The Social Work program at Alverno College is guided by ethics and values of the profession outlined by the National Association of Social Workers. This includes integrity, service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, competency, and the importance of human relationships. These values are embedded into the Social Work program and used to prepare graduates for generalist practice, whereby global perspectives, environmental justice, human rights, respect for diversity, social justice, economic justice, advocacy, evidence-based research, and racial justice are used to guide and inform a strengths-based approach to practice enhancing the quality of life for all people to promote human and community well-being.
The Social Work program provides a collaborative and inclusive learning environment that supports students as they demonstrate competency of acquired knowledge, values, skills, cognitive and affective processes of generalist social work education, through collaborative learning in an inclusive community. Furthermore, social work curriculum at Alverno College prepares social work graduates to engage in client-centered, ethics-grounded, research informed, social justice driven, strengths-based practice, with specific focus on advancing human rights through advocacy to enhance the quality of life for all individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. By using a person-in-environment and strengths-based approach to learning and practice, the Social Work program holistically prepares students for meaningful engagement with the world through service, commitment to justice (racial, economic, environmental, and social) and advancement of human rights for all.
The Social Work Department is driven to motivate life-long learners who are client-centered, adaptable, culturally respectful, knowledgeable, social justice change leaders.
Following each program learning outcome are below followed by the some of the eight Abilities; Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Nine (9) Competencies, and Social Work Code of Ethics Professional Values that are addressed.
Bachelors in Social Work (BSW) students use their knowledge and skills providing human services to individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities and the broader society. According to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), graduates from accredited programs help people increase their capacities for problem solving and coping, obtain needed resources, facilitate interactions between individuals and between people and their environments, make organizations responsible to people, and influence social policies. Social workers may work directly with clients addressing individual, family, and community issues, or they may work at a systems level on regulations and policy development, or as supervisors, administrators and planners of a large human services system.
Social work is a meaningful and challenging profession with a substantial range of career options and opportunities in the greater Milwaukee area as well as in the region, state, and nation. Social workers help people move forward with their goals and life, including overcoming barriers, social inequality, and harmful oppression. Social workers help individuals, families, organizations, and communities secure resources that empower dignity, self-determination, strengths, resources, options, opportunities, and futures. Because of the ongoing need for social justice action, it is essential that social work continuously adapts to support individual, families, organizations, and communities’ in overcoming inequalities, underrepresentation, and oppression.
The Social Work Department Practicum Education Manual is an essential resource that is to be read prior to SW-483: Practicum Education and is referred to often in practicum education work.
Social work is a respected, client-centered, evidence-based, practice-driven, future-focused profession. A CSWE-approved BSW degree provides an enhanced cultural awareness, knowledge and skills at the individual, group, family, organization, and community levels, improving employment and graduate school opportunities. BSW graduates may be employed as generalist social workers; they can adapt to a wide variety of human services settings, including working at all levels, micro (individuals), mezzo (groups and families), and macro (organizations and communities). BSW graduates are eligible for social work certification (licensure) with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (WDSPS) in Wisconsin and may transfer their license to other states. Certification or licensure are not required for all social work and human services positions.
Social work has been growing and is expected to continue, according to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and Bureau of Labor Statistics. Social work has successfully defined itself as a respected profession and has made its mark on several human services arenas, such as hospitals, child welfare, and with veterans while gaining more marketability than other human services disciplines in the areas of mental health, domestic violence and sexual assault, schools, residential and in-home services for older persons, youth work, supports for people with disabilities, social action coalitions, and nonprofit leadership and management. Further, our graduates are prepared for graduate studies, such as a master’s in social work (MSW) program.
The BSW program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education since February 2021.
Dr. Laura Rucks, DSW, APSW., Program Director & Assistant Professor, email: laura.rucks@alverno.edu
Degrees: DSW from Simmons University, , MSW from Aurora University, BA in Criminal Justice, Minor in Sociology from UW Oshkosh
Areas of Expertise:
Dr. Rucks earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in law and courts. This degree helped Dr. Rucks transition into the social work profession where she spent significant time working within the juvenile and family court systems. Dr. Rucks earned her Master of Social Work degree from Aurora University. Dr. Rucks earned a doctorate in social work (DSW) from Simmons University where the focus of doctoral studies centered around the need for nonadversarial interventions to address high conflict parenting dynamics.
Diana Johnstone, MSW, LCSW, Practicum Director & Assistant Professor, email: diana.johnstone@alverno.edu
Degrees: MSW from the College of St. Catherine/University of St. Thomas, BA in Psychology and English from Macalester College
Areas of Expertise:
Ms. Johnstone’s professional experiences include direct practice in outpatient, school and community mental health settings, psychiatric crisis and inpatient social work, and Clinical Supervision and Consultation. She has specialized in providing evidence-based trauma therapy, advocacy, and community care to youth survivors of sexual violence. Ms. Johnstone is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Brainspotting.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOCIAL WORK REQUIREMENTS | ||
| BSC-255 | Behavioral Science Research Methods | 4 |
| SW-250 | Human Behavior in the Social Environment | 3 |
| SW-300 | Social Work Practice Methods: Individuals | 3 |
| SW-320 | Families and Society | 3 |
| SW-400 | Social Work Practice Methods: Groups & Families | 3 |
| SW-430 | Systems of Oppression Groups & Family | 3 |
| SW-450 | Grassroots Organizing | 3 |
| SW-483 | Social Work Practicum Education | 9 |
| INTERN-383 | Internship Seminar | 1-4 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS | ||
| AC-151 | Initial Social Interaction Assessment | 0 |
| ADV-299 | Intermediate Level Event | 0 |
| BSC-215 | Working in Diverse Groups | 2 |
| BSC-256 | Probability & Statistics (General Education) | 4 |
| or BSC-257 | Statistics for Health Professionals | |
| or MT-256 | Probability and Statistics | |
| CM-120 | Communication Seminar 1 | 4 |
| CM-125 | Communication Seminar 2 | 3 |
| CM-225 | Communication Seminar 3 | 3 |
| FA-110 | Intro to the Arts | 4 |
| FSS-125 | First Semester Seminar | 2 |
| Globally Effective Citizen (GEC) Choose 1 Course From Below | 3 | |
| AHS-409/GEC-307, GEC-302, GEC-312, GEC-314, GEC-315, GEC-317, GEC-320, GEC-324, GEC-328, GEC-333, GEC-398 | ||
| HFA-210 | Humanities & Fine Arts Elective | 2 |
| HFA-310 | Humanities & Fine Arts Elective | 2 |
| HUM-150 | Express/Interpretn Human Experience | 4 |
| PPS-229 | Career & Internship Planning | 1 |
| QL-122 | Quantitative Literacy in Modern World | 4 |
| or BU-151 | Personal Finance | |
| SW-200 | Intro to Social Work (General Education) | 3 |
| BI, CH, PH, SC Science Course With Lab General Education | 4 | |
| SUBSTANCE ABUSE SPECIALIZATION | ||
| SAC-420 | Substance Abuse Rehabilitation | 4 |
| SAC-440 | Psychopharmacology | 4 |
| SAC-460 | Mental Health & Substance Abuse: in Individual, Groups & Families | 4 |
| GENERAL ELECTIVES | 25 | |
| Total Credits | 114-117 | |
Must earn a minor with this major.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CM-120 | 4 | BSC-215 | 2 |
| FA-110 | 4 | CM-125 | 3 |
| FSS-125 | 2 | QL-156 | 3 |
| QL-122 or BU 151 | 4 | SW-250 | 3 |
| SW-200 | 3 | BI, CH, PH, SC Science Course With Lab | 4 |
| 17 | 15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BSC-255 | 4 | BSC-256 or 257 | 4 |
| HUM-150 | 4 | CM-225 | 3 |
| SW-300 | 3 | HFA-210 | 2 |
| SW-320 | 3 | PPS-229 | 1 |
| SW-430 | 3 | ||
| 14 | 13 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HFA-310 | 2 | SAC-460 | 4 |
| GEC-300 | 3 | SW-450 | 3 |
| SAC-420 | 4 | General Electives | 4 |
| SAC-440 | 4 | ||
| General Electives | 7 | ||
| 20 | 11 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| INTERN-383 | 2 | SW-483 | 9 |
| General Electives | 13 | General Electives | 6 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Social Work Handbook