Fall 2025 SOWK 530 Week 01 Introduction to Foundations of Social Work Practice I

Fall 2025 SOWK 530 Week 01 Introduction to Foundations of Social Work Practice I

title: Fall 2025 SOWK 530 Week 01 Introduction to Foundations of Social Work Practice I date: 2025-08-25 22:50:37 location: Heritage University tags:

• Heritage University
• MSW Program
• SOWK 530 presentation_video: > Fall 2025 SOWK 530 Week 01 description: >

Welcome to the first official week of your MSW program and SOWK 530. This class is the direct client practice class that you have for your generalist curriculum. This week is asynchronous. I have a lecture video that introduces students to this class, covering your activities in general and for this week. Each week, you will have asynchronous learning tasks to engage in. Every other week, we will also meet in person to practice skills. Students will read the first two chapters of Hepworth et al. (2023), which help introduce social work as a profession and the theories and values that drive us. I have forums asking you to connect to that content, considering the core social work values, the interconnection of social work perspectives, and what makes us distinct as professionals, and our role in the community.

Agenda for Lecture Video:

• Getting settled into the class
• Reviewing the syllabus
• Scholarship
• NASW Core Values

The learning objectives this week include:

• To identify the structure of this course, the assignments used to facilitate learning and demonstrate competency, and what to expect this semester.
• To understand the expectations around academic integrity.
• Evaluate the NASW code of ethics and how you connect with the social work’s core values.
• Explore the roles social workers take in the community and understand who we are as a profession and why.

Plan for Week One

Agenda

• Getting settled into the class
• Reviewing the syllabus
• Scholarship
• NASW Core Values

Learning Objectives

• To identify the structure of this course, the assignments used to facilitate learning and demonstrate competency, and what to expect this semester.
• To understand the expectations around academic integrity.

Week 01 Content

Content

• Watch my lecture video (will be uploaded Monday)
• Review the course syllabus
• Read Hepworth et al. (2023) Chapter 1 The Challenges and Opportunities of Social Work
• Read Hepworth et al. (2023) Chapter 2 Orienting Frameworks for Social Work Practice

A-02 W-01 Asynchronous Engagement

• I want this program to be a place where we build community, the forum Introductions and Getting Started starts that conversation.
• Social work is a value based profession, and How You Connect With the NASW Core Values gives you a space to share how you relate.
• The forum, What Makes the Orienting Perspective Orienting, asks students to consider some of the interconnection of theories of practice for social workers.
• Social justice and direct practice are intertwined in social work. The forum Influence of Social Problems on Social Work ask students consider what social problems aren’t included in the textbook but still influence social work.
• Share your perspectives about What Social Workers Role in Communities as a part of the foundation of social work practice.
• I also have a space for you to ask any Questions About This Course you might have.

A-03 Reading Quiz

Complete W-01 Hepworth et al. (2023) Chapters 01 and 02

MyHeritage

I want to start off by showing you around MyHeritage.

• Show course assignments
• Week pages
• Syllabus section
• pull up syllabus

Course Syllabus

You should read through this fully. We are going to generally talk though some of it.

Meet Your Instructor

At the top of the syllabus, you will notice…

You can just call me Jacob or Dr. Jacob (Campbell is fine as well… but)… Related Power/privilege

• Work and teaching experience
• Research and population interests
• Associate professorship
• Contact practices and office hours

How does this course fit in your generalist sequence

Only real practice class. Basis is two classes from BSW

Textbook and Helpful Resources

Textbook: Empowerment Series: Direct Social Work Practice Theory and Skills (11th ed.)

Helpful Resources

• APA Style Guide
• Google Scholar
• Eagle Search

Also check out the library guides.

Format of the Class

• Lecture
• Role plays and practice opportunities
• Small group discussion
• Whole group discussion
• Lab days (not further practice with topic)
• Plan for home visit

Course Assignments

Academic Integrity: and Generative Artificial Intelligence

I want to talk a little about using generative AI and how you might think about.

First, I have an attachment that was developed by a faculty committee considering Heritage and the use of AI. That is in the handouts. It basically just says to ask and to recognize it is different between different places.

Show Document: Al Essentials for Students at Heritage University.

It describes the ethical considerations including

• Originality: All submitted work must be your own. Using Al to assist is not the same as having Al do the work for you. Only use it within the bounds permitted by your instructor.
• Acknowledge Al use: If you use generative Al, cite it as instructed. Ask if you’re unsure. (Citation formats like APA, MLA, and Chicago now include guidance for Al.)
• Protect your data: Never share personal, sensitive, or confidential information with public Al tools.
• Use protected platforms: When possible, use institutionally supported Al tools like Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection to safeguard your information.

In the use, I also encourage you to think about your development of critical thinking skills and meta analysis that you have to do as social workers, but that can’t really be relegated to a machine (maybe story of graphic design from Fedrico). We won’t get into the potential future threats around information and ecological concerns.

I want to talk about hallucinations. I have to screen shots from 2023/2024 with bad results.

AI saying that add glue to make cheese stick to pizza

or AI saying that Christof Wandratsch completing it in 14 h 51 min in 2020 cross the channel on foot.

To give context, he did In August 2005 he set the world record for the fastest ever swim of the English Channel in a time of 7 h 03 mins

I have another screenshot asking the same question today and it recognizes that as a failed prompt before (because other people have written about it)

What I want you to realize is that it doesn’t know anything. It is making logical guesses about how to describe things and sometimes it completely makes those things up. I think this will continue to improve but it can’t be trusted for 100 % accuracy.

So… here are my…

• Hopes & Concerns: Can help us all level of and improve the work that we do. I already talked about my concerns.
• Appropriate: Getting ideas, brainstorming, asking it to review work that you’ve done and get feedback
• Inappropriate Uses: Asking it to write your forum or papers, over reliance

Save the Work You Do

First I think the information and work that you create, you should save and organize it.

• Save articles you read (Zotero, Bookends, Mendeley, Endnote, Refworks)
• Save papers that you write
• Save notes you take about a topic

Student Papers in APA

Two links, go through and review them.

• Student Paper Setup Guide
• Annotated Student Paper

Style Guide Website

Style and Grammar Guidelines

NASW Core Values

In the preamble section, the NASW Code of Ethics gives six different values.

[Whole Class Activity] Go through each of the six values and discuss how they connect with my life and how I understand them personally.

1. Service: Talk I once heard about service. I think about this we as social workers have to get our jeans a little bit dirty. (The provision of help, resources, and benefits so that people may achieve their maximum potential.)
2. Social Justice: I think about social justice seeing people in a food line. We have the two fold responsibility to say lets make sure you get some food and are ok… but lets also look at the systems that made it possible for you to be here in the first place and tear them down. I haven’t been as active as I would like, but somewhat active in local protests and organizing. (The idea that in a perfect world, all citizens would have “the same basic rights, protection, and opportunities, obligations, and social benefits.”)
3. Dignity and worth of the person: I’m reminded of reading Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America by Mike Yankoski… and his discussion of just even looking at people who are homeless. (Holding people in high esteem and appreciating individual value)
4. Importance of human relationships: Building rapport with our clients, colleagues, and for me… people all around the world. (Valuing the “mutual emotional exchange; dynamic interaction ; and affective, cognitive and behavioral connections… which creates atmosphere”)
5. Integrity: After graduating from the Master’s Commission, my pastor gave me a compass that I keep on my desk as a reminder to follow what’s right (trustworthiness and sound adherence to moral ideals)
6. Competence: Constantly growing, improving… think Dreyfus model of skill acquisition. (Necessary skills and abilities)

I look forward to hearing how you relate to these in the forums.