Deaf and Hearing Worlds. School Social Work candidates learn about connections among deaf, hearing and hard-of-hearing perspectives through a uniquely designed curriculum which includes a foundation in generalist social work practice and a concentration in social work practice with deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Classroom interaction, guest speakers, school based internship experiences, class assignments, and extra-curricular activities all serve to link our candidates to diverse experiences and perspectives. Our students are trained to enhance the quality of life for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, their families, and communities by connecting assessing and intervening on individual, family, group, organizational, community and cultural levels.

Local, National and Global Perspectives. Connections between local, national and global perspectives are encouraged through the diversity of students and faculty, incorporation of curriculum content focusing on multiple systems levels which is set forth by the standards of the Council on Social Work Education, a learning environment in Washington, DC where local, national and global perspectives are constantly in focus. In addition, the generalist social work practice model emphasizes micro, mezzo, and macro systems for assessment and intervention. Furthermore, an emphasis on social justice and alleviating the forces of oppression which impact upon populations at risk requires close attention to local, national and global cultural issues. Students are placed in local internships and have opportunities for national and international studies as well (i.e., independent studies in Costa Rica, and Guatemala,.) An interstate school social work advisory committee consists of school social workers, MSW alumni and current students in the program. Students learn about local, state and national policy as well as the impact of international policies on social work practice. Graduates leave the program prepared to carry forth these perspectives in professional practice.

Connecting Tradition with Innovation. School social work students study the history, policy, ethical, conceptual and theoretical precedents of the profession of social work in the foundation year of this program. The concentration year which focuses on deaf and hard-of-hearing people, their families and communities examines the historical traditions and values of these communities. Through course work and internships students keep abreast of current practices, and active legislation, they initiate change in organizations and communities which in tern positively impacts individual and family functioning. Research for student assignments encourage critical thinking regarding traditional and current practices in social work with deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, their families and communities. They are required to identify opportunities for planned change which contribute to the welfare of their clientele. Students learn state of the art practices, techniques, concepts and theories across the curriculum and in internship supervision. Students are also encouraged to attend professional social work and deafness conferences and to explore current technological resources.

Connections Between Theory and Practice. The school social work program prepares students to link and apply theory to practice in multiple ways. Social Work and deafness related theories are taught in the classroom and require linkages in class assignments, presentations, classroom and on-line discussions. In addition, students are required to reflect on, critically evaluate the utility of a number of human behavior and practice theories, and to apply theory to practices issues and cases in the classroom and internships. Internship experiences require the completion of reflective process recordings, logs and weekly supervision which monitor theoretical and conceptual application. Theory and practice are interwoven throughout the program.

Reflective Inquiry. The school social work program is grounded in the professional standards of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Council on Social Work Education. The Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) mandates professional competency, as well as a commitment to ongoing professional development and to contributing to a professional knowledge base. The Department of Social Work and the school social work sub-specialization are committed to our students' professional self awareness, reflection of one's own practice and biases, the development of a knowledge base and competencies in social work practice with deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Students are aided in this process through their field placement documentation which includes process recordings and weekly logs, field supervision, research classes, assignments in all classes, case discussions, presentations and the application of critical thinking skills throughout the curriculum. Making contributions to the field of social work practice with deaf and hard-of-hearing people requires a continued commitment to understanding the person in the environment, enhancing the quality of life, and ongoing assessment and reflection on systems of various sizes to determine an appropriate course of action. The school social work program within the Department of Social Work is committed to ongoing reflective inquiry and values this process as necessary for effective professional practice.