The social work profession: history, mission, philosophy, and methods.
     
  • Overview of the �social sector� in the U.S.: concepts and definitions, human service systems, composition of and trends in public social expenditures, selected historical trends and comparisons, selected cross-national trends and comparisons, and criteria for assessing outcomes.
     
  • Targets of social policy: social problems (e.g. poverty and inequality, unemployment, domestic violence, homelessness) and populations at risk (e.g. the aged, children, women, people of color, gay men, lesbians, persons who are disabled).
     
  • Organization and structure of social policies (including federalism, public and private sector roles).
     
  • Major social policies and programs.
     
    • Income transfer/income maintenance: the social insurance programs (OASDI, UI), public assistance, food stamps, tax benefits, employer fringe benefits.
    • Health policy and programs: Medicare, Medicaid, maternal and child health, private health insurance.
    • The personal social services of particular interest to social work: categorical and non-categorical services for the aged, children and their families, the disabled, etc.
    • Introductory overview of three other systems: employment, housing and education.