Community Practice Concentration
The Community Practice (CP) Concentration prepares students to improve the effectiveness and responsiveness of human service systems, to mobilize groups and communities for social change, and to serve as catalysts for sustainable development and social justice. The CP curriculum emphasizes multiple method empowerment-based interventions which strengthen citizen participation in democratic processes, make social planning more inclusive and accessible, and connect social and economic investments to grassroots community groups. Concentration courses prepare students for advanced professional practice as managers, planners, policy advocates and analysts, community organizers, mediators, educators, evaluators, and other community practice roles.
Concentration Objectives
The Community Practice concentration prepares professional social workers in the following identified areas who will:
- Community Knowledge:
- Critically analyze the historical, political, social and economic forces that shape macro practice in social work, with special attention to the roles of community organization, nonprofit management, policy analysis, and program evaluation.
- Identify the critical structures in communities that can be mobilized for engaging in practice.
- Understand the roles and tasks of leaders and social work professionals in human service organizations and/or community organizations.
- Be knowledgeable about and apply conceptual frameworks, theories, and tested models of community practice.
- Recognize and analyze sources of oppression and the needs, responses and strengths of people who experience oppression due to many factors, including race/ethnicity, culture, gender, public assistance status, class, national origin, sexual identity, ability, age, family structure, and religion.
- Identify and analyze value and ethical dilemmas that arise in community practice.
- Practice ethically and promote the values of the social work profession as embodied in the NASW code of ethics.
- Demonstrate a commitment to client, neighborhood and community empowerment and work to promote social and economic justice.
- Apply effective community practice skills that build on the strengths and needs of organizations and communities (e.g., asset mapping, construction of clear mission and goal statements, facilitated decision-making, strategic human resources management, developing interagency/intergroup collaborations, budgeting, conflict mediation, resource development, planning and conducting campaigns, and participatory evaluation techniques).
- Write and implement technically competent proposals for policy, program or community interventions, from needs through evaluation.
- Design and implement evaluations of social programs and/or community interventions appropriate to the context.
Diversity:
Ethics:
Social Justice:
Technical skills:
Evaluation:
Community Practice Curriculum
Curriculum Overview:
- Concentration Anchor - 3 credits required
- Advanced Practice with Diversity - 2 credits required
- Pool courses - 2 courses required, or 1 class plus 2 of the 1-credit modules of SW 5810 - Resource Development and Management
- Advanced Social Policy - 3 credits required
- Advanced Research - 2 credits required
- Integrative Proseminar - 1 credit required
- Electives - up to 2 credits for full program or up to 9 credits for students with advanced standing
- Field Instruction - 6 credits required for full program / 8 credits required for advanced standing
The Community Practice Concentration offers two advanced specializations: Human Servcies Management (HSM) and Organizatoin and Advocacy (COA), both of which build upon the basic knowledge, skills and values that are generic to social work practice and that are taught in the foundation curriculum. Classes that relate to these areas of specialization have been identified and students may consult these selections as they choose classes for their concentration. Students may take classes other than those listed in the specializations, however, they must also meet the requirements of the concentration for course work in specific curriculum areas.