Course

Risk Assessment, Mitigation & Prevention

Faculty
Applied Community Studies
Department
Social Work
Course code
SOWK 4133
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 Weeks
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
This course supports students in developing essential skills to conduct risk assessments through a client-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive lens. Students will engage in critical analysis of evidence-based practices, examining the limitations of traditional Western approaches to risk assessment. By applying an intersectional framework, students will learn to assess risk while considering the impact of social identities on clients' experiences. The course emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical and contemporary harms of risk assessment practices and seeks to support students in applying more culturally responsive and ethical risk management approaches.
Course content
  • Foundations of risk assessment in social work, including legislation, policy, and ethical standards 
  • Evidence-based risk assessment and mitigation practices in diverse practice settings 
  • Client-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive approaches to assessing and managing risk 
  • Critical examination of Western risk assessment models and their limitations with marginalized populations 
  • Intersectionality and the influence of social identities on risk, vulnerability, and resilience 
  • Historical and contemporary harms of risk assessment practices, including impacts on Indigenous communities 
  • Anti-racist and anti-colonial approaches to ethical and socially just risk assessment 
  • Self-awareness, professional judgment, and the influence of values and beliefs in risk assessment and case planning 
  • Roles and responsibilities of social workers in risk assessment, including theory-informed tools and approaches 
  • Interprofessional collaboration, communication, and professional networks in risk management and planning 
Learning activities

In this course, students engage in a variety of learning activities such as lecture, discussion, group work, case studies, and presentations. 

 

Means of assessment

Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. 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. This is a letter-graded course.

Typical means of assessment include the following: 

  • Written papers 
  • Case study analysis
  • Role-play demonstrations
  • Presentations
  • Projects
  • Exams 
  • Participation 
  • Attendance

 

Learning outcomes

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

  1. Demonstrate competency in risk assessment and mitigation through the application of evidence-based practices;
  2. Critically analyze Western approaches to risk assessment, particularly their limitations when working with marginalized populations;
  3. Demonstrate a relational approach to assessing risk, emphasizing client-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive strategies;
  4. Apply an intersectional lens to risk assessment;
  5. Explain the historical and contemporary harms of risk assessment practices to Indigenous communities and the ways in which anti-racist and anti-colonial approaches can promote social justice;
  6. Assess relevant legal frameworks and government/agency procedures to contextualize risk assessment;
  7. Demonstrate self-awareness when completing risk assessment and case planning, identifying how personal and professional values and beliefs affect decision-making processes;
  8. Discuss the contributions of other professionals and agencies to managing and planning for risk.

 

 

 

 

Textbook materials

Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester. Example texts may include:

Killick, C., & Taylor, B. J. (current edition). Assessment, risk, and decision making in social work. SAGE Publications. 

Requisites

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.

(Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution Transfer details for SOWK 4133
Simon Fraser University (SFU) No credit

Course Offerings

There are no course offerings this semester.