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Programs

Special Programs

The Family Support Program
The School Social Work Program
Older Adults Studies Program

Students on campus talking outside during the springtime.Special programs including certificates, clusters, and designated areas of interest are all enhancements of the SSA curriculum that allow students to tailor their degree program more closely to their professional interests. By using electives in the degree program to meet requirements of a special program, students may build a curriculum that uniquely addresses their interests and prepares them for work in a particular area of social work.

Each of the special programs have prescribed requirements, either required courses or sets of courses from which students may choose. Importantly, each program combines study with a related field experience to allow students to connect their theoretical learning with their practical experience.

The Family Support Program

In order to meet the growing national need for preventive and community-oriented services for families, SSA has created a specialization in family support/family centered programs. These programs emphasize an ecological and preventive approach. To this end, they help families to function more effectively. The family support specialization addresses individual, group, administrative, and community practice.

The specialized curriculum consists of three courses, an integrative seminar, and a specialized field placement. The courses have been designed for students interested in clinical practice, social administration, or both. Students begin the specialization in the autumn quarter of their second year by taking SSA 427. Family Support Foundations and Practice, and SSA 429: Community Partnerships for Family Support.

Students who specialize in family support choose an internship specifically designed for this program. The family support courses are open to all master's-level students.

The School Social Work Program

The school social work program is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, values, and experience needed to prepare them for certification as school social workers. Through the combination of course work and field work, students in the school social work program are provided a specialized curriculum that will enable them to become effective practitioners within the context of the public school system.

In addition to the requirements of the clinical practice concentration, students in the school social work program are required to take three classes specifically designed for their specialization. Students are required to take SSA 433 The Exceptional Child and SSA 416 Public School Systems and Service Populations. The course on exceptional children is directed at the role of the school social worker in providing service to these children and their families in a school setting. Methods of evaluating disorders and current research in the field are covered. The course Public School Systems and Service Populations is designed to acquaint students with the organization of the public schools, implementation of special education mandates, services to culturally and economically diverse populations, and the role of the social worker in a variety of public school settings. In addition, students are required to take a specialized three-quarter case seminar (SSA 401) that integrates academic work with field experiences in the school setting. Students bring case material for analysis and discussion.


Older Adults Studies Program

To advance the preparation of geriatric social workers and to strengthen the quality of care given to a growing older population, SSA developed an Older Adult Studies program.  Social workers bring a unique, multi-faceted perspective to working with older adults. Their training develops the capacity to respond to an older person's need for support and intervention in multiple domains.  Social workers bring an understanding of an older person's strengths and resiliency as well as strong assessment, problem-solving, and advocacy skills. This program combines an understanding of the person-in-environment as well as an awareness of the web of institutional relationships linking the older adult to society and social policy. Students will be prepared to practice in an evolving healthcare environment.

Three courses are required, including a course on the bio-phychosocial aspects of aging, a course on mental health issues in aging, and a course on policies on aging. Also offered will be an integrative seminar, required of all students in the program. The seminar will provide an opportunity for students to apply theories from courses to work in the field. Students will complete a second-year paper developed from course work and fieldwork. The seminar meets twice a week for three quarters, carries one course credit, and satisfies the requirements for SSA 401 in the clinical concentration and SSA 462 in the social administration concentration. Stipends are available.