Social Justice, Wellness and Social Work

Description du cours

This course introduces students to foundational social work knowledge and skills and offers an engaging overview of the social work profession’s scope. The course is designed to represent key aspects of the Bachelor of Social Work program. Course content will be developed based on leading social work theory, with a combined emphasis on structural theory and foundational direct practice skills. The course materials will include mixed media, resources related to the Ottawa area, and overarching guides for key theories and skills. The learning will be complemented by group work and individual reflection exercise throughout the course. This is a social work-based course that will also integrate topics from psychology, human rights, political science, and gender and disability studies. This course will include discussions of systems relating to power, oppression, and privilege. Topics relating to mental health and wellness will be included in the course content. Colonialism and related historical events will also be noted in this course. An overview of each day of the course is as follows:
Day One: Social Work 101. This day will begin with co-creating group rules and grounding exercises, to ensure that the course is accessible and supports an appropriate learning environment. This day’s overall content will include what social work and social justice are across micro and macro work, and an overview of the exciting scope of Carleton’s social work program. The day will also include foundational discussions of intersectionality and critical self-reflection.
Day Two: Activism. This day will focus on macro social work theories and skills, including discussions of neo-liberalism, capitalism, and a continuation of intersectionality. The day will also include knowledge sharing about activism, insight into working with other professionals on social justice, and learning about local youth coalitions.
Day Three: Clinical Work Foundations. Using guiding perspectives from positive psychology and clinical social work practice, this day will introduce direct practice and micro practice contexts and skills. Topics will include: boundaries, mindfulness, supportive listening, strengths-based theory, person-centered theory, and distress tolerance.
Day Four: Decolonizing Social Work. This day will explore how Indigeneity and Indigenous social work practices can be used to decolonize micro and macro social work practice. Topics will include climate justice, positionality, and calls to action for students. There will be group exercises involving the medicine wheel, and possibly a guest speaker joining a portion of the day.
Day Five: Ethics and Justice. The core ethics of social work practice will be shared, with reflective exercises on personal and professional values. Self-care and community care will also be covered on this day, with an emphasis on how power and privilege are implicated in self-care. The day will conclude with an artistic activity.