Family Systems Social Work

Overview

Course description

In this course, students will examine a variety of family structures and explore key theories and approaches for assessing and engaging with families. Students will gain tools to understand family dynamics, strengths, diversity, and the role of natural support networks, community, and cultural contexts. Emphasis is placed on self-awareness and reflective practice, including understanding how one's own family background and social location influence professional interactions. Students will also examine the effects of colonization and learn strategies to support families from an anti-racist and anti-colonial lens.

Course content

Course content will be guided by research, empirical knowledge, and best practices. The following values and principles, consistent with professional standards, inform course content.

Indigenous perspectives on family, healing, and community that emphasize culturally responsive and anti-oppressive social work approaches.
Anti-racist and anti-colonial approaches are central to social work practice with families.
Ability to reflect on one’s own family experience is central to understanding the potential impact of one’s values, beliefs, and attitudes on social work practice.
Diversity exists within individuals, families, communities, and cultures.
All families have strengths and it is essential for social workers to foster resiliency and support the development of positive coping mechanisms.
Providing support to families is only possible through collaboration.
Families develop through life transitions that present opportunities for change and growth.

Learning activities

Lectures

Group work

Case studies

Presentations

Means of assessment

This course will conform to Douglas College policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations. Other means of evaluation may include a combination of:

Classroom activities and participation
Examinations
Presentations
Group assignments

Evaluations will be carried out in accordance with Douglas College Evaluation Policy and will include both formative and summative components. Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in a course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Describe the role of social workers in supporting families
Describe the impact of systemic inequities on families
Apply theories used in generalist social work practice with families in the processes of engagement, assessment, and intervention
Use a variety of assessment and intervention strategies with families
Demonstrate the importance of self-awareness in reflective practice
Discuss the impact of colonization on Indigenous families
Critically analyze one's own social location and be able to articulate how use of self is incorporated into practice.

Textbook materials

Texts and papers such as the following, the list to be updated periodically:

Albanese, P. (2018). Canadian Families Today (current edition). Oxford University Press.

Catherine E. Burnette (2018) Family and cultural protective factors as the bedrock of resilience and growth for Indigenous women who have experienced violence, Journal of Family Social Work, 21:1, 45-62.

Requisites

Prerequisites

None

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

CFCS 2333

CSSW 2333

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

September 2025 (Current)