Spring 2026 SOWK 487w Week 01 - Introduction to Theories of Practice II

Spring 2026 SOWK 487w Week 01 - Introduction to Theories of Practice II

title: Spring 2026 SOWK 487w Week 01 - Introduction to Theories of Practice II date: 2026-01-21 12:19:29 location: Heritage University tags:

• Heritage University
• BASW Program
• SOWK 487w presentation_video: > “” description: >

In week one, we are focused on getting set up for SOWK 487w Theories of Practice II. We will look at understanding the class format, reviewing the syllabus, and generally getting started for the semester. Theories of Practice II’s premise is connecting philosophies of practice for working with therapeutic and task groups and families. The agenda for this week is as follows:

• Initial activity
• Discuss class
• Review syllabus

Learning Objectives for the class session include:

• Understand the SOWK 487w course and its expectations for the semester.
• Experience two group icebreaker activities that could be used in their own groups
• Determine teams for group assignments

Land Acknowledgement

I want to start off our class honoring the land our university and this class takes place in.

First we recognize that

Yakmumani Tiicham (The land of the Yakama People). We would like to acknowledge that we are coming to you from the traditional lands of the first people of our valley, the 14 Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and we honor with gratitude the land itself and the Yakama People.

As well our class is located in Pasco, is on the ancestral homelands of the Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Yakama, and Palouse peoples. I also desire to honor and acknowledge them as well.

The full land acknowledgment is as follows:

Heritage University occupies its home on the traditional lands of the Yakama People. These ancestral homelands are the Yakama, Palouse, Pisquouse, Wenatshapam, Klikatat, Klinquit, Kow- was-say-ee, Li-ay-was, Skin-pah, Wish-ham, Shyiks, Ochechotes, Kah-milt-pa, and Se-ap-cat, who today are represented by the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation (Treaty of 1855) and, whose relationship with this land continues to this day. Heritage University, grounded in the vision of the two Yakama women founders, respects Indigenous peoples as traditional guardians of the lands and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous peoples and their traditional territories. We offer gratitude for the land itself, for those who have stewarded it for generations, and for the opportunity to study, learn, work, and be in community on this land. We acknowledge that our university’s history, like many others, is fundamentally tied to the first colonial developments in the Yakima Valley. Finally, we respectfully acknowledge and honor past, present, and future Indigenous students who will journey through this home called Heritage University.

The Walk - X-Files

[Whole Class Activity] Watch a clip from the X-Files Video about a group therapy session for persons in a wheel chair.

Start 6:21 End 8:38

The hope is with this class we will get the opportunity to learn how to deal with difficult situations in facilitating groups.

Week 1 Agenda and Learning Objectives

Agenda

• Initial activity
• Discuss class
• Review syllabus

Learning Objectives

• Understand the SOWK 487w course and its expectations for the semester.
• Experience two group icebreaker activities that could be used in their own groups
• Determine teams for group assignments

Reflection on Break and M&Ms

I hope that you all had a wonderful break. Because this is a groups class, I try to introduce you guys to a number of group activities that you can use for groups yourselves. This is one:

Have people come and get as many or as few M&M’s as they so desire. Tell them to wait to eat them.

-> Click

Go through by color and have people answer based on the color of candy that they have. Questions as follows:

Red: favorite activity done during break Green: favorite food eaten over the holidays Yellow: favorite movie or TV show Orange: tradition that is unique to your family Brown: something you are looking forward to this year Blue: wild cards

Managing Expectations (1 of 3)

I just want to bring back a reminder and thoughts about expectations.

Managing Expectations (2 of 3)

What we want to be able to do is come to a place where we are able to meet in the middle with out expectations… and that you’re happy and so am I.

• Cooperative Arrangement
  • Break vs. leaving early
  • Sharing the air
• Nonnegotiable
  • Timeliness
  • Participation
  • High academic standards
• Open / laid back
• Having fun

Managing Expectations (3 of 3) BRAVING Innovatory

This class has to be a space where we can build trust. I love Brenee Brown and the work she does. We will come back to her a few times this year. I want to lay out what she calls the BRAVING innovatory. These are the domains that are necessary for having a space that can have trust built and my expectation for us in this class:

The acronym BRAVING breaks down trust into seven elements: Boundaries, Reliability, Accountability, Vault, Integrity, Nonjudgment, and Generosity.

• Boundaries: Setting boundaries is making clear what’s okay and what’s not okay, and why.
• Reliability: You do what you say you’ll do. At work, this means staying aware of your competencies and limitations so you don’t overpromise and are able to deliver on commitments and balance competing priorities.
• Accountability: You own your mistakes, apologize, and make amends.
• Vault: You don’t share information or experiences that are not yours to share. I need to know that my confidences are kept, and that you’re not sharing with meany information about other people that should be confidential.
• Integrity: Choosing courage over comfort; choosing what’s right over what’s fun, fast, or easy; and practicing your values, not just professing them.
• Nonjudgment: I can ask for what I need, and you can ask for what you need. We can talk about how we feel without judgment.
• Generosity: Extending the most generous interpretation to the intentions, words, and actions of others.

Text adapted from Brown (2021).

Reviewing Syllabus

• Go section by section

Course Foundation and Purpose

• Course Description
• Course Purpose
• Relationship to Other Sequences and/or Other Courses

Competencies & Objectives

This course is a core class and will include content for a number of the EPAS, there is no Key Assignment or specifically identified class.

1. Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
2. Advance Human Rights and Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice
3. Engage Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) in Practice
4. Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice
5. Engage in Policy Practice
6. Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
7. Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities
8. Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations,and Communities
9. Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations,and Communities

Textbook and Helpful Resources

We use four chapters from your textbook last semester.

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

Helpful Resources

• APA Style Guide
• OWL at Purdue
• Google Scholar
• Eagle Search

Supplemental Texts

The majority of the reading this semester is based on supplemental texts. They are all uploaded onto MyHeritage and available as handouts each of the weeks.

The following are the titles of the articles you will be reading:

• Mutual support groups for long-term recipients of TANF
• It takes a village: Applying a social ecological framework of resilience in working with LGBTQ youth
• Fostering empowerment in online support groups
• A model for interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Social workers helping each other during the COVID-19 pandemic: Online mutual support groups
• Engaging families in child & youth mental health: A review of best, emerging and promising practices
• Navigating SEL from the inside out: Looking inside & across 33 leading SEL programs. A practical resource for schools and OST providers. Preschool & elementary focus
• Social skills practice strategy opportunities for students with EBD
• Understanding participatory action research: A qualitative research methodology option
• Ten principles of good interdisciplinary team work
• An overview of dialectical behavior therapy for professional psychologists.
• Chapter 9 - Pyschoeducaitonal Groups
• Chapter 7 - Cognitive-behavioral group work
• An integrated trauma-informed, mutual aid model of group work
• The group work tradition and social work practice
• Case study 7-1: A mutual-aid support group for persons with AIDS in early substance abuse recovery
• Supporting new community-based participatory research partnerships.
• Circle of hope: A guide for conducting psychoeducational support groups (2nd ed.)

Assignment Overview

There are five assignments this semester

Format of the Class and Expectations

• Lecture
• Role plays and practice opportunities
• Small group discussion
• Whole group discussion
• Group Activities

Course Expectations: After completing the week’s reading, students are expected to engage during class sessions. Because this is a practice class, students are encouraged to experiment and be willing to try new things.

APA Formatting

Class Schedule

The class schedule is detailed below

The first four weeks of class are focused on families as groups. Then we move on to talk about group work (task and therapeutic)

Tentative Schedule

Review the schedule briefly

Planning A Movie Watch Party

During week 4, I have a movie I want you to watch. I know everybody might not want to purchase it, and it isn’t streaming anywhere. I traditionally have done this via Zoom, but am also open to it being at the Kennewick Campus.

[Whole Group Activity] Solicit student thoughts

I’ve never

Before we get into picking groups and finishing the rest of the syllabus, I am going to have participate in a group game.

• Description: Set up chairs into a circle. Have one less chair then clients and staff. Have a staff member be the first to describe activity and participate. The person in the middle tells something that they have never done (must be appropriate). Everybody that has done the stated activity stands up and must find a new seat. Whoever is unable to get a seat must do the next “I’ve Never”
• Purpose: I’ve never is a mostly a get to know the other people activity. It can be used as a fun engagement activity and increases the comfort level of the group.

Selecting members for group projects

What are some of the formats people are interested in doing group work in the community as a population.

• Have people pick who they want to do their group intervention with.

For the Family Treatment Plan groups

Allow pick own groups or I pick for them?

Information Sections (1 of 2)

• Attendance
  • Grading
  • Being responsible (professionalism EPAS 1.1)
  • Reasonable Accommodation for Religious Holidays
• Support and Resources
  • Tutoring at the ASC
  • Library
  • Credit Hours
• Credit Hour Requirements
  • Framework to give an idea about what to expect with a course.

Academic Honesty

Who’s information is this?

• What academic honesty means
• How LLMs and AI fits into academic honesty.
• Use of Turnitin this semester

Information Sections (2 of 2)

• Campus Security & Safety
  • Contact information
  • Snow days
• Accommodation Policy
  • Options and help available
  • Safe Attendance Reminder

Rubrics

• How I use them
• Scoring
• Feedback

Upcoming Tasks

Don’t forget to do your reading engagement and check-in question for this week. Next weeks reading is Chapter 10 in the Hepworth text.