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THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Course Number:
SOWO 715
Course Title:
Integrative Bridge Course: HBSE Module, 2009
Instructor:
Joelle D. Powers, Ph.D., MSW
The School of Social Work, 325 Pittsboro St., CB#3550
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550
Office: 563C
Phone: 843-8686
Email: jdpowers@email.unc.edu
Office hours: 12-1pm each afternoon after class, or by appointment
Course Schedule:
May 26 - June 5, 2009
Time: 9:00am-11:45am
Course Description:
Goal:
 The possession of a knowledge framework on family and individual development (including
definitions, structural variations, theories, strengths, stressors, and changes that affect
functioning) needed to carry out agency-based practice with clients.
Module Objectives:
This course has two overarching objectives. Course content is designed to foster the students' ability to:
1. Understand families as a primary context for growth and change and the
environmental forces that affect the potential for both.
2. Evaluate and discuss the functioning of individuals, families, and groups at an entry level as indicated
by the:
 use of systemic, bio-psycho-social, developmental, and cultural perspectives and selected
theories to understand the behavior of individuals and systems and their interactions;
 ability to describe the impact of issues of diversity including race/ethnicity, gender, age, sexual
orientation, disability, religion and socioeconomic status on individual and familial
developmental processes;
 ability to describe the impact of the social, economic, and political environment on client
systems;
 identification of the strengths and limitations of theoretical frameworks;
 and ability to articulate the importance of social and economic justice.
Course Evaluation:
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The School of Social Work operates on an evaluation system of Honors (H), Pass (P), Low Pass (L), and
Fail (F). For this class, the numerical value of an H ranges from 94 – 100; a P is 80 – 93; an L ranges
from 70 – 79. A grade of P is “entirely satisfactory.” On a traditional grading scale, a P would range
from B- to A-. The grade of Honors signifies that the work is clearly excellent in all respects. Only a
small percentage of students attain Honors. A student receiving an F or nine or more Low Passing
credits is ineligible to continue in graduate school.
The Honor Code:
The Student Honor Code is always in effect in this course. The Instrument of Student Judicial
Governance requires that you vouch for your compliance on all your written work. We expect you to
write the following pledge in full on each document. Sign and date your statement.
I have neither given nor received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment.
The crucial thing to remember is that you must credit ideas that are not your own, whether or not those
ideas have appeared in print. If you use an example from someone else in an application paper, then you
must cite that person in your references.
Late Papers:
Late papers are strongly discouraged. In case of a dire, life-threatening emergency, a late paper may be
accepted at the discretion of the instructor. To obtain permission to submit a paper after the deadline, the
student must seek approval from the instructor before the beginning of class on the day the assignment is
due. If permission for late submission is not granted before breaking a deadline, the grade will
automatically be reduced 10%, and another 10% reduction will occur each day, including weekends.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities, which affect their participation in the course, should notify the instructor if
they wish to have special accommodations in instructional format, examination format, etc., considered.
Course Assignments:
Assignment Formatting:
The School of Social Work faculty has adopted APA style as the preferred format for papers and
publications. The best reference is the most recent edition of the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association.
For each class session, students are expected to:
1. Complete all assigned readings as scheduled
2. Attend class regularly and on time
3. Complete all quizzes and assignments as scheduled
4. Participate in class discussions and presentations
Assigned Readings
All articles are available to be downloaded from the internet through the UNC Library’s e-journals
collection. There are also four book chapters required for this course. The Lukas (1993) book is required
for your Practice Bridge module (reference information is below), and three chapters from that text are
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also included in this HBSE module. Additionally, one chapter from the DSM will be emailed to the class
as a PDF. Additional reading may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor.
Lukas, S. (1993). Where to start and what to ask: An assessment handbook. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Daily Quiz
Each class will begin with a quiz on the assigned readings for that class session and previous material
covered in class. This is also how attendance and participation are graded for this module. The quizzes
will total 30% of your overall grade in this module. These quizzes cannot be made up at a later time.
Assignment I: Critical Review Papers
This assignment requires you to critically review two of the assigned readings for this module and write
a 3-4 page reflection/application paper for each. The first Critical Review is due at the beginning of class
on Friday, May 29, and the second is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, June 2. The Critical
Reviews are worth 40% (20% each) of your overall grade in this module. An additional page of details
and the grading rubric for this assignment will be handed out and reviewed on the first day of class.
Assignment II: Group Case Presentation
In a 5-6 page paper and 15 minute class presentation briefly describe the presenting problem for the
client your group was assigned from the video(s) we watched in class. Identify salient issues of typical
and/or atypical developmental impacting the clients’ current situation and life stage. Describe and apply
one of the theories reviewed in class that can assist you in better understanding the client and their
presenting problem. Explain how this theory might guide your practice and intervention with the client.
Assignment II will be completed in groups of three to four students and is due at the beginning of class
on Friday, June 5. Assignment II is worth 30% of your overall grade in this module. An additional page
of details and the grading rubric for this assignment will be handed out and reviewed on the first day of
class.
Schedule and Course Outline
Session 1: Tuesday, May 26
 Introductions
 Review of Module & syllabus
 Infancy & Toddlerhood (Birth – 2 years)
o Typical development
o Atypical development: Low birth weight, FASD, feeding disorders, Down’s syndrome
 Diversity issue: Race/Ethnicity
 Theory: Ecological
Readings:
 Misra, D.P. & Guyer, B. (2003). Integrated perinatal health framework: A multiple determinants
model with a life span approach. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 25 (1), 65-75.
 Lu, M.C., & Halfon, N. (2003). Racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes: A life-course
perspective. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 7 (1), 13-30.
 Sokol, R.J., Delaney-Black, V., & Nordstrom, B. (2003). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Journal of
the American Medical Association, 290, 22, 2996-2999.
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Suarez-Orozco, A., Todorova, I., & Louie, J. (2002). Making up for lost time: The experience of
separation and reunification among immigrant families. Family Process, 41(4), 625-643.
Assignments:
 Quiz
Session 2: Wednesday, May 27
 Early Childhood (2 – 6 years)
o Typical development
o Atypical development: Reactive Attachment Disorder, Autistic Disorders
 Assessment: Intro to DSM & Multiaxial forms
 Diversity issue: Disability
 Theory: Erickson’s Psychosocial Theory
 Video: Inventing Mental Disorders
o http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2242763683568731188&ei=lN5kSeWDO4rkq
QKLhfHBAQ&q=DSM+and+mental+illness&hl=en
Readings:
 American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
(4th ed.). Washington: author. (pp. 1-10, 27-37). (PDF to be emailed)
 Maccoby, E.E., & Lewis, C.C. (2003). Less day care or different day care? Child Development
74 (4), 1069-1075.
 DeMarle, D.J., & Le Roux, P. (2001). The life cycle and disability: Experiences of discontinuity in
child and family development. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 6(1), 29-43.
 Pervasive developmental disorders: http://www.brightfutures.org/mentalhealth/pdf/bridges/pdd.pdf
Assignments:
 Quiz
Session 3: Thursday, May 28
 Middle Childhood (6-11 years)
o Typical development
o Atypical development: ADHD, Child maltreatment, Obesity
 Diversity issue: SES
 Theory: Social Learning Theory
 Video: The Medicated Child http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/medicatedchild/
Readings:
 Pinderhughes, E.E., Dodge, K.A., Bates, J.E., Pettit, G.S., & Zelli, A. (2000). Discipline responses:
Influences of parents’ socioeconomic status, ethnicity, beliefs about parenting, stress, and cognitiveemotional processes. Journal of Family Psychology, 14,380–400.
 Burton, L. (2007). Childhood adultification in economically disadvantaged families: A
conceptual model. Family Relations, 56, 329-345.
 Schwartz, M. B., & Puhl, R. (2003). Childhood obesity: A societal problem to solve. Obesity
Reviews, 4(1), 57-71.
 ADHD http://www.brightfutures.org/mentalhealth/pdf/bridges/adhd.pdf
 Childhood obesity http://www.brightfutures.org/mentalhealth/pdf/bridges/obesity.pdf
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Child Maltreatment http://www.brightfutures.org/mentalhealth/pdf/bridges/maltreatment.pdf
Assignments:
 Quiz
Session 4: Friday, May 29
 Adolescence (11-20 years)
o Typical development
o Atypical development: Eating Disorders, Behavior Disorders
 Diversity Issue: Gender
 Theory: Risk and Resilience
 Video
Readings:
 Aufseeser, D., Jekielek, S., & Brown, B. (2006). The family environment and adolescent well- being:
Exposure to positive and negative family influences. Washington, DC: Child Trends; and San
Francisco: National Adolescent Health Information Center, University of California, San Francisco.
Available at:
http://www.childtrends.org/Files/FamilyEnvironmentRB.pdf
 Ungar, M. (2004). The importance of parents and other caregivers to the resilience of high-risk
adolescents. Family Process, 43(1), 23-41. Harris, M., & Cumella, E.G. (2006).
 Eating disorders across the lifespan. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services,
44(4), 21-26.
 Burdge, B.J. (2007). Bending gender, ending gender: Theoretical foundations for social work
practice with the transgender community. Social Work, 52, 243-250.
 Conduct disorders and ODD http://www.brightfutures.org/mentalhealth/pdf/bridges/oppositional.pdf
 Eating disorders http://www.brightfutures.org/mentalhealth/pdf/bridges/eat_disorder.pdf
Assignments:
 Quiz
 Assignment 1: Critical Review Paper (1)
Session 5: Monday, June 1
 Early Adulthood (20-40 years)
o Typical development
o Atypical development: Substance Abuse, Schizophrenia
 Diversity Issue: Sexual Orientation
 Assessment: Developmental History
 Video
Readings:
 Arnett, J.J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the
twenties. American Psychologist, 55, 469-480.
 Rosario, M., Schrimshaw, E.W., Hunter, J. & Braun, L. (2006). Sexual Identity Development Among
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youths: Consistency and Change Over Time. The Journal of Sex
Research 43 (1), pp. 46-58.
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Padgett, D. K., Hawkins, R. L., Abrams, C., & Davis, A. (2006). In their own words: Trauma and
substance abuse in the lives of formerly homeless women with serious mental illness. Psychological
Assessment, 76(4), 461-476.
Substance abuse http://www.brightfutures.org/mentalhealth/pdf/bridges/substance_abuse.pdf
Lukas: Chapter 6. How to take a developmental History.
Assignments:
 Quiz
Session 6, Tuesday June 2
 Case Videos
Readings:
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Rolland, J. (2006). Genetics, Family Systems, and Multicultural Influences. Families,
Systems & Health, 24, 425-441.
Hutchison, E.D. (2005). The life course perspective: A promising approach for bridging
the micro and macro worlds for social workers. Families in Society, 86, 1, 143-152.
Assignments:
 Quiz
 Assignment 1: Critical Review Paper (2)
Session 7, Wednesday June 3
 Middle Adulthood (40-60 years)
o Typical development
o Atypical development: Divorce, Cancer, Heart Disease
 Diversity Issue: Religion
 Assessment: Medical History
 Video
Readings:
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Davis, C. (2004). Psychosocial needs of women with breast cancer: How can social
workers make a difference? Health and Social Work, 29(4), 330-334.
Jones, A. C. (2003). Reconstructing the stepfamily: Old myths, new stories. Social Work,
48(2), 228-236.
Walsh, F. (2003). Family resilience: A framework for clinical practice. Family Process,
42(1), 1-18.
Marks, L. (2004). Sacred practices in highly religious families: Christian, Jewish,
Mormon, and Muslim perspectives. Family Process, 43(2), 217-232.
Lukas: Chapter 3: How to think about your client’s health: The medical history.
Assignments:
 Quiz
Session 8, Thursday June 4
 Late Adulthood (60-death) & Bereavement
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o Typical development
o Atypical development: Depression, Anxiety, Dementia
Diversity issue: Age
Assessment: Mental Status Exam
Video: Depression: Out of the Shadow http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/depression/
Readings:
 Cummings, S., Neff, J., & Husaini, B. (2003). Functional impairment as a predictor of depressive
symptomotology: The role of race, religiosity, and social support. Health and Social Work, 28(1), 2332.
 Bengtson, V. L. (2001). Beyond the nuclear family: The increasing importance of multigenerational
bonds. Journal of Marriage and Family 63(1), 1-16.
 Herbert, R., Schulz, R., Copeland, V&, Arnold, R. (2009). Preparing family caregivers for death and
bereavement: Insights from caregivers of terminally ill patients. Journal of Pain & Symptom
Management, 37, 3-12.
 Lukas: Chapter 2: Looking, listening, and feeling: The mental status exam.
Assignments:
 Quiz
Session 9, Friday June 5
 Student Group Presentations
 Closing
 Module Evaluations
Assignments:
 Quiz
 Assignment 2