Columbia University School of Social Work
 
T7100 Foundations of Social Work Practice

Overview and Rationale

Competent social work practice requires an understanding of the purpose and acquisition of the values, knowledge and skills of the profession. Social work education at the master's level is designed to engage and assist students in the acquisition, integration, evaluation and utilization of these critical components to inform their practice and professional development, and to prepare them to work to alleviate poverty, oppression, and discrimination, and promote social and economic justice. Ultimately, students are expected to possess the advanced analytic and practice skills sufficient for self-critical, accountable and autonomous practice, with particular attention to practice with populations at risk and oppressed groups.

All types of social work practice—directly with individuals, families or small groups; with and in organizations and communities, and in the administration of social work programs and institutions—hold in common fundamental purpose, values, knowledge, processes and skills. This course provides substantive foundation content in all of these areas, ensuring adequate and consistent preparation for more advanced work.

This course is required for all entering students as their first practice course. Classes meet for three hours each week, to permit the integration of skills-building exercises with course content. Each instructor structures class sessions depending on the needs of the class and preferred instructional approaches. All students are expected to be active participants, encouraged to present practice problems and illustrations, and to strive toward integration of the knowledge and skills explored in the classroom and in their field work practice.

Learning Outcomes

In this course, students will learn to . . .

  1. Describe social work mission and values and their implications for practice.
  2. Apply the NASW Code of Ethics to social work practice.
  3. Analyze the implications of self-awareness for social work practice.
  4. Describe multiple frames of reference that reflect the diversity of the profession, including predominant methods and fields of practice, practice theories, models, modalities and worker roles.
  5. Apply critical thinking skills to practice, including the selection and application of appropriate theories, models, methods and knowledge to case examples.
  6. Apply the knowledge and skills of generalist practice in work with systems of all sizes, including individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities with diverse populations.
  7. Describe the role of research in all areas of practice and demonstrate beginning skill in conducting empirically-based practice, and in the systemic empirical evaluation of practice, e.g. describing specific goals and objectives, and how to carry out a simple monitoring plan.
  8. Communicate effectively with a variety of populations in pursuit of client goals (clients, colleagues, administrators, community members, and others), recognizing the importance of mutuality, collaboration and respect for the client system.
  9. Describe community and organization theory and context and its influence on practice outcomes.

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 social work ethical principles to guide professional practice.
  • Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments.
  • Engage diversity and difference in practice.
  • Advance human rights and social and economic justice.
  • Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research.
  • Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.
  • Respond to contexts that shape practice.
  • Engage individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
  • Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
  • Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
  • Evaluate individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Core Content Themes

  • People in their Diversity within an Environmental Context
     
    • Cultural diversity
    • Cultural competence
    • Environments: Physical Environments, Institutional Environments (e.g. schools, workplace, health systems, etc.), Community as Environment, and Agency as Environment
    • Institutionalized Oppression and Discrimination as Critical Elements of the Environmental Context
       
  • Social Justice and Social Action
     
    • Case Advocacy
       
  • Sources of Knowledge/Evidence-Based Practice
     
    • Social and Behavioral Sciences, Quantitative and Qualitative Research, Practice
    • Wisdom and the Liberal Arts Perspective
    • Critical thinking
    • Self-awareness
       
  • Phases of Work: Overview of Helping Process
     
    • Emphasis on Beginnings:
       
      • Engagement and Assessment
      • Problem-Formulation
      • Contracting
         
    • Middles
    • Endings and Termination
       
  • Methods, Models and Perspectives
     
    • Generalist Practice
    • Ecosystems
    • Strengths Perspective
    • Problem-Solving Approaches
    • Crisis Intervention
    • Case Management
       
  • Overview of Selected Theories
     
  • Micro, Mezzo, and Macro Practice
     
  • Units of Attention
     
    • Individuals
    • Families
    • Groups
    • Organizations
    • Communities
       
  • Monitoring and Evaluation
     
    • Measurement of Progress
    • Measurement of Outcomes
       
  • Skill Development (Lab Component)
     
    • Interviewing Skills
    • Differential use of communication skills across populations and settings

Core Skills

  • Measurement of Outcomes
     
  • Pre-Engagement
     
    • Anticipatory empathy
       
  • Engagement
     
    • Active listening
    • Attending behavior
    • Empathy
       
  • Assessment
     
    • Questioning/Probing
       
      • Open-ended questions
      • Closed-ended questions
      • Clarification
      • Reflecting feelings and content
         
    • Using assessment tools
       
      • Ecomaps, genograms
         
    • Problem identification
    • Sharing your view of the problem
    • Contracting
       
  • Working with voluntary vs. involuntary (socially and legally mandated) clients
     
  • Working with clients different from oneself
     
    • Race, ethnicity, disability status, religion, gender
       
  • Group skills
     
    • Forming a group
    • Group facilitation
       
  • Family assessment skills
     
  • Organizational theory and assessment
     
    • Theories and Models of Organization
    • Methods of Evaluating Organizations
    • Approaches to Organizational Change
       
  • Community assessment
     
    • Defining Community
    • Models for Describing Communities
    • Methods of Assessing Communities
    • Approaches to Developing Communities
    • Diagnosing a neighborhood
       
  • Specialized assessment skills
     
    • Suicide assessment
    • Crisis intervention
    • Case management
       
  • Case advocacy
     
  • Termination