Social Work and Human Services

Social Work and Human Services
Required: Crosson-Tower, Cynthia. Exploring Child Welfare – A Practice Perspective. Sixth Edition
Pearson Education (Allyn & Bacon) ISBN-13: 978-0-205-81992-8
Recommended: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition (2nd
printing), ISBN 978-1-4338-0561-5. The APA manual of style is used in HUMS courses.
Textbooks for the course may be ordered from MBS Direct. You can order
? online at http://direct.mbsbooks.com/columbia.htm (be sure to select Online Education
rather than your home campus before selecting your class)
? by phone at 800-325-3252
For additional information about the bookstore, visit http://www.mbsbooks.com.
Writer this introduction is for a 52 year old male with three boys age 28,24 and 26. This is his third semester attending Columbia and you may make up the rest of the introduction. Also answer the questions in this exact order and refer to the book for your reference. Place all references right below that assignment and not all at the bottom of the page.
Week 1 – Children: Our Most Important Resource Readings: • Course syllabus and welcome email – read and become familiar with format and assignments • Read the handout on plagiarism posted in the Links area of the class website. • Chapter 1 – Children: Our Most Important Resource Discussion Assignments • Introduction: On the Discussions page of the course, introduce yourself to the class. Tell us something about where you live, your family, your work, and your interest in human services so that we can get to know each other before we begin our work together for the next eight weeks.
. • Discussion Prompts: Choose ONE of the following Top scoring Primary Post to be at least 300 original words, not counting quoted material. Exhaust the topic. 1. How has child labor evolved with time? Do you think that current labor laws are adequate? Is there still work to be done in the area of child labor? 2. How did daycare institutions come to be? What are some of the issues that contemporary families face with daycare? How could a social worker help them with these problems or issues? 3. What/who are the main agencies, individuals, and pieces of legislation that have actively advocated the provision of services for children? Do you think that current child services agencies provide adequate resources for children and their families? What is the role of the social worker in making sure children and families get the support they need? 4. How has society’s view of the child changed over the years? What are some of the reforms and current services that are indicative of the changing view of children? How are children viewed today? What is your perception of children? How will this perception inform or influence your work as a social worker? 5. What are some of the issues that require the child welfare system to intervene in order for a child to be safe or a family to remain intact? What is the social worker’s role in this process?
Week 2-Discussion Prompts: Choose ONE of the following Top scoring Primary Post to be at least 300 original words, not counting quoted material. Exhaust the topic.
What do the following words mean: “interpret the world for the child and interpret the child for the world”? How does this statement reflect the relationship between parents and children? Give examples of how this interpretative process works. Specifically consider what this means in situations that do not involve cognitive or physical challenges. 2. What are the different ways in which families can be defined? Consider the ways in which family definitions overlap. Do you think that these ways of defining families are mutually exclusive from one another? If these definitions are not mutually exclusive, how do you think that they are related to one another? 3. What are some of the characteristics of poor children? Discuss where these children live and who cares for them. Explain the increase in poverty for certain ethnic groups. 4. What are some of the problems children face when they grow up in poverty? Specifically, discuss the impact of poverty on the health, nutrition, and safety of children. 5. What are some of the steps the U.S. can take to reduce child poverty? First, discuss the suggestions in the book. Next, come up with your own ideas to reduce the number of poor children in the U.S. What is the role of social workers in these efforts?
Week 3– Societal Impact on Children/Military Families Readings: • Chapter 4 – The Impact of Violence and Addiction on Children • Chapter 5 – Children against the Backdrop of War: Addressing the Needs of Military Families
Discussion Prompts: Choose ONE of the following Top scoring Primary Post to be at least 300 original words, not counting quoted material. Exhaust the topic. Primary Posts are due by midnight Wednesday. Secondary Comments are due by midnight Saturday. 1. In what ways are today’s children exposed to violence? List the examples found in the text. What are the effects of this exposure? Expand upon the text by imagining possible outcomes of being exposed to violence in various settings. 2. What are the causes of gang violence? List examples found in the text. What effects might this have on youth? Expand upon the text by imagining possible outcomes of being exposed to gang violence. 3. What are some of the reasons behind violence in the home? List the examples from the text. What can be done to put an end to this cycle of violence? What is the social worker’s role in this process? 4. What are some of the specific issues faced by military children? How does moving and/or having a deployed parent affect them emotionally, educationally, and socially? What is the role of the social worker in supporting these kids? What services and resources exist for them? 5. What are some of the financial challenges faced by military families (frequent moves, misuse of credit, disability, one-salary families, etc.)? What are some of the possible financial problems that could arise for these families? What types of financial services would be most useful to them (financial planning, budgeting, etc.)?
Week 4– Daycare Issues/Family Counseling Readings • Chapter 6 – Daycare and Educational Settings • Chapter 7 – Counseling for Families and Children Discussion Prompts: Choose ONE of the following Top scoring Primary Post to be at least 300 original words, not counting quoted material.
Exhaust the topic. 1. What are some of the problems involved with the provision of daycare in the United States today? What are some improvements that could be made? In your opinion, what would the perfect daycare system look like? How would it provide services for children to promote healthy development? 2. What are some examples of the trends and shifts in U.S. education that you have witnessed or heard of over the past few years? What is the role of the social worker in this changing landscape? 3. Why do people seek out counseling for their families or children? What attitudes might they have that would inhibit their use of counseling services? What are some ways a counselor can help a resistant client open up to counseling? 4. What are some of the external forces that have shaped trends in counseling? Have you seen the influences of these in your studies or in real-life practice? Is the impact of these external forces negative, positive, or neutral?
Week 5– Child Abuse & Neglect/Serving the Child’s Best Interest Readings: • Chapter 8 – Protecting Children When Families Cannot: Child Abuse and Neglect • Chapter 9 – Family Preservation or Child Placement? Serving the Child’s Best Interest Discussion Prompts: Choose ONE of the following Top scoring Primary Post to be at least 300 original words, not counting quoted material. Exhaust the topic. Primary Posts are due by midnight Wednesday. Secondary Comments are due by midnight Saturday. 1. In what ways are today’s children exposed to abuse? List the examples found in the text. What are the effects of this exposure? Expand upon the text by imagining possible outcomes of being exposed to various forms of abuse. 2. What are some of the factors that cause an adult to abuse a child? What role does anger play in these situations? What about support systems (or lack thereof)? 3. How have children been maltreated throughout history? What are some of the early efforts that were made to intervene on behalf of children? How did these efforts influence current protective service provision? 4. What are some of the theories that underlie family preservation services? Which ones do you agree with most? Can you think of cases in which these theories could best be applied? Thinking to the future, what will be necessary if family-based services are to continue and succeed? 5. What are some of the challenges faced by children in foster care and their foster families? How can a social worker help in these situations?
Week 6– Child Court Services/Teenage Pregnancy Readings: • Chapter 10 – Court Services on Behalf of Children • Chapter 11 – Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Discussion Prompts: Choose ONE of the following Top scoring Primary Post to be at least 300 original words, not counting quoted material. Exhaust the topic. Primary Posts are due by midnight Wednesday. Secondary Comments are due by midnight Saturday. 1. In what instances might a family become involved with the juvenile court? Come up with specific examples and discuss how the court might deal with each situation. For each situation provided, discuss how a social worker could best serve the children involved. 2. What are your opinions on the trends in juvenile court? Do you think there should be a separate juvenile court? Should status offenders come under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court? Why? Why not? What should be done with serious offenders? 3. Where in society (in the media, in conversations with others, etc.) do you see evidence that the perception of pregnant teens has changed over the last decade? Give specific examples from real life. 4. What are some of the myths associated with teen pregnancy? Why are these myths incorrect and what harm can they do? 5. Based on what you have read and what you already know about teen pregnancy prevention, make predictions about the future of teen pregnancy prevention. How will it change? In what ways will it stay the same? What new models for teen pregnancy prevention might arise? What might these look like?
Week 7– Foster Care/Adoption of Children Readings: • Chapter 12 – Children in Foster Care • Chapter 13 – The Adoption of Children Discussion Prompts: Choose ONE of the following Top scoring Primary Post to be at least 300 original words, not counting quoted material. Exhaust the topic. Primary Posts are due by midnight Wednesday. Secondary Comments are due by midnight Saturday. 1. Do you know anyone who has lived in foster care? What were some of the specific challenges they faced during this time? Did they eventually get placed with a permanent family? What resources were available to them when they were children in foster care? 2. Under what circumstances do children leave foster care? Where might they go? What are the specific challenges for youths aging out of foster care? What is the role of the social worker in these situations? What is meant by unrelated adoption? What are some of the challenges social workers face when helping children and families in unrelated adoptions? 4. Outline the adoption process. In each step, discuss what might be the feelings of the birth parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, and children. Discuss the role of the adoption worker in this process.
Week 8– Residential Settings/What the Future Holds for our Children Readings: • Chapter 14 – Children in Residential Settings • Chapter 15 – Our Children’s Future Discussion Prompts: Choose ONE of the following Top scoring Primary Post to be at least 300 original words, not counting quoted material. Exhaust the topic. Primary Posts are due by midnight Wednesday. Secondary Comments are due by midnight Saturday. 1. What are the types of residential settings? What is the purpose of each type? What are some of the potential challenges for social workers working in each setting? 2. Explain the three components of residential care settings. What are some problems that might arise in residential settings and how might they impact each of the components? 3. What are some of the specific challenges faced by children living in residential care centers? What is the role of the social worker in helping them overcome or manage these challenges? 4. What is meant by advocacy for children? How is advocacy performed? What are some opportunities for advocacy in your community? 5. What are some problem areas in the provision of services for children? What types of challenges do these problems pose to social workers and others who work with children? What steps might alleviate these problems? Discuss the role of the social worker in this process.