SW–110 INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY SERVICES ON GUAM
FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course is about services available in Guam to meet human needs and to alleviate social problems. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibilities and respect for diversities are introduced and discussed. Student learn to conceptualize human needs and human service organizations, and to explore and describe demographic characteristics and cultural diversities in Guam. Emphasis is on the development of knowledge from the perspective of consumers of human services and on skills necessary to locate, gain access to and effectively utilize such services. The course is a General Education course; for social work students, this is not a required course.

 

SW–201 SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT: GLOBAL CHALLENGES
FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This introductory course critically examines social welfare and social development from an international and comparative perspective with a focus on the importance of institutional arrangements, cultural practices and values systems. The promotion of social, racial, economic and environmental justice to advance human rights is an intrinsic dimension of social development. Embedded in this global perspective, students learn about the evolving mission and purposes, roles and functions of professional social work. This course also assist students in reflecting on and learning the ethical use of technology. The course is a General Education course; for social work students, completing this course is a requirement to be admitted into the Bachelor of Social Work program.

 

SW–313 RESEARCH METHODS FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES
SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course offers an overview of quantitative and qualitative research methods and their application in health and social service systems to improve social work and health care practice, programs and policy. Course content includes ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive strategies that address inherent biases in social work and health care practice; recognizing multiple ways of knowing and indigenous bodies of knowledge. Students learn to evaluate and critique research literature, develop research questions, collect and interpret data, and share research findings appropriately. The course is a required course for social work students, recommended to be taken in the first year of the BSW program. Prerequisite: MA151

 

SW–330 Generalist Social Work Practice Methods AND OVERVIEW
FALL ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This is the first in a series of four social work practice methods courses, it offers an overview of theories and practice methods underlying generalist social work with individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Students begin to learn to integrate and and apply social work knowledge, social work ethics, and skills in a culturally humble, competent and purposeful manner. Students learn to professionally engage with client systems, to assess resources, to collaboratively determine goals and to implement plans to achieve these goals, and finally to critically evaluate professional social work practice. The course is required and restricted to social work students who have been admitted into the BSW program. Students take this course in the first year of the BSW program.

 

SW–331 GENERALIST SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE METHODS WITH GROUPS
SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This social work practice methods course offers theories and practice methods underlying generalist social work practice and has a strong focus on knowledge, values and skills development for working with a variety of groups in diverse settings; including culturally relevant meanings, practices and purposes of groups. Students learn professional social work skills pertaining to engagements with groups and their members, to assessing group structures and processes, to developing options for interventions and culturally appropriate evaluations of outcomes, and to manage personal and professional value conflicts and affective reactions. The course is required and restricted to social work students who have been admitted into the BSW program. Students take this course in the first year of the BSW program.

 

SW–332 GENERALIST SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE METHODS WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES
FALL ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This generalist social work practice methods course offers theories and approaches underlying generalist social work practice with organization and communities, including the ethical use of technology and the use of consultations. Students learn culturally responsive ways of engaging with organizations and communities and managing value conflicts and affective reactions; of assessing contexts, structures and processes of organizations and communities; of developing and pursuing mutually agreed-on plans; and of critically evaluating effects of interventions on multiple levels. The course is required and restricted to social work students who have been admitted into the BSW program. Students take this course in the first year of the BSW program.

 

SW–333 GENERALIST SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE METHODS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES
SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course is about generalist social work practice methods with families and individuals. Guided and framed by the professional Social Work Code of Ethics, it offers theories and approaches related to culturally competent engagement, assessment, intervention and evaluation of practice with families and individuals. Emphasis is given to the identification of inherent biases; the use of empathy, reflection and interpersonal skills, to the development and implementation of agreed-on plans, and to the culturally competent and critical evaluation of practice outcomes. The course is required and restricted to social work students who have been admitted into the BSW program. Students take this course in the first year of the BSW program.

 

SW–344 AGING: MYTH & REALITIES
FALL ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course explores the major issues and concepts pertinent to gerontology, the study of the aging process. The prevailing theories of the social/biological aging process, and the economics, physical and psychological problems that might arise in late life are presented, and students learn how these factors impinge on the well-being of the older person and the social structure of a community. Aging as it occurs in different societies and throughout history are discussed. Social myths and stereotypes are explored. An overview of existing aging policies and special programs for the older population is included, as is a section on dying, death and grieving.

 

SW–345 SOCIAL JUSTICE
FALL ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course presents historic backgrounds that have led to the injustices pertaining to contemporary social, racial, economic and environmental realities of today. It describes the current dynamics and consequences of various forms of human oppression and discrimination. Students learn to anchor generalist social work practice in advocacy for universal human rights, to critically analyze justice issues from diverse points of experiences, to identify structural foundations and barriers to change, to promote social change and to implement interventions that advance social, racial, economic and environmental justice. The course is a required course for social work students, it is recommended to be taken in the first year of the BSW program.

 

SW–350 HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT I
FALL ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course explores the reciprocal relationship between human behavior and social environments. Students learn theories of human behavior, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to understand human behavior. The particular emphasis of this course is on human development from conception to young adulthood; including physical, emotional and intellectual developments. Students demonstrate cultural humility and competence when applying research findings to advance the understanding of human behavior in Micronesian environments. The course is a required course for social work students, it is taken in the first year of the BSW program.

 

SW–351 HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT II
SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course explores the reciprocal relationship between human behavior and social environments. Students learn theories of human behavior, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to understand human behavior. The particular emphasis of this course is on human development from adulthood to death; including physical, emotional and intellectual developments. Students demonstrate cultural humility and competence when applying research findings to advance the understanding of human behavior in Micronesian environments. The course is a required course for social work students, it is recommended to be taken in the first year of the BSW program.

 

SW–355 HUMAN SEXUALITY
SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course offers a broad overview of human sexuality from a multidisciplinary perspective: including biological, psychological, sociological, cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural frameworks. It provides current information in the field today and contextualizes human sexuality within human rights and social, racial, and economic justice. The course provides an opportunity for students to reflect on their personal values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding sexuality and to discuss and examine critical practice issues in his/her professional field. The course is an elective course for social work students.

 

SW–400 FIELDS OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

Each semester, this course examines the history, current policy issues and practice trends in a different field of social work practice; such as family and children's services, youth services, older adults, substance abuse, health care, disabilities, school social work, social work in the workplace, indigenous and international social work, etc.. Course offerings are based on an assessment of community needs and student interests. Students learn about the goodness of fit between their personal interests and the professional requirements of these fields for possible future career choices. The course is an elective course for social work students; with different subject matters every semester, this course may be taken more than once for credit.

 

SW–406 SOCIAL POLICY
FALL ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course focuses on current social policies within the context of historical and contemporary factors that shape social policy in U.S. territories. Students analyze political and organizational processes which influence policy formulation, implementation and evaluation within practice settings with individuals, families, organizations and communities. Students learn to use anti-racist and anti-oppressive lenses to identify inherent biases and to advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. The course is a required course for social work students, it is taken in the second year of the BSW program. Pre-requisite SW330 and SW345.

 

SW–408 ADVOCACY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course is about practical ways of advancing social justice and human rights; including racial, economic and environmental justice on individual and system levels. Using the Social Work Code of Ethics, students learn to identify justice issues for diverse client systems, assess potentials for change and choose issues for justice advocacy. Students collaborate with each other and/or interest groups in the community to articulate goals and objectives for advocacy, they develop and implement action plans, use technology ethically, and they critically evaluate their advocacy efforts. The course is taken in the second year of the BSW program. Pre-requisite SW406.

 

SW–410 SOCIAL WELFARE AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN MICRONESIA
FALL ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course provides a brief historical review of Micronesia leading to a comparative description of young island nations in the Micronesia region. The course outlines how indigenous welfare practices have persisted, been destroyed, altered and reinvented in recent time periods. Students learn to use anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work lenses and practice approaches in the Micronesian context, to assess how welfare policies affect delivery and access to social services, and how to practice cultural humility and competence in Guam and the Micronesian Region. The course is a required course for social work students.

 

SW–460 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PRACTICE FOR SOCIAL WORKERS
FALL ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course explores the roles of social workers in behavioral health settings, specifically as multi-disciplinary team members. It provides the basics in assessment, treatment, and evaluation of clinical disorders contained in the DSM-5. Students learn selected policies that govern this field of practice, to demonstrate professional behavior, to manage personal and professional value conflicts and affective reactions, to demonstrate respect for client self-determination, to use supervision and consultation, and to collaborate interprofessionally and interculturally. The course is a required course for social work students. Prerequisite SW333.

 

SW–480 FAMILY VIOLENCE
SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS

3 credit hours

This course examines family violence and family resilience in Guam and the Micronesian region from a cross-cultural, interactional and interdisciplinary practice perspective. Students learn about issues of family violence from the viewpoints of victims, members of their extended family, perpetrators, and those who intervene in pursuit of human rights and social justice for children and adult members of families. The course content is heavily based on local data and the practice experiences of local social workers. Students learn to engage with client systems, to respect client self-determination, assess challenges and opportunities, intervene and critically evaluate practice pertaining to family violence. The course is a required course for social work students.

 

SW–485A FIELD INSTRUCTION
FALL ONLY/ALL YEARS

4 credit hours

Each student collaborates with his/her assigned field instructor to develop and carry out an individual learning contract for beginning generalist social work practice, through 210 field contact hours and 45 in-class seminar hours. In field instruction students demonstrate the mastery of all social work competencies which they learned in social work courses. Field instruction is required and restricted to BSW students.

 

SW–485B FIELD INSTRUCTION
SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS

4 credit hours

Each student collaborates with his/her assigned field instructor to develop and carry out an individual learning contract for beginning generalist social work practice, through 210 field contact hours and 45 in-class seminar hours. In field instruction students demonstrate the mastery of all social work competencies which they learned in social work courses. Prerequisite: SW-485a Field instruction is required and restricted to BSW students.