MSW6102 Social Work Practice with Marginalized Populations
Week 1 Assignment 1
: Apply Theoretical Perspectives to Real Life
Instructions
Social workers must apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse clients and constituencies. Using the resources from this week and others you may locate, apply at least one of the following theories of oppression to a personal or professional experience of oppression that you have encountered; internalized oppression, oppression by imposition, institutional oppression, oppression by deprivation, or microaggression. The encounter could be one where you were the oppressor or the oppressed, or you were assisting a client who was oppressed. Remember that social workers present themselves as learners and engage clients and constituencies as experts of their own experiences.
Explain the situation in detail and apply an appropriate theory of oppression to explain the dynamics of the interaction and how the population who was oppressed could be advocated for. Also, identify which face of oppression occurred in the scenario. Remember that social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy.
Length: 3-5 pages, not including title and reference pages.
Support your assignment with at least three scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources may be included.
Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards. Be sure to adhere to Northcentral University's Academic Integrity Policy.
MSW6102 Social Work Practice with Marginalized Populations
Week 1 Assignment 2
: Analyze Your Role in Engaging in Practices that Advance Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Instructions
For the second assignment this week, schedule a meeting with your professor via a virtual platform or telephone. During the meeting, explain your personal reaction to the incident you wrote about in Assignment 1. Additionally, now that you know theories of oppression, what do you view as your role in engaging in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice, such as the situation you wrote about in Assignment 1?
How would you engage in policy practice to advocate for clients who represent this population?
How do you apply your understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels?
How did this experience help you understand the importance of engaging in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice?
Alternate assignment: If unable to schedule the meeting, discuss the above with your professor via electronic communication such as email.
MSW6102 Social Work Practice with Marginalized Populations
Week 2 Assignment:
Analyze Barriers to Culturally Informed Practice
Instructions
Social workers understand how diversity and difference characterize and shape the human experience and are critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors. Social workers recognize the importance of evaluating processes and outcomes to advance practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness and understand strategies designed to eliminate oppressive structural barriers. For this week’s assignment, imagine you have been asked to present a continuing education (CEU) workshop to a social service agency that focuses on the unique needs of a marginalized and/or diverse population. The agencies employees have little to no knowledge about the population you are presenting on. Create a professional PowerPoint presentation about this population for your workshop.
First, choose a marginalized and/or diverse population that has personal or professional significance to you. Then, identify the unique needs of your population. Finally, assess how social welfare and economic policies impact the delivery of and access to social services and analyze all potential barriers this population may encounter when trying to meet those needs (e.g., accessing social services, housing, education, health care, employment, or legal assistance). Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to engage with clients and constituencies in your analysis.
Incorporate appropriate animations, transitions, and graphics as well as speaker notes for each slide. The speaker notes may be comprised of brief paragraphs or bulleted lists and should cite material appropriately. Add audio to each slide using Voice over PowerPoint or Kaltura video. Click on the links to get instructions.
Support your presentation with at least three scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources may be included.
Length: 12-15 slides (with a separate reference slide)
Notes Length: 100-150 words for each slide
Be sure to include citations for quotations and paraphrases with references in APA format and style where appropriate. Save the file as PPT with the correct course code information.
MSW6102 Social Work Practice with Marginalized Populations
Week 3 Assignment:
Illustrate the Assessment and Application of Research-Informed Practice
Instructions
Social workers understand that evidence that informs practice derives from multi-disciplinary sources and multiple ways of knowing. They also understand the processes for translating research findings into effective practice. This week, you will create a hypothetical blog for MSW professionals. The focus of your blog is explaining the strengths-based perspective and how it has been incorporated into research-informed practice. Social workers are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation and recognize the importance of evaluating processes and outcomes to advance practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. Highlight how this approach is particularly beneficial when working with marginalized and/or diverse populations. Be sure to include at least two hypothetical case studies that demonstrate how the perspective can be applied in practice with groups and communities.
Length of blog: 5-7 pages, not including title and reference pages. Support your blog with at least three scholarly sources.
Your blog must be effectively designed and meet the following criteria:
Contains text that is readable (e.g., appropriate size of font, type of font, contrasts with the background, contains sufficient white space),
Include information within the blog that supports the assignment.
Ensure any included links are active and work.
Contains at least one graphic.
Contains the same template throughout with a consistent design.
Your blog should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your submission should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards where appropriate. Be sure to adhere to Northcentral University's Academic Integrity Policy.
MSW6102 Social Work Practice with Marginalized Populations
Week 4 Assignment:
Explore the Needs of Migrant Children
Instructions
Social workers understand the global interconnections of oppression and human rights violations, and are knowledgeable about theories of human need and social justice and strategies to promote social and economic justice and human rights. Social workers also understand strategies designed to eliminate oppressive structural barriers.
Envision yourself working as a manager for a non-profit child welfare agency in a large metropolitan city in the Southwestern United States. There has been a recent increase in undocumented immigrants whose children have been abandoned, by choice or force, and the children are now entering the foster care system. Your agency has accepted a contract to help place some of these minor children into care. Your agency historically has not dealt with issues involving illegal immigration, so caseworkers are coming to you with multiple questions regarding understanding legal terms and immigration status.
You have decided to create a professional brochure that caseworkers can use as a reference point for themselves and with potential foster parents. The goal is to increase everyone’s literacy and competency regarding issues of immigration.
In your brochure, include the following:
Identify and explain common legal classifications for minor
immigrants and their families.
Document the federal laws that impact undocumented minors.
Explore the various ways that minors can legally remain in the United States.
Provide additional website resources that may be useful.
Identify resources and services in your community for immigrants and their families.
Length: 2-3 pages, not including title and reference pages.
Support your assignment with at least three scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources may be included.
Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards. Be sure to adhere to Northcentral University's Academic Integrity Policy.
MSW6102 Social Work Practice with Marginalized Populations
Week 5 Assignment:
Examine a Current Event Impacting the LGBTQ+ Population
Instructions
Social workers understand how diversity and difference characterize and shape the human experience and are critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors that lead to an understanding that, as a consequence of difference, a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege, power, and acclaim. For this week’s assignment, research a current event in the geographical location in which you live/work. This event must be a topic related to the LGBTQ+ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Pansexual, Transgender, Genderqueer, Queer, Intersexed, Agender, Asexual, and Ally community). Be sure the topic is relevant to the field of social work practice (micro or macro). Imagine you have been asked by a local social service non-profit to deliver a professional talk on this subject within the context that social workers recognize personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. They also understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions influence their professional judgment and behavior. Keep in mind that you should also include content related to the understanding of strategies designed to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social goods, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that civil, political, environmental, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected. The information will be delivered via a professional narrated PowerPoint. Be sure to include the following information:
Define the issue and provide a brief history.
Explain how this issue ties into oppression and/or marginalization including the importance for social workers to understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to effectively intervene with clients and constituencies.
Recommend at least two research-informed micro or macro practice interventions to address the issue keeping in mind that social workers must critically choose and implement interventions to achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of clients and constituencies.
Describe how you might negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of diverse clients and constituencies to connect them to local resources that can aid in reducing oppressive barriers to accessing resources/assistance.
Incorporate appropriate animations, transitions, and graphics as well as speaker notes for each slide. The speaker notes may be comprised of brief paragraphs or bulleted lists and should cite material appropriately. Add audio to each slide using the Media section of the Insert tab in the top menu bar for each slide.
Support your presentation with at least three scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate resources may be included such as a reference to state regulations and legislation.
Length: 12-15 slides (with a separate reference slide)
Notes Length: 100-150 words for each slide
Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards. Be sure to adhere to Northcentral University's Academic Integrity Policy.
MSW6102 Social Work Practice with Marginalized Populations
Week 6 Assignment:
Apply an Advocacy Strategy to Engage in Policy Practice with Homeless Veterans
Instructions
Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Social workers also understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, and cultural exclusions, may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create privilege and power. Social workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing and implementing evidence-informed interventions to achieve client and constituency goals. This week, imagine you are completing your advanced practicum at a local homeless shelter. You have been assigned to complete intakes for new clients who seek assistance from the shelter. Over the course of your practicum, you notice a trend that an increasing number of veterans (of all ages and gender identifications) are seeking assistance from the shelter. You have also observed that their needs are unique when compared to other homeless clients.
You have observed that the shelter offers no specialized assessment or strategies of intervention for veteran clients. You ask your practicum supervisor if you can develop a proposal for meeting the unique needs of homeless veterans. Your supervisor likes your initiative and the way it is aligned with how social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. She supports your interest in actively engaging in policy practice to effect change within those settings and requests that you do the following:
Write a formal proposal that can be presented to shelter leadership.
Explain the unique needs of homeless veterans
Determine effective strategies of advocacy for this population.
Recommend additional community resources that may be of benefit to shelter caseworkers who work with this population.
Length: 5-7 pages, not including title and reference pages.
Support your assignment with at least three scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources may be included.
Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards. Be sure to adhere to Northcentral University's Academic Integrity Policy.
MSW6102 Social Work Practice with Marginalized Populations
Week 7 Assignment:
Evaluate a Micro Level Evidence-Based Intervention
Instructions
Social workers understand that evidence that informs practice derives from multi-disciplinary sources and multiple ways of knowing. They also understand the processes for translating research findings into effective practice which also understands the dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors.
Choose a marginalized and/or diverse population that has personal or professional significance to you. Imagine you are the grant writer for a local non-profit agency and you are applying for a grant to obtain funds to implement an evidence-based intervention for this population. The clinical director at the agency has asked you to locate an intervention and present it to them for approval before you write the grant. Utilizing SAMHSA’s Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center, locate a micro-focused intervention for your chosen population.
Then, create a professional PowerPoint that defends your choice of intervention when you meet with the clinical director. Be sure to include the following:
Provide the name of the program/intervention.
Explain the program/intervention and how it would best address the unique cultural needs of your population. Demonstrate your ability to understand the processes for translating research findings into effective practice which also understands the dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors
Because social workers recognize the importance of evaluating processes and outcomes to advance practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness, you must determine the program’s outcomes (from research conducted on SAMHSA).
Defend how the program would eliminate barriers for your population.
Document necessary resources and/or estimated costs associated with program implementation.
Incorporate appropriate animations, transitions, and graphics as well as speaker notes for each slide. The speaker notes may be comprised of brief paragraphs or bulleted lists and should cite material appropriately. Add audio to each slide using the Media section of the Insert tab in the top menu bar for each slide.
Support your presentation with at least three scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources may be included.
Length: 12-15 slides (with a separate reference slide)
Notes Length: 100-150 words for each slide
Be sure to include citations for quotations and paraphrases with references in APA format and style where appropriate. Save the file as PPT with the correct course code information.
MSW6102 Social Work Practice with Marginalized Populations
Week 8 Signature Assignment:
Analyze and Evaluate Community Services and Programs for Marginalized and/or Diverse Populations
Instructions
Social workers must be able to use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery. They must also be able to apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Throughout your MSW program, you have been asked to select a topic and/or population of focus. This week, you will be incorporating this focus into your Signature Assignment. For the Signature Assignment, identify a marginalized and/or diverse population that is related to your focus topic and create a professional guidebook that can be utilized in your local community. Be sure the guidebook includes the following:
Provide a culturally sensitive description of this population and its unique characteristics with special attention to the intersectionality of multiple factors.
Explain the common human needs and strengths of this population demonstrating your ability to apply and communicate understanding of the importance of diversity and difference in shaping life experiences in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro level.
Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Assess your local community’s ability to meet the needs of this population. Determine which services are, and are not, available.
Describe challenges that may occur when working with this population and be sure to include the importance of evaluating processes and outcomes to advance practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness..
Explore potential barriers to effective intervention in your local community.
Recommend effective micro and macro strategies for intervention and advocacy that could be implemented in your community.
Support your assignment with at least five scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including seminal articles, may be included.
Length: 10-12 pages, not including title and reference pages
Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards. Be sure to adhere to Northcentral University's Academic Integrity Policy.
