Lecture
Group exercises
Student presentations
Use of multimedia resources
On-line.
Course content will be guided by research, empirical knowledge and best practice. The following values and principles, consistent with professional standards, inform course content.
- Social work practice in a large metropolitan area such as Vancouver requires an understanding of the diversity of the population and communities as well as the wide array of social services.
- Social workers leverage individual and community strengths and assets in their role.
- Social workers best serve their clients when they are familiar with the network of services available including those provided by public, private, secular, and non-secular organizations.
- Social workers apply their knowledge of the social determinants of health to best respond to issues such as addictions, HIV-AIDS, and Hep C.
- Poverty and homelessness are key concerns for social workers in any area of practice. Both are prevalent across the Lower Mainland.
- An understanding of racism, oppression, the challenges of intercultural communities, sexism and discrimination, as well as the multigenerational legacy of colonialism on Aboriginals in Canada is essential to urban/suburban social work practice.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
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Describe demographic and human geographic trends in metropolitan Vancouver from a social work perspective;
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Apply the social determinants of health framework to marginalized populations;
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Conduct a needs assessment (including the domains of housing, integration and belonging, safety and security, employment, transportation, recreation, food security, and health) for a target population;
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Assess community strengths and assets;
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Analyze historical and contemporary immigration and settlement processes, as well as traditional territories and movement of Aboriginal people, to explain potential social work activities with individuals and communities;
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Describe current housing and homelessness issues, including provincial, federal, and municipal roles in this area of social policy;
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Describe examples of community development and activism, and articulate an advocacy or action plan;
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Identify and apply relevant research to case studies;
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Articulate a social work response to problems.
This course will conform to Douglas College policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations. Typical means of evaluation would include a combination of any of the following:
- Examinations
- Research papers
- Project work
- Individual and/or group presentations
- Participation.
Text(s) and paper(s) such as the following, the list to be updated periodically:
Raphael, D. (2009). Social determinants of health: Canadian perspectives. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press.
Fook, J. (1993). Radical casework: A theory of practice. Allen & Unwin.
Larios, L. (2013). They have stood by me: Supporting refugee families in Winnipeg. Winnipeg: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Access online: http://www.policyalternatives.ca
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