All resources in Open Social Work Education (OSWE)

Curriculum for the Worker Factors in the Overrepresentation of African Americans in the Child Welfare System Research Project.

(View Complete Item Description)

This curriculum consists of five modules in PowerPoint format designed to be used by instructors in class sessions or assigned to students as web-based independent learning. Instructors may use and revise the presentations for their needs. Each module contains slides with narrative information and links to additional readings and relevant websites and will take 1-2 hours for students to complete. Modules typically include factual or reflection questions. Module I informs students about the history and current status of the issue of overrepresentation of African Americans in child welfare. Module II centers on theories to explain overrepresentation and explains the background, methods, results, and recommendations from a recent CalSWEC-funded study on worker factors in overrepresentation. Module III focuses on African American family strengths, values, and norms. It includes an important reading on strengths-based practice with African American families, links to websites that are African American-centered, and ends with linking students to the Harvard University site to take the Implicit Associations Test. Module IV focuses on cultural competency and antiracism theory and reflective exercises. Module V contains abbreviated material from each of the four preceding modules. Smith, L. A., & Shon, H. (2010).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Child Welfare in a CalWORKS Environment

(View Complete Item Description)

This curriculum focuses on the implications of California's changing welfare policy on public child welfare practice and addresses welfare policy, child welfare practice, and the impact of welfare reform on child welfare clients who are also involved with the public welfare system. Chapters include: a summary of welfare reform in California, a look at the differences between the old approach to welfare and workfare (AFDC and GAIN) and the new approach under CalWORKS, a history of welfare and child protection policy, a look at families who have been involved with both the welfare and child protection systems, an analysis of interviews with child welfare workers and administrators that explores the myriad ways in which the new federal and state policies are likely to impact their clients and themselves as professionals, and the implications of welfare reform for child protection and child welfare practice. (318 pages)Frame, L., Berrick, J. D., Lee, S., Needell, B., Cuccaro-Alamin, S., Barth, R. P., et al. (1998).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

The Relationship Between Reunification Services, Service Utilization, and Successful Reunification 

(View Complete Item Description)

This curriculum offers an empirically based instruction tool for child welfare social workers or other related practitioners on family reunification services: the historical groundings and legal frameworks; the types of services that are offered to parents; factors associated with parents’ use of services; and information on the effectiveness of services. The curriculum blends a literature review of current knowledge with a study on family reunification services, with the intent to provide contextual information to aid social workers in the development of appropriate and responsible case plans for parents receiving reunification services in the child welfare system. (158 pages) Vugia, H., Osterling, K. L., D'Andrade, A. (2009).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

NASW Code of Ethics

(View Complete Item Description)

The NASW Code of Ethics is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers. This Code includes four sections. The first Section, "Preamble," summarizes the social work profession's mission and core values. The second section, "Purpose of the NASW Code of Ethics," provides an overview of the Code's main functions and a brief guide for dealing with ethical issues or dilemmas in social work practice. The third section, "Ethical Principles," presents broad ethical principles, based on social work's core values, that inform social work practice. The final section, "Ethical Standards," includes specific ethical standards to guide social workers' conduct and to provide a basis for adjudication.

Material Type: Reading

Social Worker Health and Wellness Videos

(View Complete Item Description)

The following training videos are dedicated to helping child welfare workers learn practical skills to cope with the emotional tolls of their very important work. Throughout this series, child welfare workers will learn about the dynamics of secondary traumatic stress, self-care strategies, and a framework for coping with secondary trauma.

Material Type: Lecture, Reading

Author: Northern Academy

Write an Assessment and Allegation Conclusion for an Investigation Narrative

(View Complete Item Description)

The goal of this exercise is to have a learner watch an investigative interview, record their own case notes and then practice using those notes to complete the allegation conclusion and assessment sections of an investigation narrative.  To achieve this, a video of an investigative interview is taken from a vignette and a partially completed investigation narrative template is provided. 

Material Type: Module

Author: Tim Wohltmann

Family Group Decision-Making Models for Social Workers in the Child Welfare Setting

(View Complete Item Description)

This curriculum introduces the Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) model of working with families in child welfare and is based on a core belief that within families lies the wisdom to find solutions to protect their own children and resolve other issues of concern. The six modules cover the historical perspective of FGDM; models of FGDM; cultural competency; micro, mezzo, and macro level skills utilized in FGDM; practice; and outcome measures. In addition to lecture content, modules include instructional guides and suggestions, interactive exercises, topics for discussion, video and other resource suggestions, and a pre- and posttest instrument with answer sheet. An appendix of handouts, workshop evaluation form, references, and list of information sources and resources is included. (128 pages)Okamura, A., Quinnett, E. (2000).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Kinship Caregivers and Social Workers: The Challenge of Collaboration

(View Complete Item Description)

This curriculum was developed as an empirical foundation for a practice model that facilitates collaboration toward providing the highest level of service for at-risk children and their families. It teaches collaboration in nine areas: legal issues, financial issues, health and mental health, education/school, family relationships, child management, support services, fair and equal treatment, and general satisfaction. It is organized around five competency areas: respecting the knowledge, skills, and experiences of others; building trust by meeting needs; facilitating communication; creating an atmosphere in which cultural tradition, values, and diversity are respected; and using negotiation skills. The curriculum is divided into five sections: Introduction to the Curriculum, Conducting the Training, Training Modules (two 3-hour modules for in-service training), Classroom Modules (for undergraduates and graduates), References and Annotated Bibliography. (345 pages)Pasztor, E. M., Goodman, C. C., Potts, M., Santana, M. I., & Runnels, R. A. (2002).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Non-Violent Conflict Management: Conflict Resolution, Dealing with Anger, Negotiation and Mediation

(View Complete Item Description)

Conflict is inevitable and if unresolved, has negative impacts that reach far beyond the principal parties. Managing conflict in a non-violent manner can increase the ability of everyone involved to work more effectively with clients, staff, and other personnel. This module teaches conflict management through a combination of skill-building and philosophical discussion to enable participants to become invested in the idea that non-violent conflict management is better, more effective, and more efficacious in the long run than either conflict avoidance or an aggressive approach that produces "winners" and "losers." The material can be presented in training sessions of varying lengths from one class to an entire semester. The author recommends separating the three modules over time to allow time for integration of skills. (95 pages)Rice, S. (2000).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Family Reunification Among Mexican and Vietnamese Immigrant Children in the Child Welfare System: Toward an Understanding of Promising Practices to Improve Service Availability and Effectiveness.

(View Complete Item Description)

National, state, or local-level data are limited with respect to the characteristics of immigrant children in the child welfare system, the proportion of immigrant children who reunify, or the constellation of services that may be associated with family reunification among immigrant families. To fill these gaps in the literature, practice, and policy, this project examined family reunification among Mexican and Vietnamese immigrant and non-immigrant children and identified promising practices to improve service availability and effectiveness. This study used quantitative and qualitative methods and was conducted in two counties in Northern California. This curriculum has five overall goals: (a) to understand common characteristics among Mexican and Vietnamese immigrant families in the U.S. and California and connections among parenting and acculturation; (b) to understand distinctive characteristics of Mexican and Vietnamese immigrants in the child welfare system, compared to non-immigrants; (c) to understand factors that contribute to reunification among Mexican and Vietnamese immigrant families involved in family reunification services; (d) to understand how the work of a child welfare worker influences service availability for Mexican and Vietnamese immigrant families; and (e) to understand the basic components of cultural competence and how these relate to service effectiveness with immigrant families involved in the child welfare system. Video clip (coming) and PowerPoint Presentation (coming).Osterling, K. L., & Han, M. (2013).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC