Ellen Whiteside McDonnell School of Social Work

Maria Teahan, Ph.D., A.C.S.W., L.C.S.W., Interim Dean
TBD, Director of B.S.W. Program
Faculty: Alicea, Austin, Daniels, Ingram-Herring, LaPorte, Levenson, Lewis, McGhee, McMahon, Naranjo, Nowakowski-Sims, Rosenwald, Shtompel, Smith, Teahan, Tedrow, Williams, Zaoui

History of the School

In the wake of community upheaval and turmoil in the early and mid-1960s there was a demand for professionally trained social workers. As there was not a school of social work in South Florida, Barry University established the first graduate social work program in South Florida in 1966 to help fill this need. A Ph.D. in Social Work was introduced in 1983 to prepare advanced practitioner/scholars for leadership roles within the profession and community. In 2000, the School initiated a B.S.W. degree program which was fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education in 2003 and reaccredited in 2017. In 1984, the School was named the Ellen Whiteside McDonnell School of Social Work to honor a woman who made a significant contribution to the reform and development of social welfare programs in the State of Florida.

The Mission of the School

The mission of the Barry University School of Social Work is framed by the core values, ethics, and commitments of the social work profession and Barry University mission. Within a culturally diverse framework, the School is committed to educating social workers for professional social work practice that is informed by context and characterized by competence, skills of leadership, quality, the quest for social and economic justice in local and global communities, and dedication to continuous professional growth and development.

Philosophy of the B.S.W. Program

The B.S.W. program will prepare students to be direct service generalist social workers. Much like a general practitioner in medicine, a direct service generalist social work practitioner must have a wide range of knowledge, methods, and skills. The worker must be able to work with individuals, families, small groups, and larger systems to promote the best possible relationships between people and their environments. Direct service refers to the activities the worker does to help consumers of service. These include individual, family, and group counseling; case management; education; advocacy; referral; and work on behalf of clients in agency change and community organization. Understanding the connections between the problems of clients and the communities in which they live, the worker is able to move naturally and seamlessly from work with individuals, families, or groups to work in the agency, neighborhood, community, local, or larger level as needed, and to use various methods as needed.

The ability to move seamlessly from one level of work to another is the hallmark of a direct service generalist. The worker is able to move the work with their clients from the clients’ personal struggles to their community struggles within their capacity of what can realistically be accomplished. The “larger systems work” of the generalist develops from their direct service work. Conversely, a worker engaged in community work will be able to move with constituents from their community struggles to help with personal struggles where appropriate. The connections between personal and communal problems/resources are of paramount importance to the direct service generalist practitioners and they are facile in shifting the focus of work or of working with two or more foci. In addition, they are facile in using various methods as they work in the various foci.

This notion of seamless practice is the organizing principle of the B.S.W. curriculum. The liberal arts distribution courses are selected to provide students with the cognitive tools and education necessary for the complex task of seeing, understanding, and assessing the connections between private troubles and public issues. The courses within the major will prepare the student for generalist practice and seamless advancement to advanced studies in social work practice.

The Mission of the B.S.W. Program

Building on the mission of the BUSSW, the B.S.W. Program is committed to educating ethical and competent professional social workers within a trauma-informed, resiliency framework. With an emphasis on service learning, social justice, and working with vulnerable individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, the B.S.W. Program prepares students as research-informed culturally competent generalist practitioners and for advanced study in social work.

Goals of the B.S.W. Program

The B.S.W. Program is guided by five academic goals supported by the achievement of ten competencies. The academic goals of the B.S.W. Program are:

Successful graduates will:

Demonstrate professional practice reflecting the profession’s core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence.
Demonstrate competency in social work assessment, intervention, and evaluation in agency and community context with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.
Engage in continuing professional growth and development, self-reflection, and evaluation of one’s own practice.
Be knowledgeable about varied community, organizational, service system, policy and program settings, the variables that influence stability and change within these environments and how these factors affect client needs and interests.
Demonstrate theoretical knowledge and practice skills related to reducing the effects of oppression and discrimination and advancing social and economic justice in local and global communities.

These goals are supported by the following ten competencies, drawn from CSWE’s Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS).

The B.S.W. Program will educate students who:

Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
Engage in Policy Practice
Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities

Accreditation

Barry University School of Social Work B.S.W. Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). E-mail addresses: www.cswe.org.

In accordance with the Educational Policies and Standards of CSWE, the School of Social Work continuously assess and report each student’s achievements of the required core competencies. To facilitate this assessment, effective January 2020, each student will be assessed an annual fee of $85.00.

Americans with Disabilities Act

In keeping with its mission and goals, and in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Barry University School of Social Work promotes an environment of respect for and support of persons with disabilities. The two categories of individuals with disabilities are: a) individuals with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; and b) individuals with a record of physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities include caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, learning, and working.

The term “physical impairment” includes, but is not limited to: orthopedic, visual, speech, and hearing impairments; cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, HIV disease (symptomatic and asymptomatic), tuberculosis, drug addiction, and alcoholism. Mental impairments include mental or psychological disorders such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning -disabilities.

Individuals applying for admission, progression to junior and senior courses, and graduation from the School of Social Work must be able to meet the physical and emotional requirements of the academic program as well as performance expectations of professional social work practice. Individuals who pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others or to themselves may be denied admission, progression, or graduation. The school’s determination that a person poses a direct threat will be based on an individualized assessment that relies on current medical evidence or on the best available objective evidence to assess: a) the nature, duration, and severity of the risk; and b) the probability that the potential injury will actually occur.

Social work is a practice discipline with cognitive, sensory, affective, and psychomotor requirements, and the faculty has adapted a list of “Core Performance Standards.” Each standard has an explanation of skill areas and an example of activities that the student would be required to perform while enrolled in a social work program.

Core Performance Standards for Admission, Matriculation, and Graduation

All students must meet essential standards of behavior for social work practice. The following chart begins with the NASW Code of Ethics that identifies the core values on which social work’s mission is based; it summarizes ethical principles that reflect the profession’s core values; establishes a set of specific ethical standards that guide social work practice and knowledge generation and knowledge dissemination and provides the principles on which the public can hold social work practitioners, scholars, and educators accountable. These principles depict the scope of responsibility to which all students obligate themselves from the time of entry in the Barry University School of Social Work. The Core Performance Standards are based on the assumption that the standards, including the Code of Ethics, are exercised differentially in accord with a social worker’s role, but that in this set of standards, correlated skill areas, and examples of essential behaviors, all social workers, including students in Barry University’s social work Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral degree programs, will recognize their professional responsibilities and criteria for professional conduct. In order to remain in good standing in the School of Social Work, all students, as stated in the NASW Code, “. . . must not allow their own personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties to interfere with their professional judgment and performance or to jeopardize the best interests of people for whom they have a professional responsibility.” (p. 23, NASW Code of Ethics).

Standards	Skill Areas	Description of Essential Behavior
Professional Ethics:		Student:
Individual judgment and conduct is consistent with established laws and the values and ethics of the social work profession as set forth in the NASW Code of Ethics.	Identifies and maintains legal and ethical standards in all practice and academic roles and settings; seeks appropriate consultation when necessary. Demonstrates integrity and trustworthiness in carrying out all professional/academic roles and activities. Demonstrates academic integrity in the preparation of written assignments, research, and scholarly papers. Understands and appropriately applies laws pertaining to client confidentiality; protects the well-being of research participants in accord with IRB human subjects’ protection guidelines. Advocates for and advances change on behalf of vulnerable populations. Demonstrates respect for the positive value of diversity.	Refrains from socializing with clients; maintains boundaries with research participants and students they may teach. Utilizes clinical supervision and/or refers client when needed interventions are beyond his/her competence. Keeps commitments to clients, research participants, students they may teach, and colleagues. Refrains from cheating and plagiarism as defined in the student handbook. Utilizes pseudonyms when discussing clients in class or academic papers; protects research participant identity in written reports of studies. Submits research proposal to IRB for review prior to initiating research activities with human subjects. Participates in individual and/or group activities at the local, state, or national level, such as Lobby Day. Willingly accepts and works with diverse client populations within community and organizational settings Designs research and scholarship that reflect cultural validity.

Standards	Skill Areas	Description of Essential Behavior
Critical Thinking:		Student:
Individual reasoning reflects a comprehensive analysis that distinguishes fact from inference; an individual’s conclusions and assigned meanings are grounded in relevant data, information, and evidence.	Applies a scientific, analytic approach to practice, research, and scholarship that integrates the critical appraisal of social research findings and the evaluation of social policies, program and practice outcomes. Organizes information from extant bodies of knowledge and literature, or secures primary or secondary data, or a combination, and exercises logical thinking, analysis, and synthesis, comparison and contrast, to develop cogent understandings of scholarly issues. Demonstrates an ability to integrate theory and practice in all academic work including research and field education. This includes a demonstrated knowledge of the influence of social, political, and economic factors in the evaluation of academic scholarship, research, client systems, organizations, and communities.	Academic presentations reflect a comprehensive, inclusive, and relevant review of appropriate literature. Process recordings reflect student’s use of this knowledge in working with clients.

Professional Use of Self
Standards	Skill Areas	Description of Essential Behavior
Task Management:		Student:
Effective time/task management strategies guide all professional and academic responsibilities and activities.	Consistently completes quality work on schedule.	Acts responsibly with respect to communication and negotiation of professional and academic commitments. Submits all required work without being prompted, and follows through with field placement or practicum terms and commitments on collaborative projects. Punctually attends field or practicum placements, meetings, and classes. Attends all classes and field practicum in accordance with the School’s attendance policy and meet all course requirements. Communicates in advance to all affected parties whenever there is an interruption of planned attendance or task completion and identifies appropriate alternatives when a change in plans is necessary to include instructors and advisors around absences or the late submission of assignments.

Professional Use of Self
Standards	Skill Areas	Description of Essential Behavior
Self Awareness:		Student:
Demonstrates a commitment to the process of self-reflection and self-critique assuming full responsibility to protect peers, colleagues, research participants, clients, and others from the adverse consequences of personal performance problems and behaviors.	Examines professional practice and academic strengths and weaknesses. Solicits, accepts, and incorporates feedback with respect to performance. Identifies and addresses barriers to performance through the design and implementation of specific goals and strategies for professional growth.	Engages the challenge of self-reflection and self-critique process in all classroom, field education, and practicum discussions, and written exercises. Utilizes weekly supervisory sessions and/or other forms of professional and academic advisement and mentorship. If in a field placement, submits required process recording and actively participates in field supervision. Seeks professional help and consultation when necessary. Makes the necessary adjustments to professional and/or academic workloads in the face of personal difficulties that may adversely impact the quality of academic work or practice with clients.

Standards	Skill Areas	Description of Essential Behavior
Professional Relationships:		Student:
All professional interactions reflect respect, integrity, honesty, cooperation, and collaboration as well as a clear understanding of professional role, authority, and appropriate boundaries.	Develops and maintains cooperative and collegial relationships with clients, colleagues, superiors, peers, students, research participants, agency personnel, faculty, school staff, advisors, and field educators. Contributes as a constructive participant in academic and agency affairs. Cooperates, collaborates, and supports social work and interdisciplinary colleagues in the knowledge-building and knowledge dissemination enterprise. Identifies and demonstrates an appreciation of the uniqueness and commonalities, strengths/resilience and limitations, and conflicting values that characterize self and other individuals and groups.	Voices concerns to field educator or practicum mentor or faculty supervisors of assistantships in a respectful manner and in accordance with agency protocol. Keeps field advisor or doctoral faculty advisor informed of all issues that may arise in field, and works proactively with all parties to alleviate issues. Honors and follows through on verbal and written agreements and commitments made with others. Attends “Meet the Dean” sessions and offers constructive suggestions to improve the quality of the program. Co-authors publications with peers and faculty colleagues. Constructs culturally grounded research and scholarship and intervention plans with various client systems.

Standards	Skill Areas	Description of Essential Behavior
Professional Relationships:		Student:
	Collaborates effectively with community resources and connects clients with local community resources. Engages, maintains and appropriately terminates relationships with diverse client groups, faculty, university personnel, colleagues, students, organizations, communities, and research participants in a professional, responsible and respectful manner.	Prepares strengths-based social work research designs and assessments of clients. Makes appropriate referrals of clients or research participants, as appropriate, for client services. Exits assigned field placement or doctoral practicum with proper notification to all relevant parties, including clients, field educator or practicum mentor, and field advisor or doctoral faculty advisor.

Standards	Skill Areas	Description of Essential Behavior
Communication:		Student:
All verbal, non-verbal, and written exchange of information between self, clients, faculty, university personnel, and colleagues are in accordance with established laws and professional standards.	Receives and responds appropriately to verbal, nonverbal, and written forms of communication with a wide range of client systems and persons demonstrating an understanding of professional role and sensitivity to differences due to class, age, culture, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and physical or mental abilities without evaluation or judgment; effectively use language to communicate with others. Demonstrates mastery of the English language. Demonstrates timely and appropriate receipt of, response to, and documentation of communication with faculty, school staff, peers, other colleagues, students, field educators, advisors, research participants, and clients as indicated.	Speaks with dignity, respect, and sensitivity to clients, colleagues, faculty, school staff, field staff, research participants, students, and others at all times. Prepares written and oral academic products and presentations with responsible content. Prepares written documents that are clear, concise, accurate, and complete and reflect correct grammar, syntax, thought development, and APA referencing format. Follows agency guidelines for record keeping, SSW guidelines for record keeping if deployed by the SSW. Uses process recordings to communicate learning progress to field educator and field advisor. Returns all calls or emails in a timely manner to faculty, school staff, peers, other colleagues, students, field educators, advisors, research participants, and clients as indicated.

Attendance Policy

Due to the applied nature of social work as a professional discipline, participation and full engagement by students in all class and Field activities is essential. Prompt regular attendance is an expectation as it extends each student’s learning experience and the experience of his/her classmates. Within the profession of social work, the well-being and, at times, the very lives of clients depend upon the knowledge and preparation of the social worker, as well as his/her timely presence to appointments and timely response to the needs of clients. It is essential therefore, to be fully prepared as a social worker by acquiring the knowledge, skills, and professional character and conduct necessary to promote client well-being. Not attending classes seriously compromises a student’s ability to be fully prepared to meet his/her obligations and responsibilities as a professional social worker. Consequently, in the School of Social Work, prompt attendance to all scheduled class sessions and full compliance to one’s internship schedule is required. Failure to comply with this requirement contradicts the ethical principles that reflect the profession’s core values and the School’s Core Performance Standards and may impact the student’s overall grade in the class and/or Field. At the beginning of each semester all teaching faculty and Field educators will define specific requirements for attendance as they relate to the course grade.

Regular attendance is required of all students. A total of six class hours of absence can result in an automatic withdrawal with W if within the designated withdrawal period, or with an automatic “F” if not. It is the responsibility of the student to complete the withdrawal during the designated withdrawal period. Otherwise, an “F” will be issued at the end of the term.

The majority of coursework for the major and minor must be completed in residence.

Developmental Courses

To fulfill its responsibility to educate students, Barry University offers a series of developmental courses for the benefit of those students who need to strengthen some of their skills. Students receiving a grade of NC in any developmental English or math course will be enrolled in the SAME course as a REPEAT in the subsequent term. All developmental courses must be completed successfully by the end of 45 credit hours or, in the case of transfer students, within the first academic year in residence. Developmental courses do not fulfill Distribution, General Education, or degree requirements. These courses include: ENG 095 English Composition Strategies, MAT 090 Pre-Entry Math, MAT 091 Preparatory Mathematics I, and MAT 095 Preparatory Mathematics III.