Welcome to SOCW 2001 – Introduction to Social Work, a comprehensive 5-credit course that lays the foundation for your journey into the field of social work. As you embark on this educational adventure, gaining insights into the core principles and practices of social work, we stand ready to support your academic success. If you’re seeking…

Week 4: Putting It All Together: Differential Diagnosis and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Clinicians often have to employ multiple skills simultaneously while engaging with clients. Not least among them are reflective listening, information gathering and sensitive questioning, recording key responses, observing for signs of syndromes, and identifying the chief complaints. This week you address the complex process…

Discussion: Assessing Suicide Risk As a social worker, you will likely at some point have a client with a positive suicide risk assessment. Many individuals with suicidal ideation also have a plan, and that plan may be imminent. Even when the risk is not urgent at a given moment, current research shows that most suicides…

Assignment: Conducting a Diagnostic Interview With a Mental Status Exam   Before moving through diagnostic decision making, a social worker needs to conduct an interview that builds on a biopsychosocial assessment. New parts are added that clarify the timing, nature, and sequence of symptoms in the diagnostic interview. The Mental Status Exam (MSE) is a…

Week 2: Impact of the DSM-5: Organization, Development, Strengths, and Limitations Social work advocates for the biopsychosocial model of mental health and illness. Therefore, when making a diagnosis a social worker should always consider biological factors such as genetics, psychological factors such as personality and strengths, and social factors such as culture and environment.  …

Week 1: The Risks and Benefits of Diagnosis Understanding the definitions and conceptualizations of various psychopathologies is imperative when practicing as a social worker. As part of a multidisciplinary team, a social worker needs to be able to recognize patterns of illness and discuss a client’s diagnosis. Social workers in clinical settings also need to…

To prepare for this Discussion, read the Poitier et al. study and then revisit what you have learned about the  “Focused research questions and research hypothesis”  step of the research process. Consider what would be the most important information to share with your colleagues about that step. Together the class will create a research plan…

Application of Theoretical Perspectives – Part 1 As you near the completion of your second course in human behavior and the social environment, you are likely able to identify several theories that help explain human development at different phases of the life span. Are any of the theories you have studied of particular interest to…

Discussion: Theories of Life-Span Development Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman (2016) stated, “We need theories to guide our thinking and our work so that we may undertake research-informed practice” (p. 127-128). At the same time, the authors asserted, “No theory will be perfectly applicable. Perhaps you will decide that only one or two concepts make any sense…

Discussion 2: Statistical Significance and Variables Research studies often compare variables, conditions, times, and/or groups of participants to evaluate relationships between variables or differences between groups or times. For example, if researchers are interested in knowing whether an intervention produces change in the desired direction, they will want to know whether the change is due…