SW 6701 - Forensic Practice I: Theory & Direct Practice

This foundational forensic practice course prepares students to work directly with adult and juvenile offenders as well as victims of crime. The course provides an overview of common court, community treatment, and correctional settings. Students will learn best practices when working with offenders and victims of crime across a range of institutional and community-based settings. The course emphasizes the intersection of race, poverty, substance abuse, and mental illness with the justice system and prepares students to work effectively with the courts, correctional and; child welfare system, law enforcement, and victim services to promote humane treatment and social justice. Forensic social workers are tasked with intervening in complex clinical cases that require an understanding of mental health, substance abuse, cognitive disability, violence, and trauma. After an initial emphasis on clinical and risk assessment, this course introduces students to major evidence-based treatment models for treating offenders and victims of crime like Restorative Justice, the Risk-Need-Responsivity model, Risk and Protective factors, and victimology. Students explore ethical issues unique to forensic social work and develop skills in evaluating programs and practice.