Social Work, B.S.W.

Goals for student learning are conceptualized from the primary departmental goal, which is to prepare students for entry-level professional competence as generalist social work practitioners. The Social Work Department is accredited by: The Council on Social Work Education, 1725 Duke Street, Alexandria, Va., 22314-3457; phone number 703-683-8080. Social Work program graduates are awarded a Bachelor Degree of Social Work (BSW). No life experience or work experience credits are accepted for this program. The program provides educational courses and experiences designed to help the student explore the nature of the individual within society. Through a critical awareness of individual and social values, the student is exposed to a body of knowledge, which examines human behavior and development and gains the skills necessary to work effectively with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, and the larger society. Issues concerning ethnicity, culture, gender, and vulnerable populations are incorporated throughout the program. Students examine the contributions and needs of these special populations. The curriculum focuses on the various institutions that are designed to provide social services. In addition, the social work program motivates and prepares students for continued professional development and education.

Alvernia social work program goals are:

• To enhance students’ critical thinking skills with the context of generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities (in an urban setting);
• To foster students’ understanding of the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and advocate for changes that advances social and economic justice;
• To encourage students to adopt and apply the value base of the profession and its ethical standards and principles and practice;
• Students will understand and interpret the history of the profession and analyze the influence of policy on organizations and service delivery systems;
• Students will use theoretical frameworks supported by empirical evidence to understand human development and behavior across the life span.

The social work program of Alvernia University defines Generalist Practice as a holistic approach that provides the practitioner with the knowledge, values, and skills necessary to engage in a planned change process on a micro, mezzo, and macro level, which includes individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Building on the strengths perspective, this approach incorporates social systems and ecological models as a foundation for the planned change process.

Generalist social work incorporates knowledge that is transferable, empowers individuals, utilizes a variety of intervention strategies, analyzes development across the life span, evaluates the impact of social policies and serves populations-at-risk. Populations-at-risk include people of color, women, children, older adults, the physically/mentally challenged, people of different sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, or religious beliefs, and the economically disadvantaged. Generalist social work practice incorporates values that reflect the social worker’s professional code of ethics (NASW Code of Ethics), which demands social responsibility and respect for diverse value systems, as well as a commitment to continued professional development.

Generalist social work practice also incorporates skills that provide for assessing clients’ needs, establishing goals and objectives, and implementation and evaluation of the planned change process.

Generalist social work practice links people with systems and focuses on equality for those people who are oppressed and discriminated against, taking into consideration institutional policies and procedures that hinder self- determination and growth.

The major sequence in social work practice in the last two years assists students through a planned change process in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities served by both public and private agencies.

Field Practicum constitutes an integral component of the total curriculum, and helps students integrate classroom learning with practice in the social service setting.

Social Work Clearance and Fieldwork Procedures

• The following clearances are required for placement into social work fieldwork courses (SW 316 , SW 403 , SW 404 ): (Clearances can take up to two months to process)
  • Pennsylvania Criminal Background Check (ACT 151)
    • FBI Background Check (if an out-of-state student)
    • Child Abuse History Clearance (ACT 34)
    • FBI Clearance and Finger Printing
• As soon as the student achieves a 2.50 GPA and submits all passed clearances to the social work office, a letter of successful admittance into the social work program will be issued.
• Typically, the clearances are submitted as part of the SW 201  course: Introduction to Social Work. Students who declare a social work major must submit all the above clearances to the social work office in order to pass SW 201 - Introduction to Social Work .
• Students who transfer the equivalent of the Alvernia University SW 201  course are advised to begin the process for documentation of said clearances at least two months ahead of the anticipated date for fieldwork placement into SW 316 , SW 403  or SW 404 . For those students who are transferring in to take SW 316 , offered in the spring semester, the clearances must be received no later than October 30 in order to secure a fieldwork placement.
• In addition to Alvernia University’s health policies, social work students are required to adhere to fieldwork agency health requirements.