SCWK 8863 Cross-Cultural Social Work Practice

Elective This advanced clinical practice course examines effective assessment and intervention with persons of diverse cultural backgrounds. Recognizing that culture is always a salient factor in social work practice, special attention is given to the need for practitioners to have an approach that ensures practitioners' awareness of culture, and incorporation of culture into practice skills, while supporting the cultural identity of the client. Understanding culture and the dynamics of power as contextual factors determining people's realities - and consequently the values and behavioral adaptations they develop - the course focuses on the helping relationship and issues in assessment and intervention. The course is designed to increase students' knowledge of their own and clients cultural background and awareness of the values and beliefs they hold about understandings of self, family, community, mental health and well-being. Skills necessary to integrate cross-cultural issues into social work practice will be explored in the areas of assessment, intervention, case conceptualization and application of treatment approaches, in a culturally responsive frame.