California State University Bakersfield
Department of Social Work
SW 647: Advanced Practice II
Winter, 2013 (CRN 10256)
Instructor Information
Instructor: Bruce Hartsell
Office: DDH A105
Office Hours: Tuesday – Thursday 2:30 – 5:00
Office Telephone: 661 654-2106
Email: bhartsell@csub.edu
Website: www.csub.edu/~bhartsell
Course Description
This course is the second in a three-course advanced generalist practice sequence. It focuses
on the value, knowledge, and skill base necessary for effective social work practice with families
and groups. The course will provide advanced intervention techniques with diverse families,
and groups are analyzed from a developmental, resiliency-based, multicultural systems
framework with an emphasis on integrating various theoretical perspectives and evidencebased practice approaches. Throughout the course, students actively engage in skill-building
exercises to strengthen practice competencies in family and group work, including advocacy on
behalf of vulnerable populations within the community. Prerequisite: SW 646.
Course Objectives and Related Practice Behaviors
CSWE Core
Competency
Related
Practice Behaviors
Course
Objectives
Evaluation
Instrument
Apply knowledge of human
behavior and the social
environment
Synthesizes and differentially
applies theories of human
behavior and the social
environment to guide
practice across multiple
systems
Conducts family
assessment and
intervention while
integrating
components of two
or more theoretical
perspectives
Family video
Family assessment
report
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Engage, assess, intervene,
and evaluate with
individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and
communities
Demonstrates culturally
sensitive relationships across
multiple systems
Demonstrates
sensitivity to
cultural variables in
interactions with
families and groups
Group
participation
Group reflection
papers
Family video
Family assessment
report
Engage, assess, intervene,
and evaluate with
individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and
communities
Attends to the interpersonal
and group dynamics and
contextual factors that can
strengthen or potentially
threaten practice
relationships
Responds to
individual and
group variables
that influence
relationships
Group
participation
Group reflection
papers
Family video
Family assessment
report
Engage, assess, intervene,
and evaluate with
individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and
communities
Demonstrates advanced skills
in the use of a
multidimensional, biopsycho-social-spiritual
assessment model
Completes a family
assessment report
according to a
prescribed format
Family video
Engage, assess, intervene,
and evaluate with
individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and
communities
Selects and uses appropriate
assessment tools
Completes a family
assessment report
according to a
prescribed format
Family video
Engage, assess, intervene,
and evaluate with
individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and
communities
Critically evaluates, selects,
and applies best practice
models and evidence-based
interventions
Conducts family
assessment and
intervention while
integrating
components of two
or more theoretical
perspectives
Family video
Family assessment
report
Family assessment
report
Family assessment
report
2
Engage, assess, intervene,
and evaluate with
individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and
communities
Demonstrates the use of
appropriate advanced
generalist techniques across
a range of concerns that have
been identified during the
assessment process
Conducts family
assessment and
intervention while
integrating
components of two
or more theoretical
perspectives
Group reflection
papers
Family video
Family assessment
report
Course Materials
Required Texts: Yalom, I.D. (with Leszcs, M.). (2005). The theory and practice of group
psychotherapy (5th ed.). New York, NY: Basic Books.
Recommended Texts: Gottman, J.M. (1999). The marriage clinic: A scientifically-based marital
therapy. New York, NY: Norton.
Other Materials: See assignments. Additional readings are listed in the bibliography and posted on
my web site.
Course Policies
The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the course policies.
Academic Integrity: The Department of Social Work strictly adheres to the University's policy on
Academic Integrity. Students should become familiar with this policy, and address any questions to their
advisors. Failure to comply with the policy may lead to suspension or expulsion from the University.
The policy, as addressed in the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities website, is as follows:
“The principles of truth and honesty are recognized as fundamental to a community of teachers and
scholars. The University expects that both faculty and students will honor these principles and in so
doing will protect the integrity of all academic work and student grades. Students are expected to do all
work assigned to them without unauthorized assistance and are not to give unauthorized assistance.
Faculty members have the responsibility of exercising care in the planning and supervision of academic
work so that honest effort will be positively encouraged.
There are certain forms of conduct that violate this community’s principles. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
(CHEATING) is a broad category of actions that use fraud and deception to improve a grade or obtain
course credit. Academic dishonesty (cheating) is not limited to examination situations alone, but arises
whenever students attempt to gain an unearned academic advantage. PLAGIARISM is a specific form of
academic dishonesty (cheating) that consists of the misuse of published or unpublished works of
another by claiming them as one’s own. It may consist of handing in someone else’s work; copying or
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purchasing a composition; using ideas, paragraphs, sentences, or phrases written by another; or using
data and/or statistics compiled by another without giving appropriate citation. Another example of
academic dishonesty is the SUBMISSION OF THE SAME, or essentially the same, PAPER or other
assignment for credit in two different courses without receiving prior approval from the instructor of the
affected courses.”
If a faculty member suspects academic dishonesty or plagiarism, he/she will request a Student
Advisement and/or a Student Status Review to deal with the dishonesty. Students are expected to
complete their own work without assistance from others (except in the case of group projects). The use
of other people’s work should be accompanied by APA (6th ed.) style references giving the authors full
credit for their work. Plagiarism and/or cheating will not be tolerated and will result in severe penalties
including the issuance of a grade of F for the class or dismissal from the MSW program.
Please refer to the Academic Affairs sections of the Campus Catalog for additional details (page 78)
(http://www.csub.edu/catalog/2011-2013_regularlyUpdated/pages/011.pdf).
Professional Conduct: The mission of the CSUB Department of Social Work is to prepare
competent and ethical social work practitioners who possess the knowledge, skills, and values required
to prevent social problems, intervene in problem areas, and improve the social conditions of the region
through culturally sensitive practice. Personal responsibility is a necessary part of the professional
practice of social work. Problems of unprofessional conduct will be addressed through the advisement
and student status review procedures outlined in your student handbook.
Course Attendance: Attendance, punctuality, and participation are necessary components of
personal responsibility: Regular class attendance, punctuality, and participation are required.
Professional participation requires familiarity with the assigned readings.
Writing Standards: I am firmly committed to upholding professional writing standards. Please use
Standard Written English. Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association,
which is the stylebook required for theses in this department. Note that the formatting rules in the
Publication Manual relate to articles submitted for publication, not to class assignments. For additional
information on usage and style, refer to A Dictionary of Modern American Usage, which I will use as the
authority for all matters of usage and style. Written work completed out of class is to be typed or
printed on white bond paper using one-inch margins and 12-point type. Please do not turn in any
assignments with plastic covers.
Late Assignments and Makeup Exams: Assignments are to be turned in when they are due.
Late assignments will be accepted only in the event of major life disruptions such as significant illness,
injury, childbirth, or natural disasters.
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Grading: Letter grades will be assigned according to the following:
A = 90% - 100%
B = 80% - 89%
C = 70% - 79%
D = 60% - 69%
F = 00% - 59%
Communication with the Instructor: I am frequently in the office beyond posted hours. Feel
free to call or drop by. I normally respond to phone messages and emails within one work day. If I do
not, please assume that I did not receive the message, and try me again.
Use of Cellular Phones: Sending or receiving text messages or phone calls during class is
prohibited. If you are officially “on call” for your employing agency, or if you have personal
circumstances that require you to be on call, please notify the instructor.
Distribution of Course Materials: Students are not to distribute course materials.
Student Complaint Procedures: See the Academic Information and Policies for information on
how to file a formal complaint. Information on how to contact the student ombudsman can be found at
http://www.csub.edu/counselingcenter/ombudsman.shtml.
Students with Disabilities: If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with
Disabilities Act, please register with the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities as soon as
possible (654-2171). If you need this syllabus in a different medium, notify us at the address and
telephone number below. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate your special needs.
Department of Social Work
California State University, Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA 93311
(661) 654-3434
See the CSUB Services for Students with Disabilities website http://www.csub.edu/UnivServices/SSD/
for the campus access policies.
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Course Requirements
The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the course requirements.
Assignment 1: Weekly reflection papers. In weeks two through 10, turn in a reflection paper on the
previous week’s group experience according to the following outline:
Group process
My participation
What I learned about group work
What I learned about myself
How I plan to use what I learned
Give at least one specific citation (quotation and page number) that ties the reflection to the content of
the assigned readings for the week. Each reflection paper is worth 10 points and is due at the beginning
of class. There are no opportunities for making up missed class periods, i.e. you cannot write a
reflection for a class you did not attend.
Assignment 2: Family assessment recording. In week five, turn in a video recording of a family
assessment interview along with an associated assessment report written according to a prescribed
outline. The assignment is worth 50 points.
Assignment 3: Family therapy recording. In week ten, turn in a video recording of a family therapy
session along with an associated assessment report written according to a prescribed outline. The
assignment is worth 50 points.
Assignment 4: Final reflection paper. No later than 5:30 P.M. on March 19, turn in a reflection
paper according to the following outline:
Ways family therapy and group therapy are similar
Ways family therapy and group therapy are different
What I learned about myself as a therapist
How I plan to do group therapy
How I plan to do family therapy
Use references to demonstrate familiarity with the readings in the course. The assignment is worth 50
points.
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Course Outline and Schedule
Each week, part of the class time will focus on group therapy and part of the class time will focus on
family therapy. The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the outline and schedule.

Week One - January 8: Course overview. Re-introduction to group therapy. Reintroduction to family therapy.
Details: The instructor will review course objectives, policies, and requirements and
introduce students to the group format of the course. Students will participate in
exercises to review the theory base on which group therapy and family therapy are
built.

Week Two - January 15: Therapeutic factors in group therapy. Assessment in
family therapy.
Details: Before coming to class, write a reflection paper on the initial group meeting,
read chapter 1 in Yalom, and read the Miller and the Aarons articles on the McMaster
Model. In class, turn in a reflection paper, participate in a group exercise, discuss the
McMaster Model, and observe a demonstration of family assessment.

Week Three – January 22: Interpersonal learning in group therapy. Social
relations and antiracist models in family therapy.
Details: Before coming to class, write a reflection paper on the previous group meeting,
read chapter 2 in Yalom, and read the Maiter and the Mol articles. In class, turn in a
reflection paper, participate in a group exercise, discuss the social relations model and
the antiracist model, and observe a demonstration of family assessment.

Week Four – January 29: Group cohesiveness in group therapy. Substance
abuse and methodological issues in family therapy.
Details: Before coming to class, write a reflection paper on the previous group meeting,
read chapter 3 in Yalom, and read the Orford and the Kreppner articles. In class, turn in
a reflection paper, participate in a group exercise, discuss substance abuse and
methodological issues in family therapy, and observe a demonstration of family
assessment.

Week Five- February 5: Therapeutic factors in group therapy. Integration of
ideas about family assessment.
Details: Before coming to class, write a reflection paper on the previous group meeting,
read chapter 4 in Yalom, record a family assessment session, and write a report of the
assessment. In class, turn in a reflection paper, a recording of a family assessment
interview, and a family assessment report. Also, participate in a group exercise, and
discuss experiences with family assessment.
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
Week Six – February 12: Basic tasks for therapists in group therapy.
Integrating family assessment and intervention.
Details: Before coming to class, write a reflection paper on the previous group meeting,
read chapter 5 in Yalom, and read the Fraser and Melo articles. In class, turn in a
reflection paper, participate in a group exercise, discuss integrating family assessment
and intervention, and observe a demonstration of family intervention.

Week Seven – February 19: Working in the here-and-now in group therapy –
part I. Interventions in family therapy.
Details: Before coming to class, write a reflection paper on the previous group meeting,
read chapter 6, pages 141 – 165, in Yalom, and read the Ellenwood and the McHale
articles. In class, turn in a reflection paper, participate in a group exercise, discuss
interventions in family therapy, and observe a demonstration of family therapy.

Week Eight – February 26: Working in the here-and-now in group therapy – part
II. Assessment as intervention in family therapy.
Details: Before coming to class, write a reflection paper on the previous group meeting,
read chapter 6, pages 165 – 199, in Yalom, and read the Smith articles. In class, turn in a
reflection paper, participate in a group exercise, discuss assessment as intervention in
family therapy, and observe a demonstration of family therapy.

Week Nine – March 5: Transference and transparency in group therapy.
Details: Before coming to class, write a reflection paper on the previous group meeting,
read chapter 7 in Yalom, and read the Sprenkle article. In class, turn in a reflection
paper, participate in a group exercise, discuss evaluation of family therapy, and observe
a demonstration of family therapy.

Week Ten – March 12: Transitions and Endings.
Details: Before coming to class, write a reflection paper on the previous group meeting,
read chapter 7 in Yalom, and read the Sprenkle article. Also, record a family therapy
session and write a report of the session. In class, turn in a reflection paper, a recording
of a family session, and a report of the family session, and participate in a group
exercise.

Final – March 19: Synthesis.
Details: No class meeting. By 5:30 P.M., turn in a final reflection paper.
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Required Readings
Aarons, G.A., McDonald, E.J., Connelly, C.D., & Newton, R.R. (2007). Assessment of family functioning in
Caucasian and Hispanic Americans: Reliability, validity, and factor structure of the family
assessment device. Family Process, 47(4), 557-569.
Ellenwood, A.E., & Jenkins, J.E. (2007). Implementation of the intervention-based family assessment
procedure: A case study. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 35, 403-415. doi:
10.1080/01926180600968449
Fraser, J.S., Solovey, A.D., Grove, D., Lee, M.Y., & Greene, G.J. (2012). Integrative families and systems
treatment: A middle path toward integrating common and specific factors in evidence-based
family therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 38(3), 515-528. doi:10.1111/j.17520606.2011.00228.x
Kreppner, K. (2005). Family assessment and methodological issues. European Journal of Psychological
Assessment, 21(4), 249–254. doi: 10.1027/1015-5759.21.4.249
Maiter, S. (2009). Using an antiracist framework for assessment and intervention in clinical practice with
families from diverse ethno-racial backgrounds. Clinical Social Work Journal, 37, 267-276. doi:
10.1007/s10615-009-0198-0
McHale, J., Waller, M.R., & Pearson, J. (2012). Coparenting interventions for fragile families: What do we
know and where do we need to go next? Family Process, 51(3), 284-306.
Melo, A.T.d., & Alarcao, M. (2011). Integrated family assessment and intervention model: A
collaborative approach to support multi-challenged families. Contemporary Family Therapy, 33,
400-416. doi: 10.1007/s10591-011-9168-0
Miller, I.W., Ryan, C.E., Keitner, G.I., Bishop, D.S., & Epstein, N.B. (2000). The McMaster approach to
families: Theory, assessment, treatment, and research. Journal of Family Therapy, 22, 168-189.
Mol, J.D., Buysse, A., & Cook, W.L. (2010). A family assessment based on the social relations model.
Journal of Family Therapy, 32, 259–279. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6427.2010.00504.x.
Orford, J., Templeton, L., Velleman, R., & Copello, A. (2010). Methods of assessment for affected family
members. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 17(Supplement 1), 75–85 doi:
10.3109/09687637.2010.514783
Smith, J.D., Nicholas, C.R.N., Handler, L., & Nash, M.R. (2011): Examining the potential impact of a
family session in therapeutic assessment: A single-case experiment. Journal of Personality
Assessment, 93(3), 204-212. doi: 10.1080/00223891.2011.559497
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Smith, J.D., Wolf, N.J., Handler, L., & Nash, M.R. (2009). Testing the effectiveness of Family therapeutic
assessment: A case study using a time-series design. Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(6),
518-536. doi: 10.1080/00223890903228331
Sprenkle, D.H. (2012). Intervention research in couple and family therapy: A methodological and
substantive review and an introduction to the special issue. Journal of Marital and Family
Therapy, 38(1), 3-29. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00271.x
Additional Resources
Baldwin, S.A., Christian, S., Berkeljon, A., & Shadish, W.R. (2012). The effects of family therapies for
adolescent delinquency and substance abuse: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marital and Family
Therapy, 38(1), 281–304.
Burlingame, G.M. McClendon, D.T., & Alonso, J. (2011). Cohesion in group therapy. Psychotherapy,
48(1), 34-42. doi: 10.1037/a0022063
Chen, M-W., & Rybak, C.J. (2004). Group leadership skills: Interpersonal process in group counseling and
therapy. Belmont, CA : Brooks/Cole.
Conoley, C.W., & Conoley, J.C. (2009). Positive psychology and family therapy: Creative techniques and
practical tools for guiding change and enhancing growth. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley
Corcoron, J. (2003). Clinical applications of evidence-based family interventions. New York: Oxford.
Doherty, W.J. & McDaniel, S.H. (2010). Family therapy. Washington, DC: American Psychological
Association.
Ellis, A. (2003). Sex without guilt in the twenty-first century. Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade.
Feng, C.-Y., Chu, H., Chen, C.-H., Chang, Y.-S., Chen, T.-H., Chou, Y.-H., Chang, Y.-C., & Chou, K.-R. (2012).
The effect of cognitive behavioral group therapy for depression: A meta-analysis 2000–2010.
Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 9(1), 2–17. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-6787.2011.00229.x
Gazda, G.M., Ginter, E.J., & Horne, A.M. (2001). Group counseling and group psychotherapy: Theory and
application. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Huntley, A.L.A., & Ricardo Salisbury, C. (2012). Group psychological therapies for depression in the
community: Systematic review and meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 200(3), 184190.
Love, P., & Stosny, S. (2007). How to improve your marriage without talking about it: Finding love
beyond words. New York, NY: Broadway.
Madsen, W.C. (2007). Collaborative therapy with multi-stressed families. New York, NY: Guilford.
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McGoldrick, M., Giordano, J., & Garcia-Preto, N. (Eds.). (2005). Ethnicity and family therapy. New York,
NY: Guilford.
McGoldrick, M., & Hardy, K.V. (2008). Re-visioning family therapy: Race, culture, and gender in clinical
practice. New York, NY: Guilford Press
Nichols, M.P. (with Schwartz, R.C.). (2004). Family therapy: Concepts and methods. Boston, MA: Allyn
and Bacon, 2004.
O’Hare, T. (2005). Evidence-based practices for social workers: An interdisciplinary approach. Chicago, IL:
Lyceum.
Payne, K.T., & Marcus, D.K. (2008). The efficacy of group psychotherapy for older adult clients: A metaanalysis. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 12(4), 268-278. doi:
10.1037/a0013519
Rasheed, J.M.,Rasheed, M.N., & Marley, J.A. (Eds.). (2010). Readings in family therapy: From theory to
practice. Los Angeles, CA : Sage.
Ryan, C.E., Epstein, N.B, Keitner, G.I., Miller, I.W. & Bishop, D.S. (2005). Evaluating and treating families:
The McMaster approach. New York, NY: Routledge.
Sandberg, J.G., Johnson, L.N., Dermer, S.B., Gfeller-Strouts, L.L., Seibold, J.M., Stringer-Seibold, T.A.,
Hutchings, J.B., Andrews, R.L., & Miller, R.B. (1997). Demonstrated efficacy of models of
marriage and family therapy: An update of Gurman, Kniskern, and Pinsof’s chart. The American
Journal of Family Therapy, 25(2), 121-137.
Shadish, W.R., Ragsdale, K., Glaser, R.R., & Montgomery, L.M. (1995). The efficacy and effectiveness of
marital and family therapy: A perspective from meta-analysis. Journal of Marital and Family
Therapy, 21(4), 345-360.
Smith, R.L. & Montilla, R.E. (Eds.). (2006). Counseling and family therapy with Latino populations:
Strategies that work. New York, NY: Routledge.
Sprinson, J.S., & Berrick, K. (2010). Unconditional care relationship-based, behavioral intervention with
vulnerable children and families. New York, NY: Oxford.
Sullivan, N.E., Mesbur, E.S., Lang, N.C., Goodman, D., Mitchell, L. (Eds.). (2003). Social work with groups:
Social justice through personal, community, and societal change. New York: Haworth.
Taibbi, R. (2007). Doing family therapy: Craft and creativity in clinical practice. New York, NY: Guilford.
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