Social Worker Course

Lesson 1 • History and Evolution of Social Work

Traces social work from charity movements to a licensed profession. Provides context for understanding current roles and institutional structures.

Lesson 2 • Core Values and Ethical Principles

Examines the profession's guiding values: dignity, justice, and service. Anchors all subsequent practice decisions in ethical reasoning.

Lesson 3 • Roles and Settings of Social Workers

Maps the range of practice roles from direct service to policy advocacy. Clarifies how setting shapes responsibilities and required competencies.

Lesson 4 • Theoretical Frameworks in Social Work

Introduces systems, ecological, and strengths-based theories. Equips students to select appropriate lenses for diverse client situations.

Lesson 1 • Social Determinants of Health and Well-Being

Examines how income, housing, education, and community resources affect client outcomes. Links structural factors to individual presenting problems.

Lesson 2 • Family Systems and Dynamics

Analyses family as a primary social system influencing individual behaviour. Introduces genograms and eco-maps as assessment tools.

Lesson 3 • Culture, Identity, and Social Context

Explores how race, ethnicity, gender, and religion shape experience and help-seeking. Prepares students for culturally responsive assessment.

Lesson 4 • Trauma and Resilience Across the Lifespan

Defines trauma types and their neurobiological and behavioural effects. Introduces resilience factors that practitioners can activate in intervention.

Lesson 1 • Questioning Techniques and Information Gathering

Distinguishes open, closed, and circular questioning strategies. Enables efficient and respectful collection of client history and presenting concerns.

Lesson 2 • Conducting Structured Intake Interviews

Guides students through a complete intake process from opening to closure. Integrates questioning and listening skills into a coherent interview structure.

Lesson 3 • Communicating Across Difference

Addresses language barriers, cultural communication norms, and power dynamics. Ensures equitable engagement with diverse and marginalised populations.

Lesson 4 • Active Listening and Empathic Response

Teaches attending behaviours, reflection, and validation techniques. Forms the relational foundation for all subsequent interviewing practice.

Lesson 1 • Mental Health Screening and Indicators

Introduces validated screening tools for depression, anxiety, and psychosis. Enables early identification and appropriate referral without overstepping scope.

Lesson 2 • Risk Assessment: Safety and Crisis

Covers structured risk assessment for suicide, self-harm, and interpersonal violence. Produces actionable safety plans aligned with professional standards.

Lesson 3 • Writing the Biopsychosocial Assessment Report

Structures a complete written assessment integrating all gathered data. Emphasises clarity, objectivity, and professional language for multidisciplinary audiences.

Lesson 4 • Child and Vulnerable Adult Assessment

Applies assessment frameworks to child welfare and elder care contexts. Addresses mandatory reporting obligations and documentation requirements.

Lesson 1 • Mandatory Reporting and Legal Obligations

Covers mandatory reporting duties for abuse, neglect, and imminent danger. Connects legal obligations to documentation and interdisciplinary communication.

Lesson 2 • Ethical Decision-Making Frameworks

Presents step-by-step models for resolving ethical dilemmas in practice. Moves beyond rule-following to principled reasoning under uncertainty.

Lesson 3 • Confidentiality and Informed Consent

Defines confidentiality scope, limits, and duty-to-warn obligations. Ensures clients receive meaningful informed consent before services begin.

Lesson 4 • Boundaries and Dual Relationships

Identifies boundary violations and the continuum from crossing to exploitation. Provides strategies to maintain professional limits in complex community settings.

Lesson 1 • Transitions, Discharge, and Closure

Prepares students to manage case closure ethically and plan smooth transitions. Addresses termination reactions and continuity-of-care responsibilities.

Lesson 2 • Community Resource Navigation

Maps local and regional resources across housing, health, and income support. Develops skills to match client needs with appropriate services efficiently.

Lesson 3 • Goal Setting and Service Planning

Teaches collaborative goal formulation using SMART criteria with clients. Produces written service plans that are measurable, time-bound, and client-centred.

Lesson 4 • Monitoring Progress and Plan Revision

Establishes review cycles to evaluate goal attainment and adjust plans. Connects ongoing monitoring to accountability and outcome documentation.

Lesson 1 • Family Intervention Approaches

Introduces structural, narrative, and solution-focused family intervention models. Applies these to common family presenting problems identified in assessment.

Lesson 2 • Group Work Theory and Facilitation

Examines group development stages and facilitation roles in therapeutic and task groups. Prepares students to design and lead structured group sessions.

Lesson 3 • Cognitive-Behavioural Approaches in Practice

Applies CBT principles to common presenting problems such as depression and anxiety. Teaches thought records, behavioural activation, and exposure hierarchies.

Lesson 4 • Trauma-Informed Intervention Strategies

Applies trauma-informed care principles across all intervention modalities. Ensures safety, trustworthiness, and empowerment in every client interaction.

Lesson 1 • Policy Analysis and Social Advocacy

Teaches policy analysis frameworks and legislative advocacy strategies. Connects direct practice observations to systemic policy change efforts.

Lesson 2 • Community Organising Models

Examines Alinsky, asset-based, and consensus organising models. Equips students to mobilise communities around shared goals and collective action.

Lesson 3 • Community Assessment and Needs Analysis

Applies assessment skills to community-level data collection and analysis. Identifies priority needs and assets to inform macro-level intervention design.

Lesson 4 • Organisational Practice and Programme Development

Introduces nonprofit governance, programme logic models, and grant writing basics. Prepares students to develop and sustain community-based programmes.