Social Work with Groups

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

Competencies/ Outcomes | Student Learning Goals

• Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior.
• Students will effectively use supervision and consultation in planning and facilitating a group session. (S)
• Students will identify and work to resolve ethical and/or value issues involved with group work. (V)
• Students will reflect on their experience in planning and facilitating a group session, including identification of strengths and challenges and how their experience and affective reactions influenced their professional judgment and leadership behavior. (C/AP)
• Engage in practice- informed research and research-informed practice.
• Students will apply critical thinking and research skills to identify evidence- informed approaches to a specific group topic/problem focus and design a group experience based on the findings. (CP, S)
• Engage with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
• Students will apply knowledge of group process and appropriate theoretical approaches to design a group experience that facilitates effective relationship development and group commitment in the beginning stage of group work. (K, S)
• Students will demonstrate empathy, reflection, and other effective interpersonal skills in engaging group members. (S)
• Students will critically analyze their ability to engage group members, including areas of comfort and discomfort, strengths, and challenges. (C/AP)
• Assess individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
• Students will assess enactment of leadership roles by applying knowledge of group leadership, group process, and appropriate group theory to analysis of a group session. (K, S)
• Students will assess group functioning by applying knowledge of group process and roles, and appropriate group theory to analysis of a group session. (K, S)
• Intervene with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
• Students will critically choose and implement interventions to achieve group goals and enhance the capacities of group members. (K, S)
• Students will demonstrate the ability to facilitate effective transitions and endings within the context of group practice. (S)

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Group Proposal Presentation	20% (20 points)
Group Curriculum	25% (25 points)
Group Facilitation/Role Play	25% (25 points)
Group Facilitation Reflection paper	15% (15 points)
Attendance & Participation	15% (15 points)
Total	100% (100 points)

Attendance/Participation:

Students’ daily attendance directly affects your In Class Participation grade (15% of your grade).  It is expected that students will contribute actively to the overall classroom learning experiences through significant class participation. Please communicate with the instructor prior to the class if you have any health concerns or emergencies that might affect your class attendance.

There are 15 class sessions, and students will receive 1 point for their presence at each one. Students are given 2 grace classes, for use when they are sick or unable to attend. After those two classes, students will lose 1 point for each class they miss. If a student does not participate in a class (e.g. falls asleep, disruptive, unprofessional behavior, side conversations etc), they will receive .5 points for that class. Failure to exhibit professional course involvement may also result in the deduction of points from the participation grade.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

• Zastrow, C. & Hessenauer, S. (2018). Social work with groups: Comprehensive practice and self-care (10th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
• Students are strongly urged to purchase the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.), as this and other courses will require use of APA style in written assignments.