THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
COURSE NUMBER:
COURSE TITLE:
SEMESTER & YEAR:
SOWO 709 Section 001: Mondays, 5:30-8:30pm
Human Migration: Implications for Policy, Practice, and Research
Fall 2015
INSTRUCTOR:
Josh Hinson, MSW, LCSW
School of Social Work
563D Tate-Turner-Kuralt Building, Campus Box 3550
Phone: (919) 962-6434
E-mail: Qhinson@email.unc.edu
OFFICE HOURS:
Tuesdays 12-1pm; other times by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Participants will explore factors underlying migration of peoples
throughout the world, focusing on the implications for providing services to migrants or studying
the impact of migration on communities and populations.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. Understand definitions (including legal definitions) of migrants, transmigrants,
immigrants, refugees, residents, and citizens
2. Examine ethical standards, cultural competency, and research-grounded approaches in
working with or studying migrants
3. Explore the impacts of migration on social and health needs, as well as the strengths and
assets, of affected populations
4. Understand the dynamic interactions of migrants with social systems
5. Evidence awareness of and respect for migrant family issues, including such identities
and statuses as age, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability status, religion,
sexual orientation, and culture and history.
6. Establish skills in the field of practice with migrants by developing plans for advocacy on
behalf of migrants at the individual, agency and community-wide levels
EXPANDED COURSE DESCRIPTION: Approximately 200 million people worldwide are migrants.
According to some estimates, immigrants will make up almost half of the population in the
United States by the year 2050. In order to remain adaptive and effective, helping professionals,
human service organizations, and policy makers must be prepared to work with immigrants and
their families.
Given the impact that legal status has on immigrants’ access to services, the first part of this
course will focus on the history of migration worldwide, with special attention to immigration
into the United States and North Carolina; legal definitions of newcomers; processes for
achieving lawful permanent residence, refugee status, and naturalized citizenship; and grounds
for exclusion and deportation. Next, the course will address professional practice issues such as
cultural competence and strength or asset-based approaches for working with clients. Finally, the
course will cover topics including health, mental health, and employment issues affecting
migrants and their families with a specific focus on advocacy strategies for individual clients as
well as agency and community strategies for helping immigrant clients receive care and become
full community participants.
CERTIFICATE IN GLOBAL TRANSMIGRATION: This course serves as the core course for the
Graduate Certificate in Global Transmigration. Students pursuing the certificate are required to:
1) Earn a passing grade in 9 credit hours of coursework approved by the Global
Transmigration Certificate Program Director as meeting the requirements of the
certificate (only 3 credit hours can count towards the student’s degree). One of these
courses must be the required core course.
2) Complete an approved field practicum or volunteer experience with an
immigrant/transmigrant population, or in an area of practice specific to transmigrants.
3) Produce a written document of their research and their progress towards implementing a
project in the practicum. Students will present their work at a setting to be determined in
conjunction with the partnering organization and the Global Transmigration Certificate
Program Director.
TEXT:
Chang-Muy, F. & Congress, E. (Eds.). (2009). Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees:
Legal Issues, Clinical Skills, and Advocacy. New York, NY: Springer Publishing
Company.
Additional readings are available on Sakai.
TEACHING METHODS:
The field of professional practice and research with migrants, transmigrants, immigrants and
refugees is constantly changing. My goal, therefore, is to develop a course in which students and
instructor are collaborators and co-creators. In order to a create a learning environment that is
mutually beneficial to all, students are expected to attend class weekly, to have read assigned
materials and completed assignments, and to participate in class discussions. Our varied
experiences and disciplines will require that we engage in inclusive dialogs and that we honor
each other’s input. I welcome constructive feedback that will help this course meet the needs of
all involved.
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS:
Class Participation & Attendance: It is expected that students will be active members of the
class. Therefore, participation will be judged by attendance and the degree to which students are
prepared for class and participate in class presentations, discussions, exercises, and other
learning activities. Full credit will only be awarded to students who arrive to all class sessions on
time, stay for the entire duration of the class, and demonstrate that they have completed readings
and assigned tasks.
Research Proposal: Students will select a migrant population or area of practice as their topic for
research. Deliverable for this assignment will be a brief written summary (no more than five
SOWO 709 Syllabus Fall 2015 – Hinson
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pages) presenting background information on the topic. Background will include history; current
social, political, economic, and/or health circumstances affecting the topic; and strengths and
needs demanding further attention. Proposal will also include an outline for research that will
lead up to the final paper. Finally, proposal will identify an organization that is currently
addressing (or has the potential to address) the identified topic. The grading rubric for this
assignment is available on the course’s Sakai site.
Cultural Competency Presentation: Students will be assigned to small groups based on the
population or area of practice that they have chosen to focus on in this course. Groups will
present in class on the most common health and mental health needs identified in their
population. Students will discuss possible strategies to overcome barriers to services, and will
summarize cultural characteristics that providers should be aware of.
Final Paper and Presentation: The paper is due electronically by 9am on December 7, and will
be based on the research proposal. In addition to expanding on the background information
provided in the research proposal, the paper should include a detailed description of service or
research needs facing the community. The paper will propose a new intervention to address this
need, and will review the most current research evidence that supports the effectiveness of the
proposed intervention. Finally, the paper will provide a case study of an organization that is
currently serving the population or addressing the area of practice (or has the capacity to), and
will outline steps necessary for the organization to develop new services to meet the identified
need. The paper will include references and an annotated bibliography of other resources. For
students pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Global Transmigration, this paper will form the
basis for students’ delivery of a new intervention in their practicum. Students will present their
findings on the final class session (no more than 10 minutes; quality expected of presentations in
a professional setting). The grading rubrics for these assignments are available on the course’s
Sakai site.
GRADING:
1. Class Participation/Attendance
2. Research Proposal
3. Cultural Competency Presentation
4. Final Presentation
5. Final Paper
15%
25%
15%
20%
25%
Measured weekly
Due at beginning of class 5
Class 7
Class 14
Due electronically by 9am on 12/7/15
GRADING SYSTEM:
The School of Social Work operates on an evaluation system of Honors (H), Pass (P), Low Pass
(L), and Fail (F). The numerical values of these grades are:
H: 94-100
P: 80-93
L: 70-79
F: 69 and lower
A grade of P is considered entirely satisfactory. The grade of Honors (“H”) — which only a
limited number of students attain – signifies that the work is clearly excellent in all respects.
SOWO 709 Syllabus Fall 2015 – Hinson
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POLICY ON INCOMPLETES AND LATE ASSIGNMENTS:
A paper is considered late if it is handed in any later than the start of class on the day it is
due. The grade for late papers will be reduced 10% per day, including weekends. Therefore, a
paper that would merit a grade of 100 on Friday will receive a grade of 70 if submitted on
Monday. Similarly, a paper due at 2pm on Monday handed in at 3pm will be considered one day
late.
A grade of Incomplete is given only in exceptional and rare circumstances, e.g. family crisis,
serious illness. It is the student’s responsibility to request and explain the reasons for an
Incomplete. The instructor has no responsibility to give an Incomplete without such a request.
POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:
It is the responsibility of every student to obey and to support the enforcement of the Honor
Code, which prohibits lying, cheating, or stealing in actions involving the academic processes of
this class. Students will properly attribute sources used in preparing written work and will sign a
pledge on all graded coursework certifying that no unauthorized assistance has been received or
given in the completion of the work. All written assignments should contain a signed pledge
from you stating that, “I have not given or received unauthorized aid in preparing this
written work.” Credit will not be awarded for unpledged work. Please refer to the APA Style
Guide, The SSW Manual, and the SSW Writing Guide for information on attribution of quotes,
plagiarism (including self-plagiarism, or submitting work that has been previously submitted in
another course) and appropriate use of assistance in preparing assignments. In keeping with the
UNC Honor Code, if reason exists to believe that academic dishonesty has occurred, a referral
will be made to the Office of the Student Attorney General for investigation and further action as
required.
POLICY ON ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
Students with disabilities that affect their participation in the course and who wish to have
special accommodations should contact the University’s Disabilities Services
(http://disabilityservices.unc.edu) and provide documentation of their disability. Disabilities
Services will notify the instructor that the student has a documented disability and may require
accommodations. Students should discuss the specific accommodations they require (e.g.
changes in instructional format, examination format) directly with the instructor.
POLICY ON THE USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM:
Use of all electronic devices is prohibited. Please turn off cell phones or set to vibrate and refrain
from taking calls or texting during class. Use of laptops is permitted as a tool for small group
activities and in-class assignments or as an approved accommodation for students with
disabilities (sees above).
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Class 1 (8/24): Course Overview
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 Class introductions
o What are your experiences and interests in this topic?
 Migration trends
o Global, national, and local
o Transnational migration
 Relevance to professional practice
o NASW Code of Ethics
 Course overview
Class 2 (8/31): Migration Theories and the Migrant Experience
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 Reasons for migration
 Migration debate
 Migration and acculturation across the lifespan
ASSIGMENT:
 Blog post #1 due
READINGS:
 Text: Chapter 1 – Introduction
 Segal, Mayadas, & Elliott: Immigration worldwide
o Chapter 1: The Immigration Process
o Chapter 2: Immigration Worldwide – Trends and Analysis
 Browse – The New York Times: “The Way North”
 Browse – BBC News: “Migration: Are more people on the move than ever before?”
 Browse – Johnson & Appold: “Demographic and Economic Impacts of International
Migration to North Carolina”
GUEST SPEAKER: Niklaus Steiner, Director of the UNC Center for Global Initiatives
Class 3 (9/14): Legal Classification and Policies
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 US immigration policies
o Historical overview
o Immigration law
o Immigration and disability
 Recent legal challenges
READINGS:
 Text: Chapter 2 – Legal Classifications; Appendices
 Segal, Mayadas, & Elliott: Immigration worldwide
o Chapter 3: United States
 Immigration Policy Center: “Basics of the United States Immigration System”
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

Clement: “The data on white anxiety over Hispanic immigration”
Mautino: “Immigration and physical disability” and “Mental disability and immigration”
GUEST SPEAKER: Deborah Weissman, Reef C. Ivey II Distinguished Professor of Law, UNC
School of Law
Class 4 (9/21): Practice Theories and Cultural Competence
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 Definition of cultural competence
 Language issues
o Working with interpreters
 Cultural competence protocols for individuals and agencies
 Adopting an anti-oppressive framework
READINGS:
 Text: Chapter 3 & 4
o Chapter 3 – Culturally Competent Social Work Practice with Immigrant
Populations
o Chapter 4 – Theory and Social Work Practice with Immigrant Populations
 NASW Standards for Cultural Competence
 Skim – Boston Medical Center: “Bilingual Medical Interview - Exerpts from
Discussion Leader's Guide”
 Browse websites in the Cultural Competency and Language Services Resources folder of
the Sakai site (under “Resources” – “Readings” – “Class 4”)
Class 5 (9/28): Refugee Resettlement and Employment
*Site Visit: Class will meet at Transplanting Traditions Community Farm
*Assignment #1 due: Research Proposal
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 Refugees & Asylum Seekers
o United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
o Applying for refugee status and seeking asylum
o Annual determinations
o US Office of Refugee Resettlement and Voluntary Agencies
 Employment
o Contributions to the economy
o Labor laws
o Work conditions
o Exploitation and marginalization
READINGS:
 Text: Chapter 8 – Immigrants and Employment
 UNHCR Handbook, Chp.2: “The evolution of resettlement”
 Griego: “Immigration policy leaves refugee programs scrambling for funds”
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

Hasnain: “Brokering the culture gap”
Iskander & Lowe: “The politics of skill: Rethinking the value of ‘low-skilled’
immigrant workers”
Class 6 (10/5): Health, Healthcare and Healthcare Access
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 Cultural beliefs about health, illness, and treatment
 Disparities in healthcare
 Access to medical care
READINGS:
 Text: Chapter 5 – Social Work and Physical Health Issue of Immigrants
 Choose one; Be prepared to discuss in small groups:
o Grubbs: “Undocumented immigrants and kidney transplant: Costs and
controversy”
o Palinkas, et al: “The journey to wellness: Stages of refugee health promotion and
disease prevention”
o Holmes: “The clinical gaze in the practice of migrant health: Mexican migrants in
the United States”
o Abraído-Lanza, Chao, & Flórez: “Do healthy behaviors decline with greater
acculturation?: Implications for the Latino mortality paradox”
o Page: “Positive pregnancy outcomes in Mexican immigrants: What can we
learn?”
GUEST SPEAKER: Susan Clifford, Orange County Health Department Immigrant and
Refugee Health Program Manager
Class 7 (10/12): Mental Health and Treatment
*Cultural Competency Presentations
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 The Triple Trauma Paradigm: Effects of uprooting, flight and adjustment
 Refugees & survivors of torture
 Culturally appropriate screening, diagnosis, and treatment
 Common diagnoses
o PTSD
o Depression
o Substance abuse/alcohol abuse
 Access to mental and behavioral healthcare services
READINGS:
 Text: Chapter 6 – Mental Health Issues in New Immigrant Communities
 American Psychological Association, Report of the APA Presidential Task Force on
Immigration: “Crossroads: The psychology of immigration in the new century”
 Miller: “Rethinking a familiar model: Psychotherapy and the mental health of refugees.”
 Engstrom & Okamura: “A plague of our time: Torture, human rights, and social work.”
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

Bemak, et al: “Promoting the mental health of immigrants: A multicultural/social justice
perspective”
Skim: Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15) Pathways to Wellness Packet
Class 8 (10/19): Crime and Detention
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 Immigration consequences of misdemeanors vs. felonies.
 Immigrant Detention
o Policies: 287(g) and Secure Communities Act
o Impact on families and children
 Victims of crime
o U-visas
READINGS:
 Text: Chapter 7 – Avoiding Unintended Consequences in Civil Advocacy for Criminally
Charged Immigrants
 Meissner, Kerwin, Chishti & Bergeron: “Immigration enforcement in the United
States: The rise of a formidable machinery” (Executive Summary, pp. 1-13)
 Skim – Applied Research Center (ARC): “Shattered families: The perilous intersection
of immigration enforcement and the child welfare system”
GUEST SPEAKER: TBD
Class 9 (10/26): Women, Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 Women’s migration experiences
 Domestic violence
o Particular vulnerabilities of immigrant/migrant women
o Violence Against Women Act
 Human trafficking
READINGS:
 Text: Chapter 10 – Women, Gender-Based Violence, and Immigration
 Skim: US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report
GUEST SPEAKER: Stefani Baca-Atlas, Project FIGHT Case Manager, Salvation Army of
Wake County
Class 10 (11/2): Children and Families
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 Children and Families
O Acculturation and Biculturalism
O Education, Language, and Access
O Unaccompanied Minors
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
LGBT Families
O History of US Immigrations laws preventing entry of LGBT individuals
o Sponsorship by a same-sex partner
o Clients separated from families because of Immigration Laws prohibiting LGBT
union
o Asylum for LGBT individuals fleeing persecution
READINGS:
 Text: Chapter 9 & 11
o Chapter 9: Immigrant Children and Education
o Chapter 11: Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Immigrants
 Bacallao & Smokowski: “Entre dos mundos/Between two worlds: Bicultural
development in context”
 Miami-Herald: Children of the Americas: A year after crossing illegally into the U.S.
 Migration Policy Institute: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Profiles
 Immigration Equality: Policy Priorities
 Heartland Alliance International: “Guidelines for LGBT Refugee Resettlement”
GUEST SPEAKER: Sara Skinner, Center for Child & Family Health
Class 11 (11/9): Social Welfare and Public Benefits
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 Legal requirements: Civil Rights Act, Title VI – Access
 Eligibility for public benefits and services
 Barriers to access for immigrants
READINGS
 Text: Chapter 13 – Overview of Immigrant Eligibility for Federal Programs
 Fortuny & Chaudry: “A Comprehensive Review of Immigrant Access to Health and
Human Services”
 ASPE Issue Briefs:
o “The Affordable Care Act: Coverage Implications and Issues for Immigrant
Families”
o “Barriers To Immigrants’ Access to Health and Human Services Programs”
o “Overview of Immigrants' Eligibility for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and CHIP”
o “Promising Practices for Increasing Immigrants’ Access to Health and Human
Services”
GUEST SPEAKER: Kate Woomer-Deters, Staff Attorney, Immigrant Rights Project, NC
Justice Center
Class 12 (11/16): Aging Migrants and the Future of Immigrants in America
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 Elderly immigrant clients and issues of alienation and abuse
 Citizenship applications for elderly immigrant clients
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

Immigrant integration
Children of immigrant parents
READINGS:
 Text: Chapter 12 – Older Adult Immigrants in the United States
 Migration Policy Institute: Demography and Migration: An Outlook for the 21st
Century
 American Immigration Council: New Americans in the Voting Booth: The Growing
Electoral Power of Immigrant Communities
 Optional readings on aging and specific populations
o Caring Connections: Chinese-American Outreach Guide
o Migration Policy Institute: Senior Immigrants in the United States
o Villa, et al.: “Hispanic Baby Boomers: Health inequities likely to persist in old
age”
o Patterson: “Policy and practice implications from the lives of aging international
migrant women”
o Dinnerstein & Reimers: “Confronting immigration” (chapter 7 of Ethnic
Americans: A history of immigration)
o Segal: “Implications, directions, and action guidelines” (chapter 9 of A framework
for immigration: Asians in the United States)
Class 13 (11/23): Advocacy Strategies
TOPICS TO BE ADDRESSED:
 Advocacy – Micro and Macro
READINGS:
 Text: Chapter 14 – Social Workers and Immigrant Advocacy
 Giovagnoli: “Overhauling immigration law: A brief history and basic principles of
reform”
 American Immigration Council: “Executive Action on Immigration: A Resource Page”
 Read the Executive Summary and browse contents:
o The White House Task Force on New Americans: “Strengthening communities
by welcoming all residents: A federal strategic action plan on immigrant &
refugee integration”
 National Partnership for Community Training: “The Role of Advocacy in Capacity
Building”
 Browse contents of “Policy & Advocacy Websites” and “Advocacy Examples” folders
on Sakai
Class 14 (11/30): Final Presentations
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