This course will address a specific area of study in Social Work not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course provides an overview of the history of both the use and abuse of a range of psychoactive drugs based upon current research. Various mood altering substances as well as theories used to explain drug use and addiction are examined. This course emphasizes the physical, emotional, and psychological dimensions of addiction, the impact of substance abuse on the individual, the family, and the community, and the controversies regarding national and international drug policies.

This course provides an overview of the various aspects of violence in American society. The course places violence in a historical context and emphasizes the causes and possible solutions. Violence related to family violence, including child abuse and spousal battering, police brutality, gun violence and gun control, media violence, school violence, workplace violence, youth and gang violence, drug violence, hate crimes, murder and capital punishment are addressed. Differential causes and impact of violence related to culture, race, gender, and age are examined. This course emphasizes the role of social workers when intervening with victims of violence.

This course provides an overview and historical perspective of the social work profession, discussion of social work values, knowledge and skills. The course is an introduction to generalist social work practice, human diversity within the social work profession and fields of practice. It will include discussion of relevant issues facing social workers today. Students will prepare for the social work field with professional skill-building focused on professional identity, communication skills and professional goal setting.

This course will address a specific area of study in Social Work not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course provides an overview of group work theory, including group development, leadership, group formation, group process, group roles, communication, non-verbal behavior and ethics. Development of group leadership skills, as well as group dynamics are taught through the use of experiential group activities. This course requires a watermark subscription fee. Open to social work majors only.

This course addresses social welfare and community services as social institutions (societal response to social problems): values, motivations, and methods by which institutions are developed, issues and social policies affecting programs and services, including analysis of policy-making process. Open to social work majors only.

This course, based in an ecological systems perspective, follows human development from infancy to adolescence in the context of family and larger environments. The course includes research-based knowledge about physical, social-emotional and cognitive development. This course emphasizes both knowledge and application of human development theories to social work assessment and practice. Open to social work majors only.

This course is designed to provide the student with an understanding of the normal processes of physical, emotional, and socio-cultural development from young adulthood through old age. This course also incorporates systems theory in looking at individual and systems of all sizes. Open to social work majors only.

This course is designed to provide students with foundational knowledge as well as practical application of animal assisted therapeutic interventions as they are utilized with a variety of vulnerable populations and settings. Students will be introduced to standards for practice, practice methods, and research conducted to study the impact of animal assisted therapy on vulnerable populations. Skills for intervention design, implementation and assessment of efficacy will be developed and practiced in this course.

This course will cover basic information regarding alcohol use as a substance and its psychological and physiological impact. Roles and dynamics are examined in families where alcohol and drug use is problematic. Intervention strategies and the range of techniques used to address substance use are covered. State rules and regulations in the treatment of populations impacted by substance use are discussed. Community resources for the addicted population are reviewed. Open to social work majors only.

This course will focus on children and adolescents who have been exposed to significant trauma and/or loss. Child trauma theory, impact of trauma and loss, and assessment of traumatized children will be explored. Factors such as the therapeutic relationship, working with caregivers, self-care for social workers and the critical need for supervision will be examined. Skills will be developed to directly treat children of trauma to assist with the management of their symptoms, healing from trauma/loss memories and increasing coping skills to prepare for future challenges. Open to social work majors only.

This course will address a specific area of study in Social Work not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course explores basic concepts and principles of community organization and organizational theory, including social structures and processes, social change, social control, social stratification and socialization through community organizations and institutions. The course emphasizes community and organizational assessment and intervention, ethics and the roles of the social worker in working within an organizational context and within a community. Open to social work majors only.

This course develops and builds on skills, knowledge, values and ethics of the social work profession while working with individuals. The course emphasizes developing practice competence by studying the principles of the helping process and applying systems theory; the ecological and strengths perspectives; and problem solving methods of working with individuals. The engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation phases of social work with individuals are addressed in this course. Practice issues prompted from the field experiences are an integral part of the course. Open to social work majors only.

This course further facilitates the student's integration of classroom and field learning. It emphasizes improved demonstration of the social work professional role(s) and the overall development of practice competence as well as the middle and the ending phases of intervention with families, individuals, groups and communities. A continued focus on ethical considerations; theory and skill development, the development of the student's own practice theory are addressed. Open to social work majors only.

This course develops and builds on skills, knowledge, values and ethics of the social work profession while working with family systems. The course prioritizes developing competence by examining theories of family development, ethical priorities, cultural factors, and evidence based practices in providing social work services to family systems. An emphasis is placed on students learning skills in engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation of practice with families. Open to social work majors only.

This course provides students with research knowledge and skills essential to the beginning professional worker for research informed practice and practice informed research. Research practices of gathering relevant data, describing, monitoring, and accounting for one's own practice and participating in research are the principle content of this course. Statistical literacy is developed through instruction of standard statistical analysis. Open to social work majors only.

This course is taken in conjunction with SWK-4110; approximately 225 clock hours at a social service organization each semester, resulting in a cumulative minimum of 450 field hours over the field course series. Learning experiences in the field setting are under the supervision of an approved field instructor. Field instruction in the classroom and at the site will reinforce conceptualization of the social work core competencies. Experiences include direct work with individuals, groups, families and communities, as well as participation in staff activities. Students will attend weekly class meetings focused on professional development and skill building. Open to social work majors only.

Grading Type: Credit/No Credit

Additional fee required

This course is taken in conjunction with SWK-4140; the remainder of field hours to fulfill the 450 hours minimum. Learning experiences in the field setting are under the supervision of an approved field instructor. Field instruction in the classroom and at the site will reinforce conceptualization of the social work core competencies. Experiences include direct work with individuals, groups, families and communities, as well as participation in staff activities. Students will attend weekly class meetings focused on professional development and skill building. Open to social work majors only.

Grading Type: Credit/No Credit

Additional fee required

This course is designed for students who have not yet earned an undergraduate degree, and are in the undergraduate level program pursuing an addictions certification as a standalone certification. This field course is designed to integrate the professional experiences of students who have/or will practice in an agency providing substance use services with the unique knowledge and skills required by this setting. Students, in conjunction with the School of Social Work and their field instructors, design a unique learning experience that allows them to transfer skills developed in other settings to the addictions arena and to learn additional knowledge and skills necessary for providing addictions-specific services.

This course is designed for students who have not yet earned an undergraduate degree, and are in the undergraduate level program pursuing an addictions certification as a standalone certification who have completed one section of field instruction (SWK xxxa). This field course is designed to advance the professional experiences of students who have, or will practice in an agency providing substance use services with the unique knowledge and skills required by this setting. Students, in conjunction with the School of Social Work and their field instructor(s), continue to integrate theoretical and conceptual knowledge in working with populations impacted by substance use through an integrated learning experience that allows them to transfer skills developed in other settings to the addictions field. Completion of this course provides advancements towards students' eligibility to apply for the Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) certification through the Illinois Certification Board (ICB).

This is the second course designed to specifically address treatment approaches utilized while working with the populations impacted by substance use. In this course, students will continue building their expertise of addictions treatment by studying specific treatment approaches found to have had positive outcomes with the addicted populations. Open to social work majors only.

This course is designed to explore the expressive therapies, such as art, clay, dance, drama, music, sand and writing. Through the creative therapies, social workers will become self-aware of the use of imagination, mind, body and emotions. Students will understand the effect of expressive therapy on children from diverse populations with diverse needs. Assessment and intervention of such treatments will be examined. The intermodal treatments will allow the social work student to alter their approach based on the client's needs, or through using multiple forms of expression with the same client to aid with deeper exploration. Open to social work majors only.

Models of analysis will be applied to explore dynamics, policies and frameworks inherent for social workers working with vulnerable children and families. Students will learn and develop new skills to work with individuals and families involved in child welfare systems, juvenile and criminal justice systems as well as to work with those impacted by substance misuses and intimate personal violence. Current and historical policies will be explored, along with evidence based approaches to serving these populations. Open to social work majors only.

This course is designed to present an overview of policy and practice issues in the field of child welfare from a historical, theoretical, political and practice perspective. Emphasis is placed on the role and function of the child welfare worker in each content area presented. Child welfare services are components of a network or continuum of services designed to provide services to children and their families for a variety of child-related issues. The course will provide a conceptual framework of child welfare as an area of study in the field of social work and will describe the various agencies and services that make up the child welfare field of study. Additional work in the critical analysis related to decision making in the child welfare field will be provided. This course builds upon the social work foundation core course work in social welfare policy and human development. Open to social work majors only.

This course will address a specific area of study in Social Work not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.