SOWK 421

SOWK 421: Child Welfare Maltreatment

Credit Hours: (3)

Child Maltreatment prepares students for practice in with children who have experienced maltreatment, and their families. This course includes an integrated framework of evidence-based practices, theories, and policies, with emphasis on practice in Virginia. It includes skills for providing services including prevention, family preservation, protective services, foster care, and permanency planning. Emphasis is placed on child welfare practice with vulnerable populations including racial, ethnic, and cultural minorities, and families in poverty, and the systemic effects of oppression and discrimination.

 

Detailed Description of Content of Course

The purpose of this course is to prepare students for informed and competent social work practice with children and families, through an examination of the history of service provision to children, as well as the policy framework through which social work services are delivered.

 

Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

This course will use lectures, class discussions, group problem solving models, guest speakers and films as learning methods in presenting the course content.

 

Goals and Objectives of Course

• Understand the types of child abuse and neglect, and the effects on human development.
• Assess personal, professional, and community attitudes, biases, values, assumptions, and expectations regarding child maltreatment.
• Recognize how cultural, racial, ethnic, socio-economic, religious, and disability diversity influence assessment and intervention with maltreated children and their families, and related systemic conditions.
• Gain a contextual understanding of community services to maltreated children and their families, especially those in rural areas and small towns.
• Recognize the signs and symptoms of vicarious trauma and the importance of self-care.
• Identify the needs of children and families experiencing or at risk of experiencing abuse and neglect, including assessing immediate and future risk to the child; identifying family needs, strengths, risk, and protective factors; developing safety plans.
• Recognize theory as it relates to child welfare practice.

 

Assessment Measures

Students will be evaluated on a midterm examination which focuses on textbooks, selected articles, lecture material and guest speakers.

Each student will be required to complete a term project in which he/she investigates a major topic in child welfare.

There will be a final written examination at the end of the semester. The examination will review class presentations, class notes, articles, handouts and guest speakers.

 

Other Course Information

None

 

Review and Approval

September 2001 Updated Marilyn Rigby

March 01, 2021