Academic Catalog

Individuals, Groups, and Families (Social Work) (IGFP)

IGFP 5301.  Practice with Individuals, Groups and Families.  (3 Credits)  
In-depth exploration of the skills of working with individuals, groups, and families. Social work practice with individuals, emphasizes the interdependence between assessment and intervention, the transactional nature of helping, and monitoring and evaluation of practice. Social work practice with groups, focuses on types of groups, leadership, forming and beginning the group, the role of mutual aid and use of program activities. Practice with families give emphasis to the family as a functional unit and the diversity of life style and structure and its capacity to respond to the needs of its members and changing environmental factors.
Enrollment Requirements: BASC 5390, 5391 and FED 5301, 5351, or Advanced Standing; open to MSW students in IGFP concentration. Corequisite: FED 5302 and 5352, or Advanced Standing.  
  
IGFP 5302.  Advanced Practice with Individuals, Groups and Families: Theoretical Approaches.  (3 Credits)  
Overview of theoretical approaches to working with individuals, groups and families. Helps students to think critically about the use of theory in practice, evidence based practice, and ways of learning and knowing, including use of supervision. Introduction to psychodynamic, attachment, cognitive, and behavioral, as well as solution-focused approaches and motivational interviewing. The stages of group development, group dynamics and other content related to social work practice with groups. Theoretical frameworks such as systems, multisystemic and attachment on which family practice approaches are based.
Enrollment Requirements: IGFP 5301; open only to MSW students in the Individuals, Groups and Families concentration. Corequisite: IGFP 5353 and FED 5310, or IGFP 5355.  
  
IGFP 5303.  Advanced Practice with Individuals, Groups and Families, Across Settings and Populations.  (3 Credits)  
Builds upon content in previous IGFP courses about practice with individuals, groups and families within the context of oppression and privilege, while integrating core concepts related to trauma, strengths, resilience, and empowerment. Primary focus on the differential knowledge and skills needed to work effectively in various fields of practice (e.g., health care, schools,and the criminal justice, child protection, substance abuse and mental health systems). Systems of care, interdisciplinary teams, and policies impacting social work within each field of practice, as well as common clinical approaches and other interventions with the populations served in these settings.
Enrollment Requirements: IGFP 5302; open only to M.S.W. students in the Individuals, Groups and Families concentration. Corequisite: IGFP 5354 and FED 5311, or IGFP 5355.  
  
IGFP 5340.  Skills Lab.  (1 Credit)  
Required of all students in the Advanced Standing Program in the Individuals, Groups and Families Concentration. Builds on knowledge gained and intervention skills developed from students' BSW course work and field work. Students will have an opportunity to identify, practice, and analyze a range of assessment intervention skills.
  
IGFP 5342.  Clinical Conditions with Groups.  (3 Credits)  
Provides a theoretical base and group work practice skills for working with populations who have been diagnosed with a clinical condition(s). Focus on understanding how to use a strength-based, recovery oriented therapeutic group to foster the social and emotional growth that will promote optimal functioning and prevent relapse in persons with clinical conditions. Biological, behavioral, cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic theories will be used to understand factors that contribute to clinical conditions and to develop the type of therapeutic group that responds to the social and emotional needs of the members of the group. Focus will be on diverse settings (inpatient, outpatient, prison, residential halfway houses) where clients with clinical conditions are served in open-ended and closed groups. DSM V will be used to develop diagnostic skills and understanding.
Enrollment Requirements: FED 5301; open only to M.S.W. students in the Individuals, Groups and Families concentration.  
  
IGFP 5343.  Clinical Conditions with Families.  (3 Credits)  
This course provides a theoretical and evidence-based perspective on engaging, involving and supporting families to meet the needs of family members with clinical conditions. Content will include assessment of and family-centered interventions for various types of clinical conditions and family interaction issues, using the DSM-5 and family-centered theories to understand family risks and resiliencies that affect clinical conditions in individuals. This course will emphasize strengths-based and family-centered approaches to ethical social work practice with families. Included in the content will be online and in-class discussions to assist students in developing knowledge of and respect for cultural differences and differences in family formations, such as single parent families, families across the life cycle, adoptive families, families affected by immigration/displacement, multi-generational families and LGBTQI+ families. This course will use lectures, online discussion, small group activities and case-based approaches to learning, using a wide range of family types as part of this learning strategy.
Enrollment Requirements: FED 5301; open only to M.S.W. students in the Individuals, Groups and Families concentration. Recommended preparation: BASC 5391.  
  
IGFP 5345.  Clinical Conditions with Children and Adolescents.  (3 Credits)  
Practice course paying equal attention to the values, skills, and knowledge required for social work practice with children, adolescents, and their families. These youth have a range of bio-psychosocial problems related to mental disorders. Students will learn a range of assessment and intervention skills and will become familiar with current psychiatric classification systems, such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Students will demonstrate the ability to access the most recent empirical and practice knowledge, and to develop skills related to work in a variety of mental health settings. Mental disorders will be learned within the context of larger bio-psychosocial systems. Attention is paid to differences based upon such variables as age, gender, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, and physical ability.
Enrollment Requirements: FED 5301; open only to M.S.W. students in the Individuals, Groups and Families concentration.  
  
IGFP 5346.  Clinical Conditions with Adults and Older Adults.  (3 Credits)  
Practice course paying equal attention to the values, skills, and knowledge required for social work practice with adults and older adults who have a range of bio-psychosocial problems related to mental disorders. Students will learn a range of assessment and intervention skills and become familiarized with current psychiatric classification systems, such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Students will demonstrate the ability to access the most recent empirical and practice knowledge and to develop skills related to work in a variety of mental health settings. Mental disorders will be learned within the context of the larger bio-psychosocial system and attention is paid to differences based upon such variables as age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and physical ability.
Enrollment Requirements: FED 5301; open only to M.S.W. students in the Individuals, Groups and Families concentration.  
  
IGFP 5353.  Advanced Field Education III.  (4 Credits)  
Focuses primarily on the student's method concentration, emphasizing preparation for competent, advanced specialized practice. Students taking this course will be assigned a final grade of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory).
Enrollment Requirements: Open only to MSW students in the Individuals, Groups and Families concentration. Corequisite: FED 5310 and IGFP 5302. Not open for credit to students who have passed CSWK 5353 or GRWK 5353.  
  
IGFP 5354.  Advanced Field Education IV.  (4 Credits)  
Focuses primarily on the student's method concentration, emphasizing preparation for competent, advanced specialized practice. Students taking this course will be assigned a final grade of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory).
Enrollment Requirements: IGFP 5353; open only to MSW students in the Individuals, Groups and Families concentration. Corequisite: IGFP 5303 and FED 5311. IGFP 5353; open only to MSW students in the Individuals, Groups and Families concentration. Corequisite: IGFP 5303 and FED 5311. Not open to students who have passed CSWK 5354 or GRWK 5354.  
  
IGFP 5355.  Field Block Placement for Individuals, Groups and Families.  (8 Credits)  
Field education in Individuals, Groups and Families for well-prepared students who have completed all course requirements except the second year of field education. Students taking this course will be assigned a final grade of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory).
Enrollment Requirements: FED 5302 and 5352; open only to MSW students in the Individuals, Groups and Families concentration; instructor consent. Corequisite: IGFP 5302, 5303, and FED 5350. Not open for credit to students who have passed CSWK or GRWK 5355.