Class Day and Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:00-7:15pm and 7:25-8:40pm
Monday 4:30-6:00pm
Tuesday 11:00am-1:00pm Wednesdays 2:00-4:30pm
*Other times by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course aims to examine a range of substance abuse issues which impact the family system.
Substance etiology will be explored in relation to the family system, how that abuse impacts the
family members and the system relational dynamics. Interventional and treatment approaches
will be topics address in addition to sustaining long term recovery. Prerequisites: Acceptance
into the MSW program, permission from the social work chair.
The mission of the joint MU-SU MSW Program is to provide accessible social work graduate
education in the South Central region of Pennsylvania. We prepare students to be effective
advanced generalist practitioners, committed to the purpose and values of the social work
profession.
The advanced generalist approach to direct and indirect practice is characterized by the
practitioner’s ability to address complex situations within multiple roles and levels. This
strengths-based orientation is grounded in a liberal arts foundation and guided by a systems
approach incorporating core social work values and ethics and respect for diversity. Using
research-informed practice, the advanced generalist social worker promotes positive change in
the social, political, and economic arenas to advance human rights.
Upon completion of the Master of Social Work degree, students will be able to:
Millersville University and its faculty are committed to assuring a safe and productive
educational environment for all students. In order to meet this commitment, comply with Title
IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §1681, et seq., and act in accordance with
guidance from the Office for Civil Rights, the University requires faculty members to report to
the University’s Title IX Coordinator incidents of sexual violence shared by students. The only
exceptions to the faculty member’s reporting obligation are when incidents of sexual violence
are communicated by a student during a classroom discussion, in a writing assignment for a
class, or as part of a University-approved research project. Faculty members are obligated to
report to the person designated in the University Protection of Minors policy incidents of sexual
violence or any other abuse of a student who was, or is, a child (a person under 18 years of age)
when the abuse allegedly occurred.
Information regarding the reporting of sexual violence, and the resources that are available to
victims of sexual violence, is available at http://www.millersville.edu/socialeq/title-ix-sexual-
misconduct/index.php
Generalist social work practice is characterized by the practitioner's ability to function with
entry-level professional attributes and skills within multiple roles in relation to diverse client
systems whose social functioning is challenged or may be enhanced. Such practice is value-
based and has roots in systems theory. Generalist practice is further guided and informed by
commitment to the achievement of social justice for all people and the recognition that all people
possess strengths and can be empowered as full partners in the change process.
Millersville and Shippensburg universities are jointly offering a Master of Social Work (MSW)
degree program. It is designed for students who want to either further their education in social
work or join the social work profession. The program was developed to support both the full-
time student and the working professional. State-of-the-art technology permits students to
acquire social work knowledge, skills, and values through multiple educational methods,
including traditional campus classes, teleconferencing and web-based activities. Because this is a
joint program, students benefit from the quality faculty and resources of both universities.
An MSW permits graduates to work in a variety of human service programs and agencies in an
advanced clinical and/or administrative capacity. The flexibility of the social work degree
provides graduates with many options as they pursue their careers in the helping fields.
Program Mission and Goals
1. To prepare students for competent advanced generalist practice through the acquisition and
demonstration of social work practice behaviors consistent with CSWE educational policy
and accreditation standards.
2. To prepare students with the specialized knowledge and skills for social work practice with
client systems to resolve problems and facilitate change within the boundaries of ethical
practice and with attention to the profession's commitment to social justice and human rights.
3. To encourage students' commitment to continued professional development and lifelong
learning by providing opportunities for community engagement and real-life learning
experiences.
CORE COMPETENCIES The MU-SU mission and goals are implemented through the
application of the core competencies and attendant practice behaviors as outlined in Section 2 of
the CSWE 2008 EPAS document, as well as the leadership and service and professional
development activities undertaken by faculty, students, and alumni. The curriculum is built from
the foundation core competencies and practice behaviors, as described in Section 2.0, and from
the concentration practice behaviors, which “incorporate all of the core competencies
augmented by knowledge and practice behaviors specific to [the advanced generalist]
concentration (CSWE, 2008, p.8), consistent with Educational Policy M2.2. The program
assesses the attainment of competencies consistent with Accreditation Standard 4.0
COURSE COMPETENCIES
Consistent with the Council on Social Work Education’s Educational Policies and Accreditation
Standards, the Millersville University & Shippensburg University Master of Social Work strives
to build competency in its students in ten areas. Specific core competencies are accomplished
through course objectives stated in terms of underlying practice behaviors comprised by the
competency standard. This Concentration Year course contributes to students’ mastery of the
following specific core competencies through the respective practice behaviors and assignments:
TEXTBOOK(S)
Required
Recommended
1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, (2018). Medications for
opioid use disorders: Treatment improvement protocol (TIP 63) Series (DHHS
Publication No. SMA185063FULLDOC). Rockville, MD: Author.
2. Prochaska, J. O., Norcross, J. C.& DiClemente, C.C. (2006). Changing for good: A
revolutionary six stage program for overcoming bad habits and moving your life
positively forward. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
You will earn numerical grades for each of your assignments, which will be weighted according
to its percent of the final grade. The final grade will be based on all earned grades using the
following scale.
Grades
A 93-100 C+ 77-79.9
A- 90-92.9 C 73-76.9
B+ 87-89.9 F 0-59.9
B 83-86.9
B- 80-82.9
Assignments
All assignments are, or will be, posted on D2L. Please check the class D2L site for specific
assignment instructions. All questions on assignments must be asked prior to 48 hours of the
due date and time. It is not professional to miss class on the days when assignments are due.
Doing so may negatively impact your assignment grade with a 5% grade reduction on the
assignment. Professional readiness behaviors include completing assignments when due. At the
discretion of the instructor, late assignments may not be accepted.
Assignment Percent of Final Course Grade Due Date
Ethical Brief Essay 15% of course grade Due February 1, 2018 by 11pm
Family Therapist Brief 10% Due the last day of class May
Essay 3, 2018 by 11PM
Assignments Defined
Ethical Brief Writing Assignment: A prepared case scenario will be distributed for review. In
conjunction, review the NASW Code of Ethics and provide a written response of 1-3 pages
detailing what actions of the social worker are considered ethical, questionable and or unethical
based upon the given scenario. This will be an informal writing assignment, no APA required, 1st
person is acceptable.
Family Member Interview: Students will interview an individual who has a family member
who has been in impacted by substance abuse. The interview should focus on the person’s story
or view point of how they were impacted by their family members substance abuse. Expected
lengths of the assignment is 2-4 pages following APA style. Please deidentify the person being
interviewed, changing names and excluding identifiable information. Preference will be to
exclude interviewing friends, your own family, fellow students or clients.
Group DSM-V Assessment: A family system case scenario will be distributed for evaluation
based upon the DSM V. In groups of 4-5 students, a scenario will be evaluated, and the
following questions will be answered in a 3-6 page paper, following APA style: 1. Is a diagnosis
appropriate, providing rationale, 2. Identify problems that each family member is experiencing,
3. Treatment modality and rationale, 4. Treatment theory and approach and rational, 5. Any
ethical concerns.
Genogram: Draw a genogram of you family system, going back three generations. Look
specifically for substance abuse patterns and indicate accordingly. Write a 3-5-page paper
following APA style, describing the family scenario and the following areas: 1. family patterns
concerning substance abuse, 2. Generational values and beliefs you observed, 3. Any messages,
verbal and non-verbal, 4. Generational rules and roles, 5. Family culture, 6. Roles you and your
siblings took, 7. The influence these issues may play in your work either enhancing or inhibiting
your professional work with families struggling with substance abuse.
Family Therapist Brief Essay: A guest lecturer, family therapist will provide a lecture about
practice working with families directly impacted by substance abuse. Following the lecture write
a brief essay 2-5 pages, addressing the following areas: 1. Length of time and area of practice
within social work, 2. What theory of treatment is utilized/preferred when treating the substance
abuse populations, 3. How do they assess individuals/families, 4. What common techniques do
they use?, do they treat individual, families, couples and if they do, can treatment differ
depending if substance abuse if present?, how do they view the culture of the client and its
impact on substance abuse? This will be an informal writing assignment, no APA required, 1st
person is acceptable.
COURSE POLICIES
Attendance & Participation: Students are expected to attend class on time and actively
participate in every class unless an absence meets one of the university’s excused absences. It is
the students’ responsibility to obtain the information missed from a classmate; please do not
email or ask the instructor to provide the missed content. Students may miss up to three classes
without grade penalty; all unexcused absences beyond the three allowed absences will result in
a half-grade reduction (e.g. A to A-; A- to B+). Three lateness’s will equate to an unexcused
absence.
Provost Statement on non-attendance: this essentially says if you do not attend in the first two
weeks of class, you will be administratively dropped from the class.
http://www.millersville.edu/about/administration/policies/pdf/academics/Academic%20Policy%20%20Drop
%20for%20Non-Attendance.pdf
Readings: All assigned readings are to be read prior to the start of class and students are to ask
for clarification on readings as class lecture may not cover all assigned readings; however,
students are responsible for knowing and understanding this information.
Assignments: Students are to hand in all assignments electronically through D2Lon the date due
and at the time due. For each day the assignment is late, 2.5 points may be deducted from the
student’s grade for the assignment. Assignments will be graded on a 100-point scale and then
weighted per the syllabus.
Classroom Behavior: To ensure a learning environment for students, talking while others are
talking is not permissible. All cell phones should be silenced, and should you need to use your
cell in the event of an emergency, quietly excuse yourself and make the call outside the
classroom. Laptops may be used in class but only with the permission of the instructor. Any use
of the laptop for non-classwork will result in a participation penalty deduction and the student
will lose the privilege to use the laptop in class. Above all, be respectful of one another as we
can all learn from each other. Please remove earbuds as you enter the classroom and silence all
music or other noise-making devices.
Communications: D2L is used for communication purposes for this course. In addition, I send
e-mails to students through D2L so please check your student email regularly
(“@millersville.edu”). Course resources will be available on D2L. If you have any questions or
concerns, do not hesitate to contact me by email at mdaug499@live.kutztown.edu.
COURSE OUTLINE
Disclaimer: The course syllabus is considered a general guide and plan for the semester. When
modifications to the course syllabus, outline, and calendar become necessary, they will be
announced in-class (when possible), posted on the course website (if applicable), and will then
be considered official. Additional information regarding the course outline, assignments, and
expectations will be posted on the course website and/or emailed to students. Posting on D2L is
considered the official notification of changes. Please remember to check D2L frequently.
Module 1 Weekly Topics Module 1 Readings Module 1 Assignments
Getting Started
Week 1:1/22-1/28 Week 1: Syllabus and Week 1: Syllabus & Ethical Brief
Course Review, including Assignments; Essay Due 2/1/18
D2L (30 mins) (1/23); Review Class D2L site by 11 PM
Introductions and over view completely; Miller Ch. 1
Week 2:1/29-2/4
Week 2: Patterson et al, Ch 4
Week 2: Ethics/Licensure and Miller Ch 14
Week 6: 2/26-3/4 Week 6: Working with Week 6: Patterson et al, Ch 7 Family Member
Couples & Conyers Appendix A Interview Due 3/6/18 by
Detaching with Love 11 PM
All department faculty members are committed to maintaining an atmosphere of civility, equity,
and inclusiveness.
Academic Honesty
Please refer to Standards of Conduct, Millersville University Undergraduate Catalog. For further
detail, see the Millersville University Academic Honesty and Dishonesty at Millersville
University brochure. The MU catalog is also online and will only be available at
http://www.millersville.edu/~ucatalog/index.pdf
Incomplete Grades
All assigned work must be completed. Please refer to Academic Policies, MU Undergraduate
Catalog, or http://www.millersville.edu/~ucatalog/index.pdf for incomplete grade policy.
Information regarding the reporting of sexual violence, and the resources that are available to
victims of sexual violence, is available at http://www.millersville.edu/socialeq/title-ix-sexual-
misconduct/index.php.
The Social Work and Gerontology Department is committed to providing appropriate assistance
for students with disabilities. Please see your professor early in the semester to request
assistance with special needs. Students registered with the Office of Disability Services
http://webspace.ship.edu/ods/ are eligible for reasonable accommodations in coursework under
the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Academic Honesty
Please refer to Policies governing graduate courses, Shippensburg University Graduate Catalog.
The SU Graduate catalog is also online and is available at
http://www.ship.edu/catalog/HTML/grad06/index.htm .
Student Discrimination Grievance Procedure
Incomplete Grades
All assigned work must be completed. Please refer to Academic Policies, SU Graduate Catalog,
for incomplete grade policy. http://www.ship.edu/Catalog/Graduate_Catalogs/Graduate_Catalog/
You may access the approved style sheet and “people first” language guidelines at the following
links: NASW Press Guidelines for Describing People at
http://www.sowo.tcu.edu/jbsw/forms/naswpress.pdf , and “WRITE ON” at
http://www.socialworker.com/writeon.htm by Katherine Dunlap.
If you have difficulty accessing links or any other resources, please contact your instructor.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, (2015). Substance abuse treatment
and family therapy: Treatment improvement protocol (TIP 39) Series (DHHS Publication No.
SMA154219). Rockville, MD: Author.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, (2014) What is substance abuse
treatment: A booklet for families. (DHHS Publication No. SMA14-4126 Rockville, MD:
Author.