MSWK615

This course builds upon foundational social work practice knowledge, values, methods, and skills in providing a concentration on clinical interventions with children and adolescents. The course emphasizes the development of direct practice skills in working with children and adolescents, their families, and relevant environmental systems. The course addresses normative socio0cultural variations in developmental life tasks and expectations, childrearing practices, and life stage concerns pertinent to adolescents, with a focus on diversity issues. Particular emphasis is given to gender, race, ethnicity, social class, and other types of diversity. The course introduces and explores evidence-based practice methodologies in addressing behavioral, emotional, and situational problems of children/adolescents and their families in a range of social work intervention settings, and includes a focus on individual, family, and group intervention modalities.

Pertinent theoretical frames and strategies for engaging and intervening with children and adolescents are presented, with behavioral and developmental norms for adolescents considered from a cross-cultural, comparative perspective. Additionally, environmental factors and social justice issues are addressed with respect to the wellbeing of children/adolescents and their families. As such, the course offers an integral foundation and knowledge base pertaining to social work values, ethics, and empirically-based research that support direct practice interventions with adolescent populations.