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Graduate Catalog 2020-2021 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
MSW Program Curriculum
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All MSW students at the Silberman School of Social Work, in all Practice Methods and degree pathways, learn through the following curricular areas:
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Field Education
Field education, also called the field practicum, is the signature pedagogy of social work education at the Silberman School of Social Work. All MSW students complete field education. Field education is intended to connect the theoretical and conceptual contributions of the classroom with the practical world of the practice setting. The MSW Program at Silberman rests upon the precept that these two interrelated components of the curriculum – classroom and field – are of equal importance, and each contributes to the development of the requisite core competencies for professional practice. MSW students’ field education experiences are systematically designed, supervised, coordinated, and evaluated in close dialogue between the School and its agency/placement site partners. The agency-based field instructor provides educational and professional supervision; the School-based field advisor helps monitor and guide students through the practicum while liaising between the School and the agency; and the Field Education Department within the School oversees and ensures the success of the field education experience for students and agency partners alike. The Silberman School of Social Work maintains relationships with more than 1,000 individual agencies, organizations, and other sites for student field placement. Most MSW students complete between 900 and 1,200 hours of field practicum to earn their degrees. For all students except those in the One-Year Residency (OYR) degree pathway, the School’s core Field Education courses are:
For One-Year Residency (OYR) students only, the School’s core Field Education courses are:
Specific field education requirements differ, sometimes considerably, based on the student’s selected degree pathway and Practice Method.
Practice Methods
All MSW students at the Silberman School of Social Work concentrate (major) in one of three Practice Methods. For a description of each Practice Method, please see MSW Program Admissions > Selecting a Practice Method above. MSW students take a series of core courses specific to their chosen Practice Method:
Method: Clinical Practice with Individuals, Families and Small Groups (CPIFG)
Method: Community Organizing, Planning and Development (COP&D)
Method: Organizational Management and Leadership (OML)
Field of Practice Specializations
MSW students have the option of choosing a further specialization in a Field of Practice (FOP). (Please note: Field of Practice specialization is required for all students who matriculated in, or prior to, the Spring 2019 semester; Field of Practice specialization is optional for all students matriculating in or after the Fall 2019 semester.) The purpose of the Field of Practice specialization is to accomplish the following:
- Provide students with opportunities to develop in-depth knowledge and skill in an area of social work beyond the method.
- Better prepare students for a competitive job market given the current organization of most service delivery systems.
- Provide a potential cluster of faculty, students, and field agencies with similar interests for developing and sharing knowledge about contemporary issues and trends.
- Provide an additional vehicle for generating general innovation and new course material in the curriculum.
- Maintain the focus of the School, the faculty, and the curriculum on the changing needs of a multicultural urban community.
The requirements for completing a Field of Practice specialization are the following: (a) an appropriate field practicum in the second year or OYR residency year; (b) a Professional Seminar project and/or Research topic related to the FOP; and (c) at least one elective option that falls under the FOP. When students complete the requirements of their FOP specialization, they will have this accomplishment recognized in their final evaluation summary; they may add this achievement to their resume and they will receive a certificate upon graduation. Although it is not an FOP requirement to do so, students are encouraged to take policy and elective courses as available that support their Field of Practice specialization. Students pursuing a Field of Practice specialization select their FOP in the spring of their foundation year, in conjunction with planning their second-year field placement. As a reflection of both its commitment to a social justice and human rights framework and the nature of the service systems where its students will work, the Silberman School of Social Work offers the following eight FOP specializations. A sub-specialization in World of Work is available, coupled with any one of these eight specializations:
FOP: Aging
The Aging Field of Practice (Gerontology) addresses the aging process from a life course perspective. This specialization explores the aging process and the variety of issues affecting older adults and their family systems. Course selections provide content with a focus on issues such as health and mental health; social service delivery in clinical and community-based settings; assessment of risk and protective factors associated with healthy aging; assessment, intervention, and evaluation of specialized services for older adults and their family systems; caregiving; long-term care policy; and the implications of the growing demographic of the aging society. Courses that may be taken to support this specialization (pending availability) include, but are not limited to:
FOP: Child Welfare – Children, Youth and Families
Consistent with the human rights framework, FOP specialization in Child Welfare—Children, Youth and Families (CWCYF) takes the view that the child or youth is an individual – and a member of a family and community with rights and responsibilities appropriate to his or her age and stage of development – who must be afforded the necessary protection and assistance to participate fully in family, cultural, and social life. This FOP specialization is designed for students interested in working in public and/or private child welfare agencies; or children, youth, and family organizations in direct service and supervisory and administrative capacities as well as organizing on behalf of all children, youth, and families for access, social justice, and equality. It prepares social workers to provide a broad range of services to individuals, groups, and families in all phases of the family life cycle. Family and individual counseling, parent education and engagement, and the full spectrum of child welfare services are emphasized in this specialization. Students who elect a CWCYF FOP develop a plan of study which includes a field practicum in a placement related to children, youth, and family services. To be competent in this specialization, students are encouraged to take one of following courses:
Additional courses that may be taken to support this specialization (pending availability) include, but are not limited to:
FOP: Health
In this field of practice, health and illness are considered as points along a continuum. Health is not merely the absence of disease. It is the ability to function in complete harmony with one’s environment and the capability of meeting the ordinary physical, social, and emotional stresses of life. The newest definition includes community as well as individual well-being. The goals of this specialization are to prepare social workers who can responsibly meet the changing needs of people faced with health concerns and who can effectively advocate for quality health/mental health policies and practices in New York City. Field placement settings in this specialization include large hospitals; ambulatory care or primary care facilities; hospital out-patient and in-patient clinics or community-based health centers; day treatment programs; substance abuse treatment facilities; and specialized nursing care facilities for the chronically ill, aged, or those in need of intensive rehabilitation and/or hospice care. Some settings focus on health education or patient advocacy. Depending on setting, students in this specialization generally have the opportunity to:
- Participate in a multidisciplinary health care team;
- Work with a range of client needs (illness to wellness) and the continuum of care (prevention to long-term care) to meet those needs;
- Learn about public and private health/mental health laws, programs, resources, benefits, and services;
- Obtain skills necessary to provide quality health care services in existing mainstream and/or alternative health care systems;
- Participate in consumer and professional advocacy networks and organizations established to protect patients’ rights.
Courses that may be taken to support this specialization (pending availability) include, but are not limited to:
FOP: Mental Health
In this field of practice, mental health and mental illness are considered as points along a continuum. Mental Health is not merely the absence of mental illness. It is the ability to function in complete harmony with one’s environment and the capability of meeting the ordinary psychosocial and emotional stresses of life. The goals of this specialization are to prepare social workers who can responsibly meet the changing needs of people faced with mental health concerns and who can effectively advocate for quality mental health policies and practices in New York City. Students in this specialization generally have the opportunity to participate on a multidisciplinary team; work with the range of client needs (illness to wellness) and the continuum of care (prevention to acute or long-term care) to meet those needs; learn about public and private mental health laws, programs, resources, benefits, and services; use skills necessary to provide quality mental health care services in existing or alternative mental health care systems; and participate in consumer and professional advocacy networks and organizations established to protect patients’ rights. Field placement settings in this specialization include any setting that addresses part of the spectrum of mental health. This may include large hospitals; ambulatory care or primary care facilities; hospital based in-patient psychiatric units or outpatient clinics; community-based mental health clinics; day treatment or partial hospitalization programs; and substance abuse treatment facilities. Field placements may also take place in settings that are not part of the formal health care system, such as criminal justice settings but may center on working with particular populations. Courses that may be taken to support this specialization (pending availability) include, but are not limited to:
FOP: Global Social Work and Practice with Immigrants and Refugees
The 21st century is characterized by unprecedented levels of global interdependence in which people, communities, and their institutions are engaged with international forces affecting their lives in very intimate ways. From climate change to economic adversity, these realities have called forth responses based on an increasing awareness of human interconnectedness. The Global Social Work and Practice with Immigrants and Refugees (GSWPIR) field specialization is defined by its mission to incorporate indigenous social work perspectives from around the globe to inform learning and practice in international contexts—with immigrants and refugees as well as in the U.S. urban environment. Many families are transnational today, with members in the U.S. and in other countries around the globe, and social workers must be prepared to engage families and communities as they navigate these complexities, redefining concepts along the way. In the context of international standards of social justice and human rights, students will become aware of the differing discourses in this field and the varied understandings of and responses to adversity. The GSWPIR FOP specialization is designed for students experienced in a global context with immigrant, refugee, and other multicultural communities or with international organizations. The FOP will prepare students to work flexibly in multiple roles, informed by multiple ways of knowing and based on their chosen social work method. Students will develop competencies needed to practice in a global, multicultural environment and address clinical issues with individuals, families, and groups; those of policy leadership and planning; or those of community organization policy and development. The concept of community is central to the field, and students will learn in practice how to utilize methods learned from global experience. Students who elect the GSWPIR FOP develop a plan of study which includes a field practicum in a global, immigrant, and/or refugee-related placement in the New York metropolitan area; as well as a final research or professional seminar paper on a related subject, a related Policy course and at least one practice elective.
Practice elective courses that may be taken to support this specialization include, but are not limited to:
FOP: School Social Work
School social work is a distinctive field of practice with ties to both social work and education. In keeping with the human rights framework, the School Social Work Field of Practice specialization takes the view that the child or youth is an individual – and a member of a family and community with rights and responsibilities appropriate to his or her age and stage of development – who must be afforded the necessary protection and assistance to participate fully in family, cultural, and social life. School Social Work is a strong fit for students who are:
- Interested in developing a range of skills including how to negotiate complex organizational settings, while working with individuals, groups, and community organizations;
- Interested in interdisciplinary collaboration with other professionals and workers in a school system;
- Committed to improving educational and social services to clients with diverse cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds;
- Flexible, self-directed, able to meet new challenges, and willing to take risks;
- Interested to be a member of the interdisciplinary Committee on Special Education – responsible for contributing to students’ Individualized Educational Plans (IEP); (6) Interested in social work policies and their impact on service delivery to children in school and their impact on school social workers.
School social work FOP prepares social workers who are interested in social work practice with children, adolescents and their families who may be facing critical academic, social, and environmental stresses. After graduation, students may wish to work directly for the Department of Education (DOE) or for a community-based agency housed in a school setting providing mental health counseling; or they may work in a chatter school. Courses that may be taken to support this specialization (pending availability) include, but are not limited to:
FOP: Criminal Justice
The Criminal Justice Field of Practice specialization is characterized by social work practice in the juvenile justice system and the adult criminal justice system. The FOP strongly supports the criminal justice system’s dual focus on public safety and public health. This dual focus on public safety and public health is consistent with The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): Article 3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. The Criminal Justice FOP is designed for students interested in providing social work services to offenders, victims, and survivors. It prepares social workers to provide primarily micro-level interventions to these criminal justice-involved populations. The goals of this specialization are to prepare social workers to balance rehabilitation and retribution, treatment and punishment, and understand the relationships between reentry and homelessness, reentry and public health, and criminal justice and health and mental health, among others. Elective courses allow students a great deal of flexibility to focus on learning needs and areas of specialization within the criminal justice system such as substance abuse, health, mental health, trauma-informed care, cognitive behavior therapy, and special populations such as youth, women and older offenders. Field placements will provide experiential learning specific to the role of social work in the criminal justice system. Field placements include criminal justice settings such as courts and corrections; agencies that provide social services primarily to criminal justice-involved populations; and agencies that serve a wide variety of populations including some that have criminal justice involvement. In this way, students can concentrate on their learning needs and type of setting they prefer for specialization. Courses that may be taken to support this specialization (pending availability) include, but are not limited to:
FOP: Sexuality and Gender
The Sexuality and Gender (S&G) FOP specialization is designed for students interested in working from a strengths-based, sex positive and gender-affirming perspective. Students are also encouraged to embrace rather than avoid issues of sexuality and gender (i.e., restrictive masculinity, gender-based oppression) within their practices, incorporating the sexual dimension into biopsychosocial and community assessments. Students who elect a S&G FOP develop a plan of study which includes a field practicum in a placement related to sexuality and/or gender, an S&G approved elective and a paper on a related topic as the focus of either Professional Seminar or Research. Students complete their field practicum in approved field settings that have an emphasis on issues related to sexuality and gender (broadly defined). Environments may include schools with specific sexuality and/or gender assignments; community-based centers that specialize in working with LGBTQ clients; reproductive justice organizations; interpersonal violence-related agencies; clinics working with people who have committed sexual violence; agencies engaged with people in sex trades; and, health or mental health care settings that specialize in a related area. Courses that may be taken to support this specialization (pending availability) include:
Human Behavior in the Social Environment
Social Welfare Policy and Services
- SSW 701.00 - Social Welfare Policy and Services I- All students are required to take Social Welfare Policy and Services I. Covers circumstances that give rise to social problems and their policy solutions; frameworks for analyzing these developments; values and skills needed to understand social policy and engage in advocacy and social change are stressed.
- SSW 702.00 - Social Welfare Policy and Services II: Special Topics- Students are also required to take one course from those listed as Social Welfare Policy and Services II: Special Topics. These advanced social welfare policy courses extend the foundations of social welfare policy (SSW 701 - Social Welfare Policy and Services I) by applying knowledge and skills to a special issue, policy arena, or population group and by refining the analytic skills needed to more critically synthesize and interpret the complexities of the given area. Below is a sampling of Social Welfare Policy and Services II: Special Topics courses. Availability varies by semester.
- SSW 702.XX - Client Rights, The Legal System and Social Policy-This course introduces students to the field of law as it relates to social policy and social work practice. Students will learn both theory and practice by examining the role of law and legal systems in the formulation of social policies, and the role of the social worker, with a particular focus on advocacy and individual rights. Students will learn the basic structure of the American legal system, including the process by which courts, legislatures and administrative agencies address social problems and create and implement law. Various areas of law and social policy will be explored, including child welfare, poverty, criminal justice, mental health and education.
- SSW 702.XX - Criminal Justice Policy & Mass Incarceration-Over the course of the semester, we will survey the American criminal justice system from multiple perspectives: the shape and size of the system itself (prison, parole, and probation); who goes to prison (by race, gender, education, income, age; and the kinds of crimes that they committed/were accused of/plead guilty to); what life inside is like (considering effects: boredom, stress & fear, abuse, rape, and human rights questions; and what’s it like for women); what happens to the children and families left behind; what life is like after prison (examining reintegration; jobs; recidivism); the Drug War; the sharp crime decline since the 1990s; the expansion of policing and the surveillance state; the functions of the prison (removal, punishment, rehabilitation, social control, labor control, profit); and, finally, consider policy at the intersection of crime, welfare, and poverty. Social Welfare Policies and Services I (SSW 701) is a prerequisite.
- SSW 702.XX - Health and Mental Health Systems-This advanced social welfare policy course extends the foundations of social welfare policy (SSW 701 - Social Welfare Policy and Services I) by applying knowledge and skills to a special issue, policy arena, or population group and by refining the analytic skills needed to more critically synthesize and interpret the complexities of health and mental health systems.
- SSW 702.XX - Immigrants and Refugees: Issues and Policies-This advanced social welfare policy course extends the foundations of social welfare policy (SSW 701 - Social Welfare Policy and Services I) by applying knowledge and skills to a special issue, policy arena or population group and by refining the analytic skills needed to more critically synthesize and interpret the complexities of social welfare for immigrants and refugees.
- SSW 702.XX - International Social Welfare-This advanced social welfare policy course extends the foundations of social welfare policy (SSW 701 - Social Welfare Policy and Services I) by applying knowledge and skills to a special issue, policy arena or population group and by refining the analytic skills needed to more critically synthesize and interpret the complexities of social welfare in International Social Welfare.
- SSW 702.XX - The Political Economy of Social Welfare-This advanced social welfare policy course extends the foundations of social welfare policy (SSW 701 - Social Welfare Policy and Services I) by applying knowledge and skills to a special issue, policy arena, or population group and by refining the analytic skills needed to more critically synthesize and interpret the complexities of social welfare. The course will focus primarily on the U.S. capitalist economic system and how it’s related to social welfare policy.
- SSW 702.XX - Women & Social Welfare Policy-This advanced social welfare policy course extends the foundations of the SSW 701 - Social Welfare Policy and Services I, by applying knowledge and skills to a special issue, policy arena or population group and by refining the analytic skills needed to more critically synthesize and interpret the complexities of women and social issues.
Social Work Practice Learning Lab
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