Course Syllabus For Interviewing in Social Work sw316 - Kirk Vander Molen V 3
Course Syllabus For Interviewing in Social Work sw316 - Kirk Vander Molen V 3
Course Syllabus For Interviewing in Social Work sw316 - Kirk Vander Molen V 3
Location: EB401
Winter 2014
Credits: 3
Day/Time: Tuesdays/9:00 11:50 a.m.
To prepare BSW graduates for entry into the social work profession as generalist social work
practitioners.
Understand cultural competency and advocacy to promote human rights and social and economic
justice into generalist practice.
Develop the quality of generalist practice by emphasizing the role of integrity in the social work
profession.
Identify and apply a broad range of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary knowledge and skills
Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate within human services to promote human and social wellbeing at the generalist level of practice.
Critically evaluate practice behaviors appropriate to the situation, using the discrimination
learned through supervised experience and self-improvement
Become proficient in the BSW social work programs generalist core competencies.
(CSWE, 2008).
Council on Social Work Education [CSWE]: Commission on Accreditation [CSWE, CA]. (2008).
Educational policy and accreditation standards [EPAS].
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Principles and techniques associated with the successful interview. Consideration is given to
understanding the interviewee, oneself as the interviewer, and the implications of socio-cultural
backgrounds for the interview and its participants. Recording and reporting skills specifically related to
social work practice are taught and case materials from different fields of practice are employed.
CORE COMPETENCIES & PRACTICE BEHAVIORS
1. Core Competency: Identify with social work profession (2.1.1).
a) Advocate for client access to the services of social work.
b) Practice personal reflection and self-correction to assure continual professional development.
c) Attend to professional roles and boundaries.
d) Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior, appearance, and communication.
e) Engage in career-long learning.
f) Use supervision and consultation.
2. Core Competency: Apply ethical principles in practice. (2.1.2)
a) Recognize and manage personal values in a way that allows professional values to guide
practice.
b) Make ethical decisions by applying standards of the National Association of Social Workers
Code of Ethics and, as applicable, of the International Federation of Social Workers/
International Association of Schools of Social Work Ethics in Social Work, Statement of
Principles.
c) Tolerate ambiguity in resolving ethical conflicts.
d) Apply strategies of ethical reasoning to arrive at principled decisions,
3. Core Competency: Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and communities. (2.1.10)
a) Substantively and effectively prepare for action with individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and communities.
b) Use empathy and other interpersonal skills.
c) Develop a mutually agreed-on focus of work and desired outcomes.
d) Collect, organize, and interpret client data.
e) Assess client strengths and limitations.
f) Develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives.
g) Select appropriate intervention strategies.
h) Initiate actions to achieve organizational goals.
i) Implement interventions that enhance client capacities.
j) Help clients resolve problems.
k) Negotiate, mediate, and advocate for clients.
l) Facilitate transitions and endings.
m) Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate interventions.
REQUIRED TEXT(S)
Murphy, B. & Dillon, C. (2011). Interviewing in Action in a Multicultural World (4th ed). Boston:
Thompson/Brooks/Cole Publishing Co.
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
Supplementary readings will be provided in class or assigned as needed.
INTERNET AND BLACKBOARD
Course documents, course information, updates and notices pertaining to this class will appear on
Blackboard at the discretion of the instructor, School of Social Work announcements are posted on a
listserve. You are expected to subscribe to the listserve by sending a message to:
[email protected] Leave the subject line blank. The first and only line of the message will read:
subscribe gvsussw. Note, there is a space between subscribe and gvsussw.
STUDENT DISABILITY SERVICES
Any student in this class who has special needs because of a learning disability or other kinds of
disabilities must report to the Student Assistance Program located in the Student Building on the
Allendale Campus. This is a required action if you wish special consideration. Also, please feel free to
discuss this with the instructor.
For further information check the website at http://www.gvsu.edu/dss/ or call 331-2490. The office is
located at 240 Student Services Building on the GVSU Allendale campus.
ORGANIZATION OF THE COURSE
1. Students are required to attend and fully participate in all class sessions, to complete readings and
assignments on time. The instructor will employ lecture, discussion materials and in-class exercises
throughout the course. The use of video and role-plays will also be utilized.
2. In class students will be required to participate in numerous activities that provide opportunities for
them to enhance their interviewing skills; they will be required to be both the speaker and the
listener in these activities. Please remember that interviewing people and real playing can be very
challenging for beginners and often stir up certain challenges and feelings for early practitioners.
While it is encouraged that students do not discuss highly personal, sensitive, or traumatic life stories
during the real plays, it is also required that the confidentiality of each person in the class be
respected and that students not gossip or share information about each other outside of the class
setting.
3. Attendance is required and participation is expected from the undergraduate learners in this class.
Any absence beyond one is considered excessive. Absences (1) without a notice to the professor and
a great excuse may be penalized by reducing your final point total by up to five (5) points. People
who are chronically late for class ("chronically" = if I notice) may also have five (5) points deducted
from their final grade. Students will not be informed when points are deducted ahead of time.
Due Date
Ongoing
CLASS EVALUATION
Assignment
Attendance and Participation
Points
5
January 14
February 11
2. Ethics Assignment
15
February 18
3. Quiz
15
March 18
15
As assigned
30
As assigned
April 15
5
10
Class/Date
1 - Jan. 7
2 - Jan. 14
3 - Jan. 21
Topic:
Introductions, Syllabus, Interviewing Exploration
Terms, Setting and Structure of Interviews
Intro to OARS and SOLER
Ethics: Boundaries, self-disclosure, and professional
self-care.
Attending and Listening
Non-verbal Communication
4 - Jan. 28
5 - Feb. 4
Preparation/Assessment:
Chapter 1 and 3 in class
Due: Pre-Class Reflection Paper
Read Chapter 2, 12
Read Chapter 4
Read Chapter 5
Read Chapter 6
Due: Ethics Assignment
Read Chapter 8
Due: Quiz (in class)
Read Chapter 11
Relax and have fun.
Read Chapter 7
Read Chapter 13
Due: Resource Referral Assignment
Read Chapter 14
Due: Post-Class Reflection Paper
what does the NASW Code of Ethics say about this ethical issue, d) propose possible solutions, e) what
measures were put into place to resolve the ethical issue, and f) your personal feelings and thoughts
surrounding the ethical issue.
RESOURCE REFERRAL ASSIGNMENT - Students will listen to a guest speaker and have the
opportunity to ask questions in order to gather necessary information needed to make referrals for the
guest speaker. Students will need to identify the speakers needs and provide referrals within the intake
assessment. Students must provide a resource list with a minimum of five resources. Students will need
to call agencies and inquire about eligibility. Students will then write a paper, which should include the
guest speakers presenting problem, the needs of the guest speaker and information for a minimum of
five resources the guest speaker could be referred to.
STUDENT SKILLS DEMONSTRATION VIDEO ASSIGNMENT/REFLECTION PAPER - Students will
be assigned to develop and videotape an interview demonstrating fundamental interviewing skills.
These are not to be role plays, but an actual interview of actual people. Students may interview each
other, friends, family or coworkers. You MAY NOT interview clients from an agency or placement.
You will interview the individuals on one of the following topics:
1. Tell me about a change you are thinking about making.
2. Tell me about a change you were unsuccessful in making in the past.
3. Tell me about a change you are considering that you feel two ways about.
4. Tell me about a change that others think you should make.
The video should be 8-10 minutes in length. Students will be graded on the use of interviewing skills
presented in class. Videos will be critiqued in class for the purpose of helping each other improve their
interviewing skills. The videos will be due and viewed on staggered dates throughout the semester. One
week after the video is viewed a two-page reflection paper is due. Student videos are to be submitted as
an unpublished YouTube video and must be submitted to Chalk and Wire.
Your two-page reflection paper should address the following:
5. Describe how you felt at any three points of the interview.
6. What skills can you identify that you utilized well in the interview?
7. What did you notice non-verbally about the interview?
8. If you had the chance to do it over, how would you improve your performance in the interview?
PEER REFLECTION FORMS - Students will be asked to review and critique five student skill
demonstration videos when presented to the class using the peer reflection form provided to you by your
Instructor.
GRADING SCALE
100 - 96 = A 95 93 = A-
Exceptional work. Meets and exceeds many or all of the standards for assignments. Both critical
thinking and social work concepts are used effectively with work, on the whole, being clear,
precise, well-reasoned and presented. This work is consistently at a high level of intellectual
excellence.
92 90 = B+ 89 86 = B 85 82 = BBetter than average work. Meets most standards for the assignments. Displays good reasoning
and problem-solving skills. Occasional lapses into weak reasoning.
81 78 = C+ 77 74 = C 73 71 = CAverage work. Adequately addresses all or nearly all aspects of the assignments. Demonstrates
inconsistent understanding of social work concepts or process. Modest reasoning/problemsolving.
70 67 = D+ 66 64 = D
Below average work. Marginally acceptable responses to assignments or many aspects of all or
most work. Minimal understanding of critical thinking or social work content. Occasional skills
only.
63/ below = F
Failing. Unacceptable work throughout the term. Please see me before you get to this point!
Work is vague, inconsistent, and imprecise with little evidence that the student is engaged in this
course. May mean significant assignments simply not completed.
Incomplete = I
Incomplete. Students must negotiate terms for incomplete grades with me by Spring Break (unless
a physical emergency precludes this, then ASAP). We will work out a mutually beneficial contract
for course completion. You will not get an I if you do not negotiate it with me.
STUDENT SUCCESS
Faculty wants every student to succeed, and will assist you whenever possible. We are generally happy
to work with you outside of class if you will provide adequate notice, flexibility in meeting times, and
clarity as to what you need help with. If, after grading an assignment, we believe your work might
benefit from particular assistance, we will recommend this to you. It is up to you to pursue such
recommendations. Any recommendations made by faculty will be made to enhance your overall
performance with potential benefits extending beyond this course.
For on campus help, call:
Academic Resource Center, 331-3588, 200 STU
Academic Computing, 331-2038, 206 MAN
Computer Labs, Eberhard Center 331-6641, EC plus others
Excel Program, 331-3780, 132 LSH
Writing Center, 331-3451, 101 B DeVos Center
Also, see GVSUs Library and English web pages for writing assistance.
CELL PHONES
The use of cell phones in class is prohibited except for emergencies. This includes text messaging.
Please turn all cell phones and electronic devices off or at least to silent. Please arrange alternative
coverage with your employer or field agency.
RECORDING POLICY
The use of technology in the classroom is a privilege not a right. Students are prohibited from
videoing, audio recording, and photographing the professors lectures and/or class activities
without the prior expressed written consent of the instructor. Recording lectures is a direct violation
of copyright laws. A student with a documented disability may obtain permission to record the professor
as indicated by the students disability letter (see Course Accommodation). Should a student have issues
or concerns about the opinions expressed by the professor or classroom activities please first discuss the
issue with the professor and if this is not possible please share your concerns with the BSW or MSW
program directors.
SCHOOL CLOSURES & CLASS CANCELATIONS
Conditions rarely result in a decision to close GVSU. Your personal safety comes first. My class
policy is to abide by the schools policy. Should our GVSU campus be closed, then my class is
automatically cancelled and you can consider anything due or expected at this class to be due or
expected at the next scheduled class period (e.g., if we had a quiz this week but class is cancelled, next
week you can expect a quiz). Should such an event occur, you can most likely anticipate that I will email
you to offer further detail explaining how I plan to deal with the situation. When there is a shutdown,
news is posted on the GVSU's homepage at gvsu.edu
APA WRITING REQUIREMENTS
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. Washington, DC:
American Psychological Association, 2010.
GENERAL APA GUIDELINES
1. Essay should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on
all sides using 10-12 pt. Times New Roman font or a similar font.
2. The title page should contain the title of the paper, the author's name, and the institutional
affiliation.
3. Always capitalize proper nouns, including author names and initials: D. Jones.
4. If you refer to the title of a source within your paper, capitalize all words that are four letters long
or greater within the title of a source: Permanence and Change. Exceptions apply to short words
that are verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs: Writing New Media, There Is Nothing
Left to Lose.
5. When capitalizing titles, capitalize both words in a hyphenated compound word: Natural-Born
Cyborgs.
6. Italicize or underline the titles of longer works such as books, edited collections, movies,
television series, documentaries, or albums: The Closing of the American Mind; The Wizard of
Oz; Friends.
7. When writing in APA Style, the first person point of view ("I studied ...") is rarely used. First
person is not often found in APA publications unless the writer is a senior scholar who has
earned some credibility to speak as an expert in the field. Third person point of view ("The study
showed ...) should always be used.
8. Clarity and conciseness in writing are important when conveying research in APA Style. Avoid
confusing the readers with wordiness or unnecessarily complex sentences. For clarity, be
specific rather than vague in descriptions and explanations. Unpack details accurately to provide
adequate information to your readers so they can follow the development of your study.
9. Use of unbiased language in all papers and presentations according to the guidelines in Table 2.1
(pp.70-76).
10. Avoid Poetic Language by minimizing the amount of figurative language used in an APA
paper, such as metaphors and analogies unless they are helpful in conveying a complex idea,
also, avoid rhyming schemes, alliteration, or other poetic devices typically found in verse. Use
simple, descriptive adjectives and plain language that does not risk confusing your meaning.
11. Avoid labeling whenever possible by making adjustments in the use of identifiers and other
linguistic categories can improve the clarity of your writing and minimize the likelihood of
offending your readers.
12. Avoid Gendered Pronouns; be clear about the sex identity of your participants (if you conducted
an experiment), so that gender differences are obvious, you should not use gender terms when
they aren't necessary. In other words, you should not use "he," "his" or "men" as generic terms
applying to both sexes.
To avoid the bias of using gendered pronouns:
Rephrase the sentence
Use plural nouns or plural pronouns - this way you can use "they" or "their"
Replace the pronoun with an article - instead of "his," use "the"
Drop the pronoun - many sentences sound fine if you just omit the troublesome "his"
from the sentence.
Replace the pronoun with a noun such as "person," "individual," "child," "researcher,"
etc.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR APA IN TEXT CITATION
When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's
last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, for example, (Jones,
1998), and a complete reference should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper. Reference
citations in text are covered on pages 169-179 of the Publication Manual.
1. When referencing or summarizing a source, provide the author and year.
2. When quoting or summarizing a particular passage, include the specific page number, as well.
3. When quoting in your paper, if a direct quote is less than 40 words, incorporate it into your text
and use quotation marks. If a direct quote is more than 40 words, make the quotation a freestanding indented block of text and DO NOT use quotation marks.
4. Examples of in text citation;
One work by one author:
In one developmental study (Smith, 1990), children learned... OR
In the study by Smith (1990), primary school children... OR
In 1990, Smiths study of primary school children
One Work by two to five authors cite both names every time you reference the work in
the text. When a work has three to five authors cite all the author names the first time the
reference occurs and then subsequently include only the first author followed by et al. For
example:
First citation: Masserton, Slonowski, and Slowinski (1989) state that...
Subsequent citations: Masserton et al. (1989) state that...
One work by Six or more authors.
For 6 or more authors, cite only the name of the first author followed by et al. and the
year.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR AN APA REFERENCE LIST
In general, references should contain the author name, publication date, title, and publication
information. Include the issue number if the journal is paginated by issue.
1. In the references list, only the first word of a title will be capitalized.
2. Interviews are only to be cited. Cited in text as (Personal communication, Smith, J.K.,
September, 6 2003).
3. All lines after the first line of each entry in your reference list should be indented one-half inch
from the left margin. This is called hanging indentation.
4. Authors' names are inverted (last name first); give the last name and initials for all authors of a
particular work for up to and including seven authors. If the work has more than seven authors,
list the first six authors and then use ellipses after the sixth author's name. After the ellipses, list
the last author's name of the work.
5. Reference list entries should be alphabetized by the last name of the first author of each work.
6. Capitalize all major words in journal titles.
7. Italicize titles of longer works such as books and journals.
8. Do not italicize, underline, or put quotes around the titles of shorter works such as journal
articles or essays in edited collections.
9. Please note: While the APA manual provides many examples of how to cite common types of
sources, it does not provide rules on how to cite all types of sources. Therefore, if you have a source
that APA does not include, APA suggests that you find the example that is most similar to your
source and use that format. For more information, see page 193 of the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association, sixth edition.
Book:
Strunk, W., Jr., & White, E. B. (1979). The guide to everything and then some more stuff.
New York, NY: Macmillan.
Gregory, G., & Parry, T. (2006). Designing brain-compatible learning (3rd ed.). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Chapter of a Book:
Bergquist, J. M. (1992). German Americans. In J. D. Buenker & L. A. Ratner (Eds.),
Multiculturalism in the United States: A comparative guide to acculturation and
ethnicity (pp. 53-76). New York, NY: Greenwood.
Journal Article:
Becker, L. J., & Seligman, C. (1981). Welcome to the energy crisis. Journal of Social Issues, 37(2),
1-7.
Hamfi, A. G. (1981). The funny nature of dogs. E-journal of Applied Psychology, 2(2), 38